zkSync’s Airbender prover recently achieved a significant milestone by generating real-time Ethereum Layer 1 block proofs using just two consumer-grade RTX 5090 GPUs. This breakthrough, praised by Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, has the potential to drastically reduce Layer 2 fees. Buterin highlighted the importance of this progress while cautioning that the proving times can vary greatly, sometimes by as much as 60 times between typical and worst-case scenarios. He suggested that simply pushing for faster hardware isn’t a complete solution and proposed a strategy of repricing gas for costly operations like RSA verification. The announcement coincided with Ethproofs Day, an event that attracted over 225 attendees for discussions and demos from leading zk teams. Although the event wasn’t livestreamed, recordings will be available on the Ethereum YouTube channel afterwards. This gathering underscored the excitement around zk technology and its role in Ethereum’s future. Buterin noted that the performance of the Airbender prover indicates a shift in Ethereum's scaling goals. Previously, researchers believed that producing full Layer 1 proofs required specialized hardware, but this achievement suggests that consumer-grade options are now feasible. While there are still concerns about worst-case performance, the breakthrough indicates a path toward faster and more affordable block proving, enhancing the scalability of the Ethereum ecosystem.