The ultimate value of Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZKP) technology has never been about 'how advanced the technology itself is' but whether every party participating in the ecosystem—providers of computing power, developers writing code, and users utilizing services—can benefit from it. In the past, the ZK ecosystem was characterized by 'the head eats meat, and the tail drinks soup': top projects monopolized computing resources, professional developers monopolized technical dividends, while ordinary users could only passively accept services. Succinct Labs' core innovation is to reconstruct the ZK ecosystem using the logic of 'symbiotic weaving': it intertwines verifiers, developers, and users into a network of shared benefits, allowing computing power providers to earn money, developers to monetize, and users to save money, truly transforming ZK from a 'technical closed loop' into a 'multi-party win-win value network'.
1. Restructuring value distribution: allowing verifiers, developers, and users to all 'share the pie'.
The value distribution of the traditional ZK ecosystem is extremely unbalanced: top verification nodes monopolize 80% of the profits from computing power, and small and medium verifiers have no opportunity to participate; ZK modules written by developers can only be used by themselves and cannot be monetized; users have to pay high fees for ZK services without enjoying 'technical dividends'. Succinct Labs' decentralized verifier network and ecological incentive mechanism precisely break this 'monopoly pattern'.
For verifiers, it has built a 'fair computing power sharing market': whether it is a professional organization with FPGA servers or individuals with only ordinary computers, they can connect to the verifier network—individual users contributing idle computing power can earn PROVE token rewards; professional organizations providing FPGA acceleration nodes can receive 'exclusive computing orders' from small and medium-sized projects (for example, the ZK identity verification needs of a Web3 educational DApp). A personal verifier shared that using an idle laptop to connect to the network allows him to steadily earn $300-$500 in PROVE rewards each month, while in the past, such opportunities were only available to top organizations. Currently, the verifier network has over 100,000 nodes, with 60% being small and medium computing power providers, truly achieving 'computing power is not divided by size; participation means earning money'.
For developers, it has created a 'ZK module trading market': developers can upload ZK modules developed with SP1 (such as 'student identity ZK verification' and 'small micro cross-border payment ZK proof') to the ecological market, where other projects can pay per use. A Web3 club from a university developed an 'educational certificate ZK rights confirmation module', which was purchased by more than 20 Web3 educational platforms within three months of going live, bringing in over $100,000 in revenue for the club. This 'one-time development, multiple monetization' model allows developers to no longer be 'free contributors' but 'value creators' in the ecosystem.
For users, it achieves 'reduced service costs and shared benefits': due to the decentralization of computing power and module reuse, the cost of ZK services has significantly decreased—previously, a ZK identity verification cost $1.20, now it only costs $0.15; more importantly, when users use ZK services, they can also earn $PROVE tokens through 'ecological rebates' (for example, using ZK for more than 10 payments per month can earn a 5% rebate in tokens). A cross-border e-commerce seller verified 50 cross-border orders per month using ZK, saving 80% on fees and earning over $200 in token rebates, truly enjoying the 'technical dividends'.
2. Breaking down capability barriers: allowing ZK modules to be 'developed once and reused in multiple scenarios'.
In the past, a major pain point for the implementation of ZK technology was 'reinventing the wheel': medical scenarios needed to develop 'medical record ZK verification', educational scenarios needed to develop 'certificate ZK rights confirmation', and cross-border scenarios needed to develop 'document ZK review'; essentially, they all required 'trustworthy data verification', yet resources had to be redundantly invested. Succinct Labs' SP1 zkVM 'modular design' precisely solves this problem—allowing ZK modules to be 'developed once and reused in multiple scenarios', breaking down capability barriers across different scenarios.
SP1 breaks down ZK core capabilities into 'pluggable modules': for example, basic modules such as 'data hash verification', 'identity legitimacy proof', and 'cross-chain state synchronization' can be combined based on scenario needs without the need for developers to rewrite them repeatedly. A technical team developed a 'lightweight data ZK verification module' originally designed for a community hospital's 'chronic disease data sharing' scenario, which was later used by cross-border e-commerce to verify the authenticity of bills and was then used by a Web3 educational platform to verify course certificates, with one module adapted to three scenarios, reducing development costs by 70%.
More importantly, the project has established a 'module adaptation center': if a module is incompatible with a new scenario, the center will provide free 'adaptation and transformation services'. For example, a charity organization wanted to use the 'educational certificate ZK module' to verify the flow of donated materials, and the adaptation center completed the transformation in just three days, enabling the module to verify data such as 'quantity of materials, transportation nodes', saving the charity organization $150,000 in building its own module. Currently, the ecological market has over 500 reusable ZK modules covering 12 scenarios, including medical, education, cross-border, and public welfare, saving developers over $200 million in development costs and tripling the efficiency of ZK technology implementation.
3. Lowering ecological thresholds: providing newbies with 'full-chain support from entry to implementation'.
The long-term development of the ZK ecosystem cannot do without the addition of fresh blood, but in the past, 'newbies wanting to enter had to overcome three hurdles': unable to learn the technology, unable to find resources, and unable to land projects. Succinct Labs does not only provide tools but has built a full-chain support system from entry to implementation, allowing newbies to 'enter the ecosystem with zero threshold and take on projects with low risk'.
In terms of technical entry, it launched the 'ZK Inclusive Training Camp': targeting zero-based developers, providing '7 days of free courses + practical tasks'. The course covers 'What is ZK' to 'Developing the first module using SP1', with practical tasks guided in real-time by mentors. A recent computer science graduate learned ZK development through the training camp and developed the 'Campus Activity ZK Voting Module' three months later, which was adopted by student unions from five universities, realizing 'learning equals employment'.
In terms of resource docking, it established the 'Newbie Project Incubator': newcomers with ideas but lacking funds and partners can connect with ecological support funds (providing up to $100,000 in startup funds) and will also be introduced to suitable scenario partners. A novice team wanted to create a 'Small Micro Merchant ZK Payment', and the incubator connected them with 30 offline convenience stores and applied for a $50,000 subsidy. The project went live and served over 200 merchants within six months, achieving profitability.
In terms of risk reduction, it provides 'zero-cost trial and error tools': modules developed by newbies can first be tested in the 'testnet sandbox', which provides free computing power and simulated scenario data, allowing developers to identify problems in advance; for the first three months after going live, they can also enjoy 'bad debt protection' (if users incur losses due to module issues, the ecological fund will bear 50% of the compensation). This 'low-risk trial and error' mechanism has made newbies no longer afraid of 'losing money on projects', and currently, over 8,000 novice projects have been implemented through the incubator, with 30% achieving commercialization.
Summary
Succinct Labs' 'Symbiotic Weaving' logic has completely changed the way the ZK ecosystem operates—it is no longer 'technology-driven' but 'benefit-driven'; it is no longer 'head monopoly' but 'multi-party win-win'; it is no longer 'high threshold barriers' but 'full-chain support'. When verifiers can earn money through computing power, developers can monetize modules, and users can save money through services, the entire ZK ecosystem forms a positive cycle of 'the more actively you participate, the richer the rewards'. This innovation of 'allowing every role to share in the benefits' not only brings ZK technology from the 'laboratory' into 'real scenarios' but also provides a sustainable growth foundation for the 'trustworthy value' of the blockchain ecosystem. With the expansion of the symbiotic network, Succinct Labs is expected to become the 'ecological hub' of the ZK track, promoting the blockchain industry from a 'technology competition' to a 'value-sharing' new phase.
