Understanding the Performance of Blockchain Provers: Introducing Proof Arena
Watching Olympic swimming is straightforward; the fastest swimmer is easily determined by who touches the wall first. However, assessing the performance of blockchains is far more complex. Unlike swimmers who compete in the same pool, blockchain technologies are diverse, with engineers continuously releasing faster and more efficient systems. This variation leads to differing use-cases, transaction types, and even methodologies for measuring performance.
The challenge of assessing blockchain performance is not limited to engineers alone; it also concerns the designers of cryptographic tools. A significant aspect of this landscape involves measuring hashes per second, a critical metric for evaluating system efficiency. In the midst of this complexity, the Polyhedra Network team has introduced a new platform called Proof Arena, designed to serve as a proving ground for various cryptographic provers.
Recently, Polyhedra Network unveiled an open-source zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) system, which is integral to many auxiliary blockchain setups known as “layer 2s.” This new system was reported to be nearly twice as fast as existing alternatives. But how can the team substantiate these claims? This question led to the creation of Proof Arena, a platform aimed at providing a controlled environment for developers to rigorously test and evaluate different proof systems.
According to Eric Vreeland, Polyhedra’s Chief Strategy Officer, the primary goal of Proof Arena is to allow developers to scrutinize the performance of various provers under consistent conditions. He emphasized that the platform will facilitate fair comparisons among different ZK-proof systems for specific proof generation tasks. This level of clarity is essential for researchers and developers in the cryptography field, who often require precise and reliable benchmarks to make informed decisions about which systems to use.
The outputs generated by the Proof Arena testing system will include crucial performance metrics such as:
- Proof Generation Time: The time taken to create a proof.
- Memory Peak: The maximum amount of memory utilized during proof generation.
- Setup Time: The time required to prepare the system for generating proofs.
Vreeland explained that builders of various provers will have the opportunity to submit their systems for evaluation within the arena. Initially, Proof Arena will generate benchmarks for Polyhedra’s own “Expander” ZK-proof system, as well as for notable systems like Polygon’s Plonky3, StarkWare’s Stwo, and Linea’s Gnark.
The team at Polyhedra has ambitious plans for Proof Arena. They intend to support all open-source proof systems and provide benchmarks for frequently used ZK tasks, such as:
- Keccak Hash Verification
- Poseidon Hash Verification
These tasks will be tested across a variety of machine configurations to ensure comprehensive performance analysis. Although the terminology might seem complex or daunting to those outside the cryptographic community, for professionals in the field, these benchmarks are critical for validating the efficiency and capability of their systems.
In conclusion, Proof Arena represents a significant advancement in the quest for performance transparency in blockchain technologies. By providing a controlled environment for testing and comparison, it empowers developers to demonstrate the efficacy of their systems scientifically. This initiative not only fosters innovation but also enhances the overall reliability of blockchain applications, offering cryptographers a valuable platform to prove their technological prowess.