Polygon Miden

Polygon Miden is a zero-knowledge rollup (ZK-rollup) and a zkVM (zero-knowledge Virtual Machine) built by Polygon Labs. Its primary function is to scale the Ethereum blockchain by processing transactions off-chain and submitting succinct cryptographic proofs, known as ZK-STARKs, to the Ethereum mainnet for verification. This architecture enables high transaction throughput and low fees while inheriting Ethereum's security. Unlike some other ZK-rollups, Miden's core innovation is its virtual machine, which is specifically designed to natively support advanced cryptographic operations and privacy features.

The heart of Polygon Miden is the Miden VM, a STARK-based virtual machine compatible with any programming language that can compile to its instruction set. This design allows developers to write complex logic—including privacy-preserving applications—without being constrained by the limitations of Ethereum's EVM. The VM executes programs and generates a STARK proof that attests to the correctness of the execution. This proof is small and fast to verify on Ethereum, ensuring the rollup's state transitions are valid without re-executing all transactions, a process known as verification scaling.

A defining feature of Polygon Miden is its focus on client-side proving and data availability. Users or application providers can generate proofs for their transactions locally, enhancing privacy by keeping transaction details off-chain. The rollup then only needs to post the proof and minimal state data to Ethereum. This model supports advanced use cases like private decentralized exchanges, confidential voting systems, and complex game logic that would be prohibitively expensive or impossible on a transparent chain. Miden operates as part of the broader Polygon 2.0 vision, which envisions a network of interconnected ZK-powered L2 chains.

The term Polygon Miden originates from a combination of the Polygon ecosystem brand and the word Miden, derived from the ancient city of Miden in Greek mythology, a place associated with wisdom and strategic planning. This nomenclature signals the project's intent to build a strategically sound, knowledge-driven scaling solution. It positions Miden not just as another chain, but as a thoughtfully architected zk-rollup designed for complex, privacy-focused applications, distinguishing it from other Polygon solutions like Polygon zkEVM.

From a technical lineage perspective, Miden's origin is deeply rooted in STARK-based proof systems. It was conceived as an evolution beyond existing virtual machines, specifically to address limitations in supporting advanced cryptographic primitives and private computation natively. The core innovation is the Miden Virtual Machine (MVM), a zero-knowledge virtual machine (zkVM) that uses a novel STARK-friendly instruction set architecture. This design choice, favoring STARKs over SNARKs for its proof system, dictates its entire architecture and differentiates its origin story from SNARK-based zkEVMs.

The project's development was spearheaded by Polygon Labs, with significant foundational research contributed by Bobbin Threadbare and the team. Its origin is intrinsically linked to the need for a scalable, developer-friendly environment for applications requiring data privacy and complex logic, such as decentralized finance (DeFi) and fully on-chain games. By building a VM from the ground up for zero-knowledge proofs, Miden's genesis represents a deliberate move away from adapting existing EVM opcodes, aiming instead to unlock new design spaces for blockchain applications through its native client-side proving and privacy features.

At its core is the Miden Virtual Machine (MVM), a STARK-based virtual machine optimized for zero-knowledge proofs. Unlike traditional VMs, the MVM executes programs and generates a ZK proof of that execution in a single step. This proof, known as a program proof, cryptographically attests that a program ran correctly without revealing its internal state or inputs, enabling scalable and private computation. The MVM uses a stack-based architecture and a custom Miden Assembly language for efficient proof generation.

The stack's proving system is built on STARKs (Scalable Transparent Arguments of Knowledge), which do not require a trusted setup. A key innovation is recursive proof composition, where the MVM can verify other MVM execution proofs within a single proof. This allows for parallel proof generation and the creation of a single, succinct proof that validates an entire batch of transactions or a long execution trace, which is critical for scaling the rollup's throughput.

For developers, the stack provides the Miden compiler, which transforms high-level Rust code into Miden Assembly. The Miden node software maintains network state and validates incoming proofs, while the Miden rollup component batches transactions and settles proofs on the Ethereum L1, inheriting its security. This layered architecture separates execution, proof generation, and settlement, providing flexibility and efficiency.

Practical use cases leverage the stack's unique capabilities. A decentralized exchange (DEX) can use it to prove the validity of a large batch of trades with a single proof, drastically reducing L1 settlement costs. Gaming applications can prove a player's actions or in-game state transitions confidentially. Furthermore, the architecture supports client-side proving, where proofs can be generated on user devices, enabling privacy-preserving identity and transaction models.

The Miden Virtual Machine (Miden VM) is a zero-knowledge virtual machine (zkVM) that executes programs and generates cryptographic proofs of their correct execution using STARKs (Scalable Transparent Arguments of Knowledge). Unlike conventional VMs that only compute, Miden produces a succinct proof, called a STARK proof, which allows any verifier to confirm the program ran correctly without re-executing it or seeing its private inputs. This core mechanism enables scalable and private blockchain applications by moving complex computation off-chain and submitting only the compact proof for on-chain verification.

Architecturally, Miden VM is stack-based and uses a novel instruction set optimized for efficient generation of zero-knowledge proofs. Its design emphasizes deterministic execution and air constraints—mathematical relationships that define correct program state transitions—which are essential for the proving system. A key innovation is its support for non-deterministic inputs, allowing provers to supply witness data (like private transaction details) that influences execution but remains hidden within the proof. This enables complex operations like private smart contracts and off-chain computation to be verified with minimal on-chain footprint.

The primary use case for Miden VM is enabling rollups and validiums on the Polygon network, specifically as the execution engine for the Polygon Miden rollup. By processing transactions off-chain and posting proofs to Ethereum, it dramatically increases throughput while inheriting Ethereum's security. Beyond scaling, its privacy features support applications requiring confidential state, such as private decentralized finance (DeFi), identity systems, and games. Developers write programs in Miden Assembly or high-level languages like Rust that compile to Miden VM's bytecode, leveraging its unique proving capabilities.

Polygon Miden is a zero-knowledge rollup (ZK-rollup) built around the Miden Virtual Machine (Miden VM), a STARK-optimized VM for executing arbitrary smart contracts and decentralized applications. Its core innovation is using zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), specifically STARKs, to generate cryptographic proofs of correct state transitions off-chain, which are then verified on the Ethereum mainnet. This approach provides Ethereum-level security, high throughput, and low transaction costs while maintaining compatibility with the existing Ethereum ecosystem.

The development roadmap for Miden is characterized by a phased, research-driven approach. Initial phases focused on building the foundational Miden VM and compiler, establishing its unique AirScript language for writing zero-knowledge-friendly programs. Subsequent milestones include the launch of a public testnet, integration of an Ethereum Data Availability (DA) layer, and the implementation of a decentralized prover network. A key long-term goal is achieving full EVM compatibility through specialized compilation or co-processing, allowing developers to port existing Solidity contracts without rewriting them.

Miden's evolution is distinct within the Polygon ecosystem for its focus on developer flexibility and sovereignty. Unlike some ZK-rollups that are constrained to a specific application or language, the Miden VM is designed as a general-purpose platform. This enables novel use cases such as private decentralized applications, complex on-chain gaming logic, and high-frequency DeFi operations that are impractical or too expensive on Layer 1. The roadmap emphasizes creating robust tooling, including debuggers and standard libraries, to lower the barrier to entry for developers new to zero-knowledge cryptography.

The project's trajectory involves continuous performance optimization of its STARK prover, aiming to reduce proof generation time and cost—critical factors for user experience and decentralization. Future development phases also explore advanced features like recursive proofs for infinite scalability and seamless integration with other Polygon chains via the Polygon CDK (Chain Development Kit). As a Type 1 ZK-EVM contender, Miden's roadmap balances immediate utility with long-term architectural ambitions to become a foundational layer for a scalable, secure, and developer-friendly Web3.