Haberler

GKR (Goldwasser–Kalai–Rothblum) proofs are an advanced cryptographic proving method designed to make complex computations faster and more efficient by verifying only the inputs and outputs of a process rather than every intermediate step. Using recursive “sumcheck” reductions, GKR significantly reduces prover overhead compared to traditional proof systems such as STARKs or FRI, providing succinct and cost-effective verification without inherently offering privacy, though it can be combined with SNARKs or STARKs for zero-knowledge functionality. For Ethereum, GKR holds major potential to improve scalability, particularly for rollups and zkEVMs, by lowering proof generation costs, accelerating verification, and enabling more frequent, smaller proof submissions. Its efficiency could enhance user experience, reduce transaction fees, and expand Ethereum’s capacity for advanced cryptographic applications like verifiable AI and private computation. However, GKR’s benefits depend on implementation quality and the structure of the workloads it is applied to, meaning practical performance gains will require careful optimisation. If successfully integrated, GKR could become a cornerstone of Ethereum’s push toward a more scalable, secure, and cryptographically verifiable network