Ethereum has already won the speed battle over zkEVMs. The security one remains open. A research competition supported by the Ethereum Foundation still shows a 52.14-bit gap between currently proven results on a cryptographic component. The network is targeting demonstrable 128-bit security for its zkEVMs by early December. No changes threaten the current consensus at this time.
In brief
- Ethereum is targeting demonstrable 128-bit zkEVM security before December.
- A benchmark still shows an unresolved interval of 52.14 bits.
- zkEVM proofs remain complementary to the traditional validation system for the moment.
Ethereum wants 128 bits of security
Ethereum has been preparing for a long time for the arrival of zkEVMs directly on its main layer. The work initially focused on performance. By the end of 2025, teams had managed to reduce the time needed to prove an Ethereum block from around 16 minutes to a few seconds. Several zkVMs could already generate proofs of 99% of blocks in less than ten seconds on the targeted hardware.
Speed is no longer enough. The Ethereum Foundation now requires provable 128-bit security. Teams will also need to produce final proofs of no more than 300 KB and document precisely how their different proof systems work together.
The next big deadline arrives at the beginning of December. Before that, researchers still need to improve several cryptographic building blocks. One of them is now in the spotlight.
A gap of 52.14 bits remains open
The site better.codes is running a competition where researchers can try to improve or attack a setting called koalaIRS12. The dashboard currently displays two numbers. The lower security limit reaches 63.99 bits. The upper bound goes down to 116.13 bits. Between the two: 52.14 bits still unresolved.
These values do not mean that Ethereum operates today with only 63.99 bits of security. The benchmark measures a precise cryptographic profile used in proof systems research. Not the entire network.
This precision matters since Ethereum wants to make Zero-Knowledge a much more important part of its architecture. The competition works both ways. Some researchers try to raise the safety limit by providing new mathematical proofs. Others look for attacks to lower the upper limit.
Nine results from seven researchers had already been selected as of August 21. The goal is to gradually reduce the space between the two. Full zkEVMs will require more. It will still be necessary to verify the different components, the recursion of the proofs and the correspondence between the mathematical models and the code actually used. December is approaching.
The current Ethereum network does not yet depend on this evidence
The tight schedule does not mean that a breach threatens Ethereum transactions today. The affected zkEVMs do not yet replace normal consensus operation. In the current phase, their proofs can accompany mainnet testing. Classic execution clients continue to recalculate transactions before validators attest blocks.
Ethereum therefore still has its usual functioning. The situation will change if zk proofs ever become reliable enough to replace some of this re-execution. This is precisely why the Ethereum Foundation places such emphasis on 128 bits.
A false proof accepted at layer 1 could have much more serious consequences than a bug in an application. It could theoretically make it possible to validate an incorrect state of the network. The protocol is already multiplying work around this subject. In July, Ethereum notably deployed AI agents to automatically search for critical vulnerabilities. zkEVMs now follow the same principle. Prove quickly, Ethereum already knows how to do it. It remains to be proven beyond doubt.
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