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Layer-2 Blockchain Developer StarkWare Plans ‘Cairo’ to Verify Layer-3s

The Cairo Verifier, which the StarkWare and the Herodotus developer team worked on together, is a key piece of technology that verifies proofs and posts them back to the layer-2 blockchain, instead of Ethereum’s mainnet.

By Margaux Nijkerk|Edited by Bradley Keoun
Updated Mar 8, 2024, 9:16 p.m. Published Feb 8, 2024, 6:03 p.m.
Eli Ben-Sasson, Co-founder and CEO of StarkWare (StarkWare)
Eli Ben-Sasson, Co-founder and CEO of StarkWare (StarkWare)

StarkWare, the developer behind the Starknet blockchain, announced on Thursday the launch of a new “Cairo Verifier” in the next few weeks, opening the door to layer-3 application-based chains on Starknet.

Cairo, which the StarkWare and another developer, Herodotus, worked on together, is a key piece of technology that verifies proofs and posts them back to the layer-2 blockchain, instead of Ethereum’s mainnet.

In a Telegram message to CoinDesk, a StarkWare representative said the tool is “designed to bridge the crucial gap to layer-3 scalability in the blockchain ecosystem.”

The new component will enable the verification of proofs from layer-3 chains on layer-2s, which according to StarkWare was previously not possible. StarkWare said the Cairo verifier will reduce costs with verifying these proofs and speed up the time for transactions to be confirmed (known as latency).

Cairo will be at the core of verifying storage proofs on layer-2s and layer-3s, according to StarkWare.

Storage proofs are a type of cryptographic feature that allows users to “prove” that certain transactions or assets exist on other chains, without having to rely on a third party. StarkWare and Herodotus developers have worked together previously to develop storage proofs on Starknet.

“The Cairo Verifier represents an evolution from previous verification technologies, offering improved capabilities tailored to the current demands of the blockchain ecosystem,” StarkWare said.

Read more: ‘Storage Proofs’ Touted as Alternative to Hack-Prone Bridges in Multichain World

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