What is Succinct (PROVE)?

Deep Dive

1. Purpose & Value Proposition

Succinct addresses a core challenge in Web3: verifying data and computations at scale without relying on trust. Its mission is to create a "verifiable internet" by making zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) technology—a form of cryptography that allows one party to prove a statement is true without revealing the underlying data—accessible and scalable. Instead of each application building its own complex proving infrastructure, developers can use Succinct’s network as a universal verification layer for blockchains, cross-chain bridges, AI agents, and more.

2. Technology & Architecture

The network is built on Ethereum and functions as a decentralized marketplace. Applications submit requests for ZK proofs, and independent participants, called "provers," compete to generate them using their computational power. This is powered by Succinct’s SP1, a high-speed, open-source zero-knowledge virtual machine (zkVM). A zkVM allows developers to write programs in standard languages like Rust, and SP1 automatically generates a cryptographic proof that the code ran correctly, which can be verified by anyone in milliseconds.

3. Tokenomics & Governance

The PROVE token is the economic engine of the Succinct Prover Network. It has three primary utilities: as a payment method for developers to buy proofs and for provers to earn fees; as collateral that provers must stake to participate, with penalties for poor performance; and for governance, giving token holders a say in the protocol’s future development and parameters. This structure aligns incentives across all network participants.

Conclusion

Fundamentally, Succinct is building the decentralized plumbing for verifiable computation, aiming to make cryptographic proof the default standard for trust across Web3. How effectively can it transition from a powerful infrastructure provider to the indispensable backbone of a proof-driven internet?