Airbender from zkSync: How the Next-Generation Zero-Knowledge Virtual Machine is Reshaping Blockchain Performance

Blockchain Scalability Dilemma and Airbender’s Solution

The blockchain industry is facing a core paradox: pursuing decentralization while requiring higher performance. Traditional virtual machine architectures are inefficient at handling complex computations, leading to high transaction costs. The latest zkSync release, Airbender Virtual Machine, breaks this deadlock.

This is a zero-knowledge proof virtual machine (zkVM) based on the RISC-V architecture. What is its core capability? Using just one GPU, it can produce a proof for an Ethereum block in 35 seconds. What does this mean?

In performance comparison, Airbender’s proof speed is six times faster than existing mainstream zkVM solutions (such as SP1 Turbo, RiscZero). On an H100 GPU, it can reach a processing frequency of 21.8 MHz — industry-leading levels.

Real-World Economics

Technical metrics look impressive, but market acceptance depends on costs.

Airbender reduces the proof cost per transaction to $0.0001. What does this number represent? It means applications previously considered economically unfeasible are now viable — such as on-chain microtransactions for every in-game action, content creation micropayments, or real-time financial transaction transparency.

In terms of throughput, Airbender supports 25,000 to 30,000 transactions per second (TPS). This surpasses most Layer 2 solutions and lays a foundation for building truly enterprise-grade applications.

RISC-V Architecture: Why Is This Important

Airbender adopts the RISC-V instruction set, and this choice is no accident. Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has suggested that Ethereum consider replacing the current EVM with RISC-V for better scalability and computational efficiency.

Airbender’s architecture choice is a concrete step in this direction, demonstrating RISC-V’s feasibility and advantages in zero-knowledge proof scenarios. This has benchmark significance for the industry’s long-term evolution.

Atlas Upgrade: From Technology to Ecosystem

zkSync integrates Airbender into its ecosystem through the Atlas upgrade. What changes does this bring?

First, a leap in confirmation speed. Transactions can now be finalized within one second, greatly enhancing user experience. Second, cross-chain interoperability is enabled. Airbender makes seamless interaction between different blockchain networks possible, which is essential for multi-chain deployment.

This upgrade is like installing a more powerful engine into the zkSync ecosystem.

From Theory to Practice: Application Scenarios

Technical breakthroughs ultimately need to serve real use cases. Where does Airbender’s application landscape lie?

Micropayments and Gaming: Low costs revive microtransaction models that were previously economically infeasible. Game developers can record every in-game action on-chain without worrying about costs, opening new possibilities for play-to-earn models.

Finance and Trading: High throughput and low latency make Airbender ideal for high-frequency trading and real-time financial applications. Derivatives trading, liquidity mining, and other complex financial scenarios can achieve more efficient on-chain settlement.

Decentralized Social: Social applications are sensitive to latency and costs. Airbender’s performance makes large-scale social networks on-chain feasible.

AI and Complex Computation: The computational intensity of zero-knowledge proofs complements AI verification needs, providing new possibilities for on-chain AI applications.

Decentralized Proofs: Power Redistribution

A revolutionary feature of Airbender is its support for proof generation on consumer-grade hardware. What does this mean?

Traditionally, proof generation has been controlled by industrial GPU mining farms, reintroducing centralization risks. Airbender changes this — ordinary users can participate in proof generation on their own devices, truly democratizing security.

This not only lowers the participation barrier but also fundamentally enhances the network’s decentralization.

Enterprise Pioneers: ADI Chain Case Study

Theoretical discussions need real projects for validation. ADI Chain in the UAE is the first production-level blockchain built with Airbender technology, including stablecoins, asset tokenization, payments, and digital identity systems.

This project proves that Airbender is not just an experimental product but can directly support national-level digital infrastructure. It also serves as a reference model for other governments and institutions deploying similar systems.

Compliance and Privacy: New Choices for Institutions

zkSync’s Elastic Network, built on Airbender, is designed specifically for institutional investors and enterprises. What does it offer?

A balance between privacy protection and regulatory compliance. Companies can maintain transaction privacy while meeting AML and other regulatory requirements. High throughput ensures the feasibility of large-scale financial applications. Asset tokenization, payment settlement, and other traditional financial scenarios can be implemented on this network.

The launch of this product marks the transition of blockchain technology from niche innovation to mainstream finance.

New Balance of Performance and Security

At its core, Airbender answers a long-standing industry question: Can we significantly improve performance and reduce costs without sacrificing decentralization?

The answer is yes. And with cryptographic tools like zero-knowledge proofs, this balance is not a compromise but a genuine breakthrough.

Looking Ahead: The Next Step in Blockchain Infrastructure

The emergence of Airbender signifies that zero-knowledge virtual machine technology has moved from concept to mature application. From Vitalik Buterin’s proposal of RISC-V to actual deployment today, the industry is completing a critical technological upgrade.

As more applications migrate to the Airbender ecosystem, we will see qualitative leaps in blockchain’s use in finance, gaming, social media, and economic models. This is not only about zkSync’s prospects but also about the future trajectory of the entire industry.