Ethereum Co-Founder Advocates for Poseidon Hash Function Research
Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin is pushing for more in-depth research into the Poseidon hash function as the network explores ways to enhance zero-knowledge (ZK) proof efficiency.
Vitalik Buterin’s Call to Action
In a recent post on X, Buterin urged cryptographers to participate in a security analysis program for Poseidon. He highlighted a message extending the funding application deadline to March 15, emphasizing the importance of understanding the security properties of the hash function.
“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.”
Understanding Poseidon
Poseidon is a cryptographic hash function developed specifically for zero-knowledge applications. Unlike traditional hash functions like SHA-256, Poseidon is tailored for zero-knowledge proofs, a cryptographic technique that enables transaction verification without revealing sensitive information.
ZK proofs play a vital role in Ethereum’s scaling efforts, particularly in rollups that process transactions off-chain before finalizing them on the main blockchain. The efficiency of Poseidon could lower computational costs, enhancing the speed and accessibility of these solutions.
According to Poseidon Cryptanalysis:
“Poseidon hash function has been utilized in various Ethereum applications involving verifiable computation. It ranks highly in recent STARK benchmarks by StarkNet, positioning it as a promising choice for use in Ethereum L1 for protocols utilizing ZK proofs.”
Community Feedback
While some experts in the crypto space see the potential adoption of Poseidon as a positive step towards enhancing Ethereum’s efficiency, others have expressed concerns.
Ye Zhang, co-founder of the Ethereum Layer 2 project Scroll, questioned whether the benefits of Poseidon outweigh its drawbacks.
Zhang highlighted that Poseidon’s different configurations could restrict SNARK choices, reducing flexibility. Additionally, Poseidon is notably slower than alternatives like Blake and Keccak, potentially causing bottlenecks unless Layer 2 solutions adapt for compatibility.
Zhang mentioned that Scroll initially utilized Poseidon but intends to switch back to the Merkle Patricia Tree (MPT) with Keccak in a forthcoming upgrade due to performance considerations.
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