Zero-knowledge proof verification is now live on Stellar.
Nethermind has implemented the RISC Zero Groth16 verifier for Stellar smart contracts. The Stellar network’s most recent protocol upgrade X-Ray (Protocol 25) also adds native cryptographic primitives that make modern proof verification practical onchain.
Together, these primitives lay the groundwork for configurable, privacy-preserving applications on Stellar, a key requirement for institutions that want to scale real payment flows without exposing sensitive transaction data by default.
This integration has two parts, and they work together:
1) A Groth16 verifier on Soroban
Nethermind has implemented the RISC Zero Groth16 verifier to Soroban, enabling Stellar contracts to verify SNARK proofs directly onchain.
2) Native BN254 + Poseidon support (X-Ray / Protocol 25)
X-Ray adds native support for BN254 and Poseidon, core primitives used across modern ZK systems. This reduces the overhead of implementing ZK cryptography purely at the contract layer and makes proof-heavy applications viable for production deployments.
The direction for privacy on Stellar is clear: keep the network transparent by default, but make privacy configurable when the use case demands it.
At Meridian 2025, SDF’s Chief Product Officer Tomer Weller described this trajectory as giving developers the primitives to build privacy-preserving applications while still meeting the visibility requirements of compliance-forward institutions.
Boundless fits this model by letting applications prove conditions without revealing the underlying inputs. A contract can accept a proof as a cryptographic receipt: learning that a rule was satisfied, without revealing the data behind it.
“Stellar has already proven itself as the go-to network for global payments. By introducing configurable privacy designed with compliance in mind, we’re enabling new categories of applications and features that weren’t possible before. The ability to choose transparency or privacy without compromise changes everything” shared Tomer Weller, Chief Product Officer at the Stellar Development Foundation.
“What makes our recent protocol upgrade particularly exciting is the foundation it creates for builders to develop privacy solutions on Stellar and we’re glad to be working alongside exceptional partners like Nethermind and Boundless, who bring deep expertise in onchain privacy. Together, we’re delivering infrastructure that institutions and developers can adopt in the real-world at scale, which will take blockchain adoption to the next level.”
https://x.com/Nethermind/status/1968672861654053246?s=20
https://x.com/StellarOrg/status/2014387818882118004?s=20
Private payment flows: Prove a transfer is valid without exposing amounts, counterparties, or internal business logic useful for payroll, B2B settlement, and regulated asset movement.
Compliance-aware access controls: Attach authorization to flows without doxxing identity data. Prove “this party is allowed” and “this condition is met,” and let Soroban enforce it as a verified input.
Trust-minimized interoperability: Since Stellar can now verify proofs, developers can build workflows where proof outputs generated elsewhere are verified natively on Stellar, creating a cryptographic link between ecosystems without relying on multisigs.