Seeing Vitalik mention Brevis, it seems he places great importance on L1 scaling. In the Ethereum roadmap, there is a concept called "off-chain computation, on-chain verification" model. Eigenlayer, Succinct, and Zksync have had similar ideas, indicating a consensus in the industry that to truly decentralize L1 scaling, off-chain advantages can be utilized; Brevis has also adopted this model, so what makes Brevis different? First, let’s briefly understand what the "off-chain computation, on-chain verification" model is. To make it easier for more ordinary users to understand, we can use a simplified analogy: "off-chain computation, on-chain verification" can be seen as "condensing" off-chain facts (computation results or data) into a concise proof or summary, which is then verified on-chain. To some extent, its thinking is similar to L2 Rollup at an abstract level, where L2 Rollup packages multiple transactions into a batch, submits it to L1 for verification and execution. Although the specific mechanisms differ, this helps in understanding Brevis's ZkVM design philosophy: "condensation and verification." Through mathematics, a large amount of off-chain computation work is compressed into small pieces of information, achieving efficient processing on-chain, which is expensive and has low throughput, thus solving the blockchain scalability problem. The core mechanism of Brevis is to perform efficient computation off-chain, generate ZK proofs, and then complete verification on-chain quickly and at low cost, without needing to re-execute the entire complex computation. This is not new, but what sets Brevis apart is: * The combination of generality and specialized optimization Brevis's tech stack is modularly designed, with Pico zkVM as its general verifiable computing engine, supporting ZK proof generation for any computation. Developers can write code in Rust without needing ZK expertise; the platform automatically handles proof generation, lowering the barrier for developers to build complex cryptographic applications (the technology abstracts ZK complexity, allowing developers to build applications as if they were writing regular code). Its modular architecture supports the addition of specific co-processors, allowing for optimizations for complex computations in specific scenarios, in addition to general settlement. It has a built-in protocol processor called ZK Data Coprocessor, designed for analyzing historical blockchain data, which can solve the "memory loss" problem of smart contracts (the inability to access historical data cheaply). It retrieves and analyzes data off-chain, providing results and proofs to ensure data existence and computation correctness. For example, PancakeSwap can use Brevis hooks to implement fee discounts based on user trading volume; Uniswap uses Brevis for gas refunds. They achieve complex functionalities through the ZK Data Coprocessor while saving a lot of costs. * Providing an "accelerator" for Ethereum L1 Pico Prism is one of the key technologies of Brevis, which has breakthroughs in multi-server GPU clusters, supporting "real-time proofs" for Ethereum L1. This "real-time proof" can be understood as each block of Ethereum L1 (a page of transaction records) being able to be cryptographically "stamped" to confirm correctness within seconds, so everyone does not need to recalculate to verify reliability. According to the current Ethereum Foundation's real-time proof framework benchmarks, for the current L1 block with a 45M gas limit, it achieves a 99.6% coverage rate (<12 seconds proof), and a 96.8% real-time coverage rate (<10 seconds); the average proof time for a 36M gas block is 6.04 seconds, and for a 45M gas block is 6.9 seconds; the hardware consists of 64 RTX 5090 GPUs, costing $128K. The above data may seem very professional, but for ordinary users, these figures might not resonate. To simplify understanding, we can liken Pico Prism to an accelerator for Ethereum L1. Previously, Ethereum required all nodes to recalculate for each block, but with technology like Pico Prism, it means that it can "condense" (quickly generate a proof, super-compress a summary), allowing the network to verify in just a few seconds without each node repeating the calculation. This means that Ethereum L1 will become faster, cheaper, and more efficient, capable of handling more complex implementations without sacrificing decentralization and security. If the previous Ethereum was like an old-fashioned bicycle, with Brevis's Pico Prism technology, Ethereum has upgraded to a car. This acceleration effect can unlock more scenarios, such as real-time AI-driven DeFi lending, on-chain gaming, anonymous voting, etc. DeFi scenario: Previously, smart contracts on Ethereum L1 could only check balances for borrowing money, unable to analyze user stability based on historical trading data (due to the inability to analyze massive historical data). With this accelerator, it can support real-time analysis of massive historical data on L1 (proofs in seconds), thus building an "AI lending robot." The contract derives a credit score based on the user's DeFi trading history, providing personalized interest rates. Additionally, for high-frequency scenarios, such as flash loans, borrowing/investing/repaying can all be completed in one block, with AI optimizing the path in real-time to avoid "slippage" losses. Similar to a decentralized Robinhood. There can also be high-frequency auctions, completing hundreds or thousands of bids per minute. On-chain gaming: Previously, building a multiplayer game (like on-chain Axie Infinity) on L1 faced block confirmation delays of 12 seconds per round, causing player lag and soaring costs; with Pico Prism supporting "simulated real-time" gaming, off-chain servers compute damage and other values, settling each round to L1 with ZK proofs, simulating a "real-time" gaming experience for better gameplay. Anonymous on-chain voting scenario: Currently, L1 voting is transparent, making it easy to track or manipulate, and the complex statistical costs are high and slow. By implementing "zero-knowledge privacy computation" through Pico Prism, high-frequency privacy applications can run on L1, enabling high-frequency anonymous voting for DAO governance, with real-time results. What do the above scenarios mean for Ethereum? They can unlock more DeFi and other application scenarios, bringing more assets to L1, leading to more transactions and liquidity, and greater activity. As for what scenarios can emerge in the future, they still need to be tested in specific practices. * Gradual implementation According to public information, Brevis is gradually being deployed, having generated 147.5 million ZK proofs; independent users exceed 190,000; it supports 5 blockchains; and has over 20 major partners (such as Metamask, Linea, etc.). It is currently integrated into already running applications, such as through Brevis technology, the Incentra Platform distributes annual rewards; PancakeSwap implements discounts based on trading volume and other data; Linea distributes 1 billion LINEA tokens based on user contributions, etc.