diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 4acca7cc..28a81ac0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -8,23 +8,24 @@ on:
 
 jobs:
   native-build-linux-x86-64:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    container:
+      image: ubuntu:20.04
     env:
       SKIP_GRADLE: true
     steps:
       - name: Prepare
         run: |
           # secp256k1 dependencies
-          sudo apt-get update
-          sudo apt upgrade -y
-          sudo apt-get install -y autoconf build-essential libtool automake patchelf
-          sudo apt autoremove -y
+          apt-get update
+          apt upgrade -y
+          DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -y autoconf build-essential libtool automake patchelf wget git curl openjdk-21-jdk
+          apt autoremove -y
+          echo "JAVA_HOME=$(dirname $(dirname $(readlink -f $(which java))))" >> $GITHUB_ENV
           # golang dependencies
           wget https://go.dev/dl/go1.24.1.linux-amd64.tar.gz
           echo "cb2396bae64183cdccf81a9a6df0aea3bce9511fc21469fb89a0c00470088073 go1.24.1.linux-amd64.tar.gz" | sha256sum -c || exit 1
-          tar -xzf go1.24.1.linux-amd64.tar.gz
-          export GOROOT=$(pwd)/go
-          export PATH=$GOROOT/bin:$PATH
+          tar -xzf go1.24.1.linux-amd64.tar.gz -C /usr/local && ln -s /usr/local/go/bin/go /usr/local/bin/go 
           # rust dependencies
           export CARGO_HOME="$HOME/.cargo"
           curl https://sh.rustup.rs -sSf | sh -s -- -y --default-toolchain 1.75.0
@@ -283,7 +284,7 @@ jobs:
           path: constantine/build/
 
   final-assembly:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs:
       - native-build-macos
       - native-build-m1
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index cf5dfa86..a743402a 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # Changelog
 
 # Unreleased
+* perf: use latest gnark-crypto 0.17 [#262](https://github.com/hyperledger/besu-native/pull/262)
 
 # 1.3.0
 Pectra ready mainnet support release
diff --git a/gnark/gnark-jni/go.mod b/gnark/gnark-jni/go.mod
index 06d1db04..aa27c4da 100644
--- a/gnark/gnark-jni/go.mod
+++ b/gnark/gnark-jni/go.mod
@@ -4,13 +4,13 @@ go 1.22
 
 toolchain go1.22.4
 
-require github.com/consensys/gnark-crypto v0.16.0
+require github.com/consensys/gnark-crypto v0.17.0
 
 require (
 	github.com/bits-and-blooms/bitset v1.20.0 // indirect
-	github.com/consensys/bavard v0.1.27 // indirect
+	github.com/consensys/bavard v0.1.29 // indirect
 	github.com/mmcloughlin/addchain v0.4.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/crypto v0.32.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/sys v0.29.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/crypto v0.33.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/sys v0.30.0 // indirect
 	rsc.io/tmplfunc v0.0.3 // indirect
 )
diff --git a/gnark/gnark-jni/go.sum b/gnark/gnark-jni/go.sum
index 9b12f374..b9ee3476 100644
--- a/gnark/gnark-jni/go.sum
+++ b/gnark/gnark-jni/go.sum
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 github.com/bits-and-blooms/bitset v1.20.0 h1:2F+rfL86jE2d/bmw7OhqUg2Sj/1rURkBn3MdfoPyRVU=
 github.com/bits-and-blooms/bitset v1.20.0/go.mod h1:7hO7Gc7Pp1vODcmWvKMRA9BNmbv6a/7QIWpPxHddWR8=
-github.com/consensys/bavard v0.1.27 h1:j6hKUrGAy/H+gpNrpLU3I26n1yc+VMGmd6ID5+gAhOs=
-github.com/consensys/bavard v0.1.27/go.mod h1:k/zVjHHC4B+PQy1Pg7fgvG3ALicQw540Crag8qx+dZs=
-github.com/consensys/gnark-crypto v0.16.0 h1:8Dl4eYmUWK9WmlP1Bj6je688gBRJCJbT8Mw4KoTAawo=
-github.com/consensys/gnark-crypto v0.16.0/go.mod h1:Ke3j06ndtPTVvo++PhGNgvm+lgpLvzbcE2MqljY7diU=
+github.com/consensys/bavard v0.1.29 h1:fobxIYksIQ+ZSrTJUuQgu+HIJwclrAPcdXqd7H2hh1k=
+github.com/consensys/bavard v0.1.29/go.mod h1:k/zVjHHC4B+PQy1Pg7fgvG3ALicQw540Crag8qx+dZs=
+github.com/consensys/gnark-crypto v0.17.0 h1:vKDhZMOrySbpZDCvGMOELrHFv/A9mJ7+9I8HEfRZSkI=
+github.com/consensys/gnark-crypto v0.17.0/go.mod h1:A2URlMHUT81ifJ0UlLzSlm7TmnE3t7VxEThApdMukJw=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1 h1:vj9j/u1bqnvCEfJOwUhtlOARqs3+rkHYY13jYWTU97c=
 github.com/davecgh/go-spew v1.1.1/go.mod h1:J7Y8YcW2NihsgmVo/mv3lAwl/skON4iLHjSsI+c5H38=
 github.com/google/subcommands v1.2.0/go.mod h1:ZjhPrFU+Olkh9WazFPsl27BQ4UPiG37m3yTrtFlrHVk=
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0 h1:4DBwDE0NGyQoBHbLQYPwSUPoCMWR5BEzIk/f1lZb
 github.com/pmezard/go-difflib v1.0.0/go.mod h1:iKH77koFhYxTK1pcRnkKkqfTogsbg7gZNVY4sRDYZ/4=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.10.0 h1:Xv5erBjTwe/5IxqUQTdXv5kgmIvbHo3QQyRwhJsOfJA=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.10.0/go.mod h1:r2ic/lqez/lEtzL7wO/rwa5dbSLXVDPFyf8C91i36aY=
-golang.org/x/crypto v0.32.0 h1:euUpcYgM8WcP71gNpTqQCn6rC2t6ULUPiOzfWaXVVfc=
-golang.org/x/crypto v0.32.0/go.mod h1:ZnnJkOaASj8g0AjIduWNlq2NRxL0PlBrbKVyZ6V/Ugc=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.29.0 h1:TPYlXGxvx1MGTn2GiZDhnjPA9wZzZeGKHHmKhHYvgaU=
-golang.org/x/sys v0.29.0/go.mod h1:/VUhepiaJMQUp4+oa/7Zr1D23ma6VTLIYjOOTFZPUcA=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.33.0 h1:IOBPskki6Lysi0lo9qQvbxiQ+FvsCC/YWOecCHAixus=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.33.0/go.mod h1:bVdXmD7IV/4GdElGPozy6U7lWdRXA4qyRVGJV57uQ5M=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.30.0 h1:QjkSwP/36a20jFYWkSue1YwXzLmsV5Gfq7Eiy72C1uc=
+golang.org/x/sys v0.30.0/go.mod h1:/VUhepiaJMQUp4+oa/7Zr1D23ma6VTLIYjOOTFZPUcA=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0 h1:D8xgwECY7CYvx+Y2n4sBz93Jn9JRvxdiyyo8CTfuKaY=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v2 v2.4.0/go.mod h1:RDklbk79AGWmwhnvt/jBztapEOGDOx6ZbXqjP6csGnQ=
 gopkg.in/yaml.v3 v3.0.1 h1:fxVm/GzAzEWqLHuvctI91KS9hhNmmWOoWu0XTYJS7CA=