Running Core's real consensus code inside a zkVM

Rootstock introduces a significant feature that Bitcoin lacks: it commits to the state at each block, not just to the transactions. This commitment by Rootstock uses a mechanism where miners vote on the state at each block, which provides a method to validate the state beyond mere transaction verification. This is in contrast to Bitcoin, which only commits to transactions and does not provide any direct mechanism for state validation within its block headers or the coinbase transaction.

Moreover, the voting process by miners in Rootstock could potentially be compromised if there were to occur a 51% attack, where a majority of the mining power could falsely dictate the state. However, this risk is mitigated by the ability of users to revert to Bitcoin if they disagree with the miners' decisions, providing a fallback option. Rootstock’s approach also involves more frequent hardforks, balancing between conservatism and innovation, which can be seen as a tradeoff that accepts certain risks in exchange for greater flexibility and functionality.

Additionally, the implementation of the PowPeg system in Rootstock does not validate the RVM directly but instead validates through the hash rate in the HSM. This method focuses on validating the computational power behind the blocks rather than the specific operations performed by the RVM, leading to a reliance on the integrity of the hash rate as a proxy for correct state transitions. This setup allows Rootstock to offer functionalities that are not available in Bitcoin, supporting a broader scope of applications while depending on the robustness provided by Bitcoin’s infrastructure for ultimate security.