Scaling Ethereum while preserving its core values—security, decentralization, and accessibility—is one of the most pressing challenges in blockchain today. Scroll is building a zkEVM-based zkRollup solution that not only addresses this challenge but does so without compromising on Ethereum’s foundational principles. This article outlines the technical principles guiding Scroll’s design and how they shape its architecture, user experience, and long-term vision.
Core Technical Principles Behind Scroll
Scroll’s development is driven by four foundational principles: user security, EVM-equivalence, efficiency, and decentralization across all layers. These are not just theoretical ideals—they directly inform every architectural decision, from proof generation to network participation.
Ensuring User Security
At the heart of any blockchain scaling solution must be the protection of user funds and data. In the case of Layer 2 (L2) protocols, security often hinges on trust assumptions—how much users must rely on third parties to act honestly. Scroll eliminates this risk by anchoring its security model entirely to Ethereum’s base layer.
As a zkRollup, Scroll submits cryptographic proofs—specifically, zero-knowledge proofs—to Ethereum Mainnet. These proofs mathematically verify that all transactions executed on Scroll are valid. Because these proofs are verified on-chain by a smart contract, users never need to trust operators or validators. Their funds remain secure as long as Ethereum itself is secure.
👉 Discover how zero-knowledge technology powers secure blockchain scaling
This trust-minimized approach ensures that even if all L2 node operators were compromised, user assets would remain protected. It’s security through cryptography, not reputation.
Maintaining EVM-Equivalence
One of the biggest hurdles for developers adopting new L2s is compatibility. Many solutions offer “EVM compatibility” but require code changes, custom tooling, or re-architecting dApps—creating friction and increasing audit risks.
Scroll goes further by achieving EVM-equivalence, meaning it behaves exactly like the Ethereum Virtual Machine as defined in the Ethereum Yellow Paper. This guarantees:
- No modifications to Solidity smart contracts
- Full support for existing developer tools (e.g., Hardhat, Remix, Truffle)
- Native JSON-RPC interface and transaction format compatibility
Unlike transpilation-based systems that convert EVM bytecode into another format, Scroll runs native EVM bytecode directly within zero-knowledge proofs. This eliminates potential bugs introduced during translation and ensures maximum fidelity with Ethereum’s execution environment.
For developers, this means deploying to Scroll is as simple as deploying to Ethereum—no rewrites, no audits for new VM quirks, and no learning curve.
Prioritizing Efficiency
A scalable L2 must deliver tangible benefits: low fees and fast user experience. Scroll achieves this through two key optimizations:
- Low Transaction Costs: By batching thousands of transactions off-chain and submitting compact ZK proofs on-chain, Scroll reduces gas costs by orders of magnitude compared to Ethereum L1.
- Fast User Experience: Users enjoy instant pre-confirmations on L2, with final settlement occurring securely on Ethereum within minutes.
Crucially, this efficiency does not come at the cost of decentralization or security. Scroll maintains these gains in a trustless environment where no single entity controls block production or proof validation.
Decentralization Across All Layers
Decentralization isn’t optional—it’s essential for censorship resistance, resilience, and long-term sustainability. Scroll extends this principle beyond node operation to include provers, sequencers, and community governance.
The Scroll team recognizes that centralized proving or sequencing creates single points of failure and control. To prevent this, Scroll is building a permissionless prover network, allowing anyone to participate in generating ZK proofs.
Key advantages include:
- Scalable Proving Infrastructure: The system is designed for parallelization, enabling performance scaling simply by adding more nodes.
- Open Innovation Incentives: Community members are encouraged to develop optimized hardware (GPUs, FPGAs, ASICs) and contribute improvements.
- Credible Path to Full Decentralization: While initial phases use internally developed GPU provers (which will be open-sourced), the roadmap includes decentralizing both proving and sequencing over time.
This layered decentralization ensures that no single group—not even the core team—can dictate the network’s direction.
How Technical Principles Shape Scroll’s Architecture
These guiding principles naturally lead to specific architectural choices that define Scroll’s implementation.
Why zkEVM-Based zkRollup?
Security and EVM-equivalence together point clearly to a zkEVM-based zkRollup design. Only zkRollups can provide fraud-proof-level security without relying on optimistic assumptions. And only an EVM-equivalent zkEVM can offer seamless compatibility with Ethereum’s vast ecosystem.
Scroll’s zkEVM generates succinct zero-knowledge proofs that verify correct execution of native EVM bytecode. These proofs are checked by a smart contract on Ethereum, ensuring state integrity without requiring trust in L2 operators.
This combination delivers:
- Maximum security via Ethereum’s consensus
- True interoperability with Ethereum tooling
- Minimal trust assumptions
👉 See how next-gen rollups are transforming Ethereum scalability
Decentralized Prover Network: A Strategic Imperative
Generating ZK proofs is computationally intensive. Centralizing this process would undermine decentralization and create bottlenecks.
To solve this, Scroll is building the Roller Network—a decentralized, permissionless network where independent participants generate proofs for L2 blocks. This approach enables:
- Horizontal scaling of proving capacity
- Community-driven hardware innovation
- Reduced reliance on any single entity
In the short term, Scroll provides open-source GPU prover implementations to bootstrap participation. Long-term plans include collaboration with hardware partners on FPGA and ASIC acceleration.
This phased rollout ensures stability while laying the groundwork for full decentralization.
Efficiency Through Open Research
Achieving high performance under strict security and decentralization constraints demands cutting-edge research. Scroll leverages breakthroughs in:
- Proof systems (e.g., PLONK, UltraPLONK)
- Proof aggregation techniques
- ZK hardware acceleration
By collaborating openly with the Ethereum Foundation’s Privacy & Scaling Explorations (PSE) team and other researchers, Scroll integrates the latest innovations into its stack.
Current research areas include:
- Leveraging data blobs post-Danksharding to reduce costs
- Co-designing zkEVM with hardware-friendly ZK algorithms
- Exposing low-level ZK primitives to application developers
This open, research-driven model accelerates progress and ensures Scroll remains at the forefront of ZK technology.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What is the difference between EVM-compatible and EVM-equivalent?
A: EVM-compatible chains may support Solidity or simulate EVM behavior but often require code changes or custom tooling. EVM-equivalent chains like Scroll execute native EVM bytecode exactly as defined in the Ethereum specification—ensuring full compatibility without modifications.
Q: How does Scroll ensure low transaction fees?
A: By batching transactions off-chain and submitting compact zero-knowledge proofs to Ethereum, Scroll drastically reduces on-chain data usage—lowering gas costs by up to 100x compared to L1.
Q: Can anyone run a prover node on Scroll?
A: Yes—Scroll is building a permissionless prover network (the Roller Network). Once live, anyone will be able to run a prover using open-source software, contributing to decentralization and earning rewards.
Q: Is Scroll secure if Ethereum goes down?
A: Scroll relies on Ethereum for finality and security verification. If Ethereum halts, Scroll cannot finalize new states—but user funds remain safe and can be withdrawn once Ethereum resumes.
Q: Does Scroll use optimistic or zero-knowledge proofs?
A: Scroll uses zero-knowledge proofs (zkSNARKs) in a zkRollup framework. This provides cryptographic certainty of validity without relying on challenge periods or fraud proofs.
Q: When will Scroll mainnet launch?
A: While exact dates aren't disclosed here, Scroll has been progressing through testnet phases with active community participation. Stay updated via official channels for mainnet announcements.
Scroll represents a bold step toward scalable, secure, and truly decentralized Ethereum expansion. By adhering to core technical principles—security first, EVM-equivalence, efficiency, and full-stack decentralization—Scroll offers a future where billions can access Ethereum without compromise.
Whether you're a developer seeking seamless deployment or a researcher pushing the boundaries of ZK tech, Scroll invites collaboration in building the next generation of blockchain infrastructure.
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