The world of blockchain is often described as a microcosm of a "free market," and Succinct's Prover Network allowed me to see for the first time that "proof" can also have its own market.
I try to imagine it as a bustling marketplace: developers come in, presenting their needs—"I want a ZK proof"; the Provers at the booths immediately begin to act, and whoever can provide the answer faster and more accurately can earn the reward. The whole process is open and transparent, with no behind-the-scenes manipulation and no privileges, only a competition of strength and efficiency.
This setup I find very interesting. In the past, proofs were secretive and specialized, controlled by only a few individuals. But under Succinct's design, it has been redefined as a commodity, transforming into a market game that everyone can participate in. Even if you are not a developer, you can still participate indirectly by staking PROVE and delegating tokens to a Prover. This sense of participation is itself very appealing.
What moves me even more is that there exists a kind of "trust auto-generation" in this market. Developers do not need to worry about Provers acting maliciously because they must stake PROVE, and any misstep could lead to forfeiture. It's as if the market has set a rule for itself: Want to make money? First, prove you are trustworthy.
Perhaps this is the charm of blockchain. We are used to centralized services, accustomed to others deciding what is real for us, but here, validation has turned into an open market competition. You can see the rules, see the games, and even choose which side to stand on.
For me, this is not just a technological innovation but a new imagination: in the future world, perhaps much of the "invisible trust" will be reconstructed in this way.
