Boundless

• Boundless is a universal proving network developed by RISC Zero, letting any chain outsource zero-knowledge proof generation.

• Provers compete to generate proofs, with the network handling verification and settlement.

• ZKC is used for staking by provers and for governance.

• Supply allocated across ecosystem, community and contributors.

• Provers stake ZKC as collateral against failing to deliver proofs.

Pros:

• Chain-agnostic rather than tied to one ecosystem's proving needs.

• Built on RISC Zero's general-purpose zkVM, which allows arbitrary programs rather than fixed circuits.

• A competitive prover market should reduce proving cost over time.

Cons:

• Proving demand is concentrated among a small number of rollups today.

• Prover economics depend on hardware costs the network does not control.

• Several proving networks are competing for a market that may not support all of them.

• Exposure to proving infrastructure across chains rather than one ecosystem.

• General-purpose zkVM broadens the addressable use cases.

• Weigh whether proving demand scales enough to sustain the model.

• A chain-agnostic prover marketplace built on a general-purpose zkVM, so any program can be proved rather than only predefined circuits.

• Every rollup builds and operates its own proving infrastructure, duplicating capital and expertise.

• A shared competitive prover market spreads that cost and drives the price down.

• Developed by RISC Zero, founded by Brian Retford and Jeremy Bruestle.

• Backed by Blockchain Capital, Bain Capital Crypto and Galaxy.

• No public ICO. ZKC was distributed through airdrop and Binance ecosystem programmes in 2025.

• Proving demand is concentrated and could contract if rollups build in-house.

• Prover profitability depends on hardware and energy costs.

• Multiple competing proving networks.

• Slashing risk for provers that fail to deliver.