Ethereum's Beam Chain Proposal Gains Support from zkSync and Polygon, Promises Benefits for Layer-2 Networks

What's good for Layer 1 is also good for Layer 2.

This is the view shared by the teams behind zkSync and Polygon. These two leading layer-2 networks operate on Ethereum. They recently addressed a proposal aimed at revamping the $400 billion blockchain. They dismissed concerns that this overhaul would make their networks unnecessary.

At the recent Devcon event in Bangkok, developer Justin Drake laid out an ambitious plan. He wants to transform Ethereum’s consensus layer architecture. This plan, known as the “Beam Chain,” suggests incorporating zero-knowledge cryptography. This technology is already used by several layer-2 networks to compress data, making transactions faster and cheaper.

Over the past few years, many in the Ethereum community have pushed for a rollup-centric roadmap. This means relying on layer-2 networks to tackle Ethereum’s scaling challenges. Zero-knowledge rollups are particularly favored because they offer speed and security advantages over optimistic rollups.

Before Drake's presentation, many wondered what the Beam Chain would mean for zero-knowledge rollups. Would they become obsolete?

“That's really a misconception,” said Alex Gluchowski, CEO of Matter Labs, which develops zkSync. “The changes Justin announced focus on the consensus layer, not the execution layer. It won’t affect the execution layer.”

Ethereum’s base layer consists of multiple layers. The consensus layer validates blocks, while the execution layer handles transaction execution. Layer-2s, which post their transaction data back to Ethereum, are mostly influenced by changes in the execution layer.

Drake's proposal aims to incorporate zero-knowledge technology and shorten block times. This could lower transaction costs for layer-2s that settle on Ethereum. He also wants to introduce single-slot finality. This means blocks with transaction data could be finalized immediately, making that information permanent right away. If everything goes as planned, the Beam Chain could launch in 2029.

“All of these changes are great because we depend on Ethereum as the global settlement layer,” Gluchowski noted.

Brendan Farmer, a co-founder of Polygon, also weighed in. He doesn’t believe the Beam Chain will make layer-2s obsolete. Instead, he sees the upgrade as something that will enhance rollups.

“Shorter block times, faster finality, and ZK verifiability on the consensus layer—these are all positives for layer-2 usability and interoperability,” Farmer explained.

Faster finality on Ethereum would help make layer-2s interoperable, a common goal for scaling networks.

“A big problem with Ethereum right now is that it generally takes 12 to 19 minutes for a block to be considered finalized,” Farmer said. “If you’re moving funds between Arbitrum and Polygon, Polygon can’t safely credit those funds to a user until that transaction is finalized on Layer 1. This leads to a poor user experience. With 12-second finality, that would be a much better user experience.”

Gluchowski from Matter Labs called the Beam Chain a validation of zero-knowledge proofs as a scaling method.

“Using ZK really emphasizes that ZK is the end game,” he stated.