# Proving Ethereum in Real Time with OpenVM 2.0 | Yi Sun (Axiom) at ETHConf

- Channel: [ETHGlobal](https://streameth.org/ethglobal)
- Date: 2026-07-09
- Duration: 13:21
- Topics: Axiom, Yi Sun, ETHCom, OpenVM, ZK virtual machine, ZKVM, zero knowledge proofs, Ethereum scaling, validators, gas limit, decentralization, real time proving, block time, proving performance, 964 MHz, Swirl, provable security, post quantum, hash functions, random oracles, 128 bit security, Cantina, ZK security, AI auditor, Lean theorem prover, formal verification, Lighter EVM, perpetuals, Scroll, Type 1 ZK rollup, institutional adoption, confidential payments, identity verification
- Watch: https://streameth.org/watch/yt-u_lBMQtArho
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_lBMQtArho

## Description

In this talk, Yi Sun, co-founder and CEO of Axiom, presents how zero knowledge proofs are becoming ready for production and serving as the key to forward looking Ethereum scaling. He frames the institutional moment Ethereum is having in 2026 around payments, tokenization, and trading, all gravitating to Ethereum for its security, neutrality, and reasonable scalability. The core scaling challenge is that naively raising the gas limit forces validators to take on higher hardware requirements, eroding the very decentralization that makes Ethereum attractive. Every validator currently has to re-execute every transaction, and Ethereum's unique answer is to prove execution with zero knowledge proofs so validators only verify proofs at constant cost rather than re-executing entire blocks. This decouples gas limits from validator hardware requirements.

Yi explains the ZK virtual machine breakthrough of the last two to three years, which abstracts away cryptographic complexity and lets developers verify execution of arbitrary programs written in normal programming languages. He walks through Axiom's OpenVM across three institutional pillars: performance, security, and generality. On performance, OpenVM now proves Ethereum block execution in real time, with an average of 4.7 seconds across a full day of blocks (well within the 12 second slot time), and general purpose computation at 964 MHz, meaning if your application runs on a 1GHz processor it can be proven. Performance is also scaling rapidly, with OpenVM today being 75x faster than at the start of last year. On security, Axiom built a new proof system called Swirl with provable security based on mathematical theorems rather than conjectures, with post quantum design, 100 bits of provable security today, and 128 bits expected by year end. They've layered defense including audits with Cantina and ZK Security, a continuous AI auditor scanning updates for vulnerabilities, and formal verification in the Lean theorem checker as the only way to get correctness guarantees that cannot be hacked by AI. He closes with applications including the Lighter EVM partnership combining a high performance ZK verified perpetuals exchange with Ethereum programmability, and Scroll becoming a Type 1 ZK rollup through OpenVM integration.

00:00 Introduction
00:12 Ethereum's Institutional Moment in 2026
00:40 Why Institutions Choose Ethereum
01:18 The Validator Re-Execution Bottleneck
01:46 Ethereum's Unique Road to ZK Proven Execution
02:24 How ZK Decouples Gas Limits from Validator Hardware
02:50 The ZK Virtual Machine Breakthrough
03:26 Why ZKVMs Make ZK Accessible to Developers
03:53 ZK Becoming Institutional Ready
04:17 OpenVM's Three Pillars: Performance, Security, Generality
04:41 Proving Ethereum in Real Time
05:06 4.7 Second Average Proving Time
05:33 General Purpose Computation at 964 MHz
06:08 75x Performance Gains in One Year
06:35 How ZK Performance Translates to Ethereum Throughput
07:01 Why Security Matters More Than Performance Now
07:23 Swirl: A Proof System With Provable Security
07:46 Post Quantum Foundations
08:14 100 Bits Today, 128 Bits by Year End
08:46 Defending Against AI Powered Attacks
09:18 Continuous AI Auditor and Lean Formal Verification
09:50 Applications of OpenVM
10:19 Partnership: Lighter EVM
10:40 The Best of Both Worlds for Programmability
10:40 Powering Scroll as a Type 1 ZK Rollup
11:17 Why Developers Can Focus on Logic, Not Cryptography
11:51 Institutional Use Cases: Trading, Bridging, Rollups
11:51 Privacy: Confidential Payments and Identity
12:48 Two Takeaways

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