ConsenSys launches zkEVM private beta testnet

cointelegraph.com:

According to a new blog post on Dec. 13, Web 3.0 ecosystem developer ConsenSys unveiled its zero-knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine (zkEVM) network for private beta testing. Designed and operated by ConsenSys, developers can deploy and manage decentralized applications using tools such as MetaMask, Truffle, and Infura as if they were using EVM directly. In addition, users can bridge assets between the Goerli testnet and the zkEVM to test their smart contracts and decentralized applications, or dApps. 

For years, ConsenSys has been working to wrap EVM computation in zero-knowledge proofs to create a zkEVM, as opposed to creating zk-rollups on networks separate from the EVM. Zero-knowledge technology verifies transactions on a separate layer and sends computation back to Ethereum without sending back the entire data. By simply providing proof that everything was correctly computed on layer two and putting a succinct proof back to the blockchain, Ethereum developers estimate that rollup solutions such as Optimism can increase scalability by upwards of 100x.

1/Roll up, roll up! We're proud to announce the private beta release of ConsenSys' zkEVM testnet, available on @Infura_io Sign up below: https://t.co/hKtsvoPaTG

User onboarding for the new ConsenSys zkEVM will begin in January 2023. ConsenSys says there are currently no details regarding how early testers will be rewarded or if there will be a newly issued token tied to the zkEVM.