Succinct introduces zkVM ‘SP1 Hypercube,’ claims real-time Ethereum proving

Paradigm-backed startup Succinct has unveiled SP1 Hypercube, a next-generation zkVM that it claims can generate zero-knowledge proofs for Ethereum blocks in under 12 seconds, crossing a milestone in the race for real-time proving.Real-time proving is key to Ethereum's scaling roadmap, boosting Layer 1 throughput, native rollup security, and interoperability without compromising verifiability or decentralization. During internal tests on 10,000 Ethereum mainnet blocks, the system proved 93% of blocks in real time using a cluster of 200 Nvidia RTX 4090 GPUs, with an average proving time of just 10.3 seconds, the team said in a statement shared with The Block."Real-time proving is a massive unlock for Ethereum — for three key reasons," Ethereum Foundation researcher Justin Drake commented on the broader significance of the tech. "First, it enables us to scale the Layer 1 using ZK validators and ZK execution clients. Second, it allows for more secure rollups that don't rely on multisigs or governance — what we call native rollups. And third, it opens the door to shared sequencing and synchronous composability, paving the way for a more unified Ethereum — where network effects at the Layer 1 can scale across the entire ecosystem, including its Layer 2s."Proving latency on Ethereum blocks. Image: Succinct.Competing with high-throughput chainsCompeting with high-throughput chains like Solana often means raising hardware demands on Ethereum's Layer 1, which can push out home validators, the team explained. Succinct says zero-knowledge proofs avoid this by offloading heavy computation to a smaller number of provers — systems that execute the full process and generate cryptographic proofs showing it was done correctly, without revealing the underlying data — allowing validators to verify the result quickly without redoing the work."Real-time proving is the space race of zero knowledge, a technical and symbolic breakthrough that once felt out of reach," Succinct co-founder and CTO John Guibas said. "A year ago, this was seen as science fiction. Today, it's open source and generates Ethereum proofs in under 12 seconds. It's our four-minute mile for ZK."In a live demo, Succinct proved Ethereum block 22309250 — containing 143 transactions and consuming 32 million gas — in just 10.8 seconds, generating a 1MB proof in real time. While several teams, including RISC0, Snarkify, and Kakarot, have been actively working toward this goal, Succinct says it's the first to reach "real-time" sub-12 second speeds."Achieving real-time proving required architectural changes at every level of the stack," Succinct Head of Cryptography Ron Rothblum said. "SP1 Hypercube parallelizes over 600 million RISC-V cycles per block across a purpose-built GPU cluster, coordinated with custom infrastructure designed for latency and fault-tolerance."Succinct has open-sourced the SP1 Hypercube verifier and Ethereum prover code, with full deployment planned after an upcoming audit. The company estimates a real-time prover cluster could eventually be built for as little as $100,000 using optimized hardware, making it feasible for broader adoption across Ethereum infrastructure and new zk-based applications.Earlier on Tuesday, Succinct announced it will launch PROVE as the native token of its prover network — a decentralized protocol on Ethereum for zero-knowledge proofs. In 2024, Succinct Labs, the project's core developer, raised $55 million in a Series A funding round led by Paradigm.Disclaimer: The Block is an independent media outlet that delivers news, research, and data. As of November 2023, Foresight Ventures is a majority investor of The Block. Foresight Ventures invests in other companies in the crypto space. Crypto exchange Bitget is an anchor LP for Foresight Ventures. The Block continues to operate independently to deliver objective, impactful, and timely information about the crypto industry. Here are our current financial disclosures.© 2025 The Block. All Rights Reserved. This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.