{"id":12067,"date":"2026-08-19T07:52:25","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T07:52:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=12067"},"modified":"2026-08-19T07:52:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T07:52:25","slug":"ethereums-12-gpu-proving-problem-just-got-a-4-gpu-answer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cryptonews.uk.com\/?p=12067","title":{"rendered":"Ethereum\u2019s 12-GPU proving problem just got a 4-GPU answer"},"content":{"rendered":"

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ZisK’s new four-GPU benchmark claim has lowered the headline hardware count in Ethereum’s real-time proving race. In February, CryptoSlate<\/em> examined a roughly 12-GPU setup as a possible centralization risk. The new figure could bring proof generation closer to independent operators, provided the workload and operating conditions are comparable.<\/p>\n

ZisK is an open-source zero-knowledge virtual machine project, and\u00a0on Aug. 18 it said\u00a0its v1.1.0-alpha prover recorded a 9.62-second p99 on four RTX 5090 GPUs. A follow-up said 99.7% of tested Ethereum blocks finished in less than 10 seconds.<\/p>\n

Jordi Baylina amplified the result as a milestone combining four-GPU proving with claimed 128-bit security and post-quantum resistance.<\/p>\n

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\"Ethereum\u2019s\"Ethereum\u2019s<\/div>\n
Related Reading<\/span><\/p>\n

Ethereum\u2019s massive fee shock: New post-quantum signatures are 40x larger, threatening to crush network throughput and user costs<\/h3>\n

Coinbase, Solana, Polkadot, and Bitcoin all moved on PQ planning, but wallet UX and aggregation may decide the winner.<\/p>\n

Jan 27, 2026<\/span> \u00b7<\/span> Gino Matos<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

Ethereum’s working standard calls for at least 99% of mainnet blocks to be proved within 10 seconds. If ZisK’s p99 was calculated over an equivalent mainnet-block workload and timing boundary, 9.62 seconds would sit 0.38 seconds below that threshold.<\/p>\n

ZisK has yet to publish the block range, sample size, p99 calculation, timing boundary, proof size, or measured whole-system power for the four-GPU run. That announcement is, as of now, a benchmark claim.<\/p>\n

The six-part test<\/h2>\n

The Ethereum Foundation paired its latency target with five other conditions intended to preserve decentralization: on-premises equipment costing no more than $100,000, power use no higher than 10 kilowatts, fully open-source code, at least 128-bit security and proofs no larger than 300 KiB without trusted setups.<\/p>\n

CryptoSlate has also tracked the Foundation’s emphasis on the 128-bit security threshold.<\/p>\n

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\"Ethereum\"Ethereum<\/div>\n
Related Reading<\/span><\/p>\n

Ethereum Foundation refocuses to security over speed \u2013 sets strict 128-bit rule for 2026<\/h3>\n

Speed is no longer enough: The Foundation warns that without formally verified soundness, attackers could rewrite state, rendering high-speed proving a critical liability.<\/p>\n

Dec 20, 2025<\/span> \u00b7<\/span> Gino Matos<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

ZisK’s repository is licensed under MIT or Apache 2.0, and the project claims 128-bit security for the new result. The latency condition remains provisional because the announcement lacks the workload and measurement details needed for an equivalent test.<\/p>\n

The hardware arithmetic looks promising while leaving household practicality unresolved. Nvidia\u00a0specifies 575 watts of total graphics power for a reference RTX 5090. Four cards carry a combined GPU-only rating of 2.3 kW, below the 10 kW ceiling before CPUs, memory, storage, conversion losses and cooling enter the calculation.<\/p>\n

Nvidia launched the RTX 5090 at $1,999, putting four cards at $7,996 at launch MSRP. That figure leaves substantial room below $100,000 for the rest of a multi-GPU machine.<\/p>\n