Space and Time, a decentralized data platform, has partnered with a16z crypto to accelerate development of Jolt through its implementation of the Dory polynomial commitment scheme. The collaboration highlights the growing convergence of venture-backed research and practical zero-knowledge (ZK) applications designed to expand the capabilities of Web3 infrastructure.
Space and Time: data infrastructure for Web3
Space and Time positions itself as a decentralized alternative to traditional blockchain indexing services, databases, data warehouses, and API servers. The platform is secured by what it calls Proof of SQL, a sub-second zero-knowledge coprocessor specifically optimized for SQL. This system enables smart contracts to query and process data at the scale necessary for real-time blockchain transactions.
By leveraging Proof of SQL, developers can integrate data-driven insights directly into smart contracts. This includes asking questions about activity on their own blockchain, across other chains, or even external off-chain sources, with verified zero-knowledge proofs returned in the following block. The approach brings together performance and cryptographic guarantees, ensuring that data queries used by smart contracts are both accurate and verifiable.
Expanding access to blockchain data
The Space and Time ecosystem includes pre-built Web3 APIs that give developers access to vast volumes of indexed real-time data from leading chains such as Ethereum, Polygon, Bitcoin, ZKsync, Sui, and Avalanche. The infrastructure is designed to handle hundreds of terabytes of on-chain data, while also providing enterprise-grade security, privacy, and access controls.
In addition to robust APIs, the platform features AI-driven automation tools. Developers can generate queries, pipelines, and dashboards using natural language prompts through an integrated chatbot. Once created, queries can be published directly to APIs, applications, or other databases with a single action, simplifying the development and deployment process.
Dory powering ZK systems
At the core of the collaboration with a16z is the Dory polynomial commitment scheme, recognized for its ability to provide fast verification on large datasets. This makes it especially suitable for high-throughput zero-knowledge systems such as Proof of SQL. Space and Time’s implementation of Dory has been described as the industry’s standard high-performance version, enabling some of the fastest ZK protocols currently available.
The significance of Dory’s integration has already been demonstrated in the progress of Jolt, a zkVM developed by a16z’s research team. Earlier this year, a16z reported a sixfold improvement in Jolt’s performance, crediting the speedup to innovations such as Twist and Shout memory-checking, combined with the high-speed Dory implementation provided by Space and Time.
We're thrilled to collaborate with @a16zcrypto to accelerate Jolt with Space and Time's implementation of the Dory polynomial commitment scheme.
As the standard high-performance implementation of Dory, our codebase now powers the fastest zero-knowledge protocols in the industry,… pic.twitter.com/KdKzgLjHvX
— Space and Time (@SpaceandTimeDB) August 18, 2025
Driving the next generation of ZK technology
With Dory integrated into both Proof of SQL and Jolt, Space and Time’s technology now serves as the backbone for some of the most advanced zero-knowledge systems in the industry. This alignment with a16z underscores the growing importance of polynomial commitment schemes in achieving both scalability and verifiability across decentralized applications.
Industry analysts have noted that the partnership illustrates how heritage venture firms and Web3-native infrastructure providers are increasingly working together to deliver high-performance solutions. By combining cutting-edge research with practical deployment, the collaboration between Space and Time and a16z may serve as a model for future innovation in decentralized computing.
A step toward scalable, verifiable Web3 systems
The collaboration positions Space and Time not only as a provider of blockchain data services but also as a core contributor to the evolution of zero-knowledge technology. Through its integration of Dory, the company has provided the critical infrastructure necessary for scaling verification on large datasets, making Web3 applications both faster and more trustworthy.
For developers, this means new opportunities to build applications that combine on-chain and off-chain data with zero-knowledge guarantees. For the broader ecosystem, it represents a step toward more scalable, data-rich, and verifiable blockchain systems.