Airbender by zkSync: A New Era of Blockchain with Copy Centers and True Scalability

How zkSync is Revolutionizing Blockchain Through RISC-V Architecture

The Airbender technology from zkSync is the result of an ambitious project to rethink the fundamentals of blockchain. Instead of traditional architecture, developers chose RISC-V — a next-generation architecture that even Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, proposed as a replacement for EVM. This choice is based on a simple logic: why stay within the limitations of the old system when more efficient solutions exist?

The results speak for themselves. Airbender is a zero-knowledge (zkVM) virtual machine built on RISC-V, capable of confirming Ethereum blocks in less than 35 seconds using a single GPU. For comparison: competitors like SP1 Turbo and RiscZero lag significantly behind. Airbender reaches 21.8 MHz on an H100 GPU — six times faster than alternative solutions.

Blockchain Economics Are Changing: Microtransactions Become Reality

One of the biggest barriers to mass adoption of blockchain is cost. Traditional systems make even small transactions economically unviable. Airbender changes this equation.

The cost to confirm a single transaction is only $0.0001. This opens up entirely new business models:

• Gaming Microtransactions: Players can make small in-game purchases without fear of high fees.
• Content Monetization: Content creators can earn rewards for each user interaction, not just large transactions.
• Financial Instruments: Market makers and traders gain tools for high-frequency trading with unprecedented latency and cost.

Throughput reaches 25,000–30,000 (TPS) transactions per second, making the system suitable for applications at the level of traditional finance.

Decentralization as a Copy Center: When Everyone Can Be a Validator

A revolutionary feature of Airbender is the ability for decentralized verification at a household level. This radically changes the network security dynamics.

Previously, the choice was between a centralized system (fast but risky) and a decentralized (secure but requiring industrial GPU farms). Airbender makes a third option possible: true decentralization without the need for specialized hardware.

When users can participate in the verification process from home computers, the system gains properties of a true copy center — a distributed data processing hub located everywhere. This democratizes network security, reduces centralization risks, and makes blockchain infrastructure more reliable.

Atlas Update: An Integration That Changes the Game

The Atlas update integrates Airbender into the zkSync ecosystem, opening up qualitatively new possibilities:

Seamless Inter-Chain Interaction enables communication between different blockchain networks without compromising security. This is critical for enterprise adoption, where systems often need to interact with multiple platforms simultaneously.

Sub-Second Confirmations transform the user experience. Mobile apps requiring instant responses become feasible at the blockchain level.

Real-World Cases: From UAE to Decentralized Social Networks

ADI Chain in the UAE is the first practical example. A blockchain built on Airbender supports a stablecoin pegged to the dirham, tokenized assets, payments, and digital identity. This demonstrates that the technology is ready for government projects.

But the potential extends much further:

• Decentralized Next-Generation Social Platforms: Airbender’s scalability allows building social networks where each user has true control over their data.
• Blockchain-Based Artificial Intelligence: Low transaction costs make distributed AI systems possible, where each operation is recorded and verified.
• Elastic Networks for Enterprises: Private and regulation-compliant systems that combine the speed of public blockchains with regulatory requirements.

Conclusion: Scalability as the Foundation of the Future

Airbender from zkSync is not just another engineering achievement. It is a solution to the three biggest challenges of blockchain: cost, speed, and decentralization.

As Ethereum considers the most radical upgrades, the RISC-V architecture in Airbender positions zkSync as a technological leader. The ability for distributed verification via home networks is not a marketing slogan but a meaningful metamorphosis of how blockchains will operate in the future.

Mass adoption of blockchain has been waiting not for new tokens but for real solutions to practical problems. Airbender is that solution.