Docs update use cases 20250905 (#2111)

Author: bjdyakov

docs/1_introduction/2_use_cases.md

@@ -1,19 +1,147 @@
-# Use cases
-
-- Soft finality for Rollups and Appchains: Aligned provides fast verification of ZK proofs, which can be used to provide soft finality for rollups or other applications.
-- Fast bridging: building ZK bridges requires checking a succinct proof to show that current state of a chain is correct and then users need to show that their account state is correct. Many ZK protocols use hash functions such as Poseidon or Rescue Prime, which do not have Precompiles on Ethereum, making both the verification of the chain's state and account expensive. With Aligned, you can show your account state using another ZK proof, and all proofs can be verified cheaply and with low latency in Aligned.
-- New settlement layers (use Aligned + EigenDA) for Rollups and Intent based systems.
-- P2P protocols based on SNARKs such as payment systems and social networks.
-- Alternative L1s interoperable with Ethereum: similar to fast bridging.
-- Verifiable Machine Learning (ML): with general-purpose zkVMs we can prove code written in Rust, solving part of the problem of using ML. However, most zkVMs use STARK-based proof systems, which leads to high on-chain costs or expensive wrapping. With Aligned, you can directly verify your proof from the zkVM for much less than Ethereum.
-- Cheap verification and interoperability for Identity Protocols. 
-- ZK Oracles: With ZK oracles we can show that we have a piece of information off-chain and produce a ZK proof doing some computation with that data. Aligned reduces the cost of using those oracles. For more background, see the [following post](https://minaprotocol.com/blog/what-are-zkoracles).
-- New credential protocols such as zkTLS based systems: you can create proofs of data shown on your web browser and have the result verified in Ethereum. See the following thread for an [ELI5 on TLS](https://x.com/dabit3/status/1830022029195501799) 
-- ZK Coprocessor: ZK allows complex computations to be delegated from the blockchain to a coprocessor. This can retrieve information from the blockchain and perform the computations securely in a more efficient way.  
-- Encrypted Mempools using SNARKs to show the correctness of the encryption.
-- Protocols against misinformation and fake news: you can generate proofs that an image or audio comes from a given device, and show that a published image is the result of certain transformations performed on the original image.  
-- On-chain gaming.
-
-## Projects built using Aligned
-
-- The Mina <> Ethereum bridge (in development) uses Aligned's fast mode for ZK proof verification. See the [github repo](https://github.com/lambdaclass/mina_bridge) for more information.
+# Use Cases: ZK Verification Layer
+
+Aligned’s ZK verification layer for Ethereum makes proof verification affordable, fast, and scalable—either via our low-latency [Proof Verification Layer](https://docs.alignedlayer.com/architecture/1_proof_verification_layer) (an EigenLayer AVS) or via our recursive [Proof Aggregation Service](https://docs.alignedlayer.com/architecture/2_aggregation_mode). Use Aligned when you need to verify many proofs, expensive proofs, or proofs that aren’t economical in the EVM, and you still want results settled to Ethereum.
+
+The ZK verification layer can be useful anytime ZK is used with Ethereum, but some clear use cases are described in this section.
+
+## ZK-rollups and Ethereum scaling
+
+Rollups produce ZK proofs of state transitions and need to verify (settle) those results on Ethereum. Verification can cost ZK-rollup operators millions per year, and infrequent verification to save on gas leads to longer exit windows and worse UX.
+
+### **How Aligned helps:**
+
+- Offloads verification to a decentralized operator set, reducing per-proof gas by 90–99% and increasing throughput from ~tens of proofs/sec on Ethereum to thousands.  
+- For full L1 security and no cryptoeconomic trust assumptions, aggregate many rollup proofs into a single recursive proof verified on Ethereum.  
+- Option to use the Proof Verification Layer or Proof Aggregation Service depending on security and latency needs.
+
+### **Choose a mode:**
+
+- **Verification Layer (low latency, high volume):** live on mainnet; ideal for the fastest confirmations and very high proof volumes. Economic security with nearly 3 million restaked ETH (>$12B USD value).  
+- **Aggregation Service (highest security):** recursively compresses many proofs into one proof verified on L1; great when you can trade latency for full Ethereum security.
+
+{% hint style="success" %}
+Our RaaS makes launching [based ZK-rollups](https://blog.alignedlayer.com/aligned-raas-based-rollups-to-build-the-future-of-ethereum/) (Ethrex stack) possible in one click and is integrated with our ZK verification layer to reduce costs.
+{% endhint %}
+
+## Fast, trust-minimized bridging & interoperability
+
+Bridges and cross-chain systems verify source chain state/account proofs on the destination chain. We are also developing an intents and ZK-based fast interoperability protocol in-house to take full advantage of the ZK Verification Layer and to complement our RaaS platform.
+
+### **How Aligned helps:**
+
+- Verifies non-EVM-friendly proofs (e.g., Kimchi, STARKs) economically and at scale.  
+- Enables fast exits (soft finality) while optionally posting hard-finality checkpoints via aggregation.
+
+### **Choose a mode:**
+
+- **Verification Layer** for quick attestations and user UX.  
+- **Aggregation Service** for periodic consolidated checkpoints to L1.
+
+{% hint style="success" %}
+The Mina ↔ Ethereum bridge uses Aligned to verify Mina’s Kimchi proofs on Ethereum ([blog post](https://blog.alignedlayer.com/mina-to-ethereum-bridge/)).
+{% endhint %}
+
+## zkTLS & web2-to-web3 data credentials
+
+Generate proofs about data fetched over TLS (bank account balances, KYC, social graphs) and use them onchain without revealing the raw data.
+
+### **How Aligned helps:**
+
+- Turns high-volume zkTLS attestations into a practical UX by keeping verification costs low and parallelizable.  
+- Lets apps pick latency vs. finality per flow (e.g., instant gating on Verification Layer + periodic L1-final checkpoints via aggregation).
+
+### **Choose a mode:**
+
+- **Verification Layer** when users need instant attest-and-act.  
+- **Aggregation Service** when proofs must be verified directly on Ethereum.
+
+## Verifiable AI (zkML / LLM inference proofs)
+
+To make AI verifiable, prove that model inference (or parts of a pipeline) ran correctly, or that an output meets policy constraints—then settle the result to Ethereum for auditability or onchain automation.
+
+### **How Aligned helps:**
+
+- zkVM proofs from systems like SP1 and Risc0 are supported today, so you can move from POCs to production-grade verification economics.  
+- High-volume inference checks (micro-payments, agent marketplaces, model-usage attestations) benefit from the Verification Layer’s low latency; compliance/events can use aggregated L1 proofs.
+
+### **Choose a mode:**
+
+- **Verification Layer** for per-inference confirmations and low cost at scale.  
+- **Aggregation Service** for periodic, L1-final attestations (e.g., job batches, epoch summaries).
+
+{% hint style="success" %}
+See our [blog post](https://blog.alignedlayer.com/the-era-of-ai-needs-ethereum-and-zk/) that expands on why we believe ZK and Ethereum will play a major role in the future of AI.
+{% endhint %}
+
+## Identity & verifiable credentials
+
+Issue/verify privacy-preserving credentials (DID/VC, age/eligibility proofs, reputation). Governments and enterprises can adopt ZK without forcing users to leak data.
+
+### **How Aligned helps:**
+
+- Makes credential verification cheap enough for mainstream UX while keeping Ethereum as the root of trust and avoiding the compromise of verifying proofs on a blockchain with lower security.  
+- Already powering real identity stacks (e.g. [Sovra’s Digital Trust Stack](https://blog.alignedlayer.com/aligned-sovra-partner-to-power-digital-trust-in-latin-america/)).
+
+### **Choose a mode:**
+
+- **Verification Layer** for interactive UX (logins, access control).  
+- **Aggregation Service** for archival or cross-period consolidated attestations.
+
+## ZK coprocessors & oracles
+
+Off-chain processes fetch data or perform heavy computations and return a ZK proof that onchain logic can trust. Allows offchain computation to be secured by onchain trust, giving smart contracts greater expressivity.
+
+### **How Aligned helps:**
+
+- Lets you run richer computations and affordably verify them onchain.  
+- A natural way to add computational trust and reduce L1 gas bottlenecks for oracle-like systems.
+
+### **Choose a mode:**
+
+- **Verification Layer** for frequent or streaming tasks.  
+- **Aggregation Service** when the highest security is needed (e.g. if the economic security from the AVS does not meet risk management parameters).
+
+## Onchain gaming & interactive apps
+
+Games and interactive dapps that prove game validity, scores/results, or anti-cheat logic with ZK.
+
+### **How Aligned helps:**
+
+- Low-latency verification makes regular and frequent proving economical.  
+- We’ve highlighted early builders in our [hackathon spotlights](https://blog.alignedlayer.com/tag/hackathons/).
+
+{% hint style="success" %}
+_**Coming soon:**_ Our **ZK Arcade** (launching 2025 Q3) will let users verify proofs of game results using Aligned.
+{% endhint %}
+
+## Which mode should I pick?
+
+**Need the lowest cost and fastest confirmations?**
+- Start with the [Proof Verification Layer](https://docs.alignedlayer.com/architecture/1_proof_verification_layer). It’s live on mainnet, secured by 52 restaked operators, and can verify thousands of proofs per second with results readable on Ethereum within blocks (cryptoeconomic security derived from Ethereum).
+
+**Need full L1 finality in one transaction?**
+- Use the [Proof Aggregation Service](https://docs.alignedlayer.com/architecture/2_aggregation_mode). It recursively compresses many proofs into one that’s verified directly on Ethereum, trading minutes of latency for the strongest security (full cryptographic security of Ethereum).
+
+***You can also combine both:*** use the Verification Layer for UX and fast exits, then periodically post aggregated checkpoints for L1 finality.
+
+In the current Holesky testnet deployment of the Proof Aggregation Service, supported Risc Zero and SP1 zkVM proofs that are submitted to the Proof Verification Layer are aggregated and verified through the Aggregation Service several times per day. The mainnet version will allow users to choose either the Verification Layer or Aggregation Service (or both) when submitting proofs.
+
+![Comparison between the Proof Verification Layer and Proof Aggregation Service (_August 2025_)](../images/pvl_vs_pas_comp_table.png)
+
+## Supported proof systems
+
+Aligned supports multiple verifiers (today: Risc0, SP1, gnark Groth16/Plonk, Circom, with more on the roadmap), so you can pick the right proving stack and still get good economics.
+
+## Featured projects & posts
+
+- [Verification Layer vs. Aggregation Service deep-dive](https://blog.alignedlayer.com/proof-verification-layer-vs-aggregation-service/)  
+- [Aligned RaaS: Based ZK-rollups using Ethrex](https://blog.alignedlayer.com/why-is-aligned-using-ethrex-for-based-zk-rollups/)  
+- [Mina ↔ Ethereum bridge](https://blog.alignedlayer.com/mina-to-ethereum-bridge/)  
+- [Why based rollups?](https://blog.alignedlayer.com/aligned-raas-based-rollups-to-build-the-future-of-ethereum/)
+
+## Future additions
+
+- Use cases: Aligned RaaS
+- Use cases: Meta-proving services
+- Use cases: Aligned Wallets-as-a-Service
+- Use cases: Aligned Interoperability protocol

docs/2_architecture/1_proof_verification_layer.md

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ If a two-thirds majority agrees, the results are posted to Ethereum.
 
 The proof submission can be simplified as follows:
 
-![Figure 1: Simplified Architecture](../images/simplified_architecture.png)
+![Figure 1: Simplified Architecture](../images/pvl_simple_architecture.png)
 
 1. The users submit proofs to the batcher through the CLI or SDK.
 2. The batcher accumulates proofs, and then sends the batch to some Data Service and posts the merkle root and data to

docs/2_architecture/3_raas_platform.md

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Aligned's RaaS platform integrates RISC-V zkVMs, the new [Ethrex execution clien
 
 Our RaaS platform will be integrated with our upcoming products to give developers all the tools they need to operate a complete ecosystem: wallet-as-a-service infrastructure for simplified onboarding, meta-proving services that give users access to provers provided by Aligned or other third-party centralized or decentralized proving services, and our interoperability protocol for efficient cross-chain liquidity access.
 
-![Figure 1: Aligned Suite of Products](../images/aligned_suite_of_products.png)
+![Figure 1: Aligned Suite of Products](../images/zk_rollups_and_aligned.png)
 
 ## What advantages will Aligned's RaaS platform offer for your project?