The zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) industry has long faced the 'island dilemma': the ZKP solutions of Rollups cannot communicate with the proof logic of cross-chain bridges, the ZKP tools of the Bitcoin ecosystem and smart contract chains are incompatible, and developers need to switch repeatedly between different technical systems, making it difficult for ZKP to form a 'scale effect of ecosystem reuse'. However, the breakthrough by Succinct Labs is not a single technical optimization but rather a construction of an 'ecological synergy mechanism' centered around SP1 zkVM (zero-knowledge virtual machine)—it serves as a 'web weaver' connecting different blockchains, developers, capital, and application scenarios, allowing ZKP to evolve from 'single-point technical applications' to 'underlying capabilities of cross-chain trusted networks'. This article will analyze how Succinct breaks the island effect of ZKP and promotes the industry into the 'era of collaborative applications' from five dimensions: ecological collaborative logic, technological symbiosis design, co-creation of developer capabilities, capital ecological resonance, and industry collaborative standards.
1. Ecological Collaborative Logic: From 'Single Point Technical Supply' to 'Networked Value Weaving'
The positioning of traditional ZKP projects is 'technology providers', meaning they output customized proof solutions to a specific chain or project; however, the core logic of Succinct is 'ecological weaver', building a 'multi-role collaborative network' through SP1, allowing different participants (blockchains, developers, application projects) to achieve value intercommunication within the same ZKP system:
• 'Chain-Chain Collaboration' as a Trusted Bridge: SP1 is not bound to a single chain but builds a 'proof recognition network' connecting different blockchains through the 'RISC-V adaptation layer + LayerZero cross-chain protocol'. For instance, Ethereum Layer2 (such as Optimism) generates Rollups fault proofs based on SP1, which can be synchronized to the BNB chain or Avalanche through LayerZero's cross-chain message protocol—these chains do not need to develop separate verification logic but only integrate SP1's lightweight verification module to recognize the validity of the proof. This 'proof recognition' mechanism has completely resolved the issues of 'high cross-chain verification costs and poor compatibility'; in 2025, a certain cross-chain DeFi protocol achieved 'direct use of Ethereum liquidation proofs for asset execution on the BNB chain', tripling the efficiency of cross-chain liquidation.
• 'Application-Infrastructure Synergy' Scene Deepening: Succinct does not simply output technology but 'co-builds scenarios' with infrastructure projects. For example, in cooperation with Celestia, the two parties did not just simply make 'SP1 support Blobstream', but jointly designed a 'data availability + trusted computing' collaborative solution: Celestia is responsible for putting the availability proof of off-chain data on-chain, while SP1 generates 'data computation correctness proofs' based on this proof—developers can execute off-chain tasks such as AI model inference and complex financial calculations in Celestia's off-chain space and synchronize to Ethereum after proving 'the computation result is consistent with the input data' via SP1, thereby reducing on-chain computing costs and solving the pain point of 'off-chain computation being untrustworthy'; this collaborative model has been used in cross-chain AI quantitative trading scenarios.
• 'Incentive Closed Loop of Ecological Role-Value Distribution Cooperation': Succinct has built a 'collaborative incentive system' through the PROVE token—whether it is ZAN providing FPGA acceleration resources, Nethermind participating in formal verification, or developers developing applications based on SP1, all can earn PROVE rewards according to their contributions. This incentive mechanism transforms ecological participants from 'passively accepting technology' to 'actively contributing resources'; for example, ZAN optimized the hardware algorithm specifically to enhance the FPGA acceleration efficiency of SP1; developers proactively developed adaptation plugins for SP1 with Solana and Aptos to further expand the ecological collaboration.
2. Technological Symbiosis Design: From 'External Compatibility Adaptation' to 'Native Collaborative Architecture'
Most zkVMs only pursue 'compatibility with more chains', while the core technical design of SP1 is 'coexistence with native ecological infrastructure'—it is not just adapting outside the existing technical system, but deeply integrating into the core logic of cooperative projects, forming a technological synergy effect of '1+1>2':
• 'Native Symbiosis with BitVM2': Unlocking Bitcoin's ZKP capabilities: The BitVM2+SP1 solution in collaboration with Fiamma is not a simple 'SP1 providing proofs for BitVM2' but a deep integration of their technical logic. The core of BitVM2 is to 'transform the control of on-chain Bitcoin assets into a hash challenge-response mechanism', while SP1 has customized a 'lightweight proof generation module' for this mechanism—provers do not need to process the complete transaction data of Bitcoin but only extract the hash locking information from BitVM2 to generate 'proof of asset ownership', and this proof can be directly verified by smart contract chains. This native design reduces the cross-chain verification time from the traditional solution of 1 hour to 8 minutes, decreases proof data volume by 70%, and does not require modifications to the core Bitcoin code, solving the industry's problem of 'difficulty in integrating Bitcoin into the ZKP ecosystem'.
• 'Protocol Layer Collaboration' with LayerZero: Restructuring cross-chain proof logic: The PROVE token crosses chains through LayerZero, which is not the traditional 'asset mapping + multi-signature verification', but a collaborative design of SP1 and LayerZero at the protocol layer. When PROVE moves from Ethereum to the BNB chain, SP1 generates a 'transaction finality proof' on the Ethereum side and embeds this proof into LayerZero's cross-chain message; LayerZero's relay nodes no longer need to query the Ethereum mainnet to confirm the transaction, but only need to verify the validity of the SP1 proof to complete the relay, greatly reducing the computational cost and verification time for relay nodes. More importantly, this collaborative model can be reused for other cross-chain assets—projects in the LayerZero ecosystem only need to integrate SP1's proof verification module to achieve dual guarantees of 'cross-chain transactions + zero-knowledge proofs'; currently, 12 projects in the LayerZero ecosystem have adopted this solution.
• 'Deep Collaboration with 0xFacet': Optimizing fault proof efficiency: In the OP Succinct Lite solution developed in collaboration with 0xFacet, SP1 does not simply provide a fault proof generation tool but deeply integrates into the fault proof process of OP Stack. SP1 customizes a 'phased proof framework' for OP Stack's transaction execution logic—breaking down the transaction execution of Rollups into three phases: 'state pre-processing + instruction execution + state update', generating independent proofs for each phase, which are finally aggregated into a single overall proof through SP1's recursive proof framework. This design has improved the fault proof generation speed of OP Succinct Lite by 50%, reduced verification gas costs by 40%, and the proof data can be directly verified by Ethereum's EVM without needing to deploy dedicated verification contracts, becoming the core fault proof solution for Stage 2 Rollups.
3. Co-creation of Developer Capabilities: From 'Tool Output' to 'Capability Matrix Empowerment'
Traditional ZKP projects only provide tools to developers, while Succinct's core is 'building a developer capability matrix'—through technical training, resource connection, and joint development, it cultivates developers from 'tool users' to 'ZKP innovators', forming an 'innovation positive cycle' in the ecosystem:
• 'Hierarchical Training System': Covering capability needs from beginner to expert: Succinct has launched the 'SP1 Developer Academy', which consists of three levels: the beginner level (targeting developers with no ZKP experience) provides 'Rust + ZKP foundation courses', allowing developers to understand the core logic of ZKP through practical cases (such as developing a simple privacy transfer application); the intermediate level (for developers with blockchain development experience) offers specialized courses like 'cross-chain proof development' and 'FPGA acceleration adaptation', cultivating developers' abilities to solve complex scenarios; the expert level (for senior developers) invites them to participate in the development of SP1 core modules (such as the recursive proof framework and multi-chain adaptation layer) through the 'technical co-creation plan', with 87 expert-level developers currently participating in SP1 code iteration, contributing to 32 core function optimizations.
• 'Resource Matching Platform': Reducing developers' innovation costs: Succinct has built the 'SP1 Developer Resource Library', integrating three core resources: first, hardware acceleration resources, where developers can apply for ZAN's FPGA cluster computing power for free to test proof generation efficiency in high-concurrency scenarios; second, on-chain resources, collaborating with node service providers across 18 chains including Ethereum, Solana, BNB chain, to provide developers with free testnet nodes and gas subsidies; third, business resources, connecting leading projects in fields such as DeFi, NFT, and cross-chain protocols, providing traffic support and cooperation opportunities for excellent SP1 applications. For example, a cross-chain privacy DeFi project based on SP1 connected with the Aave ecosystem through the resource library, achieving a total value locked (TVL) of $100 million within three months.
• 'Joint Development Mechanism': Solving developers' technical pain points: In response to the technical difficulties developers face in complex scenarios, Succinct has launched the 'Technical Co-creation Partnership Program'—developers can submit cooperation requests, and Succinct's core technical team will provide one-on-one technical support and even participate in joint development. For example, a developer team wanted to develop a 'cross-chain AI quantitative trading platform' based on SP1 but encountered a bottleneck in 'ZKP proof of off-chain AI inference results'; the Succinct team collaborated with them to develop the 'ZKP adaptation module for AI inference instructions', solving the problem of 'many AI model parameters and slow proof generation', reducing the AI strategy validation time from 20 minutes to 3 minutes, and it has now become a benchmark project in the cross-chain quantitative field.
4. Capital Ecological Resonance: From 'Single Project Investment' to 'Ecological Collaborative Layout'
Succinct's financing is not merely a 'fund injection' but a 'collaborative layout of capital ecology'—the leading and participating parties not only provide funds but also leverage their ecological resources to build a 'technology + scenario + traffic' collaborative network for Succinct, forming a 'resonance effect' between capital and projects:
• 'Infrastructure Capital Alliance': Perfecting the underlying layout of the ZKP ecosystem: The leading investor Paradigm not only invests in Succinct but also promotes collaboration with other infrastructure projects it invests in (such as Celestia and Eigenlayer)—the cooperation of Succinct with Celestia on 'data availability + trusted computing' and with Eigenlayer on 'validator network collaboration' originates from Paradigm's ecological connections. This 'infrastructure capital alliance' allows Succinct to access a mature infrastructure network directly rather than building the ecosystem from scratch; for example, through Eigenlayer's validator network, the number of proof verification nodes for SP1 increased from 50 to 300 within a month, significantly improving the decentralization of proof verification.
• 'Vertical Scene Capital': Promoting the scene landing of ZKP: Participating funds such as Bankless Ventures and Geometry focus on vertical scenes such as DeFi and Web3 social, and they leverage their scene resources to connect application projects for Succinct. For example, Bankless Ventures promotes collaboration between Succinct and leading DeFi projects like Aave and Uniswap to develop 'cross-chain collateral liquidation ZKP solutions'; Geometry connects Succinct with the Web3 social project Friend.tech to develop a 'ZKP module for user identity privacy verification'. These collaborations have expanded the application scenarios of SP1 from Layer2 to fields such as DeFi and social, with currently 35 vertical scene projects building core functions based on SP1.
• 'Industry Capital Empowerment': Linking traditional technology with blockchain: AntChain OpenLabs (ZAN) among the participants, as industry capital, not only provides Succinct with FPGA hardware acceleration technology but also promotes collaboration with traditional technology sectors—for example, Succinct and AntChain collaborated to develop a 'lightweight ZKP module for IoT devices', enabling IoT devices (like smart homes and industrial sensors) to generate 'data authenticity proofs' through SP1, and verifiable on-chain, solving the problem of 'easily tampered IoT data and difficult traceability'; this module has been piloted in three industrial IoT projects.
5. Industry Collaborative Standards: From 'Technical Fragmentation' to 'Collaborative Standard Co-construction'
A major pain point in the ZKP industry is 'fragmentation of technical standards'—the proof formats and verification logics of different projects are incompatible, leading to high ecological collaboration costs; however, Succinct is promoting the industry to form 'ZKP collaborative standards' through the open-source characteristics and collaborative practices of SP1, moving the ecosystem from 'fragmentation' to 'standardization':
• 'Universal Proof Format Specification': Achieving mutual recognition of proofs across projects: Succinct, in collaboration with organizations such as Nethermind and ZK Validator, released the 'ZKP General Proof Format (ZGPF)'—this specification is based on the proof structure design of SP1 and defines a unified format of 'proof metadata + computation logic hash + verification key', supporting proofs generated by different ZKP projects (such as Scroll and StarkWare) to be verified by SP1 after format conversion, and vice versa. Currently, eight ZKP projects have announced support for ZGPF, making mutual recognition of proofs across projects possible. For example, transaction proofs generated by Scroll's ZK-EVM can be verified by SP1 after being converted through ZGPF, without the need to deploy dedicated verification contracts.
• 'Cross-Chain Proof Collaborative Protocol': Unifying cross-chain verification logic: For cross-chain scenarios, Succinct, together with LayerZero, Fiamma, and other projects, jointly formulated the 'Cross-Chain Zero-Knowledge Proof Collaborative Protocol (CZCPA)'—this protocol defines the standard process for 'cross-chain proof generation, transmission, and verification', clarifying the roles and responsibilities of different chains in cross-chain proofs (such as the source chain responsible for generating proofs, relay nodes responsible for transmitting proofs, and target chains responsible for verifying proofs). The introduction of CZCPA allows cross-chain projects to implement 'cross-chain + ZKP' functions without customizing proof logic for different chains, and currently, 23 cross-chain projects have adopted CZCPA, shortening the development cycle of cross-chain proofs from an average of 3 months to 1 month.
• 'Universal Security Verification Framework': Reducing industry security costs: Succinct will open source the formal verification process in collaboration with Nethermind as the 'ZKP Security Verification Universal Framework (ZSVS)'—this framework provides standardized tools for 'code correctness verification, proof security verification, and on-chain compatibility verification', allowing any ZKP project to conduct security verification based on ZSVS without needing to build its own formal verification team. The introduction of ZSVS has reduced the security verification costs of ZKP projects by 60%, and currently, 15 ZKP projects have completed security verification through ZSVS without any security vulnerabilities.
Summary: Succinct's ultimate role—'Collaborative Weaver' of the ZKP ecosystem
The innovation of Succinct Labs lies not in breakthroughs in technology itself but in finding the 'collaborative password' of the ZKP ecosystem—it does not attempt to monopolize ZKP technology but weaves together different blockchains, developers, capital, and application scenarios into a 'cross-chain trusted network' through SP1's native collaborative design, co-creation of developer capabilities, capital ecological resonance, and co-building of industry standards.
In this network, Bitcoin can access the smart contract ecosystem through BitVM2+SP1, Layer2 can share proof logic through SP1, developers can easily build cross-chain trusted applications, and capital can achieve ecological resonance through collaborative layout—this 'synergy effect' is the key to ZKP transitioning from a 'niche technology' to an 'industry infrastructure'. In the future, when ZKP becomes a 'general capability' of the blockchain ecosystem, and cross-chain trusted computing becomes as widespread as smart contracts, we will find: Succinct's true contribution is to enable the ZKP ecosystem to move from 'fighting alone' to 'cooperative win-win'—and this is the core competitiveness of the blockchain trusted computing era.
