TLDR:
- Akita is LayerZero’s first production-ready, lattice-based post-quantum commitment scheme for ZK proving.
- Proofs shrink to 65-80kb with Akita, a two-to-eight-times cut versus hash-based post-quantum schemes.
- Jolt gains two-to-three-times faster proving and roughly half the memory usage with Akita.
- Akita uses NIST-standard lattice cryptography, an early step toward a quantum-secure Zero stack.
LayerZero has introduced Akita, a lattice-based polynomial commitment scheme built for post-quantum security. The protocol, announced September 9, 2026, is described as the first production-ready primitive of its kind for zero-knowledge proving systems.
Akita will first appear inside Jolt, the zero-knowledge virtual machine developed with a16z crypto that powers the Zero blockchain.
LayerZero says the addition delivers quantum resistance alongside proof sizes far smaller than existing post-quantum alternatives, marking an early step toward a fully quantum-secure Zero stack.
What Akita Adds to Zero-Knowledge Proving
Akita is a polynomial commitment scheme, a core component inside zero-knowledge proving systems. It commits to and proves the correctness of a computation trace.
Replacing this component with a quantum-secure version protects the entire proving stack. The rest of the stack already carries information-theoretic security, according to LayerZero.
Akita’s design is lattice-based, using the same mathematical class that NIST selected for post-quantum encryption and signatures.
That standard is currently being rolled out to protect encrypted internet traffic. LayerZero positions Akita as an extension of that broader shift toward lattice-based cryptography.
The scheme’s performance differs from existing post-quantum proving methods. Hash-based schemes typically produce proofs of 200kb or larger, LayerZero noted. Akita instead produces proofs between 65kb and 80kb, a reduction of two to eight times depending on the application.
Proving speed and memory use also improve under Akita. LayerZero states that proving with Akita runs two to three times faster than Jolt’s current performance.
Memory usage drops by roughly half, and Akita needs only sub-linear memory beyond storing the polynomial itself.
Jolt Deployment Signals Early Post-Quantum Progress
LayerZero pointed to two established paths toward post-quantum proving: hash-based schemes and lattice-based schemes. Hash-based methods have received considerable development over recent years.
Lattice-based assumptions, however, offer additional advantages, according to the company. These include smaller proof sizes and stronger performance on sparse workloads.
Akita is presented as the first commitment scheme bringing lattice-based security to a production-ready zero-knowledge proving system.
LayerZero also said lattice-based methods integrate more easily with the broader post-quantum internet. In its announcement post, the company described Akita as a major step toward making Zero quantum-secure. LayerZero added that Akita will be built into Jolt from day one, through its partnership with a16z crypto.
Jolt, the zero-knowledge virtual machine built with a16z crypto, will host Akita’s first major deployment. The integration lets Jolt combine post-quantum security with a smaller proof size and a faster prover.
LayerZero describes the result as the fastest production-grade zkVM currently offering quantum resistance. The company frames the update as one of several steps planned before Zero reaches mainnet.
LayerZero called Akita an early step toward a fully quantum-secure Zero stack, with further work expected. The company said additional post-quantum upgrades will continue as development moves toward mainnet and beyond.
Akita remains open source, and LayerZero noted that any proof system can adopt the scheme. The full technical paper and implementation are available on GitHub for further review.
