Bagaimana cara kerja zk-Rollup? Analisis lengkap arsitektur penskalaan Ethereum berbasis Rollup Taiko dan mekanisme verifikasi.

Ethereum mainnet's transaction throughput bottleneck and gas fee fluctuations have always been core obstacles to its large-scale adoption. Layer 2 scaling solutions have therefore become a key track in the evolution of blockchain infrastructure. Among numerous technical routes, ZK-Rollup (Zero-Knowledge Rollup) is widely regarded as one of the ultimate solutions for Ethereum scaling, thanks to the instant finality and high security brought by cryptographic proofs.

Taiko, as the first Type 1 ZK-EVM project in the Ethereum ecosystem based on the Based Rollup architecture, quickly attracted over $200 million in Total Value Locked (TVL) after mainnet launch. Its core design philosophy is: not introducing a centralized sequencer, but returning transaction ordering rights to Ethereum L1 validators, thereby inheriting Ethereum mainnet's decentralization and censorship resistance.

Starting from the basic principles of zk-Rollup, we systematically break down Taiko's scaling architecture—covering the generation process of Validity Proofs, transaction batching and batch processing mechanisms, decentralized verification structure, and interaction methods with Ethereum mainnet, presenting readers with a technical path from theory to engineering implementation.

Technical Principles of zk-Rollup and Core Mechanisms of Validity Proof

From Off-Chain Computation to On-Chain Verification: Basic Work Logic of zk-Rollup

ZK-Rollup is a Layer 2 scaling solution whose core idea is to shift the computation and state storage of a large number of transactions to off-chain execution, submitting only the most concise summary data and cryptographic proof to Ethereum mainnet. Specifically, ZK-Rollup packages ("rolls up") thousands of transactions into a batch, executes them off-chain, generates a compact Validity Proof, and submits it to the Rollup smart contract deployed on Ethereum for verification.

The core advantage of this mechanism is: Ethereum mainnet does not need to verify each transaction individually; it only needs to verify one cryptographic proof to confirm the correctness of the entire batch. Unlike traditional Optimistic Rollup, which relies on a 7-day challenge period, ZK-Rollup achieves instant finality through mathematical proofs. By 2026, verification time for ZK schemes has been compressed to under 50 milliseconds, and per-transaction costs have dropped below $0.01.

Generation Process of Validity Proof

Validity Proof is the cornerstone of ZK-Rollup security. Its generation process typically includes the following steps:

Step 1: Transaction Execution and State Update. After users initiate transactions on the Layer 2 network, Rollup nodes execute these transactions off-chain and compute changes to the state root. The state root is a hash of account states organized in a Merkle tree, representing the current state of the entire Rollup chain.

Step 2: Proof Generation (Proving). The Prover obtains the transaction batch and its execution trace, and generates a Validity Proof using a zero-knowledge proof system (such as zk-SNARK or zk-STARK). This proof cryptographically asserts: given an initial state root, after executing the batch of transactions, it correctly transforms into a new state root. The proof process does not reveal any specific details of the transactions; it only outputs the conclusion that "the state transition is correct."

Step 3: Proof Submission and On-Chain Verification. The Prover submits the Validity Proof along with the new state root to the Rollup contract on Ethereum mainnet. The on-chain verifier contract mathematically verifies the validity of the proof—this process does not require re-executing transactions, and the computational cost is far lower than individual verification.

Step 4: State Final Confirmation. Once the proof passes verification, the Rollup contract updates the recorded state root, and the batch of transactions achieves finality on Ethereum. Users can withdraw from Rollup to Ethereum mainnet without waiting for a challenge period.

Taiko employs a Multi-Proof architecture at the proof generation level, combining two independent systems: SGX (Trusted Execution Environment-based proofs) and ZK proofs. No single proof type is considered sufficient—multiple independent proof systems must agree on the state transition to complete final verification. This design significantly enhances system security redundancy.

Transaction Batching and Batch Processing Mechanism: How Efficient Off-Chain Aggregation Achieves Scalability

Economic Logic of Batching

Batching is the core method for ZK-Rollup to achieve scalability. Each execution in the off-chain virtual machine consumes computational resources, and submitting data to Ethereum mainnet incurs gas fees. The essence of batching is to find the optimal balance between "off-chain computation cost" and "on-chain data publication cost."

ZK-Rollup compresses multiple transactions into one batch, generates a Validity Proof, and submits it all at once to mainnet. Compared to submitting transactions individually, batching significantly reduces the average cost per transaction. Ethereum official documentation states that ZK-Rollup achieves data compression through methods like using account indexes instead of addresses, saving about 28 bytes of on-chain data per transaction.

Taiko's Block Proposal and Batching Process

In Taiko's protocol design, the Block Proposer packages one or more L2 transactions into a block and submits it to Ethereum L1 by calling the propose method of the Inbox contract. Proposal data is carried via blob-backed derivation sources.

Taiko completed the Shasta upgrade on mainnet in April 2026, which significantly refactored the batching mechanism. The upgraded protocol streamlined core contracts into three modules: Inbox, Anchor, and SignalService. Block proposal costs dropped from about 1 million gas to about 45,000 gas (a ~22x reduction); proof costs dropped from about 500,000 gas to about 280,000 gas (a ~8x reduction).

Decentralized Verification Structure: Taiko's Based Rollup and Multi-Proof Architecture

Based Rollup: Returning Ordering Rights to Ethereum

Traditional Rollup solutions (such as Arbitrum, Optimism) rely on a centralized sequencer run by the project to package and order transactions. While this architecture improves efficiency, it introduces centralization risks—the sequencer can censor transactions, extract MEV, and even become a single point of failure.

Taiko's Based Rollup architecture fundamentally changes this model. In a Based Rollup, transaction ordering is not handled by a project-controlled sequencer but directly by Ethereum L1 validators. The ordering of L2 blocks is determined by Ethereum validators when they propose L1 blocks. This means:

• Maximum decentralization: No additional trust assumptions are introduced.
• Complete censorship resistance: Inherits the guarantees of Ethereum L1.
• Permissionless participation: Anyone can become a block proposer or prover.

Taiko thus becomes the first Based Rollup L2 project on Ethereum. As its official documentation states: "No centralized sequencer. No compromises."

Multi-Proof Verification System

Taiko's verification architecture involves multiple roles working together:

Proposer: Submits proposals containing one or more L2 blocks to Ethereum L1 via the Inbox contract.

Prover: Generates Validity Proofs (SGX + ZK) to confirm that the proposed blocks have been correctly executed.

Verifier Contract: Orchestrates multiple sub-verifiers (SGX, ZK) on L1 for multi-proof verification.

Under the Shasta-upgraded protocol, a successful proof submission directly finalizes the proven range. The Inbox contract checks if the range links to the currently finalized head, writes a checkpoint to SignalService, and updates the finalized proposal ID and block hash. There is no longer a separate "post-proof finalization" step—once a proposal range is proven, it is final.

Type 1 ZK-EVM: Full Ethereum Equivalence

Taiko runs an unmodified Ethereum execution layer (Type 1 ZK-EVM). Every opcode, every precompile, every tool available on Ethereum runs directly on Taiko without any modification. Developers deploy the same Solidity contracts and use the same toolchains (Hardhat, Foundry, etc.).

This full bytecode-level equivalence makes Taiko one of the most compatible ZK-Rollups in the Ethereum ecosystem. In May 2026, Polygon zkEVM just completed its Type 1 equivalent upgrade, while Taiko has been operating as a Type 1 ZK-EVM since its mainnet launch.

Interaction Methods with Ethereum Mainnet

Cross-Layer Communication Architecture

Taiko's interaction with Ethereum mainnet is realized through a complete cross-chain communication system. Core components include:

Inbox: L1 smart contract that manages proposal reception, proof submission, checkpoint recording, and finalization.

Anchor: L2 smart contract that anchors L1 checkpoints and related metadata to the L2 chain.

Bridge: Cross-chain transfer system for assets and messages between L1 and L2.

SignalService: Underlying cross-chain signal contract that provides Merkle proof-based message verification for the bridge.

Deposit and Withdrawal Process

When users deposit assets into Taiko, they send assets to the Rollup contract on Ethereum mainnet, which records the deposit event. Taiko's off-chain node listens to this event and mints corresponding assets on L2 for the user.

The withdrawal process relies on Validity Proof verification. Once the proof is accepted by the L1 verifier contract, users can withdraw assets from the Rollup contract without going through the 7-day challenge period required by Optimistic Rollup.

Recent Security Incident and Recovery

In June 2026, Taiko's bridge suffered a security incident worth approximately $1.7 million, caused by an SGX signing key being publicly exposed on GitHub in the Raiko multi-prover stack. The attacker used the leaked key to forge SGX prover authentication.

Taiko team's response demonstrated the effectiveness of its governance mechanism: the Security Council quickly executed an on-chain fix, confirmed no user funds were lost, and bridge assets were fully replenished at a 1:1 ratio. As of July 2, 2026, the bridge service has been restored and the network is fully operational. Affected by this incident, the TAIKO token rebounded about 75% within 24 hours, recovering to $0.20.

Market Performance and Ecosystem Progress

As of July 3, 2026 (Beijing time), according to Gate market data, Taiko (TAIKO) price is $0.13466, 24-hour trading volume is approximately $11.5928 million, market cap is approximately $26.8818 million, market sentiment is neutral. Total token supply is 1.0 billion, current circulation is approximately 198 million. The 7-day gain is +111.36%, 30-day gain is +39.27%, but the past year has seen a decline of -64.07%.

In terms of ecosystem development, Taiko deployed the ERC-8004 agent identity registry in early February 2026, becoming one of the first L2s to support this standard. In the first month of mainnet launch, over 45,000 AI agents were registered on the ERC-8004 network. Taiko's TVL peaked at $81 million in June, with monthly growth of 1,000%.

Conclusion

From Validity Proof generation to transaction batching, from Based Rollup's decentralized ordering to multi-proof verification architecture, Taiko provides a Layer 2 scaling model that balances technical completeness with Ethereum alignment. Its Type 1 ZK-EVM ensures zero-cost migration for developers, the Based Rollup design inherits Ethereum mainnet's decentralization guarantees, and the multi-proof architecture enhances system security through redundant verification.

By 2026, the Layer 2 ecosystem has moved from early technical exploration into a mature phase of "modular upgrades + differentiated competition." ZK-Rollup, with its instant finality and cryptographic security assurances, is becoming the mainstream technical route for Ethereum scaling. The cost optimizations and architectural simplifications achieved by Taiko after the Shasta upgrade, as well as its positioning in emerging tracks like AI agents, indicate that this Based Rollup scaling solution is moving from theory to large-scale practical application.

For readers interested in Ethereum scaling technology and Layer 2 ecosystem evolution, understanding the working mechanism of zk-Rollup and Taiko's architectural choices is an important entry point to grasp the development trends of blockchain infrastructure.

FAQ

Q1: What is the core difference between zk-Rollup and Optimistic Rollup?

zk-Rollup uses Validity Proofs to cryptographically ensure the correctness of each transaction, achieving instant finality; Optimistic Rollup assumes transactions are valid by default and relies on fraud proofs during a 7-day challenge period to detect errors. With zk-Rollup, withdrawals require no waiting, while Optimistic Rollup requires a challenge window.

Q2: What does Taiko's "Based Rollup" mean?

Based Rollup refers to a Rollup architecture where L2 transaction ordering rights are returned to Ethereum L1 validators. Unlike traditional Rollups that rely on centralized sequencers, Based Rollup inherits Ethereum mainnet's censorship resistance and decentralization guarantees. Taiko is the first L2 project on Ethereum to adopt this architecture.

Q3: How does Taiko's multi-proof system work?

Taiko uses two independent proof systems: SGX (Trusted Execution Environment-based) and ZK. No single proof type is considered final—multiple independent proof systems must agree on the state transition to complete verification. This design significantly enhances system security through redundancy.

Q4: What changes did Taiko's Shasta upgrade bring?

The Shasta upgrade, deployed on mainnet in April 2026, streamlined protocol core contracts into three modules: Inbox, Anchor, and SignalService. Block proposal costs dropped from about 1 million gas to about 45,000 gas (22x reduction), and proof costs dropped from about 500,000 gas to about 280,000 gas (8x reduction).

Q5: How does Taiko interact with Ethereum mainnet?

Taiko interacts with Ethereum mainnet through four core components: Inbox (L1 contract managing proposals and proof submissions), Anchor (L2 contract anchoring L1 checkpoints), Bridge (cross-chain asset and message transfer), and SignalService (cross-chain signal verification). Deposits are recorded via L1 contracts, and withdrawals are executed directly once Validity Proofs are verified.