a16z Crypto has announced the release of Jolt Alpha, a new zero-knowledge virtual machine (zkVM) designed to enhance blockchain scalability through the use of ZK proofs. The open-source project, which is 100% open source, aims to provide a more efficient framework for developers, boasting significant performance improvements over existing solutions. According to early benchmarks, Jolt outperforms RISC Zero by approximately 6 times and SP1 by up to 2 times. The development team highlighted Jolt's ease of use for developers, particularly those working with Rust, by simply adding #[jolt::provable] to their functions. Additionally, Jolt's introduction is seen as a step forward in decentralized computing, potentially reducing blockchain compute costs and enabling developers to reveal 'truths' to users without publishing state onchain. The release of Jolt has been praised by the community, with many recognizing it as a significant contribution towards blockchain scalability solutions.