Herodotus, a technology firm, has released a new zero-knowledge proof (ZK-proof) technology that is set to improve access and verification of historical data from the Ethereum blockchain. The on-chain accumulator, which uses storage-proof cryptography, allows users to verify data from any point of Ethereum’s blockchain without needing a third party. It makes use of StarkWare’s STARK proofs, a ZK-proof technology co-invented by mathematician Eli Ben-Sasson.
The on-chain accumulator acts as a cache that stores block headers and uses them for validation. If a header is not cached, a proof has to be generated to cover the requested block range, then the block header is added to the accumulator, and the requested storage proof computation is completed. This drastically reduces the time it takes to verify the Ethereum blockchain and associated data at any point in its history.
Marcello Bardus, CTO of Herodotus, noted that the technology removes the need to traverse the entire blockchain on the blockchain itself, which can be done off-chain. Kacper Koziol, Herodotus co-founder, added that the accumulator aligns with blockchain principles of transparency and accessibility, allowing any user to access any point in Ethereum’s history. This innovation has the potential to build “Web2 equivalent applications” and can be used in account recovery, automating insurance protocols, and triggering smart contract payouts using historical on-chain events.
StarkWare notes that storage proofs could be groundbreaking as an alternative to cross-chain bridges that rely on third-party oracles to track and verify data. This technology essentially enables users to access and verify Ethereum blockchain data autonomously, paving the way for various innovative applications.
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