➥ The GPU Layer for Blockchains - ZK Coprocessors Blockchains move value, not computation. When contracts run complex logic or data queries, they hit the gas wall. ZK Coprocessors fix that. They act as the GPU layer for blockchains, executing off-chain and proving results on-chain. Let me explain in 30s 🧵 — — — ► What are ZK Coprocessors? ZK Coprocessors are off-chain compute layers that let smart contracts handle complex logic without high gas or trust issues. They run tasks off-chain, generate zero-knowledge proofs, and let the chain verify them cheaply. In short, they scale computation while staying verifiable. Core features: ➤ Off-chain execution: Runs heavy workloads like data queries or AI inference. ➤ Proof of correctness: Each result includes a ZK proof verified on-chain. ➤ Stateless and chain-agnostic: Works across L1s, L2s, and rollups. ➤ Cost-efficient: Reduces gas and latency. — ► Where ZK Coprocessors Fit ZK Coprocessors aren’t rollups or oracles; they complement them. They sit beside blockchains as a compute layer that verifies work without adding congestion. How they differ: ➤ Rollups: Scale transactions and keep state. Coprocessors scale computation and stay stateless. ➤ Oracles: Deliver data without proof. Coprocessors return data with proofs. ➤ TEEs: Rely on trusted hardware. Coprocessors verify through math, not machines. Together, they extend the modular stack, rollups move data, oracles fetch it, coprocessors prove it. — ► How ZK Coprocessors Work Workflow: Smart Contract → ZK Coprocessor → Proof Generation → On-chain Verification Step-by-step: ➤ Smart Contract: Sends a request for a heavy task such as fetching data or running an AI model. ➤ ZK Coprocessor: Executes the computation off-chain to avoid gas and latency. ➤ Proof Generation: Creates a ZK proof that the computation was correct. ➤ On-chain Verification: The contract verifies the proof and updates results. — ► Leading ZK Coprocessor Projects ➤ Lagrange ( @LagrangeDev ) Provides a SQL-based ZK coprocessor with light-client committees for fast-finality cross-chain queries. Used by @eigenlayer, @Mantle_Official, and @base for verifiable interoperability. ➤ Space and Time ( @SpaceandTimeDB ) Provides a Proof-of-SQL coprocessor enabling verifiable queries on on-chain and off-chain data. Used by @chainlink and enterprise partners for scalable analytics and oracle feeds. ➤ RISC Zero ( @RiscZero ) Provides a RISC-V zkVM with Bonsai proving service for general-purpose verifiable compute. Used by @citrea_xyz and @PhalaNetwork for trusted execution proofs. ➤ Brevis ( @brevis_zk ) Provides a programmable ZK data coprocessor for cross-chain queries and trustless cross-chain data. Used by @Uniswap V4 Hooks and @LineaBuild Ignition. ➤ Giza ( @Gizatechxyz ) Provides a zkML framework that converts AI models into zero-knowledge-verifiable form. Used by @Starknet-based AI projects for fraud detection and asset management. ➤ =nil; Foundation ( @nil_foundation ) Provides the zkLLVM compiler and Proof Market to convert standard code into provable circuits. Used by bridges, rollups, and financial protocols for proof generation. ➤ Boundless ( @BoundlessXYZ ) Provides programmable ZK coprocessors for historical state access and cross-chain compute. Used by partner rollups for data indexing and incentive mechanisms. ➤ Succinct ( @SuccinctLabs ) Provides the SP1 zkVM and a decentralized prover network for validity proofs. Used by @Mantle_Official to replace fraud proofs and reduce withdrawals from seven days to six hours. ➤ Axiom ( @axiom_xyz ) Provides a proving API and OpenVM for querying @ethereum’s historical data off-chain and verifying it on-chain. Used by @Scroll_ZKP to finalize blocks and reduce withdrawal latency. — ► Risks and Tradeoffs ➤ High proving costs: Proofs need strong hardware and long computation. ➤ Complex development: Requires cryptography expertise and specialized tools. ➤ Centralization risk: Early prover networks depend on few nodes. ➤ Fast hardware cycles: Hardware evolves fast, making setups costly and short-lived. — ► Wrap-Up ZK Coprocessors remove blockchain’s biggest bottleneck — computation. They turn slow, costly logic into scalable, verifiable execution for complex smart contracts. As hardware improves and prover networks decentralize, proof costs will fall and performance will rise. Builders across DeFi, rollups, AI, and intent systems are using them to bring verifiable computation to modular blockchains.

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