GPUs Are Not the Answer: A Joint Discovery by AntChain OpenLabs & ZEROBASE
Foshan City, China, July 11th, 2025, Chainwire
In a joint benchmarking initiative, AntChain OpenLabs and ZEROBASE have identified a core architectural limitation in the use of GPUs for accelerating zero-knowledge proofs, specifically within the widely adopted Groth16 proving system.
While GPU-based acceleration has shown massive improvements—100x+ gains in MSM (multi-scalar multiplication) and NTT (number theoretic transform)—the final step in the pipeline, r1cs.Solve, remains entirely sequential and non-parallelizable.
This newly identified bottleneck challenges a common assumption in zero-knowledge proof engineering—that increasing GPU core counts directly correlates with faster proof generation.
Why This Matters
Most ZK circuits today, including zkSNARK-based applications, rely on Groth16. And while it’s true that GPUs dramatically accelerate pre-processing stages, they hit a hard wall when it comes to constraint solving.
Their benchmarks show that in Groth16:
- MSM/NTT – GPU acceleration shines
- r1cs.Solve – CPUs outperform GPUs by orders of magnitude on real-world circuits
The analysis indicates that as GPU architectures continue to scale, the final proof assembly step may emerge as the primary constraint on overall performance.
A Paradigm Shift in ZK Acceleration
Instead of pushing the limits of GPU brute-force, the path forward demands:
- Algorithm-level parallelism
- Smart circuit structuring
- Flexible multi-core CPU architectures
- Hybrid acceleration models that respect the sequential nature of key ZK stages
This shift has deep implications not only for hardware strategy, but for the entire ZK stack—from circuit DSL design to prover architecture.
ZEROBASE’s Position
As a cryptographic proving network deeply invested in verifiable computation infrastructure, ZEROBASE is committed to:
- Surfacing these hardware-level truths
- Proposing architectural standards for next-gen zk-provers
- Driving research in CPU-optimal proof models that can scale under real-world constraints
They believe that transparent benchmarking and cross-institution collaboration, like this one with AntChain OpenLabs, is the way forward for a more efficient, scalable ZK ecosystem.
Read More / Collaborate
For detailed benchmarks, circuit profiling logs, or to contribute to our CPU-optimal proving stack, users can reach out to @zerobasezk or visit zerobase.pro
About ZeroBase
ZeroBase is an infrastructure pioneer on a mission to unlock the full potential of decentralized finance. Leveraging advanced zero-knowledge proof technology, ZeroBase delivers secure, privacy-preserving cross-border payment solutions, institutional-grade DeFi staking services, and turnkey digital asset issuance platforms. Our modular, API-driven toolkit empowers enterprises, financial institutions, and blockchain projects to integrate cutting-edge crypto-assets and tokenization workflows with minimal friction. Founded by seasoned blockchain architects and backed by leading crypto investors, ZeroBase is committed to driving mass adoption of scalable, compliant, and user-centric Web3 experiences globally.