EthStorage, in collaboration with esteemed partners Udaya, Mindfulness Capital, and Hyper Oracle, hosted the ‘Innovation Nexus: ZK, DA, and On-chain AI in Sync’ Web3 infra conference on the 15th during DevConnect week in Istanbul. This comprehensive event convened industry leaders for an in-depth exploration of the latest developments in Web3.

The conference offered a meticulous examination of Web3 infrastructure, with a particular focus on ZK, DA (Data Availability), and On-chain AI. Distinguished speakers from various sectors shared profound insights into the present state and prospects of these groundbreaking technologies.

Panel Discussions and Talks

Panel 1: Innovation Nexus: Data Availability (DA)

The panels, featuring Qi Zhou (EthStorage), Anurag Arjun (Avail), Vyas Krishhan (Eigen Layer), and Michael Heinrich (Zero Gravity), addressed debates on layer2 definitions, benefits of DA solutions, and the impact of EIP-4844. Celestia provided insights into recent developments and their roadmap.

The discussion began with various debates within the community regarding the definition of layer2, including considerations such as the use of ETH for the DA layer. Panelists shared the benefits and trade-offs of their respective DA solutions compared to Ethereum’s DA. EIP-4844, a focal point of the conversation, drew considerable attention, with panels outlining expected impacts and proposed solutions.

The panelists were questioned about the consequences of discarding Ethereum blocks older than one year. They emphasized a significant impact, particularly noting that Layer 2 (L2) may face challenges in recovering the state from Layer 1 (L1). To address this concern, the Ethereum Support Program’s backing of EthStorage was mentioned, which aims to resolve the issue by storing L1 data indefinitely using its distinctive storage proof.

Panels also delved into considerations of what should be stored in the DA layer and identified applications that could drive demand for DA solutions. Celestia highlighted a recent airdrop, their roadmap, target customers, and community growth plans.

Talk 1: Advancing Towards ZK Fraud Proof — zkGo: Compiling L2 Geth into ZK-Compatible Wasm by EthStorage (Founder/CEO, Qi Zhou)

Qi Zhou, the founder of EthStorage, elucidated the current limitations of Optimistic Rollup and ZK fraud proof. He introduced zkGo, a minimally modified Go compiler producing Wasm code compatible with ZK prover. The talk addressed the long settlement delay in Optimistic Rollup and how ZK fraud proof challenges a malicious sequencer in a single transaction, reducing gas costs and time.

To generate a ZK fraud proof, L2 Geth needs emulation in an instruction set architecture (ISA), and the execution result is proven by a zkVM. EthStorage chose WebAssembly (Wasm) and zkWasm for this purpose. Challenges included compilation errors and code compatibility, leading to the development of zkGo — a Go compiler producing Wasm code compatible with ZK prover. The modifications allow zkWasm to prove the execution of the compiled L2 Geth Wasm code.

Full article can be found here.

Talk 2: Onchain Large AI Model by Hyper Oracle (Co-founder, Kartin Wong)

In a talk titled ‘Onchain Large AI Models,’ Hyper Oracle explored the groundbreaking field of Optimistic Machine Learning (opML). This first-of-its-kind open-source implementation introduces a revolutionary approach to running large machine learning (ML) models on the Ethereum blockchain.

The discussion began by recognizing the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in the current era, emphasizing the transformative potential of bringing AI onchain. The integration of AI and ML into smart contracts was highlighted as a catalyst for innovation.

Panel 2: The Way Forward for Onchain AI

Moderated by Adrian Li of PSE, the second panel focused on On-chain AI, with participants including DCBuilder (Worldcoin), Cathie So (ZKML Lead of PSE), and Kartin Wong (Hyper Oracle).

Panelists shared their on-chain AI projects, major challenges, and plans to overcome them. They discussed the value of integrating AI and blockchain, highlighted benefits, and explored the nuances of working at the intersection of AI and blockchain. Short-term and long-term predictions were given for the decentralized AI ecosystem as a public good.

Panel 3: Innovation Nexus — Zero Knowledge (ZK)

Moderated by Alvaro Fernandez (COO of Lumoz), the third panel focused on ZK. Panelists included Ibrahim (Researcher of Polychain), Tekin Salimi (Founder of dao5), and Dmitry Savonin (Co-founder of Fluent).

The discussion covered specific projects in the ZK space, insights from VCs, Ethereum’s upgrade challenges, and prover performance improvements. Challenges and missing pieces in the ZK field were actively discussed, along with potential applications for ZK adoption. Sharing the challenges they face and opinions on missing pieces in the ZK field led to active discussion.

The panelists discussed the challenges of upgrading Ethereum with new EIPs and the potential difficulties it might pose for zkEVM. One proposed solution involves the use of ZK fraud proof, leveraging zkGo and zkWasm. This approach ensures that any upgrades on EVM/Geth can be rapidly supported by an L2.

About the adoption, with numerous ZK infrastructure projects underway, panels discussed what potential applications within the ZK realm would like to witness in terms of adoption and usage.

Decentralized technologies continue to mature, governance models become pivotal in shaping the direction of the ecosystem. The panelists dissected various governance frameworks, discussed their strengths and weaknesses, and envisioned the future of democratic decision-making in the Web3 storage space.

Networking Opportunities and Community Building

Beyond enriching discussions, the event offered extensive networking opportunities. Attendees connected with industry leaders, forged partnerships, and engaged in conversations extending beyond the virtual event space.

Closing Thoughts

We appreciate all participants, speakers, and partners for contributing to the success of the collaborative event. The Innovation Nexus event exemplified cooperation driving innovation in the decentralized arena. As we reflect on insights and connections made, EthStorage looks forward to continuing the dialogue and shaping the future of Web3 in collaboration with esteemed partners.

For those who missed the conference, stay tuned for our next event at upcoming major conferences. Thank you for being part of the collaborative EthStorage community!

​About the Hosts/Partners

​​EthStorage is a storage rollup built on top of Ethereum. EthStorage aims to reuse Ethereum mainnet security properties while greatly expanding Ethereum storage capacity with much lower cost — targeting Petabytes capacity with 1/1000x storage cost. EthStorage received 2 grants from the Ethereum Foundation.

​Udaya is a developer community to support and fund early projects that focus on building open protocols. Udaya has nodes in US, Hong Kong and Singapore, with venture partners around the globe.

​Mindfulness Capital is a VC that supports Web3 founders and ecosystem. Its portfolio includes Web3/blockchain leaders such as Animoca Brands, The Sandbox, Bitmain, Antpool, Push, etc.

​​Hyper Oracle is building a programmable zkOracle protocol that decentralizes and secures dApps. zkOracle powers smart contract with arbitrary compute and trustless automation. Hyper Oracle offers the simplest way and developer friendly infra to create next-gen dApps.

For more information, please join EthStorage’s community:

• Website: https://ethstorage.io/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/EthStorage
• Discord: https://discord.com/channels/1040111910802182186/1040111911238381619
• Telegram: https://t.me/ethstorage