Developers have a strong obsession with zero-knowledge proofs, and sometimes this obsession turns into an infatuation. ZK-Rollup, due to its perfect mathematical principles, was once regarded as a holy grail—almost as if bringing out zero-knowledge proofs could automatically resolve the contradiction between decentralization and security. But reality is not so ideal.

Looking at the data from this year makes it clear. The number of active addresses for pure ZK solutions declined by 12% month-over-month in November, and this is no coincidence. Even more painfully, the proof generation process accounts for the majority of the computational costs in these solutions—over 35% of the expenses are spent here. Although EIP-4844 significantly reduces data costs, computational power competition remains a bottleneck, especially when dealing with high-frequency applications like AI trading agents and full-chain gaming, where pure ZK solutions can become somewhat strained.

That's where the emergence of APRO hits the pain point perfectly. Instead of sticking to a single approach, a layered filtering strategy is better—some validations can be lighter, some scenarios can be faster, and the defenses can be hardened at critical moments. This is not a compromise of technology but a precise response to market realities. Compared to the seemingly perfect theoretical framework, the market actually needs solutions that can run and be affordable. And this is precisely the core competitive advantage of the hybrid verification model.