Existing high performance blockchains verify one signature per transaction on the critical path, which creates O(N) verification cost, high hardware pressure, and difficult post quantum migration. This paper presents ACE Runtime, a ZKP native execution layer built on identity authorization separation. We replace per transaction signature checks with lightweight HMAC attestations in the hot path, then generate one aggregated zero knowledge finality certificate per block in an asynchronous prove stage. The system is organized as an Attest Execute Prove pipeline with two tier finality: soft finality from BFT voting and hard finality from proof verification. Under standard cryptographic assumptions, we provide formal arguments for attestation unforgeability and hard finality irreversibility. We also define a two phase timeout and backup proving path with witness availability gossip for liveness under builder failure. Quantitative results combine analytical modeling with reference implementation measurements. The prototype shows low CPU orchestration overhead, while model driven analysis projects constant per block verification cost, lower validator hardware requirements for non builders, and better bandwidth efficiency than per transaction signature designs. These results indicate that identity authorization separation is a practical architecture for sub second cryptographic finality with a clear path toward stronger post quantum components.

翻译：现有高性能区块链在关键路径上为每笔交易验证一个签名，这导致了O(N)的验证开销、高昂的硬件压力以及困难的后量子迁移。本文提出ACE Runtime，一种基于身份与授权分离构建的零知识证明原生执行层。我们在热路径中用轻量级HMAC证明取代每笔交易的签名检查，然后在异步证明阶段为每个区块生成一个聚合的零知识终局性证明。该系统被组织为“证明-执行-验证”流水线，具有双层终局性：来自BFT投票的软终局性和来自证明验证的硬终局性。在标准密码学假设下，我们为证明的不可伪造性和硬终局性的不可逆性提供了形式化论证。我们还定义了一个两阶段超时机制以及带有见证可用性传播的备用证明路径，以确保在区块构建者故障下的活性。定量结果结合了分析建模与参考实现测量。原型系统显示出较低的CPU协调开销，而模型驱动的分析预测了恒定的每区块验证成本、对非构建者更低的验证节点硬件要求，以及优于每交易签名设计的带宽效率。这些结果表明，身份与授权分离是一种实用的架构，能够实现亚秒级密码学终局性，并为集成更强的后量子组件提供了清晰路径。