Poseidon (https://t.co/wA6gieNaTH), a decentralized data layer for AI training, raised $15M in a seed round led by a16z Crypto. Built by Story Protocol, it ensures traceable, monetizable data with clear IP ownership using blockchain. It tackles scarce AI data for robotics and autonomous vehicles, partnering with AI labs and Fortune 500 firms.
many of today's protocol tokens are designed primarily for growth speculation and governance. this leads to a token model that is vertically integrated and "app-bounded."
for example, the value of tokens like UNI or AAVE is close tied to the success of their individual protocols, rather than the growth of the broader category they belong to.
PROVE introduces a different paradigm: a "market-bounded" asset.
instead of being tied to a single application, PROVE is positioned to capture economic value of the entire horizontal proofs market. this model is inherently agnostic to which L2, chain, dapp wins, as PROVE benefits from the ever-growing aggregate demand for proofs, whever it originates.
this market-bounded model aligns directly with ethereum's long-term scaling roadmap. scaling the L1 without sacrificing decentralization requires a dramatic increase in zk proof generation. this creates a structural, non-speculative demand for a new commodity market: prover networks.
PROVE is the native currency for this market, creating a self-reinforcing flywheel:
as eth scales -> proof demand rises -> value accrues to PROVE -> which incentivizes a more robust and efficient prover network -> enabling larger computational workloads and further scaling.
ultimately, PROVE is positioned not as a bet on a single application, but as a stake in the foundational infrastructure for the entire onchain economy.
succinct is building the proving economy. PROVE is how you own it.
Ethereum's Endgame & the Succinct Prover Network Opportunity
Ethereum long-term vision is clear:
Scale L1 to handle billions of gas per second (~10K TPS)
Scale L2s to trillions of gas per second (~10M TPS across rollups)
Thanks to SP1 Hypercube, real-time zkVMs are now a production reality,turning the Ethereum Foundation’s plan of moving from block re-execution to ZK proof verification into a feasible path forward.
What This Unlocks
Gigagas L1 capacity with ultra-low data availability (DA) costs
Massive rollup throughput, enabling 10M+ TPS in aggregate
Maximum decentralization & security by removing week-long challenge periods
Revenue Potential for Succinct
At teragas scale, even a tiny proving fee (~$0.00002/proof) could generate billions of dollars/year in L2 proving revenue.
A 10–15% network take-rate means hundreds of millions/year flowing to the Succinct Prover Network,shared between provers and PROVE stakers,on top of separate L1 proving income.
Why It Matters
Ethereum must thrive in both fort mode (unbreakable security, quantum resistance) and beast mode (extreme scalability without sacrificing decentralization). Lean Ethereum upgrades in consensus, data, and execution make this possible,built on hash-based, post-quantum cryptography for future-proof protection.
The Next Era
Ethereum just turned 10. The next decade will see millions of TPS, full-chain verification on every device, and a network that’s both faster than ever and harder to kill.
This is only the beginning for all of us.
@SuccinctLabs
ethereum's endgame: scale the L1 to billions and L2s to hit trillions (of gas)
the tech barrier is no longer theoretical. SP1 Hypercube has shown real-time zkVMs are viable in production.
the EF plans to shift the L1 from block re-execution to ZK proof verification. this allows for:
- ~10,000 TPS on Ethereum
- increased gas block targets to gigagas (billions of gas/sec)
- increased blob throughput (DAS), lowering DA cost and letting rollups post more data per slot
this unlocks the full potential of L2s, targeting an aggregate L2 execution towards teragas (trillions of gas/sec) and ~10,000,000 TPS across the L2s.
the bottleneck shifts from validator hardware to DA bandwidth. we get maximum decentralization, security, and scability from ZK, leaving week-long challenge periods behind.
at teragas scale, even a miniscule price (e.g., ~$0.00002/proof) implies multi-billion $/yr gross L2 proving; a 10–15% take-rate sends hundreds of millions $/yr to the Succinct Prover Network (+ separate L1 proving revenue), shared with provers and PROVE stakers.
gprove.