Kakarot: Innovative zkEVM Solution

Kakarot zkEVM is an implementation of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) written in the Cairo language. Cairo is a Turing-complete language associated with CairoVM, which utilizes polynomials and the ZK-STARK proof system to achieve verifiable computation.

The characteristics of Kakarot zkEVM lie in its ability to generate provable transactions and blocks. Since it is built on top of CairoVM, every transaction executed on Kakarot has provability. This allows developers to deploy EVM applications on it while enabling users to interact with these applications using familiar tools.

In addition, Kakarot plans to provide interoperability with the Starknet protocol, offering composability for protocols in areas such as DeFi and GameFi.

Development Roadmap

The Kakarot project began in October 2022, aiming to create a zkEVM with less than 10,000 lines of code as open source. This goal was achieved within six months, with plans to launch the testnet by the end of summer 2023.

The roadmap for Kakarot zkEVM is divided into three phases:

1. Kakarot zkEVM on Starknet: Introduces EVM to Starknet, allowing developers to deploy Solidity smart contracts directly on Starknet.

2. Kakarot x Madara: Implement L3 zkEVMs, allowing teams to deploy their own zkEVM application chains and settle transactions on Starknet using validity proofs.

3. Kakarot x Madara: Implement type 1 zkEVM by writing Ethereum consensus rules in Cairo within the Madara x Kakarot full node, and switching from Pedersen MPT to Keccak MPT.

Team Background

The Kakarot core team was born from a hackathon in Lisbon. 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 Starkware and LambDa. Angel investors include Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin, Ledger co-founder Nicolas Bacca, and ZAMA co-founder and CEO Rand Hindi.

Project Evaluation

Kakarot, as an EVM implementation on Starknet, has the potential to connect the Starknet and Ethereum ecosystems. It may lower the development threshold, making it easier for Ethereum ecosystem projects to be built on Starknet. Future stages are expected to achieve more composability, such as with modular combinations like Celestia or EigenDA.

The development of Kakarot is closely tied to the Starknet ecosystem. Continuous upgrades of Starknet benefit Kakarot, but setbacks in Starknet's development could also negatively impact Kakarot.

One of the advantages of Kakarot is the support from Vitalik Buterin and StarkWare. However, compared to other ZK-EVM projects, the Kakarot team is relatively small, with a smaller budget and lower visibility, which are the challenges it faces.

Kakarot is currently still in the early stages, with the testnet set to be released soon. The future development of the project is worth keeping an eye on.