There are quite a few projects in the circle shouting ZK now, but very few can actually implement the technology. Either the costs are ridiculously high, or the speed is frustratingly slow, not to mention the pile of cryptographic principles that overwhelm ordinary people at first glance—this threshold directly keeps a large number of developers out.
But there is a project that seems to be genuinely addressing these issues—@Succinct .
It hasn’t followed the crowd to compete on performance parameters; instead, it is figuring out how to make ZK technology 'user-friendly'—regardless of whether you understand cryptography, you can get started.
### How did they manage to do this?
First, let’s talk about their self-developed SP1 virtual machine, which is a tough job—it encapsulates all the underlying logic of ZK proofs. Developers can write code just like usual, without having to tackle cryptographic papers or struggle with mathematical principles; SP1 automatically helps you with the compilation and proof generation process. In simple terms, if you can write regular programs, you can work with ZK.
Next, let’s look at performance and compatibility: it can complete a ZK proof for one Ethereum block in just 12 seconds; even more impressively, even small devices can easily verify it—this is truly aimed at making sure all developers and all hardware can use it.
Then there’s the global proof network (Succinct Prover Network), which is simply a blessing for the lazy. You don’t have to fuss with proof systems yourself, nor do you need to prepare a bunch of GPUs; just connect to their network and you can use someone else's computing power. This essentially turns ZK proofs into a 'cloud service,' allowing small teams to easily get on board, effectively halving the threshold.
### What role does the token $PROVE play?
In simple terms, $PROVE is the 'economic engine' of the entire network. Want to initiate a proof? Pay with $PROVE; nodes providing computing power? Receive $PROVE as a reward or stake. The key is that the value of this token is tied to actual usage— the more it is used, the greater the staking and consumption, and the more stable the profit logic. As the demand for proofs increases and more projects connect, the circulation and staking of $PROVE naturally become more active, laying a stronger foundation for long-term profits.
Finally, congratulations to the team participating in Succinct on their 'graduation'! What they’ve done is quite practical: enabling those who don’t understand ZK to effectively use it.
The trend is now very clear: ZK is set to move from the laboratory to large-scale applications, and Succinct seems to have taken the lead in this move.
