Taiko is a decentralized, Ethereum-equivalent ZK-Rollup designed to scale Ethereum without compromising its core principles of openness, security, and developer-friendliness. Unlike many rollups that introduce custom execution environments or centralized components, Taiko uses a Type-1 ZK-EVM architecture, which means it replicates Ethereum’s architecture exactly, including its opcode behavior and execution layer. This allows developers to deploy existing Ethereum dApps on Taiko without any changes to their code. One of Taiko’s key innovations is its commitment to a fully decentralized, permissionless architecture. The protocol uses a dual-role system consisting of provers and block proposers, both of which can be operated by anyone. Proposers submit new blocks, while provers generate zero-knowledge proofs to validate them. These proofs are then verified on Ethereum, ensuring data availability and settlement security. Taiko is developed by the Taiko Labs team, a group of Ethereum ecosystem veterans. The project emphasizes open-source development, with most components written in Solidity, making it highly accessible to Ethereum-native developers. Taiko also avoids custom precompiles and upholds Ethereum’s gas mechanics, further simplifying adoption. The Taiko network is still in the testnet phase as of 2025, with its most recent Alpha series iterations stress-testing decentralization, performance, and compatibility. A mainnet launch is expected following the final testnet and security audits. The protocol is designed to be censorship-resistant, trustless, and verifiable, ensuring that users and developers alike can benefit from Ethereum’s full capabilities at a lower cost and higher throughput.