Kakarot: An Innovative zkEVM Project Written in Cairo

Kakarot zkEVM is an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) implementation written in the Cairo language. Cairo is a Turing-complete language related to CairoVM, which utilizes polynomials and the ZK-STARK proof system to achieve verifiable computation.

As a zkEVM, Kakarot can generate provable transactions and blocks. Since it is built on top of CairoVM, every transaction executed on Kakarot is provable. This allows developers to deploy EVM applications on Kakarot and enables users to interact with these applications using familiar tools.

Kakarot will also provide interoperability with the Starknet protocol, offering composability for protocols in areas such as DeFi and GameFi.

Development Roadmap

The Kakarot project was launched in October 2022, with the goal of open-sourcing and creating a zkEVM with less than 10,000 lines of code. This goal was achieved in just six months, and a testnet is planned to be released in late summer 2023.

The roadmap of Kakarot zkEVM is divided into three phases:

1. Kakarot zkEVM on Starknet: Bringing EVM to Starknet
2. Kakarot x Madara: Realizing L3 zkEVMs
3. Kakarot x Madara: Implementing type 1 zkEVM

These stages will gradually expand the functionality of Kakarot, from deploying EVM applications on Starknet, to enabling scalable L3 solutions, and ultimately possibly becoming a type 1 zkEVM client.

Team Background

The Kakarot core team was born out of an intensive development event in Lisbon. Currently, with the support of the Starknet Foundation and Onlydust, Kakarot has more than 40 contributors.

Core members include:

• Elias Tazartes: Co-founder and CEO, focusing on blockchain engineering and full-stack development
• Clément Walter: Co-founder and CTO, with a background as a scientist, engineer, and entrepreneur.

Financing Status

Kakarot has completed pre-seed financing, with the specific amount undisclosed. Investors include Starkware and LambDa. Angel investors include Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin, Ledger co-founder Nicolas Bacca, and ZAMA co-founder and CEO Rand Hindi.

Project Outlook

Kakarot, as the Cairo-written EVM implementation on Starknet, is expected to become an important bridge connecting the Starknet and Ethereum ecosystems. It can lower the entry barrier for developers, making it easier for Ethereum ecosystem projects to build on Starknet.

As the project progresses to the later stages, Kakarot will achieve greater composability and may integrate with modular components such as Celestia or EigenDA.

The development of Kakarot is closely tied to the Starknet ecosystem. The continuous upgrades of Starknet will bring opportunities for Kakarot, and Kakarot will also contribute to the prosperity of the Starknet ecosystem.

Having the support of Vitalik Buterin and StarkWare is a significant advantage for Kakarot. However, compared to other zkEVM projects, the Kakarot team is smaller, with a lower budget and brand recognition, which is one of the reasons it has not yet been deployed as a general zkEVM L2.

Kakarot is still in the early stages, with the testnet set to launch soon. As the project progresses, it has the potential to become an important infrastructure connecting the Starknet and Ethereum ecosystems.