For years, Ethereum users have leaned on Layer 2s like Arbitrum and Optimism to work around the core limitations of Layer 1: • Network congestion • Slower transaction speeds • High gas fees—sometimes $10 to $100 during peak hours • Long finality times (~12.8 minutes) That’s because Ethereum’s base layer (L1) handles consensus and security, but not scale. L2s process transactions off-chain, then settle them back to L1 delivering faster speeds and lower fees. But now, Ethereum is going deeper. Instead of just scaling through rollups, it’s aiming to 100x performance at the base layer itself. How? With Zero-Knowledge Virtual Machines (zkVMs) and specifically, SP1 from Succinct Labs. zkVMs can run any computation and generate a cryptographic proof (ZKP) that confirms it was done correctly without revealing the underlying data. With SP1, these proofs can be generated and verified in real time. What that unlocks: • Scalability – massively higher throughput • Instant Verification – near-instant block confirmations • Security – trustless validation via ZKPs Right now, Ethereum creates blocks every 12 seconds. It takes 2 full epochs (768 seconds, ~12.8 minutes) for finality. With SP1 and ZKPs, finality could happen in 12 seconds matching block production speed. That’s a massive leap forward. Backed by $55M in 2024 and building on EIP-4844 (also deployed this year), Succinct Labs is pushing Ethereum L1 into a future where it's not just secure, but fast and affordable. Will this eliminate the need for L2s? Not entirely. Rollups will still be vital for high-throughput apps. But what it does mean is this: #Ethereum is evolving into a chain where L1 no longer equals slow and expensive. The base layer is catching up. Fast.