Ethereum’s BEAM initiative is gaining momentum with new teams contributing to its vision of a more secure & scalable network. One of the latest additions is the Kakarot team, known for its work on the Cairo-based zkVM. Having built a provable Ethereum execution layer, Kakarot is now shifting focus to Ethereum’s consensus layer as part of the BEAMchain project, which aims to integrate post-quantum cryptography & zk-SNARKs into Ethereum’s future.
Kakarot is a team of 10 engineers based primarily in France, specializing in probabilistic blockchain infrastructure. Since 2022, they have been working on Ethereum execution layers, specifically aiming to integrate zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) to optimize Ethereum’s security & efficiency.
Their most significant contribution so far has been building an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) in Cairo, allowing Ethereum transactions to be executed in a ZK-friendly manner. Now, they are expanding their expertise beyond execution layers & into the consensus layer by joining the BEAMchain initiative.
Kakarot's journey in Ethereum R&D began in October 2022 with the development of the first EVM-in-ZK-VM on the Cairo zkVM. By 2024, they achieved a provable implementation of Ethereum’s execution layer, integrating zero-knowledge proofs for enhanced security & efficiency.
In 2025, their focus shifts to enabling real-time proving of Ethereum Layer 1 (L1) blocks, paving the way for a more scalable blockchain. Looking ahead to 2026, Kakarot aims to introduce a zk-State Transition Function (zkSTF) library, a crucial component in defining a new, more efficient consensus layer for Ethereum.
Kakarot's motivation for joining the project lies in their core mission: to snarkify Ethereum in real-time. Since their early days, the team has focused on building the necessary infrastructure to apply zero-knowledge proofs at scale. Moving into consensus development allows them to contribute to a future where Ethereum is both scalable & quantum-resistant.
Cairo is a domain-specific language (DSL) optimized for ZK-proof computations. Kakarot sees an opportunity to leverage Cairo’s performance advantages to design more efficient ZK state transition functions (STFs) within Ethereum’s consensus layer.
As BEAMchain progresses, Kakarot is expected to collaborate with existing Ethereum consensus teams to refine the modular approach, ensuring seamless integration with the broader ecosystem. Additionally, they will conduct performance testing of Cairo-based state transition functions, optimizing efficiency and scalability. Another key focus will be exploring ways to integrate ZK-STFs as a standard module within Ethereum, further enhancing security and cryptographic robustness.
Resources: Beam Call #2
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