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Stanford Blockchain Week: Summary of ZK, modularity and Bitcoin ecological development trends
Original author: PAUL VERADITTAKIT
Original source: TechFlow Deep Chao
August 26-September 1 is Stanford Blockchain Week, a week-long series of conferences, summits, and events, and in addition to this main academic conference, there are many other summits this year, including The Stanford Blockchain Club's Blockchain Application Stanford Summit (BASS), the Starknet Summit in San Francisco, and academic workshops focused on consensus, MEV, and DAOs, among countless other side events. In this article, we’ll look at three key trends from the week and what they mean for the industry as a whole.
Trend 1: Optimization of zero-knowledge proof in theory and practice
Unsurprisingly, a large portion of the conference focused on zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs). Optimization of existing ZKP solutions is a core theme of the SBC itself, with one panel discussing breakthroughs in efficient folding solutions such as HyperNova and Protostar. In addition to these, there are other academic talks focused on applying zkSNARKs to more efficient batch Merkle proofs and formal verification of ZK circuits.
Furthermore, interest in advancing ZKP research is not limited to Stanford academic circles. During the week, several startups from the Stanford Blockchain Accelerator demonstrated new applications of zero-knowledge proofs in various fields. For example, Nexus Labs and Modulus Labs used ZKPs for verifiable computing, Ironmill and Succinct presented use cases for new development tools and infrastructure, and Nocturne and Hinkal demonstrated applications for private transactions.
The ZKP ecosystem is increasingly professionalizing, with different companies focusing on specific parts of the ZK process, whether that's connecting applications to provers, providing ZK proofs for specific verticals (such as Modulus' artificial intelligence), or providing other enhanced integrations tool. This specialization may signal that the industry is gradually evolving into a modular and complex process, thus highlighting the increasing maturity of ZKP as a technology. Of course, all of this is happening at a steady pace of academic breakthroughs (such as the new folding scheme presented at the SBC), which opens up new use cases for the technology and creates a symbiotic relationship between ZKP theory and practice.
Trend 2: Realize "plug and play" composability by increasing modularity
Modularity has become a hot topic and a growing trend in the past few months, with different companies focusing on specific tasks in the blockchain technology stack (such as sequencing, execution, data availability, etc.) Blockchain takes care of everything. However, modularity itself is not necessarily the end goal; rather, the goal is to create a more composable technology stack, a "plug and play" design space that allows developers to experiment and fine-tune for any set of requirements Blockchain stack.
This "plug and play" spirit was reflected in Professor Ed Felton's speech on Arbitrum's Stylus at BASS. This project aims to unify the execution environment of EVM and WASM codes so that smart contracts and WASM codes can smoothly interact with each other. Interaction. This enables the creation of WASM "libraries" from which EVM contracts can call functions, enabling a more composable development experience. Some other interesting developments improving composability through modularity include Chainlink’s CCIP, an attempt to create an industry-defined interoperability standard, and Celestia’s talk discussing the history and future of modular blockchains.
It’s worth noting that many of the Stanford projects driving this trend are larger and more established companies (e.g. Arbitrum, Chainlink, Celestia, Starkware) that are already leading the industry. Composability seems to be more for projects looking to build or solidify an ecosystem lead, trying to entice developers to use their technology, although there are smaller companies like Stanford startup Caldera working on this trend as well. stack. This is a positive move for the blockchain industry as a whole, as an increased emphasis on composability through a "plug and play" approach lowers the barrier to entry for new developers while also allowing for more customizable The technology stack is suitable for a wider range of use cases.
Trend 3: Renewed focus on the Bitcoin developer ecosystem
The third interesting trend during Stanford Blockchain Week was the renewed focus on the development and future of the world’s oldest blockchain. The Saturday afternoon during BASS was dedicated to highlighting the Bitcoin ecosystem, both from a developer and technical perspective, but also from a cultural perspective. In addition to a presentation by Stanford professor David Tse on the Babylon Bitcoin staking protocol, there will be multiple panel discussions including speakers from Ordinals, Taproot Wizards, Bitcoin Startup Labs, Bitcoin Magazine, and more, discussing the innovative future of the Bitcoin ecosystem , especially after Ordinals.
Perhaps one of the most interesting and unique perspectives is Ordinals COO Erin Redwing’s defense of Bitcoin Ordinals art (like Raresats), arguing that if Bitcoin is “digital gold,” then the art engraved on it via Ordinals is quite Regarding “digital jewelry,” just as most ordinary people interact with gold indirectly through “art and jewelry,” the same principle applies to Bitcoin. Additionally, the cultural and technological changes brought about by Ordinals and other new projects After Ordinals, many Ethereum developers seemed to have a renewed interest in the Bitcoin ecosystem, bringing their expertise in the design, token economics, and implementation of Ethereum DApps. into Bitcoin to potentially revive Bitcoin’s ancient ecosystem.
However, it is too early to tell whether we are in the midst of a true “Bitcoin renaissance.” Bitcoin is known to be a conservative ecosystem, and its community’s attitude toward cultural and technological change is at best indifferent or even hostile. However, the potential growth of the Bitcoin ecosystem is still worth watching, even if only from a transaction volume and cultural recognition perspective.
in conclusion
The above three trends regarding ZK progress, composability through modularity, and the development of the Bitcoin ecosystem are far from an exhaustive description of all the research and innovation underway at Stanford University. From new research into consensus mechanisms that will lay the foundation for future L1 or L2, to transaction and MEV modeling techniques that may enhance analytical tools, to new cryptographic primitives, Stanford Blockchain Week showcased the diversity of the industry and vitality. Unlike many other industry summits or academic conferences, the SBC and its affiliated conferences skillfully synchronize and combine industry with research, creating a vibrant consortium of startups, established protocols, and academia all dedicated to advancing The blockchain field moves forward to build a better decentralized future.
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