TL;DR
- Idea: Universal ZK protocol enabling scalable, verifiable off-chain compute for any blockchain, decoupling execution from consensus.
- Catalyst: Mainnet launch on Base (Sept 15, 2025), strategic partnerships with Stellar & Wormhole, recent CEX listings on Coinbase and HTX.
- Risks: Early-stage adoption risk, integration complexity across chains, competition from other ZK/L2 solutions, potential centralization of prover nodes, regulatory uncertainty.
- Score: 8.00/ 10
Coin
- Name/ Ticker: Boundless (ZKC)
- Segment: DePIN
- Status: active
- Price: $0.203700
Key Metrics
- Market Cap: $40 946 975
- FDV: $203 780 000
- Circulating Supply: 200 937 056
- Total Supply: 1 000 000 000
- Inflation: 7.00%
Sources
Technology
- USP: Offers a universal ZK proving layer where independent prover nodes generate succinct proofs for any blockchain, avoiding network re-execution and enabling near-infinite scalability.
- Core Technology: Zero-knowledge proof network with Proof of Verifiable Work, RISC-V zkVM for proof generation, on-chain proof verification contracts, veZKC staking and emissions system.
Roadmap
- 2025-09-15: Mainnet launch on Base
- 2025-10-01: Developer access - free proving resources open
- 2026-01-15: Public Testnet 1 - open prover participation
- 2026-04-15: Public Testnet 2 - decentralized incentive mechanisms live
- 2026-07-15: Phase IV: Full Mainnet release
Team & Investors
Team
- CEO — Shiv Shankar: 15+ years in fintech, cloud storage, compliance and distributed systems, leading product and engineering
- COO — Joe Restivo: Three-time entrepreneur, operations expert; past exits to Accenture & GitLab; teaches risk management at Seattle University
- VP of Product — Brett Carter: Ex-Senior Product Manager at O(1) Labs, overseeing product strategy and ecosystem integration
- CTO — Frank Laub: Deep learning VM researcher at Intel Labs & Movidius; co-founder of RISC Zero, leading zkVM development
Investors
- Bain Capital Crypto — Seed • 2022-08-09 • $12.00M
- D1 Ventures — Seed • 2022-08-09 • $12.00M
- Geometry — Seed • 2022-08-09 • $12.00M
- Cota Capital — Seed • 2022-08-09 • $12.00M
- Blockchain Capital — Series A • 2023-07-19 • $40.00M
- Delphi Ventures — Series A • 2023-07-19 • $40.00M
- Galaxy Digital — Series A • 2023-07-19 • $40.00M
- Fenbushi Capital — Series A • 2023-07-19 • $40.00M
- ISOG Ventures — Series A • 2023-07-19 • $40.00M
Total funding: $52.00M
Tokenomics
- Utility: Collateral for proof delivery, governance participation, staking rewards, payment layer for proof fees
- Vesting: Team: 25% one-year cliff, then linear over 24 months; Investors: 25% one-year cliff, then linear over 24 months; Ecosystem fund: linear until Year 3; Strategic fund: unlock over 12 months
Pros & Cons
Strengths
- Universal ZK proving layer compatible with any blockchain
- Decouples compute from consensus, enabling high throughput
- Strong backing by RISC Zero and leading investors
- Strategic partnerships with Stellar, Wormhole and major chains
- Mainnet launched on Base with active integrations
- Decreasing inflation schedule from 7% to 3% over 8 years
- Proof of Verifiable Work incentivizes decentralized prover nodes
Weaknesses
- Early-stage adoption and network effects risk
- Integration complexity across diverse blockchain ecosystems
- Limited direct TVL or native DeFi use cases
- Competition from other ZK and L2 protocols
- Potential centralization risks in prover infrastructure
- Regulatory uncertainty around proof-based compute tokens
- Reliance on third-party nodes for proof generation
Price Scenarios (target: 2026-05-10)
- Bear: $0.100000 — Assumes return to cycle low and 50% drawdown from current price
- Base: $0.250000 — Assumes moderate growth aligned with ongoing integrations and historical mean reversion
- Bull: $0.500000 — Assumes 2.5× price increase driven by widespread adoption and network effects
How to Buy & Store
CEX
- Bitget
- Binance
- Coinbase
- HTX
- Bybit
DEX
- PancakeSwap V3
- Uniswap V3
- SushiSwap
- MDEX
- PancakeSwap V2
Storage
- Ledger
- Trezor
- MetaMask
- Trust Wallet
- Coinbase Wallet
Verdict
Boundless presents a unique, high-potential solution for blockchain scalability with universal ZK proofs and strong institutional backing. Adoption and integration complexity remain challenges, but its novel architecture and strategic partnerships position it well for significant growth.
Official Links
Source: Coin Research (internal)
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