Boundless (ZKC) is a universal zero-knowledge (ZK) protocol and decentralized marketplace for verifiable computation. Instead of relying on a single network, it provides ZK-powered computation as a service for any blockchain, allowing blockchains to scale by offloading complex and expensive computations to a network of independent provers.
Boundless ecosystem
The Boundless ecosystem is a marketplace that connects requesters (developers and blockchains) with provers (network participants).
Requesters: Developers, decentralized applications (dApps), and rollups can use Boundless to process off-chain computations and receive a succinct cryptographic proof, which is then verified on-chain.
Provers: Prover nodes compete to generate ZK proofs for computational tasks. They must stake ZKC tokens as collateral to participate and are rewarded with ZKC for correctly completing proof requests.
Governance: ZKC token holders have voting rights to participate in protocol governance, such as proposing or voting on upgrades, fee changes, and other marketplace rules.
Core technology
Boundless is built by the team behind RISC Zero, the creators of the first RISC-V-based ZK virtual machine (zkVM). Its key technologies include:
Zero-Knowledge Virtual Machine (zkVM): Boundless's RISC-V zkVM is used to generate verifiable proofs for general-purpose code. This allows for flexible and efficient off-chain computation.
Proof of Verifiable Work (PoVW): This is the core consensus mechanism that incentivizes provers to generate valid and useful ZK proofs, unlike traditional Proof of Work that expends energy on meaningless cryptographic puzzles. Provers stake ZKC, and a portion of their stake is slashed if they fail to perform their tasks correctly.
Interoperability: The protocol is chain-agnostic and designed to work with various blockchains and proof systems.
Steel: A ZK coprocessor that allows Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) chains to offload complex computations to the Boundless network while maintaining on-chain verification.
OP Kailua: A toolkit designed to enhance optimistic rollups with hybrid ZK proofs for faster finality.
The ZKC coin
The ZKC token is the native utility token that fuels the Boundless ecosystem. Its primary functions include:
Staking and Collateral: Provers must stake ZKC tokens to participate in the network. This provides a security guarantee for requesters and ensures provers have a stake in performing their work honestly.
Payment for Services: Requesters pay network fees in ZKC to obtain proofs for their computational tasks.
Rewards and Incentives: Provers and stakers earn ZKC tokens through the Proof of Verifiable Work (PoVW) mechanism. This economically rewards network participants for contributing to the protocol's security and verifiable compute power.
Governance: ZKC token holders have the right to vote on proposals and changes to the protocol.