Introducing Steel 2.0 - the zk-coprocessor that lets EVM developers break free from limits, by Risc Zero

RISC Zero introduced Steel 2.0, describing it as a zk-coprocessor for EVM developers that shifts expensive or complex computation offchain while preserving onchain verifiability. The core idea is to let Solidity applications use historical state, multi-block data, and onchain event logs as trusted inputs, then return only a compact proof that can be checked onchain at constant gas. The release matters because it targets a common constraint in Ethereum development: smart contracts are limited by block gas caps and cannot easily perform large queries or multi-step computations within a single transaction. By moving computation into a zero-knowledge proof workflow, Steel aims to enable richer contract logic without relying on traditional indexers or sacrificing security assumptions, and its support in the broader Boundless ecosystem suggests the tool is being positioned as part of a larger proof infrastructure stack for Ethereum applications.

✨ AI-generated background, compiled from web sources — not editorial content.

More coverage

• zkVM Latest (Jun 10, 2025) - House of ZK (hozk.io)
• boundless-xyz/steel - The ZK Coprocessor for EVM Apps - GitHub (github.com)
• Nitrogen acceleration! How ZK coprocessor breaks smart contract ... (gate.com)
• From zkVM to Open Proving Market: Analysis of RISC Zero and ... (binance.com)
• From zkVM to the Open Proof Market: RISC Zero and Boundless ... (panewslab.com)

Explore the topic

• Developers
• ZK
• EVM