Boundless is a universal, decentralized protocol designed to provide verifiable compute services and integrate Zero-Knowledge (ZK) technology across multiple blockchains. It functions as a network of independent provers that offloads intensive computational tasks from various chains, rollups, and applications, aiming to provide a consistent scalability and interoperability layer for the blockchain ecosystem. ^{[1] [2]}

Overview

Boundless was developed to address the scalability limitations inherent in traditional blockchain architectures. The project identifies a core problem: blockchains are designed for state consensus, not high-throughput computation, which forces every validator to re-execute each transaction. This design leads to capped execution via gas limits, needless replication of compute across thousands of nodes, and state fragmentation through scaling solutions like new networks. ^[10] The protocol's solution is to decouple execution from consensus by offloading computational work to a permissionless network of "provers." These provers generate compact, cryptographically secure ZK proofs of computation, which can then be efficiently verified on-chain. This model allows a blockchain's total computational capacity to increase as more provers join the network, a concept the project describes as making blockchains "internet-scale." ^[9]

The core of the network's economic model is a novel incentive mechanism called Proof of Verifiable Work (PoVW). Unlike traditional Proof-of-Work systems that reward miners for solving arbitrary puzzles, PoVW rewards provers for performing useful computational work—generating ZK proofs for clients. This system is designed to create a competitive, open market for proof generation, which is intended to improve cost efficiency over time. The protocol's native token, ZK Coin (ZKC), is central to this mechanism, serving as collateral for proving jobs, a reward for provers, and a means for network governance. ^[8]

The project's vision is to create an "ecosystem of ecosystems," a unified fabric where applications can compose transactions and read state across different blockchains like Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Solana without relying on traditional, trust-based bridges. By making various chains ZK-provable, Boundless aims to enable a new class of cross-chain applications. The protocol was incubated by RISC Zero and is supported by a range of venture capital firms and advisors from prominent blockchain projects. ^{[1] [9]}

History

The technological foundation for Boundless's approach was influenced by the development of the first RISC-V zkVM by RISC Zero in 2021, which enabled the generation of proofs from standard programming languages. The Boundless project itself was incubated by RISC Zero. ^{[9] [8]}

In late 2024, the project launched its Collaborative Development Program (CDP) for early adopters. This was followed by the launch of the Boundless Mainnet Beta in July 2025, which was described as the first decentralized, permissionless protocol for ZK proofs and attracted 411,000 participants. During this beta phase, an initiative called 'The Signal' was launched, where the network began generating proofs for entire blockchains, including Ethereum and Base, in collaboration with over 20 partners. The pre-mainnet phase saw over 2,500 provers join the network. ^[9]

Mainnet Launch

The official Boundless mainnet went live on September 15, 2025, launching on the Base network. This event marked the introduction of the Proof of Verifiable Work (PoVW) mechanism and the Token Generation Event (TGE) for its native token, ZK Coin (ZKC). Concurrently, functionalities for airdrop claims, staking, and proving were made available to the public. On the same day, the token began trading on multiple centralized exchanges; KuCoin listed a ZKC/USDT spot trading pair, and Binance announced the launch of U-margined perpetual contracts for ZKC. ^{[11] [2] [5]}

Technology

Boundless operates as a universal protocol that brings verifiable computation to various blockchain layers, including L1s, rollups, and applications, without requiring modifications to the underlying chains. ^[9]

Core Architecture

The protocol's architecture is designed to separate the execution of complex computations from the consensus layer of blockchains. The process works as follows:

1. Proof Requests: Clients, such as dApps or rollups, submit requests for ZK proof generation to the Boundless network. These clients can pay for the service using their own native tokens, such as ETH or SOL.
2. Prover Competition: A decentralized and permissionless network of independent provers competes to fulfill these requests.
3. Proof Generation: The winning prover executes the computation off-chain and generates a compact ZK proof.
4. On-Chain Verification: The generated proof is submitted back to the client's native chain, where it can be verified efficiently via a smart contract.

This model allows developers to "build once, verify anywhere," making their protocols compatible with any chain integrated with Boundless. The technological approach is inspired by zkVMs like that of RISC Zero, which allows developers to generate proofs from standard programming languages without needing to write custom circuits. ^{[1] [8]}

The Boundless Market

Access to the network's compute resources is managed through The Boundless Market, a set of smart contracts deployed on every integrated chain. This market functions as a permissionless clearinghouse that matches proof requests from applications with compute capacity from prover nodes. ^[10]

The process for fulfilling a proof request follows several steps:

1. Create & Broadcast a Proof Request: A developer constructs a request specifying the zkVM program to be executed, the inputs for the program, requirements for the output (such as an expected journal hash), and auction parameters. These parameters include the price offered (min/max), ramp-up time, timeouts, and the required stake for the prover. The request can be submitted on-chain or sent off-chain.
2. Reverse-Dutch Auction: An auction begins at the time specified in the request. The price starts at a minimum and rises linearly until it reaches the maximum price, where it remains until the auction expires. Prover nodes can estimate the computational cost and place a bid when the price is profitable. The first prover to bid locks the request, gaining exclusive rights to fulfill it in exchange for posting stake. Alternatively, a prover can directly fulfill an unlocked job without bidding, receiving the current auction price without needing to post stake. If a locked job is not fulfilled in time, the prover's stake becomes a bounty for the first prover to submit a valid proof.
3. Proof Generation & Batching: Provers can batch multiple jobs together to optimize costs. The individual execution receipts from each job are organized as leaves in a Merkle tree. A single, efficient Groth16 proof is then generated to attest to the validity of the entire batch via the Merkle root. This process amortizes the on-chain verification gas cost across all requests in the batch.
4. Settlement: The batch proof is submitted to the market contract on-chain. The contract verifies the single Groth16 proof, checks each Merkle inclusion proof against its corresponding request, and then settles the payments. The prover is paid from the funds locked by the requestor, and their stake is returned. An on-chain event is emitted upon delivery, and the proof is made available in calldata. Requestors can also set up a callback to a smart contract that is triggered upon proof delivery. This entire market mechanism is designed to be permissionless and efficient, allowing developers to access verifiable compute from their native blockchain ecosystem. ^[10]

Proof of Verifiable Work (PoVW)

Proof of Verifiable Work is the incentive mechanism at the core of the Boundless protocol. It is designed to reward network participants for contributing useful computational work, turning ZK proofs into a metered resource that the protocol can reward. ^[10]

• Incentive Model: The protocol measures the computational complexity of each proof and rewards provers with newly issued ZKC tokens in proportion to the "verifiable work" they contribute. This means ZKC is "mined" by generating proofs rather than by solving arbitrary puzzles.
• Reward Distribution: In each epoch, 75% of new ZKC emissions are distributed to active provers through the PoVW mechanism, while the remaining 25% is distributed to all protocol stakers.
• Staking Requirement: To be eligible for PoVW rewards, a prover must stake an amount of ZKC that scales with the volume of their proving activity within a given epoch. This system is intended to incentivize performance and efficiency. ^{[9] [8]}

How PoVW Works

The PoVW mechanism functions through an on-chain "meter" that transparently measures and rewards work.

1. Immutable Cycle Tag: Every proof generated on Boundless contains an immutable tag that records the number of computation cycles proven, along with a unique nonce to prevent replays. This tag is part of the proof's public claim and cannot be tampered with by the prover or the requestor.
2. Epoch Tally: At the end of each epoch, a smart contract sums the cycle tags from all proofs that were finalized during that period to determine the total verifiable work completed on the network.
3. Deterministic Payout: A fixed amount of ZKC is minted for the epoch and distributed to provers on a pro-rata basis according to their share of the total cycles proven. For example, a prover who contributed 5% of the total cycles receives 5% of the ZKC minted for that epoch. ^[10]

Significance of PoVW

The PoVW model is presented as a significant advancement over traditional consensus mechanisms for several reasons:

• Accuracy: It rewards cryptographically verified work, scaling payouts with the actual complexity of the computation performed.
• Permissionless Meritocracy: Any node that can meet the network's latency and stake requirements can participate and earn rewards proportional to the work they prove.
• Transparent Economics: Since the entire metering and payout process is on-chain and tamper-proof, the economic incentives are transparent and auditable. ^[10]

Proving Collateral and Slashing

To ensure the reliability and liveness of the proof generation market, Boundless incorporates an economic security model based on collateral and slashing.

• Collateral Requirement: Before a prover can accept a proof request, they must lock ZKC as collateral. The value of this collateral is typically required to be a minimum of 10 times the maximum fee for the job, providing a strong economic guarantee of proof delivery.
• Slashing Mechanism: If a prover fails to submit a valid proof within the specified time, their staked collateral is slashed. The slashed funds are split: 50% is permanently burned from the supply, and the remaining 50% is reassigned on-chain as a bounty for another prover to complete the request.
• Economic Effect: As demand for verifiable computation on the network grows, the total amount of ZKC locked as collateral is expected to increase, which is designed to reduce the token's circulating supply and enhance network security. ^[8]

Tokenomics

The native utility token of the Boundless protocol is the ZK Coin (ZKC). It was launched with an initial total supply of 1 billion tokens. ^{[8] [2]}

Token Utility

The ZKC token has several core functions within the ecosystem:

• Proving Collateral: Provers must stake ZKC to accept proving jobs, which serves as an economic guarantee for the timely delivery of valid proofs.
• Protocol Staking: Staking ZKC is a foundational requirement for network participation. It allows holders to earn a baseline share of protocol rewards (25% of all epoch emissions) and participate in governance.
• Mining Rewards: Active provers earn 75% of all ZKC emissions from each epoch through the Proof of Verifiable Work mechanism.
• Governance: Staked ZKC grants holders voting power over protocol upgrades, marketplace mechanics, the addition of new zkVMs, and ecosystem grants. The governance model is planned to adopt a time-weighted voting power system. ^[8]

Initial Token Allocation

The initial supply of 1 billion ZKC was allocated to various stakeholders:

• Ecosystem Growth (49%):
  • Ecosystem Fund (31%): Held by the Boundless Foundation for grants, developer tooling, and protocol maintenance. Subject to a 1-year cliff and a 24-month linear vesting schedule.
  • Strategic Growth Fund (18%): Designated for enterprise integrations and institutional prover onboarding, unlocking over 12 months based on milestones.
• Core Team & Early Contributors (23.5%):
  • Core Team (20%): Allocation for the main development team.
  • RISC Zero (3.5%): An allocation to the incubating company.
  • Both allocations are subject to a 1-year cliff followed by a 24-month linear vest.
• Investors (21.5%): For strategic partners, subject to a 1-year cliff and a 24-month linear vest.
• Community Token Sale & Airdrop (~6%):
  • Community Sale (5%): 50% unlocked at the Token Generation Event (TGE), with the remainder unlocking after six months.
  • Airdrop (1%): 100% unlocked at TGE for early contributors and community members.

This allocation structure was detailed in an official blog post. ^[8]

Emission Schedule

The protocol features an algorithmic emission schedule that introduces new ZKC into the ecosystem as rewards. The inflation rate is set at 7% for the first year, after which it tapers down to a permanent rate of 3% from year eight onward. Of these emissions, 75% are directed to provers via PoVW, and 25% are distributed to all ZKC stakers. ^[8]

Ecosystem and Partnerships

Boundless was incubated by RISC Zero and has garnered support from various entities within the blockchain industry. The project is governed in part by the Boundless Foundation, which manages the Ecosystem Fund to promote growth. ^[8]

Backers and Advisors

The project is supported by a number of institutional investors, including Geometry Venture Development, IOSG Ventures, Figment Capital, Bain Capital Crypto, zkv, Fenbushi Capital, Galaxy, Delphi Ventures, Blockchain Capital, and Maven11 Capital. Its advisors include prominent figures from the industry, such as Mert, founder of Helius; Patrick O'Grady, founder of Commonware; Nick White, COO at Celestia; and Dan Boneh, a professor at Stanford University. ^[1]

Integrations and Collaborations

At its mainnet launch, Boundless had established integrations to provide proving for several major blockchain ecosystems, including Ethereum, Bitcoin (via BitVM), Solana, Base, Unichain, and OP Mainnet. The project also supports hybrid designs like BOB (Build on Bitcoin). Partners in 'The Signal' initiative included Stellar, Optimism, and Taiko. Taiko, a ZK-rollup project, publicly acknowledged its ongoing work with the Boundless team following the mainnet launch. ^{[9] [5]}

Use Cases

The protocol is designed to serve various segments of the blockchain ecosystem by providing verifiable compute for arbitrarily complex code, allowing developers to move beyond the constraints of on-chain execution. ^[10]

ZK Rollups

• Taiko: A based type-1 zkEVM rollup that leverages Boundless's multi-prover network for generating its validity proofs.
• Citrea: A ZK rollup for Bitcoin that records commitments on the Bitcoin network and uses Boundless to generate the ZK proofs for smart contract execution and block-space inclusion. This adds EVM-style programmability while inheriting Bitcoin's security.

Hybrid Rollups

• SOON: An SVM-based rollup stack that allows developers to settle on any chain. It uses ZK Fraud proofs generated via Boundless to reduce the challenge window from seven days to approximately three hours, enabling faster withdrawals for users.
• BOB (Build on Bitcoin): A hybrid Bitcoin rollup that runs EVM contracts but anchors finality to Bitcoin. It uses Boundless to produce validity proofs, which enables a one-hour finality time.

Verifiable Exchanges

• Hibachi: An exchange that uses Boundless to prove its off-chain matching engine's operations. Every batch of trades is proven, covering both trade execution and the exchange's solvency, making its balance sheet cryptographically auditable in real-time.

Universal DeFi

• Mendi Finance: A unified lending platform that treats liquidity across multiple chains as a single pool. Its core logic, written in Solidity, runs on Boundless, allowing large state reads and complex rate calculations to execute off-chain without gas limits. This enables users to supply collateral on one network and borrow on another without custodial bridges.

These use cases demonstrate how projects are using Boundless to offload their heaviest computational logic, gain stronger security guarantees, and escape the limitations of on-chain environments. ^[10]