{
  "slug": "arklib",
  "name": "ArkLib",
  "tagline": "Lean 4 library for verifying SNARK components: IORs, sum-check, FRI, STIR, WHIR, Fiat-Shamir",
  "maintainer": "Verified-zkEVM (Quang Dao et al., Ethereum Foundation)",
  "url": "https://github.com/Verified-zkEVM/ArkLib",
  "repo": "https://github.com/Verified-zkEVM/ArkLib",
  "category": "proof-systems",
  "targets": [
    "Interactive oracle reductions",
    "Sum-check",
    "Polynomial commitments",
    "FRI / STIR / WHIR",
    "Fiat-Shamir",
    "BCS"
  ],
  "approach": "Lean 4 with VCV-io for probabilistic reasoning; completeness and soundness of proof-system components",
  "license": "Open source",
  "status": "Active; Nethermind maintains an ArkLibFri fork",
  "summary": "ArkLib formalizes the building blocks of modern SNARKs in Lean 4: interactive oracle reductions and their composition, sum-check, polynomial commitment schemes, the FRI, STIR and WHIR proximity protocols, Fiat-Shamir and the BCS transform, with completeness and soundness theorems. It is the proof-system half of the Verified zkEVM program.",
  "details": [
    "The Ethereum Foundation's December 2025 roadmap requires a formal soundness argument for recursion by the end of 2026; ArkLib is the vehicle. Its FRI work is also where the better.codes proximity bound feeds in, since the provable soundness of hash-based SNARKs depends on Reed-Solomon proximity results."
  ],
  "strengths": [
    "Only library formalizing the actual proof-system components used in production zkEVMs.",
    "Lean 4, composable with Clean and other circuit proofs.",
    "Backed by the EF and Nethermind."
  ],
  "limits": [
    "Research-shaped; APIs and coverage change quickly.",
    "Requires deep familiarity with both Lean and proof-system theory.",
    "Not a tool you point at a codebase."
  ],
  "fit": [
    "Engage with ArkLib if you build a proof system or need a machine-checked soundness bound for recursion or a proximity protocol."
  ],
  "references": [
    [
      "ArkLib repository",
      "https://github.com/Verified-zkEVM/ArkLib"
    ],
    [
      "EF zkEVM security roadmap (2025-12-18)",
      "https://blog.ethereum.org/2025/12/18/zkevm-security-foundations"
    ],
    [
      "Verified zkEVM program",
      "https://verified-zkevm.org"
    ]
  ],
  "category_name": "Proof systems and computational proofs",
  "page": "https://sorryfree.com/frameworks/arklib/",
  "updated": "2026-09-13"
}