The Ethereum Foundation (EF) is shifting its focus from speed to security within the zkEVM ecosystem. According to reports, the EF declared victory on real-time proving, stating that performance bottlenecks have been cleared. However, the organization now emphasizes that speed without soundness is a liability. The EF is setting a target of 128-bit security, aligning with mainstream crypto standards. A three-milestone roadmap has been laid out, including the use of "soundcalc," an EF-maintained tool for computing security estimates. By the end of February 2026, every zkEVM team must plug its proof system into “soundcalc”. The EF's roadmap includes targets for provable security and proof sizes by May and the end of 2026.

The Ethereum Foundation (EF) is shifting its focus from speed to security within the zkEVM ecosystem. According to reports, the EF declared victory on real-time proving, stating that performance bottlenecks have been cleared. However, the organization now emphasizes that speed without soundness is a liability. The EF is setting a target of 128-bit security, aligning with mainstream crypto standards. A three-milestone roadmap has been laid out, including the use of "soundcalc," an EF-maintained tool for computing security estimates. By the end of February 2026, every zkEVM team must plug its proof system into “soundcalc”. The EF's roadmap includes targets for provable security and proof sizes by May and the end of 2026.