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zkVM vs EVM Differences

Sophon’s native zkVM is fundamentally different from Ethereum’s EVM as it’s designed to generate zero-knowledge proofs while executing smart contracts. While the EVM Bytecode Interpreter enables EVM compatibility (see limitations), here are the core differences between zkVM and EVM:

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Execution Model

• Proof Generation: zkVM operations must be ZK-proof friendly, affecting how certain operations work
• Gas Model: Uses “ergs” instead of gas, with different cost calculations for operations
• State Management: Different approach to handling state changes due to ZK-proof requirements

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EVM Instruction Differences

To check what opcodes differ in behavior between Sophon and Ethereum, see the official EVM Instructions page.

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Native Features

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Account Abstraction

Unlike EVM which requires EIP-4337 for AA, Sophon’s zkVM:

• Has native account abstraction built into the VM
• Provides better performance for AA operations
• Handles nonces differently for AA accounts

Learn more about AA differences

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Paymasters

zkVM has native support for paymasters:

• Built-in paymaster functionality
• More efficient fee abstraction
• Different gas accounting for sponsored transactions

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System Contracts

• Additional precompiled contracts specific to zkVM
• Different handling of system-level operations
• Native multi-transaction support

Learn more about precompile differences

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State and Storage

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Nonce Handling

• Separate nonces for deployments and transactions
• Different nonce management for smart contract accounts
• Unique nonce behavior for batched transactions

Learn more about nonce differences

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Storage Layout

• Different storage slot calculation
• Unique handling of immutable references
• Modified library linking process

Learn more about storage differences

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Contract Lifecycle

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Deployment

• Different bytecode format for native zkVM contracts
• Unique contract creation flow
• Modified CREATE/CREATE2 behavior for zkVM contracts

Learn more about deployment differences

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Code Execution

• Different handling of contract calls
• Modified return data handling
• Unique error propagation model

Learn more about execution differences