Protocol / Future / ZK VMs (Future)
plannedLayer 1 · Protocol

ZK VMs (Future)

Speculative verifiable-compute direction — run functions in a zero-knowledge VM (RISC Zero, SP1) so results carry a proof anyone can verify.

ZK VMs (Future)

ZK VMs are a speculative direction in which compute functions run inside a zero-knowledge virtual machine (e.g. RISC Zero, SP1) so the result comes with a cryptographic proof of correct execution that anyone can verify without re-running the function — verify(proof, function_cid, inputs, outputs).

Why

It would extend TinyCloud's "trust the signature, not the server" stance from authorization to computation: today a capability proves you were allowed to do something; a ZK-VM proof would prove a computation over space data was done correctly, useful for verifiable authorization (delegation/epoch-transition proofs) and as the basis for light-client verification.

Current status

Speculative — research phase. Named in the whitepaper Future Directions; no implementing code and no captured design beyond the spec. Do not treat as committed.

See also

Pairs with compute (the service that would host ZK-VM functions) and underpins light clients. Sits in Layer 1; see the roadmap.

Sources

  • whitepaper: README.md §6 (Verifiable Compute with ZK VMs)