- The Polygon (MATIC) Foundation has unveiled a new RPC node for the Polygon zkEVM.
- The new RPC node promises to unlock a significant increase in throughput for the Polygon zkEVM.
- The new node is the latest in an unending line of developments for the Polygon zkEVM.
Since Polygon zkEVM launched in March 2023, the network has undergone one upgrade after another. Over a year later, Polygon zkEVM development shows no signs of slowing down as developers race to bring the Ethereum Layer 2 out of beta.
In February 2024, the network completed the Etrog update, which brought it to full EVM equivalence. Now, Polygon zkEVM is set to get a significant scalability boost through the recently launched RPC node: cdk-erigon.
What Is the cdk-erigon RPC Node?
First unveiled on March 29 by the Polygon Foundation, cdk-erigon is a new RPC node developed by Polygon (MATIC) infrastructure partners Gateway FM for the Polygon zkEVM.
An RPC node, short for remote procedure call node, serves as middleware between blockchain applications and the blockchain network. Through an application programming interface (API), RPC nodes allow applications to request data from the blockchain and submit transactions to the network. They also deliver messages to and send responses from the blockchain. Unlike their full-node counterparts, RPC nodes only store essential blockchain data, thereby operating with faster response times.
While cdk-erigon is still on devnet, a sandbox for developers to test new features, Polygon (MATIC) co-founder Mihailo Bjelic asserted that the RPC node was ready for real-world use.
According to developers, the new RPC node will bolster scalability metrics on the Ethereum Layer 2 network.
How the new Polygon (MATIC) Node Changes the zkEVM Scaling Game
According to the Polygon Foundation, the cdk-erigon RPC node offers a 150 times sync time improvement over the existing RPC node, while simultaneously cutting costs by occupying ten times less disk space.
Sync time refers to the process by which nodes download blockchain history to reach a consistent state with the rest of the network to prevent network manipulation and allow for consistent transaction validation. The Polygon Foundation suggests that cdk-erigon’s efficiency improvements would translate to “orders of magnitude” improvements in the number of transactions the network can process per second, leading to an overall faster transaction processing time for users.
On Tuesday, April 2, Gateway FM shared initial cdk-erigon test results showing that they achieved 250 TPS and could potentially hit up to 500 TPS.
Despite Bjelic’s assertions that cdk-erigon is ready for real-world use, Gateway FM suggests that the RPC node will not hit the mainnet for another “couple of weeks,” as they add the finishing touches and conduct a security audit.
On the Flipside
- cdk-erigon’s mainnet results may differ from what developers obtain in a controlled testing environment.
- Polygon zkEVM has failed to match its peers in user adoption despite its technological advancements. The network is ranked as the fifteenth largest Ethereum Layer 2 chain by TVL at $140 million, according to L2Beat data at the time of writing.
Why This Matters
Layer 2 networks like the Polygon zkEVM are built to scale Ethereum. cdk-erigon’s efficiency improvements in terms of disk space and sync times promise to provide a much-needed boost to the network’s throughput.
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