ZKPs Evolve From Theory To Reality To Bring Mainstream Blockchain Adoption

The blockchain sector is growing rapidly as more and more enterprises are beginning to leverage Web3 technology. A 2025 survey conducted by Boosty Labs found that nearly 90% of companies are experimenting with or have already implemented blockchain.

In addition, a number of large banks have started to incorporate crypto offerings into their business models. For example, Spanish banking giant BBVA recently became the first major lender to roll out 24/7 retail cryptocurrency trading.

Privacy Remains the Missing Link for Mass Adoption

Privacy remains a key missing link for mass blockchain and crypto adoption.

According to findings from the consulting firm EY, enterprise transactions have been slow to take off due to the lack of privacy tools. A commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of EY further reveals that enterprises are most concerned with privacy and security.

Tomer Weller, chief product officer at the Stellar Development Foundation (SDF), told Cryptonews that while privacy was acceptable to sacrifice for early crypto adopters, it has become a non-negotiable for mass adoption—especially for enterprises that require privacy when using a public ledger.

The Role of ZKPs for Blockchain Privacy

Yet while privacy remains a major challenge for businesses using blockchain, Weller believes that many of these issues can be resolved through zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs).

“ZKPs enable both the openness that makes blockchains secure and trustworthy, along with the privacy that real-world users demand,” Weller said. “ZKPs allow someone to prove something is true, like ‘I have sufficient funds’ or ‘this transaction is compliant,’ without exposing the underlying data.”

Weller added that while zero-knowledge technology has been one of the most talked-about areas in blockchain for years, the concept has now matured to demonstrate scalability and privacy for Layer-1 (L1) networks like Stellar.

The Evolution of ZKPs: From Theory to Reality

To put this in perspective, Weller explained that SDF recently implemented tools to allow Web3 developers to easily write zero-knowledge applications in well-known programming languages.

This is important, as Weller noted that building zero-knowledge applications (often referred to as “zk circuits”) has historically been challenging. For instance, ZK circuits typically require domain expertise in zero-knowledge cryptography. For example, most ZK applications in existence today were built using the Circom DSL, also known as “domain-specific language.”

“Circom is a very powerful programming language, but equally challenging to master,” Weller said.

To make ZK applications more approachable, SDF recently partnered with privacy-focused Layer-2 Aztec Network to build a Noir programming language (NoirLang) verifier compatible with Stellar’s smart contract runtime.

Weller pointed out that “NoirLang” is a more modern ZK DSL that is very similar to the common programming language Rust. As a result, the learning curve required with NoirLang is less steep than that of Circom, making ZK applications more accessible.

Milica Vulic, developer relations engineer at zkVerify and a PhD candidate in Zero-Knowledge Proofs, further told Cryptonews that advancements such as these show how ZKPs are moving from academic theory into developer reality.

“A few years ago, writing a ZKP application meant designing custom circuits in low-level maths, something only cryptographers could do,” Vulic said. “Today, we are seeing new tools and languages that make ZK development accessible to any skilled programmer.”

For example, Vulic noted that in addition to NoirLang, “Leo” is another programming language that lets developers write circuits in a high-level syntax, similar to traditional programming languages.

Vulic added that L1 blockchains can now integrate with existing zero-knowledge stacks, as demonstrated by Stellar.

“Aztec’s Noir and Risc0’s zkVM make ZK practical, letting developers turn existing codebases into ZK-enabled apps without needing to be cryptographers,” Vulic said.

Additionally, Vulic mentioned that open-source kits like zkVerifyJS and APIs through Horizen’s Relayer allow developers to verify proofs with a single function call instead of building infrastructure from scratch.

“The result is a shift from ‘cryptographers only’ to ‘any developer can plug in ZK.’ This evolution is what will push ZKPs from specialized use cases into mainstream applications,” Vulic stated.

The Rise of zkVMs

As ZK applications become easier to write, the rise of Zero-Knowledge Virtual Machines (zkVMs) is also helping programmers build these applications.

A recent blog post from Block & Capital explains that, unlike traditional virtual machines (VMs) that execute programs, a zkVM integrates cryptographic processes to ensure privacy and security by incorporating ZKPs. This allows the verification of program execution without revealing information about the program’s data or internal logic.

Additionally, while “zkEVMs” are specialized for the Ethereum blockchain, zkVMs provide general-purpose solutions for various blockchains. For example, Weller shared that “Risc0” is one such zkVM that has recently been gaining traction in the blockchain industry.

“SDF has partnered with Nethermind, a leading dev shop in the ZK and blockchain space, to bring the Risc0 verifier to Stellar. This project is well underway,” Weller said.

The Next Phase of ZKPs

As ZKPs become more accessible, industry experts believe that zero-knowledge technology will help scale blockchain and crypto adoption. However, it remains questionable as to how fast this will occur.

“ZK is entering its next phase with instant proofs, cross-chain interoperability, and walletless verification that anyone can use,” Vulic said. “But we are not sure how fast the shift from research labs to global infrastructure will happen.”

In the meantime, Zac Williamson, co-founder and CEO of Aztec Labs, told Cryptonews that Aztec Network is currently in its testnet phase, with the mainnet projected to be launched by early next year.

“Once the Aztec Network is live, we will see privacy-preserving applications built with ZK technology deployed and available for all users. What WhatsApp did for private messaging, the Aztec Network will do for all applications, making them secure, private, and universally accessible,” Williamson stated.

Weller further commented that the Stellar protocol will soon offer a wide array of built-in cryptographic primitives to ensure cutting-edge ZK innovation.

While promising, it’s also important to note that challenges associated with zero-knowledge technology may slow adoption.

For instance, findings from Block & Capital note that developers must learn to balance speed, efficiency, and succinctness (the amount of data that needs to be transmitted and stored to prove that a transaction or contract execution is valid without revealing unnecessary information). The blog post states:

“Finding the balance between these three factors is the great challenge of the zkVM trilemma, since improving one aspect often means compromising the other two. For example, increasing speed may require more resources, reducing efficiency, or may result in less succinct testing.”

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