Anthropic names Mantle: Why use ZK proofs to verify AI inference?
Written by: @G_Gyeomm
Compiled by: AIdidiaoJP, Foresight News
Are the answers you receive really coming from the model the provider promised? This question has lingered ever since generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude became popular.
Today's AI models still rely on “trust me.” Models run in developers’ cloud data centers or on third-party servers, while users only see the output. Even if a routing service quietly switches models to cut costs, users have no way of knowing.
FlashProve, released by Anthropic on November 2, aims to close this gap with cryptographic proofs. Model providers cryptographically commit to the model weights they use, and every response can be verified as having been generated by that model.
The crypto industry reacted strongly because FlashProve uses zkSNARKs—a technology the blockchain industry knows well. According to Anthropic, ZK proofs do not reveal model weights, proof files are small, and verification is inexpensive, so they can be provided to users alongside every response.
More importantly, Anthropic specifically noted that zkSNARKs are not exclusive to AI. They are already being used on Ethereum L2s, with Starknet and Mantle cited as examples. StarkWare, the developer of Starknet, and Succinct, which provides ZK proof technology to Mantle, are both listed as co-authors of the study.
Why Mantle Bet on ZK Rollups Earlier Than Its Peers
With leading AI companies like Anthropic starting to seriously study ZK proofs, it is worth taking another look at them.
ZK proofs have a history of more than 40 years in cryptography; they are not a new concept. But in the blockchain industry, they have long been more of a buzzword in market narratives. Vitalik once emphasized that zkSNARKs could be as important as blockchain itself over the next 10 years, yet practical adoption always seemed far off.
It was only when L2s began adopting them in earnest that ZK proofs came under fresh scrutiny. In September 2025, Mantle upgraded to OP Succinct, moving from an Optimistic Rollup to a ZK Rollup. In this architecture, Succinct’s zkVM SP1 proves that L2 state transitions are correct, while a contract on Ethereum verifies the proofs.
The biggest change after the switch to a ZK Rollup was withdrawal speed. Optimistic Rollups require a fraud-proof challenge period, meaning withdrawals take 7 days. With ZK proofs, Mantle has cut finality to about 1 hour and withdrawals to about 6 hours.
Costs have changed, too. High proving costs were once a weakness of ZK proofs. Through the Succinct Prover Network, Mantle has brought the cost of proving each transaction down to about $0.002.
With withdrawal speed and cost—two major bottlenecks—addressed, ZK proofs are no longer just a narrative; they have become infrastructure capable of supporting a chain in practice. The technology Anthropic is using to verify AI inference is the same technology first refined and proven in blockchain.
Being Named Is Not the Same as Participating: What Mantle Gains
So, what does it mean for Anthropic’s study to name Mantle?
Mantle was not directly involved in the study and did not integrate with it. More precisely, this was a technical citation. Even so, being named carries considerable significance for Mantle.
First, this can be seen as external validation that Mantle chose the right technical path by switching to a ZK Rollup. Mantle completed its transition to a ZK Rollup in September 2025; OP Mainnet and Base did not announce plans to adopt ZK until 2026, more than six months later.
According to ETHBEAT data, among the four largest Rollups by TVS (Base, Arbitrum One, OP Mainnet, and Mantle), Mantle is the only ZK Rollup. Now that AI leader Anthropic is using the same type of proof technology to verify AI inference, Mantle’s technical choice has gained another layer of credibility.
The logic is similar for Succinct, which is listed as a co-author of the study. The fact that proof technology underpinning Mantle’s security and settlement can be used in cutting-edge AI research shows that it can withstand more rigorous scrutiny. For Mantle, which is seeking to attract institutional-grade assets, this offers institutions another reason to trust and use the chain.
Ultimately, none of this proves that Mantle’s technology is superior, but it does warrant a fresh look at its early decision to switch to a ZK Rollup. As ZK proofs expand from blockchain to questions of trust in AI, Mantle—already running on this technology—is likely to be mentioned more and more.