Boundless has transitioned its protocol for verifiable compute from beta to a live production environment by officially activating its mainnet, aiming to validate the concept that blockchains can emulate the internet’s scaling model.
Summary
- Boundless has launched its mainnet, featuring Proof of Verifiable Work and ZK Coin (ZKC).
- The network incentivizes provers for creating verifiable computation, moving away from traditional block mining.
- During Mainnet Beta, more than 2,500 provers and 411,000 participants engaged, raising $71M in the Kaito sale.
On September 15, Boundless announced its mainnet activation, completing the transition from last year’s beta phase to full production. The launch introduces Proof of Verifiable Work and ZK Coin (ZKC), asserting zero-knowledge computation as a scalable solution.
Boundless aims to incentivize provers for generating verifiable proofs, shifting away from traditional block mining and reconfiguring blockchain economics to focus on computation itself.
From innovative breakthrough to a functional prover economy
The announcement indicates that the foundational breakthrough originated in 2021 when RISC Zero developed the first RISC-V zkVM, showcasing that developers could create zero-knowledge proofs using Rust and Solidity code instead of complex custom circuits.
This advancement made ZK technology widely available, but a usable zkVM was insufficient for scaling comprehensive ecosystems. Boundless was established to create the essential element through a universal, decentralized protocol that can implement verifiable compute across any blockchain or application.
The Boundless team noted that this vision began to take shape in late 2024 with its Collaborative Development Program, drawing early adopters to construct on the emerging network. By July 2025, the project reached a pivotal moment with the launch of its Mainnet Beta, attracting over 2,500 provers, 411,000 participants, and raising over $71 million in the oversubscribed Kaito token sale.
The infrastructure
Boundless introduces a new economic model called Proof of Verifiable Work, representing a fresh approach to mining. Rather than the energy-intensive, arbitrary challenges typical of traditional proof-of-work networks, Boundless rewards provers for producing practical, verifiable computation.
The protocol assesses the complexity of each cryptographic proof and compensates provers with ZK Coin in proportion to the actual work executed. This establishes a market for verifiable compute, aligning rewards with genuine, valuable results instead of simple hash rates.
To engage in proof generation, provers must stake and lock ZKC, functioning as a security deposit to guarantee fair work. This staking system creates a positive feedback loop: as the demand for proofs rises, more ZKC is locked as collateral, reducing available supply and enhancing the network’s overall security. In essence, it’s a token primarily designed for staking and utilization.
Launched at an all-time high of $2.13 on September 15, ZKC’s price has experienced significant fluctuations. Currently, it trades at around $0.86, reflecting a decline of approximately 48% in the last 24 hours, positioning it about 55% lower than its peak, based on CoinGecko data.
