Co-Processor: A New Paradigm of Blockchain Computing

Co-processors play an important role in the computer field by assisting the CPU in handling specific tasks. From Apple's M7 motion co-processor to Nvidia's GPU, co-processors enhance overall performance by offloading computation-intensive tasks. This concept is being introduced to the Blockchain field to address bottleneck issues such as the high Gas fees and data accessibility faced by Ethereum.

Ethereum, as a foundational infrastructure, is not suitable for handling large-scale computing and data-intensive tasks. ZK co-processors have emerged, similar to GPUs in relation to CPUs, which can execute complex computations off-chain and generate proofs, thereby expanding the application boundaries of Blockchain. ZK co-processors are expected to support various applications such as social, gaming, DeFi, risk control systems, oracles, etc., enabling Blockchain to truly have the capability to support large-scale applications.

Currently, well-known co-processor projects in the industry mainly focus on three major application scenarios: on-chain data indexing, oracles, and ZKML. Among them, general-purpose ZK co-processors such as Risc Zero, Lagrange, and Succinct are dedicated to building a verifiable computing platform that can be used across chains.

The Bonsai system of Risc Zero is based on the RISC-V architecture, providing components such as a general zkVM, proof generation system, and rollup. Lagrange focuses on building verifiable databases and zkMR architecture that supports parallel computing. Succinct Network is dedicated to integrating programmable facts into all aspects of blockchain development.

Unlike Layer 2, the co-processor focuses more on the application layer and can serve as a virtual machine component for Layer 2, a computing power offloading tool for public chain applications, and a cross-chain data oracle. It is expected to restructure many middleware in the blockchain ecosystem, including key infrastructure such as oracles and cross-chain bridges.

Although ZK co-processors have a promising future, they currently face challenges such as high development thresholds, complex performance optimization, and insufficient hardware support. However, with technological iterations and the improvement of the ecosystem, ZK co-processors are expected to achieve scalable commercial applications in the next bull market, laying the foundation for the blockchain to support hundreds of millions of users.