Introduction to the Proof of Stake consensus mechanism, why has it become a crucial cornerstone for modular development?

With the increasing demand for zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) technology in recent times, more and more projects require related proof computation resources, leading to the emergence of a new modular field - Shared Provers. This article will provide a detailed introduction to its sources of demand and existing projects.

What problem does the Shared Prover Network aim to solve?

The advantage of the ZK Rollup solution is the significant increase in transaction speed by moving transaction calculations off-chain to expedite processing, while verifying zero-knowledge proofs (ZK-proofs) on Ethereum for finality. Separating computation from verification maximizes transaction speed, making zero-knowledge proof technology a crucial aspect of blockchain development.

However, generating ZK proofs requires high computational power, leading to increased node costs and decreased efficiency at this stage. Centralized provers can reduce performance and increase user gas costs during network peak hours, making the Shared Prover Layer a potential solution to this issue.

Introduction to the Shared Prover Network

Difference between Provers and Sequencers

While some projects have plans for the future, current ZK-proof-based Rollups such as zkSync, Starknet, and Scroll all handle user-submitted transactions with their own separate provers and sequencers, with the latter already seeing significant developments in decentralized and shared networks, while provers have not received as much market attention.

The Shared Provers Network, also known as Proof Aggregation, primarily decentralizes the process of computing zero-knowledge proofs to enhance efficiency. On the other hand, shared sequencers outsource transaction sorting to decentralized networks. While both are related to Rollups' efficiency and security, they serve different purposes.

Operation Process of the Shared Prover Network

The ideal transaction process with the Shared Prover Layer is as follows:

1. Rollups or other demanders submit proof requests.
2. The matching mechanism automatically selects one or more provers.
3. The selected prover generates proofs to fulfill the request.
4. If multiple provers are involved, the proofs are aggregated.
5. The final proof is submitted to Layer1 for verification.

Advantages of the Shared Prover Network

The Shared Prover Network can outsource the proof resources required by Rollups to other specialized providers for computation and generation, optimizing efficiency and cost-effectiveness through division of labor.

By splitting larger proof demands among multiple provers, the Shared Prover Network can enhance efficiency. Additionally, by integrating batch proof demands into a single proof, it reduces computation and on-chain costs, allowing smaller-scale Rollups to share costs with other projects.

The ideal Shared Prover Network is trustless, serving as a modular component that offers computational resources to various projects, aiding teams lacking relevant hardware and development capabilities in quickly developing products.

Arweave introduces decentralized computation network ao, creating an innovative smart contract computation environment.

Introduction to Shared Prover Network Projects

Nebra

Nebra is a general-purpose zero-knowledge proof aggregation project that processes multiple zero-knowledge proof-based service demands in batches to achieve cheaper proof and verification costs. However, the project currently operates in a centralized structure with decentralization as a future goal.

Nebra's security is ensured through mechanisms. It features a mechanism similar to existing Layer2 escape hatches, allowing projects to bypass provers if they audit transaction content or delay proof computation and submission, enforcing proof settlement on Layer1.

Nebra is currently in open testnet.

Avail Nexus

Nexus is a new project under the decentralized data availability layer project Avail, providing zero-knowledge proof computation and sequencer services to specific demanders in the Rollups projects to enhance Avail's ecosystem and maximize market potential.

Nexus periodically submits aggregated proofs to Ethereum and Avail DA for verification.

AggLayer

AggLayer is an aggregation layer developed by the Polygon team, aiming to provide liquidity across all blockchain networks through unified bridge technology and creating a shared prover to aggregate zero-knowledge proofs from all chains for settlement and verification on the Ethereum mainnet.

Shared Prover Network: A Modular New Frontier

Current industry modularization concepts mainly focus on execution layers, consensus layers, settlement layers, and data availability layers (DA). However, with the maturity of Rollups and zero-knowledge proof technology, the demand for computing zero-knowledge proofs is increasing, potentially making the Shared Prover Network a new vital area.

It may evolve into an aggregation layer service that integrates sequencers and prover services, similar to the product constructed by Nexus.

Regardless of how the industry categorizes it, the demand for computing zero-knowledge proofs undoubtedly presents a growing market opportunity.