From Co-processors to ZK: Reconstructing the Paradigm of Web3 Applications

Co-processors play a vital role in the computer field, responsible for handling complex tasks for the CPU. From Apple's M7 motion co-processor to Nvidia's GPU, co-processors offload complex and high-performance demanding code, allowing the CPU to handle more flexible and variable parts, thus improving overall performance.

In the Ethereum ecosystem, high Gas fees and data access limitations severely hinder application development. This has prompted exploration into introducing the co-processor concept into blockchain, where the Ethereum chain itself acts as the CPU, and the co-processor functions similarly to a GPU for handling compute-intensive tasks. Combined with ZK technology, ZK co-processors have emerged, providing a trustless solution for off-chain computation and data usage.

The application boundaries of ZK co-processors are very broad, covering various scenarios such as social networking, gaming, DeFi, risk control systems, oracles, data storage, and large model training. Theoretically, the functionalities that Web2 can achieve can also be realized in Web3 with the help of ZK co-processors, while relying on Ethereum as the settlement layer to ensure security.

Currently, the well-known co-processor projects in the industry are mainly divided into three categories: on-chain data indexing, oracles, and ZKML. General-purpose ZK co-processors such as Risc Zero, Lagrange, and Succinct are dedicated to building ZK proof systems that are chain-independent.

Taking Risc Zero's Bonsai as an example, its architecture includes components such as the prover network, request pool, rollup engine, mirroring center, and state storage, aimed at providing a general zkVM and ZK proof generation system. Lagrange focuses on building verifiable databases and a computation framework based on MapReduce principles. The goal of Succinct Network is to integrate programmable facts into various aspects of blockchain development.

Compared to Layer2, the co-processor is more application development-oriented. It can serve as an off-chain virtual machine component of Layer2, off-chain computing power for public chain applications, cross-chain data oracles, or cross-chain bridges, etc. The co-processor brings the potential for real-time synchronization of data across the entire chain and high-performance, low-cost trusted computing, and is expected to reconstruct many middleware in the blockchain.

Despite the broad prospects, ZK co-processors still face many challenges, such as high development thresholds, early-stage technology, and inadequate hardware conditions. However, with continuous technological advancements, ZK co-processors are expected to achieve commercial implementation in the next cycle, laying the foundation for on-chain interactions in Web3 that can support 1 billion users.