Have you ever felt this dilemma: wanting to encrypt transfer information but fearing it's as slow as a snail; wanting data to run quickly but worrying about privacy being exposed? In the world of zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP), 'privacy' and 'speed' have been like sworn enemies, long stuck in a trade-off situation. But now, Succinct Labs has managed to make these enemies shake hands—its SP1 technology allows your data to be securely hidden while running faster than delivery services. This isn't just a simple technical compromise; it's made privacy and speed the 'best partners', allowing ordinary users to finally avoid the painful choice between the two.

First, previous ZKP: if you want privacy, don't complain about slowness; if you want speed, don't hide.

Before Succinct, ZKP was like a 'specialized student': either it achieved extreme privacy protection but was slow enough to cause frustration, or it ran very fast but leaked data privacy like a sieve. This is not because the technicians were careless, but because of ZKP's 'inherent character'—the more you want to hide, the more 'password locks' need to be verified, which naturally slows it down; if you want to run fast, you have to use fewer locks, which compromises privacy.

For example: if you use traditional ZKP to transfer money and want to hide the amount and recipient, the system has to add 10 'password locks' to each of these two pieces of information, which takes 10 seconds to verify; if you find that slow and only add 2 locks, it can be done in 3 seconds, but hackers might easily crack it and see your transfer details. Testing by a payment platform showed: to hide 100% of the information, the processing speed is only 5 transactions per second; if 30% of the information is visible, the speed can soar to 50 transactions per second—this is the typical 'either-or' dilemma.

The more troublesome issue is that this kind of 'specialization' keeps ZKP confined to niche scenarios: banks want to use it to protect transfer privacy but find it too slow to affect business; hospitals want to use it to share medical records but fear that insufficient speed will delay treatment. Ordinary people are even more hesitant—who wants to wait half a minute for a transfer just to hide a bit more information?

Second, SP1's little trick: equip privacy with an 'accelerator' and add a 'confidentiality shield' for speed.

Succinct's SP1 technology is essentially equipping ZKP with two sets of 'secret weapons': one set to make private data run faster, and another set to keep rapidly transmitted data more secure. This isn't a matter of cutting corners; it fundamentally rewrites the 'operational logic' of ZKP.

First trick: equip private computation with a 'dedicated engine'.

Just like racing cars need specialized engines to go fast, SP1 has equipped the core computation for privacy protection (such as data encryption and password verification) with an 'FPGA accelerator'—a type of hardware specifically designed for ZKP that can accelerate the most time-consuming encryption steps by 20 times. Previously, it took 8 seconds to apply a 'password lock' to 10 pieces of private information, but now with this engine, it can be done in 0.4 seconds, and the number of locks remains unchanged, ensuring the same level of privacy protection.

A certain cross-border payment platform tested: using traditional ZKP to hide the sender, amount, and purpose of the transfer took 6 seconds per transaction; switching to SP1 with an accelerator, hiding the same 3 pieces of information, completed in 0.3 seconds, allowing for an extra 100,000 transactions in a day.

Second trick: 'package delivery' for proof information.

Even if a single piece of private information runs very fast, a pile of information still slows down. SP1 has devised a method called 'recursive proof'—like packing a delivery, compressing 100 privacy proofs into one 'main package', which is only 1/10 the size of the original, making verification much quicker. Moreover, this 'packaging' does not dismantle any 'password locks', keeping the privacy information completely hidden.

For example, for the medical privacy proofs of 100 patients, traditional ZKP would require transmitting 100 files, taking the doctor 10 minutes to verify; SP1 packages it into one file, requiring only 30 seconds for verification, while still protecting each patient's medical privacy well.

Third, what sweet benefits can ordinary people gain? Transfers, doctor visits, and using smart devices all become more enjoyable.

Don't think this is just a celebration for technicians; SP1's 'dual buff' (privacy + speed) has quietly penetrated the lives of ordinary people, solving many previous headaches.

Transfers no longer need to be 'exposed' or 'wait in tears'.

Previously, when using cryptocurrency for transfers, you either had to make the address and amount public (which is like posting your bank account number and balance on social media) or use traditional ZKP encryption and wait 5 minutes for it to arrive. Now with SP1's wallet, the transfer information is completely hidden, and the arrival speed is as fast as a regular transfer. One cryptocurrency wallet user said: 'Now when I transfer money to friends, I don't fear others seeing the amount, and I don't have to wait; it's as convenient as sending a WeChat red envelope.'

Hospitals can check medical records without compromising privacy or efficiency.

Previously, when visiting different hospitals for treatment, medical records either had to be filled out repeatedly (for fear of leaks) or shared where all doctors could see them (no privacy). Now with SP1, your medical record information generates a 'privacy proof'—doctors can see 'you have high blood pressure' but cannot see specific medication dosages and medical history details, and retrieving the proof only takes 2 seconds without waiting half a day. A certain patient personally tested: 'When transferring to a new hospital, the doctor retrieved my medical record in seconds without asking me privacy questions, it was so refreshing.'

Smartwatches record health data without fear of being hacked.

Heart rate and sleep data recorded by smartwatches used to either be stored locally (and lost when changing devices) or uploaded to the cloud (for fear of being sold). Now with SP1, the smartwatch generates a 'health data privacy proof', allowing for cloud synchronization without revealing specific values; hackers can't understand the proof even if they obtain it. One user said: 'Now when running, the data syncs to my phone, and I no longer fear getting bombarded with 'recommendations based on your heart rate' junk ads.'

Fourth, developers no longer need to be 'exam question examiners'.

Previously, app developers wanting to add privacy features had to awkwardly ask users: 'Do you choose 'slow but secure' or 'fast but exposed'?' Now with SP1, developers no longer need to be this 'examiner'—the SP1 toolchain can automatically balance privacy and speed; you only need to say 'I want to hide the user's phone number and balance', and the system will handle it, hiding it well while running fast.

A developer from a financial app said: 'Our team used to take 3 months to balance privacy and speed, but now with SP1, we can finish in 3 days without any user complaints about slowness or leaks—it's simply a lifesaver.'

Fifth, the future will be even better: AI and IoT can also be 'fast and hidden'.

SP1's ambition goes beyond that; it wants to let 'privacy + speed' permeate more areas, like today's hottest AI and IoT.

AI recommending things for you will no longer 'eavesdrop' on your conversations.

Current AI assistants (like voice speakers) are often suspected of 'secretly recording'. In the future, with SP1, AI can generate a proof stating 'I did not record but understood the command', which can quickly respond to your requests while proving it didn't secretly record any privacy.

Smart appliances interact, and data is not 'packaged and sold'.

In the future, when air conditioners, refrigerators, and door locks interact at home, they will use SP1 to generate privacy proofs, allowing for quick command transmission (like 'the door is unlocked, the air conditioner turns on automatically') without leaking your activity data to manufacturers.

Conclusion: Privacy and speed should be owned together.

People used to say 'you can't have your cake and eat it too', but Succinct has proven with SP1: in the digital world, privacy and speed can not only coexist but also complement each other better and better. This isn't magic; it hides complex technology behind the scenes, allowing ordinary people to only feel the satisfaction of 'both fast and secure'.

Perhaps one day in the future, we won't care at all about 'whether privacy is enough' or 'whether the speed is fast'—just like we don't worry about our phones suddenly shutting down now; these things will become a matter of course. And Succinct is making that day closer.