Zero-knowledge proofs will be one of the fundamental technologies for Web3, with most projects being related to zero-knowledge proofs. This means that zero-knowledge proofs will have a profound impact, permeating every corner of Web3.
Keeping this in mind! (Let’s revisit this in a couple of years)
Firstly, let’s talk about what Web3 is. Simply put, Web3 is the Decentralized Web. Without decentralization, there is no Web3.
The premise of impossibility triangle
When it comes to decentralization, blockchain cannot be avoided. And when talking about blockchain, the impossibility triangle cannot be escaped. This means that decentralization, scalability, and security cannot be achieved simultaneously.
However, this comes with a caveat, which is under certain technical conditions. Under certain technical conditions, if one aspect or two aspects need to be improved, then inevitably other aspects must be sacrificed. For example, many current projects claim to achieve TPS in the thousands to tens of thousands, even reaching several hundred thousand. However, this is achieved at the expense of security and decentralization. Therefore, these projects do not have a strong security foundation. To put it bluntly, some of these projects are just regular internet projects disguised as Web3. It’s like putting lipstick on a pig.
What if there’s technological progress?
Nevertheless, achieving all three aspects simultaneously is not impossible; it requires relying on technological advancements. When technology makes breakthroughs, overall improvements become possible. For instance, if computational power and network speed improve, it is possible to increase TPS without sacrificing security and decentralization.
Technological progress can lead to breakthroughs in specific areas or across the board. For example, the development of storage proofs allows PoC consensus to achieve a similar level of security to PoW consensus. Therefore, blockchain may not need to rely on energy-intensive methods to provide decentralized trust. The development and widespread application of Byzantine Fault Tolerance allow some scenarios with lower security requirements to be based on PoS to provide a solid security foundation. The advancement of cryptography strengthens transaction security, balancing security and usability. The development of zero-knowledge proofs may provide comprehensive breakthroughs, meaning that it can offer all-round support for decentralization, security, and scalability.
What are zero-knowledge proofs?
In simple terms, zero-knowledge proofs are a cryptographic method that allows one party (the prover) to prove to another party (the verifier) that certain information is true without revealing any additional information.
To simplify, this involves two aspects: 1. Proof: using a proof string (a fixed-length pseudo-random number) to prove something, such as a piece of stored data or a completed computation; 2. Zero-knowledge: providing proof of related information without revealing the information; proving that a calculation has been done without disclosing specific calculation information and input data.
To put it in more concrete terms, for example, if you store data on Baidu Cloud, how do you know that Baidu Cloud has not lost or tampered with your data? You don’t know unless you download it and compare it, which is cumbersome, so you simply choose to trust it. If there is a problem, you can report it later.
Similarly, if you rent a virtual machine on Alibaba Cloud to run a program, how do you know that the result of the program’s execution is correct? You just assume it is correct. You think, why would Alibaba Cloud bother to deceive me? So you trust it. But there is no guarantee or proof here.
However, if there is technological progress, Baidu Cloud or Alibaba Cloud computing platforms can provide you with a proof that you can easily verify after each storage or computation, a mathematically rigorous proof. Then, you wouldn’t just choose to trust it simplistically; you would choose to verify it. This is particularly important in decentralized networks. Remember: Don’t Trust, Verify!
If these proofs are publicly verifiable, meaning anyone, including you, can verify them without exposing privacy, then that would be perfect. This is what zero-knowledge proofs are all about.
Why are zero-knowledge proofs everywhere?
Let’s first consider why Baidu Cloud or Alibaba Cloud does not provide such proofs? The reason is simple: zero-knowledge proofs are a new technology, developing rapidly but still immature. The current cost of use is still very high. In simple terms, generating a proof is much more costly than redoing the work, with a difference of several orders of magnitude, making it impractical.
However, in decentralized networks, the situation is somewhat different. Firstly, decentralized networks themselves are costly, such as Ethereum’s computing, as evidenced by the Gas fees. This cost is high because each node has to repeat the same computation, making the cost thousands to tens of thousands of times higher than centralized computing. If we can compute off-chain and submit proofs on-chain directly, then the computation only needs to be done once to ensure security. This is the theoretical basis of zkRollup. Most zkRollup computations are centralized, but their calculations are submitted to a decentralized network for verification, leveraging the security of Layer 1, thus expanding the network through layering. In other words, the network expands, but security does not diminish, and the decentralized foundation remains the same.
Not only can zkRollup use zero-knowledge proofs to leverage the security foundation of Ethereum Layer 1, but we can also directly innovate Layer 1. With zero-knowledge proofs, it seems unnecessary to do redundant calculations on Layer 1; decentralized verification should suffice. This has led to the emergence of zkVM, such as Aleo, a new blockchain network that uses zero-knowledge proofs for off-chain computation and on-chain verification, with a large number of verification nodes ensuring security.
Therefore, if zkRollup can expand Layer 1 through zero-knowledge proofs, can other applications do the same? Of course. This is why many applications now run on Layer 2, submitting proofs directly to the main chain to leverage security and achieve decentralized trust. Consequently, a plethora of Web2 applications can be integrated into secure blockchain networks, directly interacting with BTC, Ethereum, Filecoin, and more.
With zero-knowledge proofs as the foundation, Web2 applications have the opportunity to transition to Web3. A possible architecture for Web3 is as follows:
– A set of sufficiently decentralized blockchain networks that mainly use PoW or PoC consensus, or established PoS networks with strong ecosystems, establishing decentralized network trust, serving as the security foundation of Web3;
– A zero-knowledge proof service layer to provide zero-knowledge proof services, connecting applications with secure blockchain networks;
– A decentralized storage network, building the DA layer, using zero-knowledge proof technology to ensure privacy and data security;
– Various applications that use centralized computation, constructing proofs through the zero-knowledge proof service layer, and verifying them through blockchain networks to ensure correctness and integrity; data storage is done using decentralized storage networks, also ensuring correctness and integrity through zero-knowledge proofs.
How long do we have to wait?
Some may ask, aren’t current Web3 applications different from this? That’s correct; indeed, current Web3 is still in its infancy, just starting out.
Present-day Web3, at the application layer, either places contracts on Layer 1, relying on redundant computation for security, or simply places tokens in contracts to masquerade as Web3 (without decentralized security guarantees). A positive trend is that many Web3 projects can run in Rollups, utilizing Layer 1’s security through OP or ZK methods. However, we can see that, currently, Web3 is still very niche, primarily focused on finance (DeFi), with GameFi and SocialFi being experimental.
Imagine, without decentralized storage (sufficiently decentralized DA networks), data cannot be decentralized, and applications with a significant amount of data interaction cannot be Web3. Additionally, zero-knowledge proof technology has only theoretically proven feasibility; its efficiency and cost-effectiveness still need significant improvement from an engineering and methodological perspective. These two aspects are key to the future development of Web3. When substantial breakthroughs are made in these areas, the era of decentralized internet will arrive, and the Web3 era will be ushered in. At that time, whether it’s Baidu Cloud or Alibaba Cloud, they will also need to prove that their services are verifiable through a decentralized trust network; otherwise, there will naturally be new application paradigms to meet this demand.
How long do we have to wait specifically? It’s hard to say. But the trend is clear. Don’t expect too much in the short term, and don’t underestimate the power of long-term incremental development; perhaps the singularity is just around the corner.
