There are quite a few projects in the circle calling themselves ZK, but very few can truly implement the technology. Either the costs are outrageously high, or the speed is frustratingly slow, not to mention the pile of cryptographic principles that would baffle an ordinary person at first glance—this barrier directly keeps most developers out.
But there is a project that seems to be genuinely addressing these issues—@Succinct $
It doesn't follow the crowd to compete on performance parameters; instead, it focuses on how to make ZK technology 'user-friendly'—you can get started regardless of your understanding of cryptography.
### How exactly did it achieve this?
First, let's talk about their self-developed SP1 virtual machine, which is quite a feat—it wraps up the underlying logic of ZK proofs. Developers can write code just like usual, without needing to grind through cryptographic papers or get tangled up in mathematical principles; SP1 automatically handles the compilation and proof generation processes for you. In simple terms, if you can write ordinary programs, you can work with ZK.
Next, look at performance and compatibility: it can complete a ZK proof for one block of Ethereum in just 12 seconds; even more astonishing is that even small devices can easily verify it—this is truly aimed at making sure all developers and all hardware can make use of it.
And that global proof network (Succinct Prover Network) is simply a blessing for lazy people. You don't have to fuss over setting up a proof system or prepare a bunch of GPUs; just connect to their network and you can use someone else's computing power. This essentially turns ZK proofs into a 'cloud service', allowing small teams to easily get on board, effectively halving the barrier to entry.
### What role does the token $PROVE play?
In simple terms, $PROVE is the 'economic engine' of the entire network. Need to initiate a proof? Pay with $PROVE; nodes providing computing power? Get $PROVE as a reward or for staking. The key is that the value of this token is directly tied to actual usage— the more it is used, the greater the staking and consumption, and the more stable the profit logic becomes. As the demand for proofs increases and more projects get onboarded, the circulation and staking of $PROVE naturally become more active, solidifying the foundation for long-term gains.
Finally, congratulations to the team participating in Succinct for 'graduating'! What they are doing is actually very practical: enabling those who don't understand ZK to use ZK effectively.
The trend is now quite clear: ZK is moving from the laboratory to large-scale applications, and it seems that Succinct has already made the first move on this chessboard.