Boundless is the universal ZK protocol that makes blockchains internet-scale. Its novel incentive mechanism, Proof of Verifiable Work (PoVW), and native token ZKC reward prover nodes for generating proofs that power L1s, rollups, bridges, and applications across all ecosystems. PoVW turns proving itself into the source of new value, making ZKC one of the first ZK-mined tokens.

The Opportunity

Boundless is less than two weeks old, and the opportunity for provers to earn rewards is high. With fewer nodes competing for rewards, early operators have the chance to capture significantly higher yields than will be possible as the network matures.

From Mining to Proving

In the early days of Bitcoin, miners turned electricity and hardware into digital gold. Boundless introduces a similar model for the ZK era. Instead of hashing, provers generate zero-knowledge proofs. Instead of block rewards, they earn epoch rewards.

Every proof submitted via Boundless contributes to the security and scalability of blockchains across multiple ecosystems. For provers, this means their GPUs aren’t just running redundant workloads; they’re powering the foundation of a verifiable internet while earning real financial rewards.

PoW vs PoVW

How Rewards Work

Provers on Boundless earn through two streams:

1. Mining

Boundless measures the actual work your GPUs perform and pays you proportionally. Each epoch (roughly every two days), you earn based on your share of total cycles proven and your share of staked ZKC.

PoVW rewards are calculated as the lesser of:

• your relative share of proven cycles, or
• your active staked ZKC ÷ 15*

This balance is intended to ensure that rewards scale fairly with both compute and stake. Active provers consistently earn more than passive stakers, with rewards for early provers so generous they required a cap. In a single (two-day) epoch during Boundless’ first two weeks live, provers were eligible to earn up to 6.66% of their stake, far exceeding what passive staking alone delivers.

• High proving yields do not imply uncontrolled token issuance. ZKC inflation is capped at 7% in the first year, and actual issuance is likely to be lower while provers remain under-staked. Over time, as more provers fully stake against their proving work, the reward calculation will shift from today’s formula (absolute stake ÷ 15) toward relative stake share, stabilizing emissions while keeping rewards competitive.

2. Market Fees

On top of PoVW, provers also earn ETH from market demand. Boundless employs a reverse Dutch auction mechanism, whereby provers only lock in orders after prices rise. When proving capacity is scarce, fees increase. In the week since launch, Boundless provers earned 7.2 ETH in fees in addition to PoVW rewards.

Why Now Is the Time to Prove