This Is Ethereum’s ‘Dropbox’ Moment...
Article source, here.
TL;DR
Yesterday, Polygon launched its long-awaited mainnet for its new zkEVM network, which is a BIG deal for the future of Web3.
zkEVMs, are like .zip files, but for Ethereum transactions - it compresses hundreds into one single transaction.
Which means Fast n' cheap transactions, that don't require the end user to have a computer science degree.
Think of this transition like going from sending money via bank transfer → to sending via Venmo/Paypal. Way less friction, way easier to use.
And when the average person can start using a new piece of technology, without having to first read the instructions: mass adoption becomes a real option.
Full Story
To paraphrase @Punk6529:
"No one has ever said 'you should download Instagram, because it's built using python code.'"
Translation: no one cares about you or your product, they care about what you and your product can do for them.
It's a mantra we still need to learn in Web3, as most of the industry tends to focus on how something is built, more than what it can do for the end user.
But that's a classic marker of early technology - the adoption curve goes a little something like this:
Innovators (nerds) → early adopters → the masses → the laggards...
Nerds and early adopters love to talk functions n' features, while 'the masses' tend to focus on benefits of any new technology.
They don't care how it works, they care about what it can do.
Which brings us to today's news...
Yesterday, Polygon launched its long-awaited mainnet for its new zkEVM network, which is:
A needlessly complex headline.
A BIG deal for the future of Web3.
...ok, why the big deal?
Let's cover all bases and go over the functions of zkEVM on Polygon, and the benefits it offers.
Function
If we want to send our buddies a few hundred photos from our weekend away, via text message, we're not sending them one-by-one.
Hell no!
We're compressing them into a single .zip file and texting them a download link via Dropbox.
It's still sent via SMS, the difference is: it's a single message, instead of hundreds.
That's what Polygon's zkEVM network does for Ethereum.
It takes a bunch of Ethereum transactions, compresses them into one single transaction, then sends it over the Ethereum blockchain.
(Need a visual reference? See .gif ☝️)
Benefits
This one is easy!
Fast n' cheap transactions, that don't require the end user to have a computer science degree.
Think of this transition like going from sending money via bank transfer → to sending via Venmo/Paypal. Way less friction, way easier to use.
So, ok...faster/easier/cheaper transactions...
Why is that such a big deal?
When the average person can start using a new piece of technology, without having to first read the instructions:
Mass adoption becomes a real option.
This is one of those moments for Web3!