Stanford Blockchain Week Observations: ZK Optimization, Modularization, and Bitcoin Ecosystem Development

During the Stanford Blockchain Week held from the end of August to the beginning of September, academia and industry jointly discussed the latest development trends in blockchain technology. This article summarizes three important directions worthy of attention: the theoretical and practical advancements of zero-knowledge proofs, the improvement in composability brought by modular architecture, and the new trends in the Bitcoin developer ecosystem.

Optimization of Theory and Practice of Zero-Knowledge Proofs

Zero-knowledge proof ( ZKP ) technology remains a research hotspot in the blockchain field. At the theoretical level, the conference discussed breakthroughs in efficient folding schemes such as HyperNova and Protostar, as well as the application of zkSNARKs in batch Merkle proof and ZK circuit formal verification.

In practice, many startups have demonstrated the innovative applications of ZKP in various fields:

• Nexus Labs and Modulus Labs use ZKP for verifiable computing
• Ironmill and Succinct have proposed new development tools and infrastructure applications.
• Nocturne and Hinkal demonstrate the application of ZKP in privacy transactions.

The ZKP ecosystem is showing a trend of specialization, with different companies focusing on specific aspects of the ZK process, such as connecting applications to provers and providing ZK proofs for specific scenarios like artificial intelligence (. This specialization reflects the increasing maturity of ZKP technology, which is developing towards modularization and complexity.

Modular Architecture Enhances Composability

Modularization has become an important development direction in blockchain technology. Different companies focus on specific tasks in the technology stack, such as sorting, execution, and data availability, rather than relying on a single blockchain to handle all functions. The goal of modularization is to create a more composable technology stack, achieving a "plug-and-play" design concept, allowing developers to flexibly adjust the blockchain architecture according to their needs.

This idea is reflected in multiple projects:

• The Stylus project of Arbitrum is committed to unifying the execution environment of EVM and WASM code, achieving seamless interaction between smart contracts and WASM code.
• A certain interactive platform is attempting to establish industry-wide interoperability standards.
• Celestia discusses the history and future development of modular Blockchain.

It is worth noting that the driving force behind this trend is mostly large, more mature companies that are trying to attract developers to use their technology stacks by enhancing composability, thereby consolidating their leading position in the ecosystem. This trend is expected to lower the entry barriers for new developers while making Blockchain technology applicable to a wider range of application scenarios.

New Trends in the Bitcoin Developer Ecosystem

The conference also focused on the latest developments in the Bitcoin ecosystem. Several panel discussions centered around the technological innovations and cultural evolution of Bitcoin, particularly the impact of the Ordinals protocol. Participants discussed the innovative prospects of the Bitcoin ecosystem, involving projects like Ordinals and Taproot Wizards.

An interesting perspective is to compare Bitcoin Ordinals art to "digital jewelry". If Bitcoin is "digital gold", then the artworks inscribed on it through Ordinals are equivalent to "digital jewelry". This analogy reflects that the Bitcoin ecosystem is exploring new ways of expressing value.

The technical and cultural changes brought about by new projects like Ordinals seem to have rekindled the interest of Ethereum developers in the Bitcoin ecosystem. Some developers are attempting to introduce Ethereum DApp design concepts and token economics into the Bitcoin ecosystem, which is expected to inject new vitality into this ancient blockchain system.

However, the Bitcoin community has always been cautious about change, and there is even some resistance. It is still too early to assert whether we are in a "Bitcoin Renaissance" period, but the potential development of the Bitcoin ecosystem is still worth ongoing attention.

Conclusion

The Stanford Blockchain Week showcased the diversity and innovative vitality of the Blockchain industry. From new research on consensus mechanisms to transaction modeling technologies, and new cryptographic primitives, the conference covered a wide range of cutting-edge topics. This event successfully combined industry practices with academic research, bringing together the strengths of startups, established protocols, and academia to advance the field of Blockchain, laying the foundation for a decentralized future.

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