OpenVM

A performant and modular zkVM framework built for customization and extensibility

OpenVM is an open-source zero-knowledge virtual machine (zkVM) framework focused on modularity at every level of the stack. OpenVM is designed for customization and extensibility without sacrificing performance or maintainability.

Key Features

  • Modular no-CPU Architecture: Unlike traditional machine architectures, the OpenVM architecture has no central processing unit. This design choice allows for seamless integration of custom chips, without forking or modifying the core architecture.

  • Extensible Instruction Set: The instruction set architecture (ISA) is designed to be extended with new custom instructions that integrate directly with the virtual machine. Current extensions available for OpenVM include:

    • RISC-V support via RV32IM
    • A native field arithmetic extension for proof recursion and aggregation
    • The Keccak-256 hash function
    • Int256 arithmetic
    • Modular arithmetic over arbitrary fields
    • Elliptic curve operations, including multi-scalar multiplication and ECDSA scalar multiplication.
    • Pairing operations on the BN254 and BLS12-381 curves.

  • Rust Frontend: ISA extensions are directly accessible through a Rust frontend via intrinsic functions, providing a smooth developer experience.

  • On-chain Verification: Every VM made using the framework comes with out-of-the-box support for unbounded program proving with verification on Ethereum.

Using This Book

The following chapters will guide you through:

Security Status

As of December 2024, OpenVM has not been audited and is currently not recommended for production use. We plan to continue development towards a production-ready release in 2025.

📖 About this book

The book is continuously rendered here! You can contribute to this book on GitHub.