"Is ZK the endgame? A visual guide: How zero-knowledge proofs are changing blockchain" Recently, there has been a wave of projects collectively changing their avatars to join the little penguin trend, which inevitably leads to the association that something is brewing. The last time this happened was probably with "ZK is the end game," and every Web3 person has at least some understanding or has heard of ZK. To help everyone better understand the current state of the ZK track, I have compiled the ten-year development history of zero-knowledge proofs and blockchain. The ZK project I am most optimistic about at this stage is @boundless_xyz. Let's get started! 🗓️ Development history of zero-knowledge proofs in the blockchain field 🔹Phase 1: 2014~2016: Initial combination of ZKP and blockchain 2014: ZKP begins to gain attention Vitalik Buterin and others start exploring the possibilities of zk-SNARKs in Ethereum; zk-SNARKs are a type of zero-knowledge proof system that eliminates the need for interaction by using public randomness or hash functions, making it more suitable for blockchain scenarios. ZKP is seen as a potential privacy technology. 2016: Zcash goes live (a historic moment) Zcash is the first project to truly use zk-SNARK on the mainnet, achieving completely anonymous transactions (addresses and amounts are not visible). It relies on a trusted setup. 🔹Phase 2: 2017~2019: Open-sourcing ZKP technology and performance optimization Zero-knowledge proof frameworks begin to emerge: Open-source libraries like libsnark and Bellman go live; more projects research how to generate proofs faster and verify them cheaper. Projects start experimenting with layer two applications: StarkWare, Aztec, ZKSync, etc., begin researching zkRollup; StarkWare launches zk-STARK, which does not rely on a trusted setup and is resistant to quantum attacks; Bulletproofs are adopted by Monero for more compact privacy transactions. 🔹Phase 3: 2020~2021: Practical application of ZKP and the explosion of zkRollup zkRollup becomes a popular scaling route: zkRollup moves a large amount of computation off-chain, only putting proofs on-chain; achieving "security + low fees + high throughput." Representative projects: ZKSync: Based on zk-SNARK, supports transfers and transactions; Loopring: Supports zkRollup DEX; StarkEx: A high-performance zkRollup engine launched by StarkWare; Aztec 2.0: Builds a privacy smart contract system using ZKP. 🔹Phase 4: 2022~2023: zkEVM and general computing zkEVM emerges: moving the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) into ZKP zkEVM allows developers to continue using Solidity to write contracts; every instruction running on the EVM can be "proven." Mainstream zkEVM routes: Polygon zkEVM: Highly compatible with Solidity ZKSync Era: High performance, gradually increasing compatibility Scroll: Aiming for compatibility with Ethereum clients Taiko: Fully equivalent (goal) Other innovations: zkVM (like Risc Zero): Combining general computing and ZKP; zkWASM: WebAssembly + ZKP, expanding Web3 applications. 🔹Current stage: 2024~2025: Engineering, modularization of ZKP, and integration with AI Various ZKDSLs (Circom, Noir, Leo, Juvix) mature; ZKP toolchains support mainstream languages like Rust, C, Solidity; integration with AI: providing trusted ZK proofs for model inference and data input; Representative case: Boundless @boundless_xyz: Commercialization and marketization of zero-knowledge proofs, building a decentralized computing incentive network #Kaito #Boundless @blockTVBee @sanyi_eth_ @wenxue600 @0xNing0x