Jack Paul 
Verifiable Computation Meets Onchain Trading
Brevis, a zero-knowledge coprocessor platform, has joined forces with Kwenta, a decentralized derivatives exchange operating on Optimism. This collaboration aims to make advanced DeFi trading more accessible by reducing costs and enhancing security. The partnership represents what I think is a meaningful step in bridging verifiable computation with onchain financial applications.
Brevis functions as a smart contract enhancement that allows retrieval and computation of historical blockchain data across multiple networks. It maintains privacy and scalability through zk-SNARKs, which are a type of zero-knowledge proof technology. The system performs heavy computations off-chain and then sends verified results back on-chain. This approach significantly cuts gas expenses while keeping everything transparent.
Solving DeFi’s Scaling Challenges
One of the persistent issues in decentralized finance has been scalability without compromising transparency. Brevis addresses this by enabling off-chain computation that can process large trading volumes without the burden of high gas costs. Meanwhile, zero-knowledge proofs ensure data integrity and privacy, making even complex trading logic both safe and verifiable.
Developers working with Brevis can use their SDK to create custom logic and computation circuits. This is particularly useful because it means they don’t need deep expertise in ZK cryptography to implement these solutions. The platform essentially abstracts away the technical complexity while maintaining the security benefits.
Kwenta’s Trading Platform Enhancement
Kwenta operates as a decentralized application on the Optimism Layer 2 network, allowing users to trade perpetual futures denominated in sUSD, which is Synthetix’s synthetic USD stablecoin. The platform supports both long and short positions, market exposure hedging, and provides non-custodial transparent trading.
With the integration of Brevis’s zk coprocessor, Kwenta can now perform complex trading calculations off-chain. This translates to faster transaction speeds, reduced gas fees, and the ability to scale across multiple blockchains. For traders, this means smoother experiences and more sophisticated features without sacrificing the decentralized nature of their trades.
The Broader Industry Context
This partnership reflects a growing trend where zero-knowledge technology is being deployed to alleviate blockchain congestion while maintaining trustless execution. As Layer 2 rollups like Optimism and Arbitrum continue to gain traction, we’re seeing more infrastructure partnerships that aim to make DeFi more efficient and accessible.
Some community members have noted that this collaboration could pave the way for similar partnerships between ZK providers and other DeFi platforms. The combination of efficiency improvements and auditability might also attract institutional traders who have been hesitant about current DeFi solutions.
While it’s still early to predict the full impact, this integration represents a practical application of zero-knowledge technology in real-world trading scenarios. The focus seems to be on solving actual user pain points rather than just implementing technology for its own sake.