Infrastructure
ZKsync's Airbender Prime Achieves Real-Time Proving on Single GPU, Vitalik Buterin Responds
ZKsync has announced the launch of Airbender Prime, a groundbreaking Ethereum prover that can generate proofs in real time using a single NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPU. This achievement was revealed on October 13, 2026, and has since garnered praise from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin.
In a response dated October 15, Buterin commended the ZKsync team for their accomplishment, stating, "the speed battle... definitively won." However, he urged that the focus should now shift toward ensuring the security of the zkEVM, particularly concerning formal verification and cost limitations associated with proving.
Airbender Prime demonstrated impressive performance by proving 99% of 7,200 Ethereum mainnet blocks in under 10 seconds, with no block taking longer than 12 seconds to prove. This efficiency places Airbender at the top of the ETHproofs.org leaderboard, excelling in proving time, GPU efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
The prover utilizes hash-based STARKs, which are designed to be secure against quantum attacks, and is built on the open instruction set standard RISC-V. Its components are open source, making it accessible for both institutional operators and independent participants.
Buterin highlighted that while speed has been achieved, the next steps involve formal verification to ensure that the prover aligns with Ethereum's specifications and establishing bounds on prover costs relative to gas fees.
Airbender Prime is part of ZKsync's broader roadmap, following the Atlas upgrade, and aims to enhance Ethereum's scalability. As the Ethereum community watches closely, the focus will now be on the progress of formal verification and how competing zkEVM teams respond to this significant advancement.
FAQ
What is Airbender Prime?
Airbender Prime is a new Ethereum prover developed by ZKsync that can generate proofs in real time using a single NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell GPU.
What notable achievement did Airbender Prime accomplish?
Airbender Prime proved 99% of 7,200 Ethereum mainnet blocks in under 10 seconds, with no block taking longer than 12 seconds to prove.
What did Vitalik Buterin say about Airbender Prime?
Vitalik Buterin praised the ZKsync team for their achievement, stating that the 'speed battle' is 'definitively won,' but emphasized the need to focus on the security of the zkEVM.
What technology does Airbender Prime utilize?
Airbender Prime uses hash-based STARKs, which are designed to be secure against quantum attacks, and is built on the open instruction set standard RISC-V.
What are the next steps for ZKsync following the launch of Airbender Prime?
The next steps include focusing on formal verification to ensure the prover aligns with Ethereum's specifications and establishing bounds on prover costs relative to gas fees.