NEBRA launches its zero-knowledge proof aggregator on Ethereum

Zero-knowledge proof platform NEBRA has launched its Universal Proof Collection solution that brings the benefits of ZKP verification to the crypto industry.

Released on Ethereum (ETH), NEBRA UPA is a protocol that offers cost-effective on-chain validation by combining zero-knowledge proofs into a single proof. The NEBRA team said in a press release shared with crypto.news that the UPA protocol is designed to increase scalability and privacy across blockchains through proof aggregation.

“Low throughput and high cost of verification are the main obstacles preventing applications from taking full advantage of ZKP technology. However, with NEBRA UPA, ZKP is no longer a dream for the future; it is a solution that is available and used right now,”

Shumo Chu, co-founder and CEO of NEBRA.

A solution for zkEVMs and RaaS protocols

Protocols and projects that benefit from UPA’s solution include zero-knowledge virtual machines, coprocessors, aggregation-as-a-service solutions, and consumer applications.

An example of the latter is the WorldCoin (WLD) project, which accesses ZKP for its sphere to verify that a user is a unique person. The project’s World App uses this technology for proof of identity without exposing information. Other notable projects in the ZKP ecosystem include Polygon zkVM, ZK Sync, and Starknet.

Cost issue

ZKP costs may be prohibitive, but UPA aims to reduce this from $20 to $2 for Ethereum and from $2 to $0.2 for layer-2 solutions. The significant reduction in the cost of a ZK proof for everyday crypto use cases like buying coffee will empower developers and increase adoption across decentralized applications.

“Who wants to pay $20 for a ZK proof for a coffee purchase? But when the cost drops to a few cents, it opens up countless possibilities for developing decentralized applications.”

-Yi Tong, co-founder of Nebra.

NEBRA has raised a total of $4.5 million from crypto venture capital firms including Andreessen Horowitz, Bankless Ventures, and Nascent. The platform plans to deploy UPA v2 on top L2s to allow more dApps to take advantage of reduced costs for on-chain ZKP usage.