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Ethereum (eth<\/a>, scaling protocols<\/a> are dominating the use of zero-knowledge (ZK) rollups, with major launches, new research and healthy competition being key points in a sector report published by ZK Validator.<\/p>\n The node infrastructure operator’s \u201cState of ZK Q2\u201d report reflects on significant events across the ZK ecosystem, with notable launches of ZK-powered layer 2’s highlighting the use of the technology on scaling in comparison to other market segments.<\/p>\n ZK-proofs<\/a> use cryptography to allow one party to prove to another party that certain information is correct, without revealing any data. They present a solution to trust and privacy in digital environments and have been pivotal in scaling layer-1 blockchain protocols.<\/p>\n A poll put out to some 18,000 followers of the Zero Knowledge Podcast provided the sample for a community gauge on the most important applications of ZK-proofs. 42% of respondents selected ZK for Scaling as the segment that would experience the highest growth in the coming 12 months.<\/p>\n ZK for privacy and identity followed at 23.8% and 22.2% respectively, while zero knowledge machine learning was the least selected segment.<\/p>\n The poll reflects the real-world applications of zero-knowledge proofs, with a number of major Ethereum scaling protocols hitting mainnet in the first half of 2023.<\/p>\n This includes Polygon’s announcement <\/a>of its upcoming \u201c2.0\u201d multichain system which will use zk proofs to transfer assets between networks and zkSync Era’s ZK Stack<\/a> which will allow developers to build zk rollups and proprietary layer-3 “hyperchains”.<\/p>\n Consensys also began onboarding partners to its mainnet Linea network on July 11<\/a>, Linea is another prominent layer-2<\/a> that allows developers to build or migrate decentralized applications for Ethereum.<\/p>\n Related: Are ZK-proofs the answer to Bitcoin’s Ordinal and BRC-20 problems?<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n The sector has also attracted investment across a number of segments, including new zk-based layer 2’s and zkEVMs (Ethereum Virtual Machines) as well as zk-proofs for off-chain computation. <\/p>\n Ethereum scaling firm Starkware<\/a>which helped pioneer zk technology, as well as Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin<\/a> invested in Kakarot, which is a zkEVM running on Starkware’s technology that aims to build layer-3 applications. <\/p>\n The report also highlights a $115 million raise by Worldcoin to continue the development of its zk-powered digital identity application and ecosystem. The Swiss nonprofit Anoma Foundation also features in the report, after its latest $25 million<\/a> raise to continue building its third-generation blockchain architecture for decentralized applications.<\/p>\n