Astar Network, a Layer 1 smart contract platform that supports the Ethereum, Polkadot and Cosmos ecosystems, is working with the Ethereum scaling developer Polygon Labs to launch its Layer 2 solution, Astar zkEVM.

The Japanese blockchain project will use the Polygon CDK (Chain Development Kit) — an open-source codebase for launching zero-knowledge-powered Layer 2 chains for Ethereum — to build Astar zkEVM, according to a statement.

“As it stands today, Asia is one of the most forward-thinking regions in the world when it comes to web3 adoption,” Polygon co-founder Sandeep Nailwal said. “Together, we believe there is a strong demand for transparency for trustless applications that blockchains can bring to Japan.”

“Working closely with Polygon Labs, Astar will also help enable …