ZKM officially releases the next generation GPU-accelerated zkVM, named Ziren: creating production-grade ZK infrastructure for mainstream developers

ZKM officially releases the next-generation version of its zkVM, Ziren (formerly zkMIPS), opening a new chapter for the deployability and scalability of zero-knowledge proof (ZK) systems in real-world applications through GPU acceleration, a distributed proof architecture, and a deeply optimized constraint system. Ziren aims to enable system engineers, application developers, and protocol designers to build high-performance ZK applications using mainstream languages, truly bringing ZK from the lab into mainstream development practices.

From zkMIPS to Ziren: Performance Leap, Enhanced Development Experience

Ziren is a comprehensive upgrade of zkMIPS v1.1.0, introducing for the first time:

• 30× GPU acceleration, significantly reducing proof latency;

• Distributed network proof architecture, supporting parallel computation and scalable deployment;

• Upgraded instruction constraint system, modular instruction, optimized column usage, and redundancy elimination;

• Upgraded toolchain and development experience, adding support for C/C++ on top of Rust, with Golang coming soon;

• Key security fixes and precompiled enhancements, achieving native compatibility with the Ethereum ecosystem.

"Ziren is the first truly scalable and developer-friendly general-purpose zkVM built on the right foundation." said Ming Guo, co-founder and chief scientist of ZKM. "It has already proven superior performance on CPU, and now, with GPU acceleration, we are taking it to new heights. If you are looking for the optimal ZK proof stack, Ziren is the answer."

In addition to the comprehensive technical upgrades, the name Ziren itself carries meaning. As a continuation of zkMIPS, "Ziren" is inspired by a variant of the myth "Siren," representing the transition from illusion to reality—technology is no longer just attractive but a genuine promise of usability. Ziren aims to become a truly efficient, trustworthy, and deployable zk infrastructure in the hands of mainstream developers.

GPU Acceleration and Distributed Proofs in Parallel: A Leap from Performance to Practicality

The core proof process of Ziren has been fully GPU-optimized, with significant performance improvements:

• Core proof speedup of 30 times

• Aggregated proof speedup of 15 times

• bn254 conversion proof speedup of 30 times

Combined with the networked proof architecture, Ziren can distribute proof tasks to multiple nodes for parallel execution, significantly enhancing throughput and improving the system's decentralized usability. This architecture is particularly suitable for modular blockchains, Rollups, and inter-chain verification systems.

Constraint System Optimization

Ziren has systematically restructured the constraint system:

• Splitting instruction-level constraints into modular "chips" (covering CPU, jumps/branches, memory, etc.)

• Reducing the number of column usages through optimized data structures

• Removing redundant or unused constraint logic

• Streamlining ALU, MADDU/MSUBU, and branch processing flows to enhance execution efficiency

These optimizations significantly reduce proof complexity, improve generation speed, and enhance system stability. From the perspective of zkVM, the execution traces generated by MIPS are shorter than those by RISCV, leading to better instruction efficiency, thereby benefiting proof efficiency. With the release of Ziren, the advantages of choosing the MIPS path are gradually becoming evident.

Better Development Experience: Smoother from Building to Deployment

Ziren is accompanied by a new version of the toolchain (20250522), bringing multiple enhancements to the developer experience:

• Integrated LLVM Patch to optimize the compilation process

• Support for C/C++ static libraries and teq instruction fixes

• More robust Rust toolchain, removing non-standard hacks

• Golang support coming soon

Additionally, Ziren supports Ethereum native signature verification, with the precompiled module now supporting complete ECDSA elliptic curve signatures, making on-chain integration smoother while expanding its supported application scenarios.

Stability and Security Fixes

Ziren has undergone comprehensive fortification of the validator and circuit execution processes, including:

• Fixing critical FRI random number vulnerabilities in Plonky3

• Correcting vk_root verification vulnerabilities in the Rust validator

• Optimizing instruction execution logic and constraint system consistency

• Improving shard processing logic and program counter behavior management

Comparison of Ziren vs zkMIPS 1.0

All updates collectively enhance the security and consistency of Ziren, making it more suitable for production-level ZK proof requirements.

Moving Towards Real-Time Proofs: Witnessing Optimization Results at ethproofs.org

At ethproofs.org, Ziren showcases real-time performance results, bringing real-time proofs closer:

By replacing the virtual machine from Revm to Reth and extracting account states in parallel, along with debug_traceBlock, the block state preparation time has been reduced from 5 minutes to under 30 seconds. This significantly lowers the latency of the proof process at various stages, bringing Ziren's performance closer to real-time levels and laying a solid foundation for the implementation of high-frequency ZK applications.

Already Implemented in GOAT Network: Building the Core Engine for Bitcoin Native zkRollup

Ziren has been deployed in the Bitcoin native zkRollup project GOAT Network, helping it achieve Ethereum-like programmability without the need for bridges or trusted parties, while retaining the security of the Bitcoin mainnet. GOAT Network is one of the important practices on the BitVM2 and BitVM3 roadmap.

"When we decided to expand Bitcoin, what we needed was a system that could be trusted from top to bottom—not just a superficial stacking of performance, but guarantees of stability and efficiency at the circuit level," said Kevin Liu, co-founder and CEO of ZKM and a core contributor to GOAT Network. "Ziren is the product of that need, an infrastructure layer we are confident in for every proof."

Build your ZK application, starting with Ziren

Ziren embodies ZKM's years of deep refinement in underlying system engineering and zero-knowledge research, not only being more open but also having a better structure, experience, and broader applications than previous zkVMs. Whether you are building an Ethereum DApp, a Bitcoin L2, or an inter-chain verification system, Ziren provides you with a trustworthy computing foundation.

Write in Rust, compile to MIPS, and leave the rest to Ziren. Build with confidence. Deploy without compromise.