Polygon Zero, the overseeing body for zero-knowledge innovations at Polygon, recently took to Twitter to accuse zkSync, a zero-knowledge scaling project by Matter Labs, of copying their open-source code without proper attribution. The tweet sparked a debate within the crypto community, with both parties presenting their sides of the story.
In a blog post shared by Polygon Zero, they provided evidence in the form of screenshots of code files allegedly copied by Matter Labs. Polygon Zero expressed their disappointment, stating that the crypto ecosystem relies on the open-source ethos, and failure to adhere to it could harm the entire community.
Crypto runs on the open source ethos. When projects don’t follow it, the ecosystem suffers.
We were disappointed to see that @zksync copied our code without attribution and made misleading claims about the original work, so we wrote this post.
https://t.co/8VnoYVWgI8— Polygon Zero 💜 (@0xPolygonZero) August 3, 2023
The core of the allegation revolves around Matter Labs’ Boojum proving system, which, according to Polygon Zero, contains a substantial amount of source code copy-pasted from the performance-critical components of Polygon Zero’s Plonky2 library. Polygon Zero further emphasized their contribution to the community, claiming to be the team behind Plonky2 and Starky.
Matter Labs, on the other hand, defended themselves against the accusations, calling them ‘unfounded, misleading, and extremely disappointing.’ Alex Gluchowski, the co-founder and CEO of Matter Labs, clarified that only approximately 5% of Boojum’s code is based on Plonky2. He emphasized that they have provided proper attribution in the first line of the relevant module.
The debate surrounding open-source code usage has been a long-standing topic in the crypto space. Developers often share their code under open-source licenses to encourage collaboration and innovation. However, it comes with the expectation that those who use the code in their projects must acknowledge the original source and give proper credit to the authors.
Polygon Zero’s blog post highlights the norms of open-source development, which aim to protect creators and maintain transparency and trust within the community. They emphasized that while anyone can use or modify open-source code, proper credit should always be given to the original authors.
In response to the allegations, Alex Gluchowski reaffirmed Matter Labs’ commitment to open-source principles. He stated that they value the contributions of other developers and understand the importance of providing appropriate attribution.
The incident serves as a reminder for the crypto community to uphold the spirit of open-source collaboration. Properly acknowledging the work of others fosters a culture of trust and innovation, benefiting the entire ecosystem.
The Importance of Ethical Code Usage in the Crypto World
The recent dispute between Polygon Zero and Matter Labs sheds light on the significance of ethical code usage within the crypto space. The open-source ethos has been fundamental to the growth and development of the blockchain industry, enabling developers to build upon each other’s work and drive innovation forward.
However, this incident serves as a cautionary tale, urging developers to be vigilant about adhering to proper attribution practices. When adopting code from open-source projects, it is crucial to acknowledge the original authors and respect the terms of the licenses.
In conclusion, the crypto community must unite in upholding the values of transparency, collaboration, and ethical code usage. By doing so, the ecosystem can continue to thrive and foster groundbreaking innovations that benefit everyone involved.
