Incredible! Succinct Labs is changing the way blockchain works with the technology of "zero-knowledge proofs" and has secured $55 million in funding to achieve the goal of "being able to work with confidence without mutual trust!"

Currently, blockchain is still troubled by issues of poor interoperability between different chains, and the difficulty of balancing efficiency and security, while Succinct Labs has entered the scene with the "zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP)" tool. This team, referred to in the industry as the "Ethereum Manhattan Project," is using zero-knowledge proofs to break the old rule of "you must trust the other party to proceed" - their core product SP1 zkVM (zero-knowledge virtual machine) enables zero-knowledge proofs to transition from being used only by cryptographic experts to a tool that developers can easily use, coupled with a decentralized prover network, directly elevating performance to new heights. A transformation of "collaboration without trust" is quietly reshaping the blockchain landscape.

1. SP1 zkVM is here: zero-knowledge proofs have become simpler.

Zero-knowledge proofs were previously considered a "high-cold technology" in blockchain: to use them well, developers had to master complex cryptographic knowledge such as elliptic curves and polynomials, and writing a line of related code might require consulting a pile of papers. But Succinct's SP1 zkVM has completely changed this - it is a high-performance open-source tool, allowing developers to write just a few lines of code in the commonly used Rust language, and SP1 can automatically generate verifiable proofs without having to delve into complex cryptography. Even for complex RISC-V architecture programs, it can easily check correctness, essentially locking in the correctness of the code with a "mathematical lock."

Even more powerful is its ability to "use any chain": whether in the Ethereum ecosystem or Layer 2 networks like OP Stack, SP1 can seamlessly integrate. It also features a unique SP1-Contract-Call functionality, which can break through the limitations of Ethereum EVM, allowing complex logic that would not run otherwise to operate smoothly with the help of zero-knowledge proofs. After pairing with ZAN's FPGA-specific acceleration chip, SP1's speed increased directly by 20 times - previously, calculating SHA256 hash with a regular CPU took 10 seconds, now it only takes 0.5 seconds with FPGA acceleration; tasks like elliptic curve computations, which are difficult to handle, are also completed at surprising speeds. One developer said: "Using zero-knowledge proofs used to be as difficult as climbing to the moon by hand, now with SP1, it's as easy as taking a shared bike out."

2. Decentralized prover network: keeping blockchain efficiency high.

Succinct is not satisfied with just "making technology simpler," but also wants to solve the "infrastructure problem" of implementing zero-knowledge proofs. Their newly launched decentralized prover network is like the "super computing factory" of the blockchain world - hundreds of thousands of nodes distributed around the world form a network that can provide low-cost, high-concurrency proof generation services for Rollups (Layer 2 scaling solutions) and cross-chain protocols.

Among them, the "recursive proof" feature is especially powerful: complex transaction proofs can be packaged layer by layer like Russian nesting dolls, for example, a proof of 1,000 transactions can be compressed into a "total proof," allowing a single check to confirm the validity of all transactions. This is a "dimensional reduction strike" for Rollups - previously, processing 1,000 transactions might require generating 1,000 proofs, but now one is enough, directly improving efficiency by 100 times. More importantly, this network allows the blockchain to no longer struggle with the dilemma of "security versus efficiency": decentralized nodes can ensure that proofs cannot be altered, and powerful computing resources solve the speed issue. For interoperability between different chains, this is the "key to breaking the deadlock" - the most troublesome part of cross-chain operations is quickly confirming that the information on the other chain is true, and now with this network, cross-chain verification time has been reduced from several hours to several seconds, finally allowing for "smooth communication" between different chains.

3. With $55 million in backing, the $PROVE token aims to be the "universal key" in the field of zero-knowledge proofs.

Capital shows genuine confidence in Succinct's prospects: the recently completed $55 million funding round was led by top crypto institutions Paradigm, with notable funds like Robot Ventures and Bankless Ventures following suit, and even core team members from Eigenlayer and Polygon are personally involved. This money will primarily be used to upgrade SP1 zkVM and expand the prover network, clearly betting that "zero-knowledge proofs will become the foundational tool of blockchain."

Its native token PROVE aims to become the "universal key" in the field of zero-knowledge proofs. The allocation of the total of 1 billion tokens is quite innovative: 25% for public and ecosystem rewards (of which 5% is directly given for free to early supporters), 25% invested in technological research and development to ensure continuous technological progress. Even more impressive is PROVE's cross-chain capability - it can be used directly on Ethereum and BNB chain, and in the future, it will connect to over 130 chains supported by LayerZero. This means that whether using zero-knowledge proofs for privacy transactions on Ethereum or validating cross-chain assets on Solana, $PROVE could become a unified management and settlement tool, with its value space directly expanding to "all chains."

4. Big players collaborating to weave a "full-chain trust network".

Succinct's list of collaborators is impressive, and they are all "substantially complementary":

- Collaborating with ZAN for FPGA hardware acceleration to push SP1's speed to the limit, making proof generation faster;

- Developing verification tools with Nethermind to add a layer of "mathematical insurance" to zero-knowledge proofs, ensuring that proof logic is flawless;

- Deep cooperation with Fiamma, using BitVM2 technology to build the "most trust-minimized bridge" for Bitcoin and other chains - it is important to note that Bitcoin has long been difficult to combine with zero-knowledge proofs due to architectural limitations, and this collaboration is equivalent to opening a door for the most "conservative" Bitcoin ecosystem;

- Integrating LayerZero cross-chain protocols, making $PROVE cross-chain transfers as simple as sending a WeChat message, with fees that can almost be ignored.

These collaborations are not just "riding the wave," but truly solving industry challenges: providing zero-knowledge fault proofs for 0xFacet, addressing the security vulnerabilities of Stage 2 Rollups; supporting Celestia's Blobstream protocol, allowing zero-knowledge proofs to play a role in data availability. It can be said that Succinct is weaving a "full-chain trust network" through collaboration, enabling quick verification of "what the other party says is true" regardless of which chain or application is involved.

5. From the "Ethereum Manhattan Project" to "software that can prove everything": how ambitious is it?

Succinct's goal is clearly stated: "to become software that can prove everything." In the short term, it aims to be the "basic provider" for blockchain interoperability and scalability, making zero-knowledge proofs transition from an "optional tool" to a "must-have component" - in the future, whether it’s privacy transactions in DeFi, copyright verification for NFTs, or secure cross-chain transfers, its technology will be indispensable.

The long-term goal is even more "ambitious": not only to serve Ethereum but also to support all public chains like Bitcoin and Solana; not only limited to blockchains but also to enable efficient verification of behaviors in internet software - for example, an e-commerce platform displaying "sales over 100,000" can use it to prove in real-time that the data is not fabricated; the "view count" on video platforms can also be mathematically verified.

Of course, there are challenges: there are many competitors in the field of zero-knowledge proofs, with Scroll and zkSync making strides, and performance and ecosystem need continuous investment; but the community has already expressed its stance through action - 217,000 followers on X (formerly Twitter) are waiting for updates, and 20,000 spots for the testnet were snapped up as soon as they went live.

If the ultimate goal of blockchain is "trust freedom" - to confirm that information is true without relying on intermediaries, then Succinct is paving the fastest road with zero-knowledge proofs. From SP1 reducing development difficulty to the prover network solving infrastructure issues, and cross-chain layout bridging all scenarios, each step it takes is at the "key point" of zero-knowledge proof implementation. This "Ethereum Manhattan Project" might just change the landscape of the blockchain world like the original Manhattan Project once did, ushering it into a new era of "programmable verification of truth" - after all, in the digital world, being able to quickly prove "what you say is true" is more important than anything else.

@Succinct

#SuccinctLabs

$PROVE