Zeko Protocol Direction

The combined efforts of Zeko Labs and the Zeko Foundation position us to reach new heights. We’re grateful for the continued support of our community, partners, and contributors.

We’re excited to provide an update on the progress of the Zeko Protocol as we move closer to the launch of our first iteration on mainnet. Our development journey is unfolding in stages, focused on deploying the protocol to mainnet, and ultimately driving greater utility and progressive decentralization within the ecosystem.

Phase 1: Shipping to Mainnet

The primary focus for the Zeko team right now is bringing the Zeko protocol to mainnet. This involves rolling out foundational elements, starting with the centralized sequencer and parallel proving supported by the Zeko Foundation, along with the multisig data availability layer run by key stakeholders. The first phase will include liquid staking, as MINA tokens bridged from Mina protocol to Zeko protocol will still be delegated to a Mina validator and accrue Mina protocol rewards that can be claimed by users when withdrawing their MINA tokens from Zeko. Delegating to multiple validators will be possible via a voting scheme once the protocol is decentralized.

MINA tokens serve as the initial primary means of paying transaction fees and network computational costs within the Zeko protocol. In the future, other native tokens can be added as a payment token via governance.

Phase 2: Protocol Expansion

Decentralized Sequencer & Governance

As we move beyond Phase 1 mainnet deployment, we will introduce a decentralized sequencer election auction mechanism and governance over key network parameters, such as approved gas tokens and other protocol configurations, paving the way for a more inclusive and community-driven network.

Data Availability

In parallel, we’re actively evaluating new data availability protocols to enhance network reliability and liveness. This includes the Project Untitled built by o1Labs, or other options including Celestia.

Proving Architecture

The Phase 2 effort also includes exploring advanced proving systems that can augment Zeko’s parallel proving architecture and bring down all-in transaction costs for users and apps. To the extent possible, decentralized mechanics will ensure seamless incentives for participants.

Cross-chain and Off-chain Connections

Zeko is actively working with infrastructure providers such as verifiers, zkVMs, provers, state-proof bridges, token bridges, zkOracles, AI companies, Data SDKs, and KYC providers to bootstrap an ecosystem of useful applications that connect Web2 data with Web3 execution.

Developer Experience

In addition to ongoing improvements to Mina protocol and o1js (which Zeko inherits by being isomorphic to Mina), Zeko is exploring other ways to create a Unified Scaling Solution (USS) that combines independent deployment frameworks with Zeko’s advanced rollup infrastructure. This will afford developers the flexibility to spin up highly customizable chains with robust scalability, interoperability, compliant privacy options, and shared infrastructure such as Zeko’s data availability layer, sequencing capabilities, and fast proving architecture, all secured by Mina’s zkL1.

Onward and Upward

The Zeko team is incredibly excited about the potential of this protocol to reshape the decentralized landscape. With the mainnet launch just around the corner and the efforts in motion to empower our decentralized future, we are grateful for the continued support of our partners and community members as we work together to make the Zeko Protocol a leading force in the zero-knowledge space.

For more information, visit Zeko’s Website | Twitter | Discord | Telegram

Disclaimer: Blockchain is a new technology that comes with risk of loss. Statements may be forward-looking and are not intended as guarantees of future performance.