Dogecoin might’ve started as a joke, but this upgrade isn’t one.
DogeOS, the app layer developed by the MyDoge wallet team, has submitted a formal proposal to Dogecoin Core that introduces a new opcode that would enable the network to verify zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) natively.
Developers aim to transform an unused part of the script system into a tool that can verify cryptographic proofs, starting with ‘Groth16’ (a specific type of proof widely used in zk systems) and allowing for future upgrades.
This would enable Dogecoin to support more advanced, off-chain applications, such as rollups and smart contracts, while maintaining the main chain’s speed and simplicity.
The approach is modular by design as proof systems are mode-selectable, and the opcode behavior is strictly opt-in. If the proof verifies, the script proceeds; if not, it fails. Old nodes remain compatible, treating the opcode as a no-op. No surprise forks, no VM bloat.
“The OP_CHECKZKP proposal marks a major technical step forward for Dogecoin,” the DogeOS team wrote in the proposal. “It expands the proof-of-work blockchain from a basic payment system into a platform capable of supporting DeFi, gaming, identity, and other verifiable on-chain applications.”
Unlike Ethereum’s VM-heavy model, Dogecoin’s vision is minimal and pragmatic: computation stays off-chain; Dogecoin just checks the receipts.
“Dogecoin gaining the ability to integrate with ZK L2s is the kind of interoperability we need to build ecosystem utility,” said Tim Stebbing, director of the Dogecoin Foundation. “It allows the L1 to focus on being the fastest, best, most fun blockchain and means of exchange for all humanity.”
DogeOS also stated that it was developing an EVM-compatible zkVM — a virtual machine that will enable Ethereum-native applications to run directly on Dogecoin infrastructure.
Still, none of this comes without trade-offs. Verifying a Groth16 proof takes 10–20ms, and you can’t cram hundreds of proofs into a 1MB block without running into validation delays.
That’s why the proposal includes strict limits of one ZKP per script, five per block, at least for the start. The move comes as institutional interest in DOGE riles up in recent week, with firms like Bit Origin securing up to $500 million in funding to build a Dogecoin treasury.
