Ethereum Ditches Poseidon for Standard Hashes
The Ethereum Foundation (EF) is moving away from Poseidon, a specialized hash function used in zero-knowledge proofs on the Ethereum layer one (L1), according to researcher Justin Drake. Instead, the EF will use standard hashes like SHA-2 or BLAKE.
Drake notes that this shift is possible due to new binary-field SNARK designs, which allow standard hashes to match Poseidon's performance in-proof. This development is part of his 'lean Ethereum' vision, aimed at increasing the efficiency and scalability of the network.
The change could have significant implications for the Ethereum ecosystem, as Poseidon has secured billions in value since its introduction in 2019. However, its novel design meant years of cryptanalysis before it was trusted on a large scale.
Drake predicts that standard hashes will reduce the time required to secure trust in L1-bound zk-proofs, allowing for faster and more efficient transactions. He also notes that this development is part of the roadmap towards a 'lean VM' deployment in 2027, with consensus, data, and execution layer deployments following in 2028.