<aside> 💡 To understand why Union puts so much emphasis on sovereignty and decentralization, one should understand how consensus verification, ZK and IBC works →
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In addition, Union’s use of ZK proofs makes it cheaper, more secure, and faster than its counterparts. The multisig structure used by traditional blockchain bridges creates a centralized point of failure that hackers can target. Because this model relies on the participation of validators to sign transaction requests, the number of validators tends to be rather small, in turn reducing the number of keys that need to be compromised for a hack to occur. This becomes even more dangerous when a single entity controls most of the signatures, creating an even more centralized structure, as was the case with the Ronin hack.
By removing the need for multisig wallets, Union’s zk-proof technology maintains independence from centralized actors. Zk-bridges essentially run on their own, meaning that even if the project that created them were to disappear, the bridges themselves would continue to function as independent entities.