QZK Foundation Quantum-Resistant ZK Infrastructure
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Foundation & protocol coordination

Post-Quantum Zero-Knowledge as shared infrastructure.

QZK is a decentralised proving + verification network designed for long-horizon security. It provides a proof market, economic correctness, and on-chain cryptographic agility for migrations.

Download Whitepaper How it works
Transparent ZK friendly Cryptographic agility Staking + slashing Composable across chains

QZK Protocol

Proof jobs → proofs → attestations → finality

Role
Requesters
Submit proof jobs & pay fees
Role
Provers
Generate proofs, stake QZK
Role
Verifiers
Attest correctness, stake QZK
Role
Challengers
Dispute invalid proofs
Design focus
Long-term verifiability and upgradeable cryptographic policy—so migrations are routine, not existential.
View architecture →

What QZK provides

QZK Foundation coordinates a protocol for decentralised proof generation and verification, backed by economic guarantees and on-chain cryptographic governance.

Proof market

Requesters post jobs. Provers compete on price, latency, and capability. QoS is enforceable with stake.

  • Auctions or committee assignment
  • Deadlines and service levels
  • Off-chain proof storage, on-chain commitments

Economic correctness

Provers and verifiers are bonded. Incorrect proofs or dishonest attestations are slashable.

  • Staking + slashing
  • Challenge windows
  • Multi-implementation verification incentives

Cryptographic agility

On-chain policy for adding, deprecating, and migrating proof systems and parameters over time.

  • Dual-acceptance migration periods
  • Parameter tuning (Grover-aware sizes)
  • Emergency revocations and time locks

Architecture

A minimal coordination layer on-chain, heavy proving off-chain, and durable commitments for auditability.

On-chain (QZK Coordination)

  • Proof job registry
  • Commitments and finality
  • Verifier attestations
  • Staking & slashing
  • Cryptographic policy state

Goal: small state, high integrity.

Off-chain (Proving + Data)

  • Proof generation
  • Witness artifacts
  • DA / content-addressed storage
  • Hardware acceleration

Goal: scalable throughput and competition.

Requester
QZK Chain
Job + Commitment
Prover Network
Proof π
Verifier Set
Attestation
Finality
Example Job Spec (conceptual) 
{
  "program": "0x…",           // circuit/VM identifier
  "inputs":  "0x…",           // commitment to public inputs
  "policy":  "PQ-POLICY-v1",  // allowed proof systems + params
  "deadline": 900,            // seconds
  "maxFee":  "2500 QZK",
  "disputeWindow": 3600
}

QZK Token

Utility token for fees, staking security, and cryptographic governance—separating infrastructure economics from application tokens.

Token utilities

  • Fees: pay for proof generation & long-horizon verification
  • Staking: provers/verifiers post collateral; slashable for faults
  • Governance: approve proof systems, parameters, and migrations
  • Anti-spam: job posting and disputes require bonded resources

Note: percentages, issuance, and burn mechanics are protocol parameters (governed and time-locked).

Roles & incentives

Prover
Earn fees for proofs. Stake scales with job value and SLA commitments.
Verifier
Earn for attestations. Stake backs correctness; double-signing/false attestation is slashable.
Challenger
Earn for catching invalid proofs. Bonds prevent griefing; valid challenges are rewarded.
Important
QZK is infrastructure. Application layers (privacy coins, DID systems, rollups) can build on top without inheriting governance capture risk.

Cryptographic agility governance

Migrations are a certainty. QZK makes them routine: add, deprecate, dual-accept, sunset—on-chain and time-locked.

Policy proposal

Introduce a new proof system or parameter set with security rationale and reference implementations.

Audit & test window

Multi-client verification, testnets, and formal review before activation.

Dual-acceptance period

Both old and new policies are valid; clients migrate safely.

Sunset & enforcement

Old policy is deprecated; proofs must meet updated requirements.

Foundation remit

  • Coordinate research and implementation standards
  • Fund security audits and client diversity
  • Operate public infrastructure (docs, testnets, benchmarks)
  • Support ecosystem partners building on QZK

Safety rails

  • Time locks on cryptographic policy changes
  • Supermajority thresholds for breaking upgrades
  • Emergency brakes with transparent criteria
  • Multi-sig or council transition plan (optional)

Roadmap

Build boring first: correctness, disputes, and policy state. Then scale proving and add multiple proof systems.

Phase 0 — Research Testnet

  • Job registry + commitments
  • Single proof policy (transparent ZK friendly)
  • Basic staking/slashing and challenges

Phase 1 — Mainnet MVP

  • Auction/assignment + SLA logic
  • Verifier committees + finality
  • Dispute windows & rewards

Phase 2 — Agility & Diversity

  • Multiple proof systems
  • Multi-client verification incentives
  • Formal migration framework

Docs & resources

Replace placeholders with your real links (GitHub, PDF whitepaper, explorer, Discord, etc.).

Whitepaper

Protocol overview, threat model, token utility, and governance.

Download PDF Read summary →

Developer docs

API, job specs, attestations, and integration patterns.

Open docs Proof Registry API →

Community

Join discussions, proposals, audits, and ecosystem builds.

GitHub X / Twitter Discord

FAQ

Short answers for first-time visitors. Add/adjust as your spec evolves.

Is QZK a blockchain or a service?
QZK is a protocol network: on-chain coordination for jobs/commitments/attestations plus off-chain proving. It behaves like shared infrastructure for rollups, bridges, privacy systems, and identity.
Why have a token at all?
QZK is used for fees (proof generation/verification), staking and slashing (economic correctness), and cryptographic policy governance (agility and migrations). Without a native token, correctness and upgrades become trust-based.
Does this “solve quantum breaking crypto”?
It addresses the part QZK is meant to address: durable proof infrastructure and protocol agility. It does not claim to magically fix endpoint compromise or all legacy crypto. It’s a migration-ready ZK backbone.
Can privacy coins or DID systems be built on top?
Yes—QZK is designed so applications can build on top without inheriting governance capture risk, while still benefiting from the proof market and long-horizon verification.