Open-Source GPU Accelerator for ZK-Proof Protocols Released by Space and Time

Blockchain protocols using zero-knowledge proof (ZK-proof) technology have the potential to benefit from a new open-source GPU acceleration framework that optimizes encryption technology. Space and Time, a decentralized Web3 data service, has announced the availability of its recently developed GPU acceleration framework, called Blitzar, to the wider Web3 ecosystem. ZK-proofs are cryptographic protocols that allow one party to prove specific information or data to another party without revealing the actual information. This technology ensures data confidentiality while validating its accuracy. By open-sourcing Blitzar, Space and Time aims to enable faster and more robust ZK-proofs while benefiting from community contributions.

Blitzar is designed specifically for GPUs, which excel at handling computationally-intensive tasks such as ZK-proof generation. The framework offloads these demanding tasks to GPUs to optimize performance. GPUs also offer a memory structure that is efficient at handling large datasets, which are a crucial aspect of ZK-proofs. The framework is now open to any projects that seek performance improvements in multi-scalar multiplication, which is an expensive process in ZK-proof generation.

Space and Time’s service, which provides structured query language (SPL) programming functionality for smart contract blockchains, utilizes ZK-proof technology. Its Proof of SQL ZK-proof tool generates a cryptographic proof of a query within its decentralized data network, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of the data query. This technology allows decentralized applications (DApps) to trust the verified proofs of efficient and privacy-preserving data provided by Space and Time’s data warehouse. It has applications in various domains like blockchain services, advanced computing, artificial intelligence, and large language models.

Space and Time leverages NVIDIA GPUs for its Proof of SQL tool and has partnered with the hardware manufacturer for the development of both ZK-proof and Blitzar. The framework could also be leveraged by Ethereum layer 2 protocols like Polygon zkEVM and zkSync Era to optimize their ZK-proof generation. The development of Proof of SQL is progressing aggressively and has been adopted by a few Space and Time customers, with sub-second runtimes already achieved. ZK-proof protocols have gained attention in the Ethereum ecosystem and have enabled fast and low-fee transactions for DApps and services operating on the Ethereum blockchain.