EPF Final Updates Topic: Research project on decentralized prover mechanisms of zk-rollups Ethereum Protocol Fellowship (July 2023 - Present) Team: Me, Nilu and Norbert Mentor: Barnabé Monnot, Research Scientist at the Robust Incentives Group at the Ethereum Foundation

EPF Week 11 Update Summary: During our recent meeting this week, I, along with Barnabe (our Mentor), Nilu, and Norbert, charted our course ahead. Our collective decision was to finalize the formulation of criteria for the optimization models and to begin crafting the simulation model while also working on defining metrics. This preparation is for the agent-based simulation using cadCAD: cadCAD serves as a specialized modeling framework for complex systems. Its primary function revolves around simulating, testing, and shaping the behaviors of dynamic systems. With the power of Python, cadCAD enables the modeling of agent-driven systems. It streamlines the analysis of system dynamics and the refinement of governing policies. In the Prover Optimization Problem, the objective is to find the optimal design parameters that balance various key objectives and constraints. These objectives include decentralization, liveness, censorship resistance, competition, permissionlessness, transparency, security, cost-efficiency, and Sybil attack resistance. Each objective is quantified and optimized using multi-objective optimization algorithms. The aim is to create a mechanism that encourages participation, rewards honesty, maintains security, minimizes operational costs, and ensures scalability, all while being transparent and resistant to attacks. Achieving this balance is essential for the success of the zkRollup network.

EPF Week 6 Update Summary: In the context of week 6 within the fellowship cohort me and my colleague undertook a significant task by creating a comprehensive comparison for zk-rollups. While this table is a work in progress, with plans to incorporate additional rollups, our preliminary findings have illuminated a rather concerning trend. It appears that the majority of zk-rollups currently in existence lack the crucial components of decentralized sequencers or provers. This apparent centralization within the zk-rollup landscape poses not only potential drawbacks but also raises alarms regarding its alignment with the core values of decentralization championed by Ethereum. In response to this pressing concern, we pivoted our focus towards leveraging the extensive resources within the rollup research community. Our primary objective as of now is to curate an all-encompassing repository detailing the diverse prover selection methodologies and the associated incentive structures. Drawing inspiration from these invaluable research repositories, we formulated a meticulous set of evaluative criteria and incisive questions. This framework now serves as a compass to rigorously assess the efficacy and robustness of various prover mechanisms. In essence, our week 6 activities entailed not only generating a tangible tool in the form of the comparison table but also delving into the very fabric of zk-rollup designs, identifying potential vulnerabilities, and contributing to the discourse around sustaining the decentralization ethos of Ethereum. References

Hey everyone :wave:, I am 0xrachit and here’s the Week 0 of my development updates for the ethereum protocol fellowship cohort 4 ! Summary During this week, my main focus was on learning about different research projects happening in the Ethereum ecosystem. I had conversations with some other people who are also part of the same group to see if we could work together on interesting topics. Since it was the first week, I spent a lot of time getting familiar with the research being done in areas that I find interesting, as well as in other areas. Among the resources I looked at, these were some that I found really helpful. Resources Ethereum Whitepaper Ethereum Yellowpaper