Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is advocating for deeper research into the Poseidon hash function as the network explores ways to improve zero-knowledge (ZK) proof efficiency.
In a Feb. 26 post on X, Buterin encouraged cryptographers to participate in a security analysis program for Poseidon while quoting a message that extended the funding application deadline to March 15.
He stated:
“We are seriously considering migrating Ethereum to the Poseidon hash to optimize zk-prover friendliness, so having more information about its security properties is extremely high value.”
What is Poseidon?
Poseidon is a cryptographic hash function designed specifically for zero-knowledge applications.
Unlike traditional hash functions such as SHA-256, Poseidon is optimized for zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs, a cryptographic technique that allows transactions to be verified without revealing sensitive details.
ZK proofs are becoming increasingly crucial in Ethereum’s scaling efforts, particularly for rollups that process transactions off-chain before finalizing them on the main blockchain. Poseidon’s efficiency could reduce computational costs, making these solutions faster and more accessible.
According to Poseidon Cryptanalysis:
“Poseidon hash function has been used in numerous Ethereum applications that deal with verifiable computation. It is among the top performers at recent STARK benchmarks by StarkNet, which makes it a promising candidate for the use at Ethereum L1 for various protocols that employ ZK proofs.”
Community reactions
While some in the crypto space view Poseidon’s potential adoption as a positive step for Ethereum’s efficiency, others have raised concerns.
Ye Zhang, a co-founder of the Ethereum Layer 2 project Scroll, questioned whether Poseidon’s advantages outweigh its trade-offs.
Zhang pointed out that Poseidon’s various configurations could limit SNARK choices, making it less flexible. He also noted that Poseidon is significantly slower than alternatives like Blake and Keccak, which could create bottlenecks unless Layer 2 solutions adjust for compatibility.
Zhang added that Scroll initially used Poseidon but would revert to the Merkle Patricia Tree (MPT) with Keccak in a future upgrade due to performance considerations.
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