In the blockchain industry, zero-knowledge proofs (ZK) used to be a 'high-threshold' technology—development required a complex understanding of cryptography, and the computational cost was frighteningly high, making it inaccessible for ordinary developers. Until Succinct came along, it acted like a 'key', transforming ZK into 'infrastructure' that everyone could use, with some even comparing it to 'AWS of the ZK field'.

Project intention: To solve the 'two major pain points' of ZK implementation

The Succinct team recognized the potential of ZK long ago but also understood its 'fatal weaknesses': first, development is too complicated, requiring specialized circuit writing that ordinary people cannot handle; second, computational power is too expensive, generating a proof costs a lot of money, making it unaffordable for small projects. Therefore, they did something 'unconventional'—building a decentralized ZK proof generation network that connects idle computational power worldwide (like personal GPUs, data center servers), allowing anyone to easily obtain ZK proofs, much like using cloud computing.

Core technology: SP1 zkVM makes ZK 'simple'

Succinct's 'trump card' is a tool called SP1 zkVM, which is characterized by its ability to be used 'without learning cryptography'. Developers can write code in Rust, a language they are familiar with (without needing to remember complex cryptographic formulas), and SP1 will automatically convert this code into zero-knowledge proofs. Furthermore, its speed is particularly impressive; validating a block from the Ethereum mainnet on a GPU cluster takes only 40 seconds, costing just a few cents, which is over 20 times faster than traditional solutions and reduces costs by more than 90%. Even more remarkable is its safety; it has passed several top audits without major vulnerabilities.

PROVE token: Not a 'speculative tool', but 'network fuel'

Many people's first reaction to the PROVE token is, 'Is it another way to fleece investors?' However, PROVE is the 'blood' of the Succinct network—without it, the network cannot function. Its main roles are: payment, staking, and governance.

- Payments: If you want the network to generate a ZK proof for you (such as verifying a blockchain transaction), you need to pay the prover with PROVE. It's just like paying the driver when you order a ride; it's a necessity.

- Staking: Those who want to be provers must stake PROVE on the network. If they fail to complete tasks on time or deliberately falsify information, their staked tokens will be deducted (called 'forfeiture'). This mechanism ensures that provers take their jobs seriously and do not deceive others.

- Governance: PROVE holders can vote to decide major network matters, such as how fees are collected and what the staking requirements are. This avoids 'decisions made by a few', making the network fairer.

Market progress: From 'testnet' to 'Binance launch', taking one step at a time

Succinct is growing rapidly: In 2024, it raised $55 million in Series A funding led by Paradigm (a prominent investor that has backed dYdX, Optimism, etc.); In May 2025, it will launch testnet Stage 2.5, supporting end-to-end ZK proof generation; On August 5, 2025, the PROVE token will go live on Binance Alpha, with the price rising to $1.1074 on the first day, a 110% increase from the issue price, becoming a 'new hundredfold coin'. Now it has partnered with 35 top protocols like Polygon, Celestia, and Wormhole, safeguarding over $4 billion in on-chain assets, with applications like ZK Rollup and cross-chain bridges using its technology.

Future plans: From 'infrastructure' to 'ecosystem', aiming to be the 'Windows of the ZK field'

Succinct is not satisfied with just being 'infrastructure'; its goal is to become the 'core of the ZK ecosystem'. In the coming period, it plans to accomplish several major tasks:

- Mainnet launch: The mainnet will launch in Q3 2025, allowing users to directly use ZK proof services on it;

- HyperVerse Metaverse: Aiming to create a ZK-based metaverse that incorporates DeFi, NFTs, social functions, etc., allowing users to experience the 'true Web3';

- AI collaboration: Partnering with RedotPay to allow users to use ZK proofs for compliant fund transfers, focusing on the Southeast Asian market (where Web3 user growth is rapid);

- Expanded applications: Besides blockchain, ZK will also be applied in AI data markets, supply chain finance, and other fields, allowing more people to benefit from ZK.

Succinct's success is not accidental—it has addressed the pain points of ZK technology popularization, lowering the threshold in a 'democratized' way, combined with strong technical and capital support, which allows it to stand out in a short time. Although there are still many challenges ahead (such as regulation and competition), it has already paved the way for the popularization of ZK technology and could truly become the 'AWS of the ZK field'.#SuccinctLabs @Succinct $PROVE