ZEROBASE is a project focused on building a real-time zero-knowledge proof (ZK) network, aiming to provide high-performance, privacy-preserving, and decentralized computational infrastructure. The platform ensures the privacy and transparency of data transactions while maintaining strong security and computational efficiency.

By integrating technologies such as Trusted Execution Environments (TEE), ZEROBASE guarantees the security of confidential computations and supports cross-Layer 1, Layer 2, and Rollup ecosystems, enabling near-instantaneous ZK proof generation.

Source: https://zerobase.pro/

Founding Team

ZEROBASE was founded by Mirror Tang, who is not only the CEO of ZEROBASE but also a professor in cryptography at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, specializing in blockchain cryptography engineering and security technology. Mirror Tang and his team are dedicated to balancing performance, security, and technical freedom within the ZEROBASE ecosystem, promoting the widespread application of ZK technology.

ZEROBASE was established in March 2024, originating from the Salus Security Cryptography Security Group, which had previously provided cryptography solutions to the Ethereum Foundation’s cryptography team, PSE. With the team’s accumulated experience in ZK proof acceleration, ZEROBASE developed into an independent, real-time ZK proof acceleration network designed specifically for speed, decentralization, and compliance, to serve better projects that require ZK proofs.

Source: https://zerobase.pro/

Source: https://github.com/Mirror-Tang

Investment and Funding

ZEROBASE was expanded from the Salus Security Cryptography Security Group and has successfully completed a $5 million funding round. Investors include Binance Labs, Lightspeed Faction, FactionVC, Sequoia, IDG, and DAO5.

Additionally, ZEROBASE has received funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Ethereum Foundation, Starknet, the NVIDIA Startup Accelerator Program, and the Microsoft & OpenAI Founders Program.

Source: https://zerobase.pro/

Vision

In the digital age, every transaction and data interaction is at risk of exposure, leading to identity theft, fraud, and sensitive information leakage. Although blockchain provides transparency and trustlessness, core data remains vulnerable to exposure, such as:

• Identity Credential Leakage: Social wallets rely on JWT, and storage or misuse could lead to identity leaks and replay attacks.
• Manipulated Transaction Information: DEX and AMM orders are vulnerable to MEV attacks, eroding user profits.
• Exposed Hedge Fund Strategies: High-frequency trading strategies, if copied or hedged, can severely affect profitability.

ZEROBASE’s vision is to make ZK technology easily accessible to everyone, extending beyond blockchain into broader privacy computing, ensuring that privacy protection becomes a standard rather than a privilege.

Services

One of the core challenges of blockchain is ensuring privacy protection while maintaining decentralization. ZEROBASE enhances privacy protection efficiency and meets compliance requirements through distributed networks, virtual node mechanisms, and verifiable partial decryption commitment technologies.

Whether financial transactions, identity authentication, or cross-chain bridge verification, ZEROBASE ensures data privacy while balancing regulatory and business needs. ZEROBASE will continue to optimize developer tools and support, helping developers quickly build ZK privacy applications.

Leveraging the ZEROBASE proof network, Circom and Gnark code can achieve millisecond-level proof generation, providing developers with unprecedented computational power.

Plug-and-play ZK Solutions — ZEROBASE offers free circuit development and low-cost proof generation services, supporting ecosystems like zkLogin, zkDarkPool, and zkVote. Users only need a $1,000 deployment fee to integrate ZK solutions quickly, enhancing privacy and security, with the cost of each proof as low as 1 cent.

Source: https://docs.zerobase.pro/api/hub-api-1

Efficient ZK Proof Acceleration: By using Circom to write circuits and Gnark to speed up proof generation, ZEROBASE can generate ZK proofs within hundreds of milliseconds. The HUB ring awakening mechanism ensures decentralized consensus, meeting the needs of large-scale commercial applications.

Diverse ZK Solutions: Covering privacy computing scenarios such as zkLogin, zkDarkPool, zkVote, and zkCEX, ZEROBASE offers flexible solutions tailored to different business requirements.

TEE Miner Node Staking: Users can stake TEE miner nodes to enhance network stability and earn rewards. By leveraging Ethereum’s PoS mechanism, the proof generation rewards are distributed to node operators and stakers, achieving decentralized incentives.

Ultra-fast Proof Performance: ZEROBASE’s proof network can generate proofs in just a few milliseconds for every million Circom constraints (based on RTX 4090), setting an industry-leading standard.

Privacy Compliance and Business Support: ZEROBASE provides customized commercial circuits and decodable circuit frameworks to meet privacy computing compliance needs, supporting enterprise-level ZK solution deployment.

Source: https://zerobase.pro/

Features

ZEROBASE’s core advantage lies in its millisecond-level ZK proof generation capability, which showcases exceptional efficiency in real-time applications.

• Privacy Protection: Users can validate transactions using zero-knowledge proofs (ZK) without exposing sensitive data, ensuring comprehensive data privacy protection.
• Scalability and Interoperability: The platform’s proof network spans multiple blockchain architectures, enhancing its scalability and interoperability, enabling it to handle application needs across different blockchain environments.
• Ideal Choice: For enterprises and decentralized applications (DApps), ZEROBASE offers secure data processing solutions, making it the ideal choice in the privacy computing domain.

Technical Architecture

Currently, there are two main types of ZK proof networks in the market:

• Consensus Model: Similar to L1 blockchains, block generation and aggregation times limit the proof speed, making it difficult to meet high-frequency proof generation demands.
• Centralized Architecture: All nodes must send heartbeat packets to a central Hub to remain online, and the Hub tracks the status of all nodes. However, as the number of nodes increases, the Hub’s load skyrockets, becoming a performance bottleneck. If the Hub crashes, the entire system stops functioning.

ZEROBASE Solution: Distributed architecture that eliminates single-point bottlenecks

• Multi-Hub Load Balancing: ZEROBASE divides nodes into several subsets, each managed by independent Hubs. Additional Hubs can be added to share the load, ensuring smooth system expansion.
• Consistent Hash Scheduling: Nodes and Hubs are mapped to a virtual hash space, with nodes automatically connecting to the nearest Hub. If a Hub changes, only a few nodes need to be reassigned, minimizing the impact of load migration.
• Virtual Node Mechanism: This mechanism solves the data skew problem by mapping each Hub to multiple virtual nodes, further balancing computational load, preventing any Hub from becoming overloaded, and avoiding the reversion to a centralized architecture.
• High Scalability & Fault Tolerance: By dynamically expanding the number of Hubs to accommodate node growth, the system can seamlessly operate when a Hub fails. Only the failed Hub’s nodes need to be redistributed to ensure uninterrupted operation.

Through this innovative architecture, ZEROBASE breaks through the performance bottlenecks of traditional ZK proof networks, achieving an efficient, stable, and scalable privacy computing environment.

Source: https://docs.zerobase.pro/technical-overview/structure-and-workflow

Compliance

ZEROBASE integrates privacy computing with compliance through verifiable partial decryption commitment technology. The core mechanism of ZEROBASE ensures that data remains fully encrypted under normal conditions. Still, when specific conditions are met, authorized trusted entities can perform controlled partial decryption of the data, balancing privacy protection with compliance requirements.

Core Mechanism: Intelligent Decryption of Private Data

• Encrypted Data Submission: A user’s sensitive information is submitted as a commitment, where the data is encrypted, and only the user knows the actual value. For example, in a lending scenario, the user’s credit score is not directly exposed; instead, it is proven through a zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) to meet the loan requirements without revealing the exact score.
• Authorized Decryption Mechanism: If a special event occurs (such as a loan default), the system can invoke partial decryption. Trusted entities can use a hidden decryption key (trapdoor) embedded within the commitment to decrypt only the necessary information (e.g., the default amount), without exposing the user’s complete data. Additionally, all decryption operations are recorded on the blockchain for auditing, preventing misuse. Furthermore, trusted entities must provide legal proof when using the decryption functionality to ensure transparency and compliance.

Metaphor: ZEROBASE is like a “privacy vault” encrypted by default. Only under lawful conditions can the correct “key” unlock partial information. This enables ZEROBASE’s technology to be applied in compliance scenarios like financial lending, tax audits, and asset liquidation, ensuring privacy protection and secure, transparent compliance.

Regulatory Compliance: Technologically Neutral, Embracing Regulation

ZEROBASE understands that privacy computing technology can often attract regulatory scrutiny. As such, ZEROBASE has made compliance a core consideration from the outset. The case of Tornado Cash, which was partially delisted due to its immutability, shows that regulation does not entirely reject privacy technology but requires transparency and traceability.

• Proactively Collaborating with Regulatory Authorities: ZEROBASE actively engages with regulators, exploring the legitimate application of privacy computing within a compliance framework to ensure its solutions meet financial and data security requirements.
• Decryptable Circuits: ZEROBASE has developed core technology based on zero-knowledge decryptable circuits, ensuring user data is encrypted by default. However, when legal conditions are met (e.g., user authorization or judicial requests), trusted entities can use special keys for controlled decryption.
• Preventing the Misuse of Privacy Technology: ZEROBASE’s system design avoids creating fully untraceable privacy architectures, ensuring that it can protect user privacy without becoming a tool for illegal activities.

ZEROBASE is not a privacy-mixing tool but an infrastructure provider for privacy computing. ZEROBASE remains technically neutral, adhering to principles of security and compliance, promoting the use of privacy computing in mainstream markets, ensuring that users can enjoy privacy protection while complying with regulatory requirements, and building a truly sustainable ZK ecosystem.

Application Scenarios

ZEROBASE’s technology demonstrates broad applicability across multiple fields, including finance, identity verification, decentralized trading, privacy credit scoring, and cross-border healthcare. In general, the solutions provided by ZEROBASE can be summarized as zk + everything, delivering innovative privacy protection and security across various use cases.

Core Applications:

• Finance:

  • Hedge Funds: ZEROBASE’s technology helps funds verify the compliance of their investment strategies, ensuring that risk limits are not breached while protecting strategy details from disclosure. This allows investors to understand risks better, while funds can safeguard core secrets.
  • DeFi & zkDarkPool: ZEROBASE’s zkDarkPool technology enhances privacy for large transactions, preventing market manipulation and bot sniping, providing stronger protection, especially for smaller tokens.

• Identity Verification:

  • zkLogin: With zkLogin technology, users can verify their blockchain accounts using Google or Facebook credentials without worrying about privacy breaches. This technology is supported by StarkNet and has partnered with TOMO Wallet to offer a more secure and user-friendly experience.

• Cross-chain Bridge Security:

  • Tiga Processor: ZEROBASE’s Tiga processor is dedicated to verifying block information for cross-chain bridges, enhancing the security and efficiency of transactions, and ensuring the reliability of cross-chain asset flow.

• Social Welfare & Privacy Credit Scoring:

  • Privacy Credit Scoring: ZEROBASE developed a privacy credit scoring system for low-income individuals in Arizona, USA, allowing them to verify work records using zero-knowledge proofs to generate trustworthy scores, solving the problem for those without FICO credit scores.

• Cross-border Healthcare:

  • In partnership with Northern Arizona University, ZEROBASE provides privacy asset proof technology for overseas patients, allowing them to verify their asset information from their home countries and receive medical credit.

Source: https://zerobase.pro/

ZB Token Economics

As of January 26, 2025, the ZB token is still in the design phase.

ZB Token Utility

ZB is the core utility token of the ZEROBASE ecosystem, with a total supply of 1 billion tokens, designed to incentivize the development of the Proof-of-Stake (PoS) network.

Core Functions:

• Pay Transaction Fees
• Staking & Governance Participation (vote on network parameters)
• Minting Index Tokens (ZBI)
• Buyback & Burn to optimize supply management
• Leverage Strategies & BTC Options Support to enhance price stability

Source: https://x.com/mirrorzk/status/1883466804334661751

Total: 1 Billion ZB

Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UnNfxubdzK4ojN7wg7HfpZecDzqx5bYeAOSMw2J1NQE/edit?tab=t.0

Mainnet Incentive

ZEROBASE launched its incentive mainnet event on January 19, 2025, allowing users to earn ZB rewards.

Event Details

• TVL Competition Reward: 1,000,000 ZB, unlocked entirely at TGE.
• Early Staking Reward: A total of 100,000,000 ZB (10% of total token supply), unlocked at TGE.

How to Participate

• Staking Requirement: Minimum staking of $10 in assets.
• Supported Assets: USDT, USDC.
• Supported Chains: Ethereum, BNB Chain, Arbitrum, Polygon, Avalanche.

Reward Calculation

• Rewards are distributed based on average TVL staked.
• Calculation Rule:

Average TVL staked = (Total staked amount - Total redeemed amount - Total withdrawn amount) × Holding days / 22

Example:

• User A stakes $100 on Day 5, adds $200 on Day 15, and holds until the end of the event.

Calculation: ($100 × 17 days / 22) + ($200 × 7 days / 22) = $136.36.

Ranking & Reward Distribution

• Real-time Ranking: The event page updates TVL staking rankings every 24 hours, and the final ranking is based on the average staked amount at the end of the event.
• Reward Distribution: Rewards will be allocated within 10 business days after the event ends.

User Staking Guide: You can access the user staking guide for ZEROBASE at this link.

Sources: Coinlist Blog - Announcing the Zerobase Incentivized Mainnet

Sources: https://coinlist.co/zerobase-incentivized-mainnet

Current ZK-Based Solutions

Competitive Analysis

Comparative Analysis:

• Privacy Protection: ZEROBASE, similar to Zcash, focuses on privacy protection but employs a broader range of zero-knowledge proof (ZK) technologies, enhancing its scalability. While Zcash primarily uses zk-SNARKs for private transactions, ZEROBASE leverages its scalable ZK proof technology, offering a more comprehensive solution for privacy in a wider range of use cases. This gives ZEROBASE a significant advantage in terms of versatility and scalability compared to Zcash.
• Scalability: Compared to StarkWare and Mina, ZEROBASE focuses on improving privacy while minimizing computational costs to achieve more efficient blockchain scaling. StarkWare and Mina are well-known for their scalability features—StarkWare uses zk-rollups and Mina operates with a constant-sized blockchain through zk-SNARKs. However, ZEROBASE’s focus on privacy protection alongside scaling solutions sets it apart by balancing both aspects without sacrificing performance, offering a more efficient and scalable blockchain environment.
• Cross-Chain and Smart Contracts: ZEROBASE may share similarities with projects like Succinct Labs and Axiom, which also utilize zero-knowledge proofs for cross-chain connectivity and smart contract support. However, while these projects focus on technical interoperability and smart contract execution, ZEROBASE emphasizes the additional layer of privacy protection and decentralization. This makes ZEROBASE more focused on ensuring user privacy and data security, whereas other projects like Succinct Labs and Axiom are more centered around seamless technical integration and smart contract functionality.
• DeFi Applications: Both Brine and ZEROBASE are involved in the DeFi sector, but their approaches differ. ZEROBASE strongly emphasizes low-cost, privacy-preserving blockchain applications, aiming to enhance security and privacy in DeFi without compromising on performance. On the other hand, Brine focuses on trustless transactions and cross-chain asset management, which is more about facilitating seamless asset movement and management across different DeFi platforms. While both cater to DeFi, ZEROBASE’s approach is more privacy-centric, while Brine prioritizes transaction transparency and cross-chain liquidity.

Source: https://www.succinct.xyz/

Advantages and Risks

Advantages:
ZEROBASE, a project focused on real-time zero-knowledge proof (ZK) networks, offers core advantages in providing high-performance, privacy-preserving, and decentralized computational infrastructure. With millisecond-level ZK proof generation capabilities, the platform delivers high-performance privacy protection for financial transactions, identity authentication, and cross-chain verification scenarios.

Furthermore, ZEROBASE utilizes Trusted Execution Environments (TEE) to ensure the security of confidential computations, supporting Layer 1, Layer 2, and Rollup ecosystems, ensuring seamless operation across various blockchain environments. ZEROBASE also emphasizes compliance, balancing privacy protection with regulatory requirements, ensuring a balance between privacy computing and secure transparency.

Risks:
Although ZEROBASE provides innovative privacy protection technologies, its decentralized architecture faces certain challenges, particularly as the number of nodes increases. The system’s load may impact performance, especially if a single Hub fails. \
Additionally, despite its compliance design focusing on transparency and traceability, privacy technologies’ rapid development could lead to legal risks, especially in the context of varying regulatory environments in different countries. Striking a balance between privacy protection and regulatory requirements remains a potential risk.

Summary

ZEROBASE is currently in its early stages, and its token economic model is still under development. The project utilizes zero-knowledge proof (ZK) technology to enhance blockchain ecosystem efficiency and privacy protection. Through innovative Circom and Gnark technologies, ZEROBASE achieves millisecond-level proof generation speeds, providing exceptional efficiency for real-time transactions and commercial applications. The platform ensures user data privacy, supports cross-chain interoperability, is compatible with various blockchain platforms, and possesses strong scalability and decentralized architecture. Its technological advantages have shown great innovative potential in finance, identity verification, DeFi, and cross-border healthcare.

Despite significant progress in technological breakthroughs and application expansion, ZEROBASE faces challenges, including the complexity of zero-knowledge proof technology, the time costs of ecosystem development, and intense market competition. These factors require continuous innovation to maintain a leading position in the industry. Balancing privacy protection and compliance, particularly in sensitive areas such as cross-border healthcare, remains a long-term challenge. However, ZEROBASE has the potential to establish a significant position within the blockchain and Web3 ecosystems, driving the industry towards a more secure, efficient, and privacy-focused future.