Astar Network, a blockchain company located in Japan, made history on March 5 by launching Astar zkEVM, the first layer-2 chain to integrate with Polygon’s AggLayer. Astar zkEVM serves as a zero-knowledge layer-2 chain that facilitates cross-chain transactions between the Astar and Polygon blockchains. This integration is made possible through AggLayer, a protocol that supports multichain smart contracts using aggregate zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-proofs). Essentially, AggLayer allows the chains to operate seamlessly for end-users as if they were merged into a single network.
Polygon Labs explained in a blog post that AggLayer provides “uniform cryptographic security and atomic composability across aggregated chains without sacrificing sovereignty.” This means that transactions remain immutable throughout the entire process of crossing chains.
In a press release, Sota Watanabe, the founder of Astar Network, stated that this move was part of Japan’s national tech strategy. The announcement of AggLayer was made a little over a month ago, with the aim of simplifying user experience across different chains.
Polygon Labs compared the outcome to a more user-friendly internet experience. Instead of users manually connecting, recovering, and restaging assets to enable cross-chain movement, AggLayer handles the connecting and converting behind the scenes. This process is similar to the seamless handshaking that occurs in the background when users click on a link on the current Web2 experience.
Sandeep Nailwal, the co-founder of Polygon, highlighted the significance of the AggLayer era as an important milestone.