Design

As ​MIPS instruction set based zkVM, zkMIPS is designed to generate efficient zero-knowledge proofs for complex computations (e.g., smart contract execution). Its architecture integrates a ​modular state machine, ​custom chip design, and a ​hybrid proof system (STARK + SNARK).

• Modular State Machine

  The state machine serves as the central control unit, simulating MIPS instruction execution through ​multi-chip collaboration to ensure all state transitions are verifiable in zero-knowledge. Key submodules include the Program Chip, CPU Chip, Memory Chips, ALU Chips, Global Chip and Bytes Chip. Together they enforce equivalence between MIPS program execution and zkMIPS VM constraints.

• Custom Chip Design

  zkMIPS translates MIPS execution traces into a polynomial constraint system. To efficiently encode MIPS instructions:

  • Dedicated constraint circuits are implemented for each MIPS opcode to accelerate proof generation.
  • Precompiled chips handle ​common yet computationally intensive cryptographic operations (e.g., hashing, field arithmetic) for optimal performance.

• Hybrid Proof System

  zkMIPS employs a three-stage proof workflow to balance modularity and efficiency:

  • Sharded STARK Proofs:

    MIPS instructions are partitioned into fixed-length shards, each verified via fast STARK proofs.

  • Recursive Aggregation:

    Shard proofs are compressed using a recursive STARK composition scheme.

  • SNARK Finalization:

    The aggregated proof is wrapped into a Groth16-compatible SNARK for efficient on-chain verification.

  • Proof Composition

    Proof composition enables developers to implement recursive proof verification, allowing cryptographic proofs to be nested within zkVM programs.