Astar Network to Launch a Layer 2 Scaling Solution, Astar zkEVM
Astar Network, a Layer 1 smart contract platform supporting Ethereum, Polkadot, and Cosmos ecosystems, collaborates with Polygon Labs, an Ethereum scaling developer, to introduce its Layer 2 solution, Astar zkEVM.
This Japanese blockchain project will use the Polygon Chain Development Kit (CDK), an open-source codebase designed to launch zero-knowledge-powered Layer 2 chains for Ethereum, to construct Astar zkEVM.
Sandeep Nailwal, the Polygon co-founder, emphasized the forward-thinking nature of Asia’s web3 adoption, stating, “As it stands today, Asia is one of the most forward-thinking regions in the world when it comes to web3 adoption.” He believes that there is a substantial demand for transparency and trustless applications that blockchain can bring to Japan.
Sota Watanabe, founder of Astar Network, expressed the project’s commitment to enabling enterprises to kickstart their blockchain initiatives and strengthen Japan’s position as a Web3 hub.
Astar zkEVM is not the first third-party zkEVM powered by Polygon, as Polygon Labs has previously assisted in developing zkEVM chains for projects like Immutable, IDEX, and Palm Network.
How Astar zkEVM Operates
Layer 2 blockchains established using the CDK can connect to a shared ZK bridge for interoperability, providing an Ethereum-compatible scalability solution. This allows Astar zkEVM to support the same code as Ethereum, making integration easier for developers who can utilize existing tools and infrastructure.
ZK-rollups conduct off-chain computations on Layer 2, resulting in faster and more cost-effective transactions while maintaining Ethereum’s security. Astar Network aims to encourage blockchain adoption in Japan by attracting global entertainment and gaming projects to enter the market, particularly focusing on high-throughput use cases.
Japan’s Web3 Vision
Japan has established itself as a crypto-friendly jurisdiction, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida acknowledging Web3’s transformative potential during the WebX conference in July.
Astar Network, backed by Coinbase Ventures and Binance Labs, sees itself playing a role in enhancing Web3 adoption and real-world use cases, aligning with the Japanese government’s initiatives to strengthen the international competitiveness of Web3 projects.
Astar previously collaborated with electronics giant Sony on a web3 incubation program, resulting in the selection of 19 projects out of more than 200 applications to launch on Astar.
Polygon Labs unveiled its own zkEVM solution in March, highlighting its focus on scaling the Ethereum network. Various blockchain projects, including Polygon, Starknet, ZkSync, and Scroll, have been actively developing ZK-based Layer 2 solutions to support Ethereum apps natively.
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