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ToggleAs the Layer 2 wave develops explosively, Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) have become the core element helping blockchain networks expand while ensuring security and authenticity. However, building and maintaining a separate prover system is a major challenge, requiring high technical costs, complex maintenance, and is not easily accessible to all developers.
This is when Succinct appears with a vision: transforming the "proving" system into a modular prover layer, where any blockchain application can easily and flexibly "rent" ZK proofs at a low cost and in a decentralized manner.
The reason for calling the token PROVE is to:
- Clearly demonstrate the core role of the project: building a "proving" network.
- Directly connect to the Modular Prover narrative that Succinct is shaping for itself.
What is Modular Prover?
In the traditional architecture, Layer 2 projects or ZK-integrated dApps must develop their own prover, leading to:
- Extremely large development costs
- Each project rebuilds the same function
- Lack of resource sharing between projects
Modular Prover is the opposite approach: separating proving into a separate layer, allowing anyone, from Rollups to bridges or oracles, to connect and use it as a "proof API" without rebuilding from scratch.
Why did Succinct choose the Modular approach?
Optimizing costs for Rollups
Instead of building a separate proving cluster, Rollups only need to send data that needs to be proven to the Succinct network and receive a verified proof, helping to significantly reduce gas fees and operating costs.
Horizontal scalability
Succinct uses a decentralized proof marketplace where provers compete to process proof requests. This helps the network scale according to actual demand, not limited by centralized infrastructure.
Supporting diverse ZK systems
Succinct supports multiple proof backends like Halo2, Plonky2, RISC Zero... This allows projects to choose the proof type most suitable to their logic, without being "locked" into a single framework.
How does Modular Prover impact Layer 2?
Succinct's pursuit of the modular prover model has opened a new deployment path for Layer 2 projects, especially Rollups and Appchains.
Plug-and-play for new Rollups
New projects do not need to develop their own prover; instead, they can directly "plug in" Succinct as an external proving layer.
For example: Landslide Network – an Avalanche Rollup that has integrated Succinct zkVM to build state proofs for IBC connection to Cosmos. This helps Landslide shorten development time and save significant infrastructure costs.
Increasing efficiency and interoperability
Rollups, bridges, and appchains can use a common proving layer like Succinct, thereby standardizing verification processes, reducing fragmentation, and increasing interoperability between blockchain ecosystems.
A clear example is Rollups built on AltLayer, a RaaS platform, which are currently using Succinct as a proving backend to improve performance and scalability.
Simplifying UX and DX
Developers who are not deeply versed in ZK cryptology can still integrate verification features through Succinct's SDK and API. This creates a "developer-friendly" experience for deploying Zero-Knowledge in decentralized applications.
Projects using Celestia as a Data Availability Layer can also combine with Succinct to create a truly modular Rollup system, connecting DA, Proof, and Settlement from different layers.
What makes Succinct's Modular Prover different?
- Decentralized: Prover operates as a permissionless network
- Efficient: Optimizing proof creation costs and speed
- Expandable: Supporting multiple proving systems
- Marketplace: Proof Marketplace creates competitive motivation and encourages participation of independent provers
Conclusion: Modular Prover is the future of ZK
Succinct's approach not only helps popularize ZK adoption but also creates a new infrastructure layer for the entire Web3, similar to how AWS enabled millions of Web2 applications. With the Modular Prover model, anyone can build ZK applications without becoming a cryptology expert.
Succinct is paving the way for the "ZK-as-a-Service" era, where Layer 2 only needs to focus on application logic, and proof creation is left to Succinct.
