Polygon Labs Proposes Celo’s Transition to Ethereum L2 Using Their Chain Development Kit

Polygon Labs has officially proposed a technical upgrade for Celo, suggesting its transition from an independent EVM-compatible L1 to an Ethereum L2. This proposal was made public on September 21, just 9 hours after its initial announcement by SandeepN.

The Proposal in Detail

Polygon Labs’ recommendation revolves around Celo deploying an L2 using the Polygon Chain Development Kit (CDK). This open-source toolset allows developers to create their own ZK-powered L2 for Ethereum. It also facilitates the conversion of existing L1s to Ethereum L2s with minimal friction, emphasizing modularity.

Key Value Propositions of Polygon CDK

Enhanced Collaboration: By joining a robust ecosystem of ZK-powered L2s, there’s potential for increased cross-community collaboration.

EVM-Equivalent Environment: Developers can achieve the closest alignment with Ethereum technically possible.

Security: The system leverages Ethereum’s proven consensus layer combined with the security of zero-knowledge proofs.

Low Fees: Achieved through a zkEVM validium architecture and off-chain data availability.

Unified L2 Ecosystem: This merges the Ethereum mainnet and Polygon ecosystem into a single expansive economy.

Customizability: The system offers an app-chain stack and interoperability with all Polygon L2 chains.

Fast Transactions: Near-instant withdrawals and rapid cross-chain interactivity are secured by ZK.

High Standards of Support: Meeting the standards of major Web3 projects and Web2 companies.

Ethereum Alignment and Background in ZK

Polygon Labs has consistently aimed to scale Ethereum and its core values. With L2 and rollups on its roadmap, Ethereum’s future is geared towards scaling securely and seamlessly. Polygon Labs’ core developers have invested years in ZK technology to align closely with Ethereum. Innovations like the Plonky2 ZK proving system have enabled L2s to see reduced fees and finality times, all while inheriting Ethereum’s decentralization, security, and existing tooling.

Upgrade Value Propositions

The proposal addresses both the initial value propositions suggested by cLabs and unique value propositions unlocked by Polygon CDK. These responses delve into the technical value of deploying with Polygon CDK and position this decision within the broader efforts of scaling Ethereum.

Potential Impact on the Celo Community

Validators: The Polygon CDK offers deployment in rollup or validium mode, allowing current Celo validators to participate. They would either act as a data availability committee or as sequencers.

Developers: Developers will benefit from the EVM-equivalent nature of Polygon CDK, maximizing the network effects of Ethereum alignment.

Users: Transaction fee changes with Polygon CDK are expected to be minimal.

CELO Holders: CELO will remain the governing token of the Celo ecosystem, with holders retaining control over core smart contracts and the validator set.

Conclusion

Polygon Labs’ proposal aims to expand on the value propositions highlighted by cLabs for Celo’s upgrade to an Ethereum L2. The dialogue between Polygon Labs and the Celo community is anticipated to continue, with the shared goal of achieving optimal technical upgrades for the blockchain community.

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