Entangled Rollups: Multi-chain Interoperability Without Bridges

Share on

We recently introduced a new trust-minimized multi-chain Interoperability infrastructure called Entangled Rollup.

Interoperability in blockchains is often implemented using a trusted bridge, a separate centralized or partially decentralized intermediary which validates and transfers cross-chain messages.

In this work, we implement an interoperability protocol by judiciously entangling the underlying primitives under standard security assumptions of zkRollups, leveraging our state-of-the-art recursive zkVM (zkMIPS).

The Entangled Rollup protocol is trustless, and a step forward to addressing liquidity fragmentation, in addition to simplifying the user and developer experience as major adoption barriers of the multi-chain world.

"Entangled Rollups: Multi-chain Interoperability Without Bridges"

“Some works propose slightly different designs that integrate zkRollup concepts into bridges. This approach faces challenges such as the need for larger circuit sizes than rollups and reducing on-chain storage and computational overhead, which are key to the effective functionality of ZK bridges. While integrating zero-knowledge proofs (zkProofs) into bridge designs significantly enhances decentralization and security, it introduces computational challenges, primarily due to the larger circuit sizes required.

In this paper we go in a different direction by exploring the subsistence of zkRollup architectures. We propose the concept of “entangled rollups” which allows multi-chain interoperability without relying on a separate entity. This architecture addresses challenges such as liquidity fragmentation while introducing less complexity for developers and users to deploy and interact.

Entangled rollups are deployed on all blockchain infrastructures, and their states are synced through state-of-the-art recursive zero-knowledge proofs. It is worth mentioning that the vision for entangled rollups is not limited to interoperability and asset transfer as this design enables a wide range of multichain applications and protocols which can leverage access to underlying infrastructures and ecosystems.”

The full Entangled Rollup LightPaper can be found here: https://whitepaper.zkm.io/entangled_rollup_light_paper.pdf

More articles
ZKM Unveils Phase 2 of Our Early Contributor Program: Community Evolution
At ZKM, we are on a mission to revolutionize the digital world by bringing privacy, security, and efficiency to the forefront. With the introduction of Phase 2: Community Evolution of our Early Contributor Program (ECP), we’re taking a giant step forward in achieving this goal. This program has been instrumental in fostering a community of forward-thinking developers who actively participate in shaping the future of open-source zero knowledge technology. In this post, we’re excited to unveil the new features and opportunities this new phase our ECP brings to our growing community.
ZKM: 2024 Year in Review
2024 was a significant year for ZKM, with several key milestones and technical developments contributing to a solidified status of thought-leadership in the ZK space. Here we provide an overview of these achievements and begin to outline the future direction for our technology and ecosystem contributions.
Entangled Rollups: Multi-chain Interoperability Without Bridges

We recently introduced a new trust-minimized multi-chain Interoperability infrastructure called Entangled Rollup.

Interoperability in blockchains is often implemented using a trusted bridge, a separate centralized or partially decentralized intermediary which validates and transfers cross-chain messages.

In this work, we implement an interoperability protocol by judiciously entangling the underlying primitives under standard security assumptions of zkRollups, leveraging our state-of-the-art recursive zkVM (zkMIPS).

The Entangled Rollup protocol is trustless, and a step forward to addressing liquidity fragmentation, in addition to simplifying the user and developer experience as major adoption barriers of the multi-chain world.

"Entangled Rollups: Multi-chain Interoperability Without Bridges"

“Some works propose slightly different designs that integrate zkRollup concepts into bridges. This approach faces challenges such as the need for larger circuit sizes than rollups and reducing on-chain storage and computational overhead, which are key to the effective functionality of ZK bridges. While integrating zero-knowledge proofs (zkProofs) into bridge designs significantly enhances decentralization and security, it introduces computational challenges, primarily due to the larger circuit sizes required.

In this paper we go in a different direction by exploring the subsistence of zkRollup architectures. We propose the concept of “entangled rollups” which allows multi-chain interoperability without relying on a separate entity. This architecture addresses challenges such as liquidity fragmentation while introducing less complexity for developers and users to deploy and interact.

Entangled rollups are deployed on all blockchain infrastructures, and their states are synced through state-of-the-art recursive zero-knowledge proofs. It is worth mentioning that the vision for entangled rollups is not limited to interoperability and asset transfer as this design enables a wide range of multichain applications and protocols which can leverage access to underlying infrastructures and ecosystems.”

The full Entangled Rollup LightPaper can be found here: https://whitepaper.zkm.io/entangled_rollup_light_paper.pdf