What is Boundless (ZKC)?

What Is Boundless?

(Source: boundless_xyz)

Boundless is a decentralized, verifiable computing protocol developed by the RISC Zero team. Its primary goal is to create a global marketplace for computational resources, where tasks are validated and quantified using zero-knowledge proofs (ZKP), and these resources can be freely traded in an open market. The native token, ZKC, powers the network’s economic activity, driving both ecosystem operations and governance.

Boundless Vision and Positioning

Current blockchains have limited computing capacity, as every transaction and smart contract execution requires on-chain recomputation. While this guarantees security, it significantly restricts scalability. Boundless aims to commoditize ZK-verified computation, turning computing power into a freely traded, global resource—not just a scarce on-chain asset.

In the Boundless marketplace, any Prover equipped with a GPU or general hardware can participate and provide ZK proofs to Requestors, earning ZKC rewards via the protocol mechanism. This approach moves away from reliance on centralized services, using Proof of Verifiable Work and a market auction system to create a transparent, fair, and anti-monopoly decentralized marketplace.

Core Protocol Mechanisms

1. Spot Market
   Boundless operates a reverse Dutch auction system. When a user submits a ZK computation request, prices automatically rise along a curve until a Prover accepts and completes the task. This ensures the lowest feasible settlement price and prevents the information asymmetry inherent in traditional auctions.
2. Proof of Verifiable Work
   Unlike Bitcoin, which relies solely on hash power competition, Boundless records and verifies each Prover’s actual computation cycles during proof generation. These records determine reward allocations, ensuring participants earn ZKC proportional to their real contributions.
3. Verifiable Service Agreements
   Beyond spot trading, Boundless supports long-term service agreements. For example, a protocol developer might enter an annual computing contract with several Provers, guaranteeing sustained ZK proof support. These contracts can also be split and traded, similar to financial derivatives.
4. Decentralization and Anti-Monopoly
   Boundless’s low entry threshold guarantees an open marketplace. Even if major Provers try to monopolize, smaller participants can join at any time, breaking up monopolies through lower pricing or flexibility and supporting healthy market growth.

ZKC Roles and Functions

ZKC is Boundless’s native token and serves several key functions:

• Computation Rewards: Provers generate proofs, earning fees from Requestors and additional ZKC incentives issued by the protocol.
• Market Governance: ZKC holders can participate in protocol governance, including setting parameters such as fee rates and reward intervals.
• Vault Mechanism: ZKC can be locked in Vaults to generate Points; holders may burn Points to withdraw market fees or unlock staked tokens.
• Collateral: Provers must stake ZKC to accept tasks in spot or service agreements; failure to deliver results in a penalty (slashing), maintaining market integrity.

Tokenomics

ZKC’s tokenomics balance incentive and governance. Its total supply is strictly capped at 1 billion tokens. Minting rates and distributions are governed by protocol decisions and closely tied to actual market demand and work performed, ensuring a sustainable ecosystem. Boundless rewards combine two metrics: value contribution and computational contribution:

• Value Contribution: The share of market fees generated by each Prover.
• Computational Contribution: The proportion of computation cycles completed by each Prover.

Final rewards use the lower of these two metrics to prevent exploitation and excessive concentration. Unsold tokens are burned, further increasing ZKC scarcity.

Token Distribution

The Boundless token distribution model prioritizes ecosystem growth, community engagement, and early supporter interests:

• Ecosystem Fund (31%): Supports developers, protocol integration, and long-term infrastructure, enabling Boundless to thrive across multiple chains.
• Strategic Growth Fund (18%): Fuels partnerships, cross-chain deployment, and resource integration.
• Community Sales & Airdrops (6%): Rewards early users, boosts community participation, and incentivizes new members to join Boundless.
• Investors (21.5%): Allocated to institutional and private backers supporting the project with capital and resources during early stages.
• Core Team & Early Contributors (23.5%): Rewards Boundless’s core developers and project advocates, ensuring sustained commitment.

(Source: boundless_xyz)

This model balances technology, market adoption, and community consensus, preventing excessive centralization and supporting the project’s long-term vision.

ZKC spot trading will begin September 15, 2025, at 14:00 UTC. To explore more Web3 content, click to register: https://www.gate.com/

Summary

Boundless (ZKC) is not merely a technical protocol; it’s foundational infrastructure for the Web3 era. By enabling ZK computation to be traded like a commodity, Boundless unlocks scalable opportunities for DeFi, GameFi, Layer 2 solutions, and even traditional industries. As the ecosystem matures, ZKC will be more than just Boundless’s fuel—it could become a key value driver for the next generation of ZK infrastructure. With ZK technology entering the mainstream, Boundless may very well hold the key to a new era of borderless, verifiable computation.