Volt Capital Partner: Why is the ZK state channel a better extension option for on-chain multiplayer?

Original author: @MohamedFFouda

Compiled by BlockBeats

@MohamedFFouda, Startup Partner of Volt Capital, shared his thoughts on on-chain game scaling solutions on social media platforms, noting that ZK state channels are a better expansion option for on-chain multiplayer games. BlockBeats now compiles the original text as follows:

In previous discussions, I delved into the concept of horizontal scaling of applications, with a particular focus on full-chain games. For single-player games, horizontal scaling is a very suitable solution. However, for multiplayer games, the zero-knowledge proof (ZK) state channel becomes a better extension option. So, what exactly is a zero-knowledge state channel?

! [Volt Capital Partner: Why is the ZK state channel a better extension option for on-chain multiplayer games?] ](https://img-cdn.gateio.im/webp-social/moments-7f230462a9-076c506194-dd1a6f-69ad2a.webp)

State channels are not new, in fact, they are one of Ethereum’s first scaling solutions. The essence of the state channel can be divided into three parts: first extract a part of the on-chain state, then continuously update this state off-chain, and finally submit the final state back to the chain if necessary.

Apparently, the concept stemmed from a design extension of the Bitcoin Lightning Network, which is essentially a payment channel. However, in the absence of zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), the advantages of state channels are not significant. Without ZKP, all signatures authorizing state changes (off-chain) would have to be verified on-chain, which would not significantly reduce costs compared to on-chain transactions.

Zero-knowledge proofs facilitate this problem. Participants in the state channel only need to generate an off-chain proof to prove that all their interactions and signatures are valid. This proof enables low-cost verification on-chain, resulting in significant cost savings. So, how does this relate to scaling multiplayer on-chain games?

Many multiplayer games, such as poker, are tournament-based, meaning that a group of players create and participate in a game competition, and depending on the outcome of the game, each person’s assets change accordingly. In this case, the zero-knowledge state channel can effectively scale multiplayer games, reducing the cost of on-chain verification, while ensuring the security and fairness of the game.

! [Volt Capital Partner: Why is the ZK state channel a better extension option for on-chain multiplayer games?] ](https://img-cdn.gateio.im/webp-social/moments-7f230462a9-76476f8188-dd1a6f-69ad2a.webp)

For this type of game, you need a shared layer to store all players’ assets. In each game, the details of what happens are not as important as changing the asset balance as the final result of the game. In addition, players cannot participate in more than one game at the same time.

This makes these games ideal candidates for zero-knowledge state channels. Once the game starts, the state of participating players is locked on rollup. During gameplay, players generate zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) to prove that their actions are valid. These zero-knowledge proofs will recursively build on previous zero-knowledge proofs, and so on.

! [Volt Capital Partner: Why is the ZK state channel a better extension option for on-chain multiplayer games?] ](https://img-cdn.gateio.im/webp-social/moments-7f230462a9-2e6732b069-dd1a6f-69ad2a.webp)

When the game ends, only the final zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) and related state changes are committed to the application rollup for settlement. This is because intermediate transactions (TX) are not processed on rollup, enabling up to 100x the ability to scale. The same applies to non-turn-based games such as Among Us.

However, in this case, an entity is needed to act as a “temporary” sequencer, ordering channel transactions and generating intermediate recursive zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs). I call this “transient L3”. The main challenge with the zero-knowledge state channel approach is the online requirements of channel participants. One player who quits may force the remaining players to continue playing on the application rollup, causing other players to pay higher fees.

Still, this approach has great potential, and many teams, including Ontropy, Paima Studios, and cartridge, are working towards this goal.

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