Polygon announces the launch of open-source zkEVM

Polygon Labs has taken to Twitter to announce the launch of Polygon zkEVM as an open source, with all the components being licensed under AGPL v3. The development ensures that Polygon zkEVM is no more proprietary but rather a tool for every developer who now has access to modify and distribute the code as they deem fit.

Today, Polygon Labs is announcing that Polygon zkEVM is fully open-source. Every single component is licensed with AGPL v3, including the zkProver, which is where all of the ZK magic happens 🪄

More: https://t.co/H124ATcuWJ pic.twitter.com/adceTbOVMq

— Polygon (labs) (@0xPolygonLabs) March 27, 2023

Keeping Polygon zkEVM open source is a part of the movement by Ethereum, which aims to be driven by the community.

There is one factor that developers will have to consider while modifying the codes. Every modification automatically gets licensed under AGPL v3, prohibiting them from keeping the modifications under the cover or hidden from the community. The obligations imposed by AGPL v3 make it convenient for the community to review the past and present modifications at their convenience.

It further guarantees that the code is not used for proprietary applications. Any application that makes it to the commercial objective will also fall under the umbrella of keeping remaining open source, helping the entire community to learn and grow from what has been done by them.

The mainnet beta launch of Polygon zkEVM comes days after it has been thoroughly audited by Polygon Labs itself, along with Spearbit and Hexens. There is a chance of bugs being left in the network. That carries a chance of disrupting the stability, causing users to lose their data, or putting digital assets at risk.

Polygon has attempted to tackle all that in advance by drafting stringent security measures along with a security council that will function temporarily and appointing an attendant that will help ensure the safety of everyone who is using the Mainnet Beta of Polygon zkEVM.

All the audit reports of Polygon zkEVM are expected to be made public at the earliest.

To speak a bit more about bugs going undetected, Polygon has announced a bug bounty worth $1,000,0000 for documenting vulnerabilities in the network. That is the maximum bounty, and the actual bug bounty differs based on the level of vulnerabilities. For instance, a vulnerability that has medium-scale risk rolls out $5,000. Similarly, bugs with high vulnerabilities and critical vulnerabilities offer a bounty worth $10,000-$50,000 and up to $1,000,000, respectively.

Bug bounty can be claimed by demonstrating the work. Proof of Concept is mandatory. Highlighting the manner in which the bug is fixed makes the user eligible for a higher reward.

The Mainnet Beta is currently a centralized sequencer with open-source codes. This allows others to follow the developments and modify codes in real-time. More features are being worked upon, and the community can expect the Mainnet Beta to become feature-complete soon, following which it will become a decentralized sequencer.

Polygon is working to announce more details about Polygon zkEVM Mainnet Beta. The community can expect the same to be made public in the coming days.