A groundbreaking zero-knowledge proof (ZK-proof) technology known as proof of SQL has been unveiled, promising to reduce the traditional 30-minute wait time for Structured Query Language (SQL) queries to lightning-fast speeds of less than a second.
This significant time reduction has the potential to greatly enhance efficiency in applications that require real-time data processing.
Space and Time (SxT), a verifiable compute layer for artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain, recently introduced the new open-source ZK prover for data processing on GitHub on June 12.
In an exclusive interview with Cointelegraph, Jay White, co-founder and head of research at SxT, detailed the benchmarks used to achieve sub-second performance. The proof of SQL was initially released in alpha to a select group of SxT customers in August 2023, and is now available to the public on GitHub.
This publicly available cryptographic tool enables community members to execute trustless queries on SxT, while developers can easily access the repository directly from GitHub.
The introduction of the new ZK-proof is part of SxT’s broader strategy to enhance the security and performance of decentralized applications (DApps) and promote community collaboration. White emphasized the team’s focus on user experience (UX) and seamless integration with SQL to facilitate developers’ work.
Currently, efforts are underway to integrate proof of SQL into the Chainlink network and collaborate with the zkSync ecosystem to enable developers to run SQL queries directly from their smart contract using proof of SQL.
The inefficiencies caused by delays in data processing hinder the scalability and performance of DApps that rely on real-time data verification. Proof of SQL addresses this challenge by allowing developers to link analytics directly to smart contracts, opening up new possibilities for blockchain technology.
White also explained how proof of SQL will adapt to increasing data volume, more complex queries, and future enhancements to overcome bottlenecks.
The integration of ZK-proofs in the cryptocurrency industry could have significant implications, with potential use cases ranging from enhancing scalability to facilitating real-time data verification. The rapid advancement of ZK technology is evident in StarkWare’s recent launch of a $1 million research fund dedicated to ZK-scaling for Bitcoin, aiming to scale both Ethereum and Bitcoin simultaneously through ZK technology.
As the push for ZK technology accelerates, experts believe that AI will play a crucial role in pushing the boundaries of human longevity, potentially leading to biological immortality by 2030.