ZKM's zkMIPS 1.0 Delivers Up to 19x Performance Gains
2min read ZKM has officially launched zkMIPS 1.0, marking a significant milestone in the development of zero-knowledge virtual machines (zkVMs). This production-grade release is built on the MIPS32r2 instruction set architecture, which is known for its robustness and efficiency. Unlike many other zkVMs that are based on RISC-V, zkMIPS 1.0 offers a more mature and purpose-aligned architecture for verifiable computation. This upgrade results in substantial performance improvements, ranging from 6x to 19x over the previous version, zkMIPS 0.3.0. These enhancements are driven by a comprehensive overhaul of the prover architecture, circuit layout, memory consistency model, and precompile integration.
Ming Guo, Co-Founder and Chief Scientist at ZKM, emphasized the company's focus on engineering excellence. "While many zkVM projects are focused on maximizing visibility, we’ve stayed heads-down on engineering – focused on building the best product we can. Choosing MIPS32r2 over RISC-V was the harder path, but one we saw as necessary to build the optimal zkVM for verifiable computation. With the release of zkMIPS 1.0, we’re confident our architectural foundation will prove itself as the most performant in the industry."
Key features of zkMIPS 1.0 include support for the MIPS32r2 instruction set, which enables denser programs, shorter traces, and fewer constraints. The zkVM is powered by Plonky3 and Koala Prime Field, unlocking fast, recursive, STARK-based proofs with 31-bit arithmetic. Additionally, it features a Multiset Hashing Memory Model that simplifies memory checking and improves proving efficiency. The area-optimized chip design reduces proving costs without sacrificing circuit completeness, and precompiles for heavy operations handle field arithmetic and Keccak in optimized circuits.
zkMIPS 1.0 has been benchmarked for real-world loads using the zkVM-benchmarks suite, consistently delivering massive efficiency gains. For example, the SHA3-chain (460 iterations) benchmark improved from 1.36 million rows to 68k rows, a 18.8x improvement. The Fibonacci (n=58,218) benchmark improved from 223k rows to 14k rows, a 13.9x improvement. The SHA2 (2048 bytes) benchmark improved from 22k rows to 2.9k rows, a 6.6x improvement. These benchmarks demonstrate the significant performance advantages of zkMIPS 1.0 over other leading zkVMs.
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zkMIPS 1.0 is already proving Ethereum mainnet blocks through the Ethereum Foundation’s EthProofs program and underpins GOAT Network, the first Bitcoin L2 using BitVM2 with sustainable native yield. All proof types – Groth16, PLONK, and compressed STARKs – are supported on the ZKM Proof Network, with further integrations underway across AI, Optimistic Rollup upgrades, and more. Kevin Liu, CEO of ZKM, highlighted the importance of zkMIPS 1.0 for enabling native applications on Bitcoin through GOAT Network. "zkMIPS 1.0 provides a solid foundation for the most important use-case of our zkVM to date: enabling native applications on Bitcoin through GOAT Network. GOAT introduces the industry’s first and only sustainable BTC yield mechanism via a unique decentralized sequencer design – and now, with zkMIPS 1.0, it has the best zkVM in the industry powering it."
The choice of MIPS32r2 over RISC-V was a deliberate architectural decision. While more complex to implement, MIPS allows for shorter programs, fewer circuit constraints, and a more optimal match to zk circuit design. zkMIPS 1.0 is the only fixed-ISA zkVM alternative in a sea of extensible, evolving RISC-V zkVMs. The release includes full toolchain support, including the zkm_sdk Rust crate, the mipsel-zkm-zkvm-elf compiler toolchain, and network proof support and local prover integration. Developers can get started in minutes with the ZKM Docs.
Looking ahead, zkMIPS 1.0 lays the foundation for real-time proving, zk-based Bitcoin scalability, and unified liquidity across chains. With performance proven and integrations live, ZKM is focused on deepening precompile support, improving the cost model, and expanding rollup integrations. ZKM builds infrastructure for scalable, trust-minimized verifiable computation. Through zkMIPS – a high-performance, production-ready zkVM – ZKM enables universal off-chain execution that’s standardised, efficient, and composable. As blockchains fragment and computation demands grow, ZKM provides the foundation for universal execution and unified liquidity across ecosystems.
