Seeing More Movement Around ZK + Data Layers , Real Shift or Hype?

[Macjaja64]

There’s been a noticeable uptick in projects trying to use zero-knowledge proofs in ways that go beyond the typical scaling and privacy narratives. Some are now moving into the data layer trying to let smart contracts process large SQL-style queries from both on-chain and off-chain sources, all verifiable via ZK.

One recent example is Space and Time (SXT), which seems to be tackling decentralized data warehousing with ZK coprocessing. What stood out wasn’t just the tech angle, but also how many top exchanges (Bitget included) have lined up to support it. Kind of suggests there might be more serious backing here than the usual ZK buzzwords.

But here’s what I’m wondering:
    •    Is ZK really suited for handling large-scale data interactions?
    •    Can this actually help dApps or AI protocols in a meaningful way, or will performance be a bottleneck?
    •    And are exchanges jumping in early because of actual utility, or just to front-run the next narrative?

Curious if anyone else is tracking this shift or if you think this whole ZK + data layer trend is just temporary noise before the next thing drops.