Kakarot zkEVM: Ethereum Virtual Machine written in Cairo

Kakarot zkEVM is an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) written in the Cairo language. Cairo is a Turing complete language associated with CairoVM, which implements provable computation using polynomial and ZK-STARK proof systems.

The zkEVM features the ability to generate provable transactions and blocks. Kakarot is built on top of CairoVM, so every transaction executed on it is provable. Overall, Kakarot zkEVM leverages the ZK-STARK proof system to provide provable computational capabilities. It allows developers to deploy EVM applications and enables users to interact with these applications using familiar tools.

In addition, Kakarot will also provide interoperability with the Starknet protocol, bringing composability to protocols in areas such as DeFi and GameFi.

Development Roadmap

The project started in October 2022, with goals including being open-source from the beginning and creating a zkEVM with less than 10,000 lines of code. This goal was achieved in just six months. The testnet is planned to be released by the end of summer 2023.

The development roadmap of Kakarot zkEVM is divided into three phases:

1. Kakarot zkEVM on Starknet - Bringing EVM to Starknet

At this stage, Kakarot zkEVM will exist as a built-in EVM within Starknet's L2. Developers can directly deploy Solidity (or any EVM-compatible language) smart contracts on Starknet and use familiar tools. The user experience will be the same as on Polygon, Scroll, or Ethereum L1.

2. Kakarot x Madara - L3 zkEVMs

Kakarot and Madara will integrate to achieve L3 zkEVMs, which can be expanded to L4, L5, etc. if necessary. The team can deploy zkEVM application chains and settle transactions on Starknet using validity proofs. This L3 architecture can decouple security and decentralization, allowing users to enjoy the security of Ethereum L1 while reducing costs and improving performance.

3. Kakarot x Madara - type 1 zkEVM

By writing Ethereum consensus rules using Cairo in the Madara x Kakarot full node, and switching from Pedersen Merkle Patricia Trie (MPT) to Keccak MPT, Kakarot is expected to become a type 1 zkEVM client capable of proving L1 blocks. The realization of this goal depends on the development roadmap of Ethereum, especially the Verge phase.

Team Background

The core team of Kakarot originated from a hackathon in Lisbon, where around ten people built a zkEVM prototype in a week. Currently, with the support of the Starknet Foundation and Onlydust, Kakarot has over 40 contributors.

Core members include:

• Elias Tazartes: Co-founder and CEO, focusing on blockchain engineering and full-stack development.
• Clément Walter: Co-founder and CTO, with a background as a scientist, engineer, and entrepreneur.

Financing Status

Kakarot has completed its pre-seed round of financing, with the specific amount not disclosed. Investors include institutions such as Starkware and LambDa, as well as angel investors like Vitalik Buterin, Ledger co-founder Nicolas Bacca, and ZAMA co-founder and CEO Rand Hindi.

Project Outlook

Kakarot, as the EVM implementation on Starknet, is expected to become an important bridge connecting the Starknet and Ethereum ecosystems. It can lower the barrier for developers, making it easier for Ethereum ecosystem projects to build on Starknet while maintaining the security of Ethereum and reducing costs.

The development of Kakarot is closely linked to the Starknet ecosystem. As Starknet continues to upgrade and improve user experience, Kakarot is expected to contribute to the prosperity of the ecosystem. However, the success of Kakarot is also somewhat dependent on the development of Starknet.

Gaining support from Vitalik Buterin and StarkWare is a significant advantage for Kakarot. However, compared to other zkEVM projects, the Kakarot team is smaller, with a lower budget and brand recognition, which is one of the reasons it has not yet deployed as a general-purpose zkEVM L2.

As an early-stage project, Kakarot's development is worth ongoing attention. The upcoming testnet will be an important milestone to observe its technical strength and ecological potential.