In a significant advancement for the technology sector, a new zero-knowledge proof (ZK-proof) called proof of SQL has been launched, set to dramatically enhance the speed of Structured Query Language (SQL) queries from the typical half-hour wait times to less than a second.
Benchmarking the Breakthrough Performance of Proof of SQL
This breakthrough was announced by Space and Time (SxT), a verifiable compute layer for artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain. The technology is designed to benefit applications that depend on real-time data processing, offering substantial efficiency improvements.
Jay White, co-founder and head of research at SxT, detailed the remarkable performance of this new technology. According to White, rigorous testing involving various SQL operations—like filters, GROUP BYs, and aggregations on substantial data sets—has confirmed the tool’s capability.
“Our latest benchmarks have demonstrated that proof of SQL can process queries against 100,000 rows in under a second, manage one million rows in just 1.2 seconds, and handle a massive 100 million rows in around one minute,” explained White.
Initially released in alpha to a select group of SxT’s customers in August 2023, proof of SQL has now been made publicly available on GitHub. This development allows both community members and developers to execute trustless queries on the SxT platform.
Developers are encouraged to download the repository directly from GitHub to integrate this tool into their applications.
White shared insights into the broader implications of this innovation. “We have designed our sub-second ZK-proofs to allow smart contracts and AI agents to conduct real-time inquiries about on-chain activities and off-chain data.
Proof of SQL Banner on GitHub
This facilitates receiving trustless SQL query results directly on-chain during transactions, without the previous delays of up to 30 minutes,” he noted.
The move to make ZK-proofs open-source is part of SxT’s strategic efforts to enhance the security and performance of decentralized applications (DApps) and to foster community collaboration.
User Experience in Focus: Seamless Integration and Future Enhancements
White further highlighted the importance of user experience (UX) in their development strategy, which led them to focus specifically on SQL. “We aim to make developer integrations as seamless and effortless as possible,” he added.
SxT is also working on integrating proof of SQL into the Chainlink network and collaborating with the zkSync ecosystem.
These partnerships aim to enable developers to run SQL queries directly from their smart contracts using proof of SQL, thereby enhancing the functionality and scalability of DApps.
As the technology scales, White addressed potential growth and future enhancements to accommodate increasing data volumes and more complex queries.
“Proof of SQL is designed to scale linearly. We are planning cluster-scale proofs in the near term, which will provide even faster processing times over larger data tables. Additionally, we are looking to expand SQL support to include more complex queries such as multi-table queries and subqueries, alongside a novel commitment scheme,” White elaborated.
The integration of ZK-proofs in the crypto industry could have profound implications. White envisions a future where AI agents predominantly operate on-chain, supported by accurate and untampered data validated through proof of SQL.
“Every application in the world uses a database. Our vision is that every database will eventually utilize proof of SQL,” he stated, underscoring the potential for this technology to revolutionize data handling across various applications.
This development coincides with a growing interest in enhancing the scalability of blockchain technologies through ZK-proofs.
For instance, StarkWare recently announced a $1 million research fund to advance ZK-scaling for Bitcoin, aiming to simultaneously scale both Ethereum and Bitcoin using ZK technology. This initiative represents a significant push towards broader application and acceptance of ZK technology in the industry.
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