JSON serialization is slow and the output can be very bulky.

• Determine if it is worthwhile to switch to a faster third-party JSON library (helps with speed, but not size).
• Explore the use of protobuf, and in particular, determine if proto size limits are sufficient for the upcoming large circuits or if a different format is needed.
• If the proto format is good, implement protobuf serialization for an essential subset of JSON-serializable gates and encode the rest as proto-wrapped JSON.