Scaling the Nexus Ecosystem

At Nexus, we are building the Verifiable Internet. By leveraging advancements in cryptography, computer science, mathematics, and engineering, we are building the Nexus supercomputer to enable verifiable computation at planetary scale. 

One of our strengths is our rapidly growing ecosystem and a vibrant community of contributors. Scaling this ecosystem means fostering collaboration, driving innovation, and delivering tangible value — not just for us, but for the entire Internet. Whether you're a developer, compute provider, or innovator, Nexus offers pathways to advance zero-knowledge (zk) technology, hyperscale blockchain, and scale applications.

Backed by top Silicon Valley VC firms, our team includes world-class experts with deep ties to academia, research institutions, and practical applications. This foundational mission drives the growth of our ecosystem and inspires our commitment to expanding partnerships in a collaborative environment.

Nexus ecosystem overview

The Nexus ecosystem thrives through a collaborative network uniting pioneering developments in zero-knowledge (zk), AI/ML, blockchain and beyond with leading the advancements in emerging technologies. Each partner plays a key role in shaping the ecosystem’s growth and success, contributing across domains including zk proof technology, blockchain infrastructure, AI-driven networks, and more.

Nexus offers three distinct pathways for companies to collaborate and drive innovation:

The Nexus zkVM and the Nexus Network sit at the heart of the zk landscape, bridging compute providers with application developers that leverage the emerging Nexus supercomputer. On one side, compute providers power the zkVM, enabling high-performance, distributed computation. 

On the other side, innovative applications leverage the Nexus zkVM infrastructure to build next-generation solutions and enhancements in AI/ML, blockchain, and privacy-preserving technologies, and in parallel, others are working towards unlocking new opportunities from our advanced R&D collaborations.

Innovation by specialization

From AI/ML to Web3 gaming to zk, Nexus ecosystem partners are building a new Internet based on values that unite our diverse range of skills and that are leading advancements across industries and disciplines.

AI and distributed computing

• Nethermind is partnering to advance zkML research, focusing on verifiable, privacy-compliant AI models, a zkML framework, and building a plugin for Ethereum node operators.
• Pi2 Network is enabling developers to prove programs written in any programming language in the Nexus zkVM, and that is powerful enough to prove any size computation, expanding computational capabilities across AI workloads.
• Lilypad is collaborating on verifiability in distributed networks, focusing on the intersection of zero-knowledge proofs and AI.
• Hyperbolic is integrating Nexus zk provers into its GPU marketplace, providing resources for proof generation and AI services.

Blockchain infrastructure and scaling

• Caldera, a leading Web3 infrastructure solutions provider, is utilizing the Nexus zkVM to enable developers to build, deploy, and maintain custom zkRollup chains efficiently in their Rollups-as-a-Service deployments.
• Orochi Network is enhancing zkVM workflows by integrating its data layer and zk-optimized primitives for seamless multi-chain scaling.
• zkLink is leveraging cryptographic techniques and zkVM-powered solutions to build trust and reliability in decentralized applications, including a Layer 3.

Distributed computing power

• RapidNode specializes in high-speed node deployment and management, ensuring that our zkVM-powered applications perform consistently under demanding conditions.
• Gevulot provides secure and reliable compute environments, ensuring the Nexus network can operate at high performance without compromising data integrity.
• Io Net offers distributed compute resources that align with Nexus's mission of decentralized verifiable computation, improving system reliability.

Privacy and security

• Clique is strengthening TEE (Trusted Execution Environment) attestation by generating succinct zk proofs through Nexus zkVM. TEEs ensure secure execution, and zk proofs further enhance data privacy and integrity.
• Sindri Labs is augmenting zkVM with infrastructure automation to enhance security, privacy, and data verification processes.
• zkVerify is refining zk proof development to strengthen the effidciency and reliability of secure computations across the Nexus ecosystem. This focuses on ensuring the accuracy and trustworthiness of zk proofs, reinforcing security and computation accuracy.

Web3 and gaming

• Zypher Network enhances trust and transparency of Web3 games by integrating provable fairness, leveraging ZK proofs to verify gamer actions and in-game actions, scaling gameplay on multichain, and exploring ways to gamify proof generation via decentralized proof-mining with Nexus.

Accelerating partner growth and market leadership

As new partners bring fresh perspectives, new technologies, and broader market access, onboarding the right partner means faster development of zkVM-based solutions and increased adoption of this shared ecosystem. 

In accelerating this development, Nexus supports partnerships with the necessary tools and resources in a collaborative environment to enable projects to thrive. Here are a few ways how we drive value to our partners:

• Access to zkVM infrastructure: Partners receive early access to cutting-edge research, products, and services, and leverage our solutions to build scalable applications.
• Technical expertise and mentorship: Our team offers guidance, resources, and collaboration with world-leading experts to help partners accelerate their projects.
• Go-to-market advantage: Work alongside Nexus to launch zk applications (even first-to-market), shaping the emerging market for verifiable computation.
• Multidisciplinary approach: Nexus integrates breakthroughs from mathematics, engineering, science, and cryptography, fostering an environment of cutting-edge development and experimentation.
• Co-marketing and brand amplification: By co-launching initiatives, partners benefit from Nexus’s marketing and community reach.

Fostering innovation through shared values

The strength of the Nexus ecosystem lies in its multidisciplinary approach, ensuring that every solution is grounded in rigorous research, and our partners exemplify this commitment, contributing to zkVM development through deep technical expertise and cutting-edge projects.

Partners driving verifiable computation

Our partners exemplify our commitment to advancing verifiable computation and secure data processing across the Web by directly integrating with Nexus’s zkVM infrastructure:

• Snarkify is working on a scalable, on-demand system that can dynamically allocate computational resources to generate ZKPs as needed, essentially allowing Nexus’s zkVM to perform verifiable computation at scale, enabling faster, more flexible, and resource-efficient proof generation across decentralized networks.
• Hylé, a settlement layer specific for proof verification, has partnered to work on advancing composability for provable applications, moving proof generation out of the latency-critical path.
• Aligned Layer is working on sharing the verified proofs directly to Nexus, which can be shown for metrics and used on Ethereum from their collaboration of integrating the Nexus zkVM to Align Layer’s system.

Technical advancements and collaborative tools

This ecosystem of collaborative tools and technical advancements positions Nexus and its partners at the forefront of this emerging sector, fostering multi-chain deployment to scale seamlessly, driving innovation in verifiable computation and secure data processing.

• Polyhedra and Nexus partnered in developing a hyper-parallel and ultra-performant zkVM powered by the GKR protocol to enhance the performance of proof generation. 
• Nethermind is collaborating with Nexus to develop a plugin for Ethereum node implementation to accelerate the onboarding of node operators.
• Rena Labs is integrating their middleware to abstract off-chain computations in TEEs for integration into Nexus’s zkVM for seamless on-chain verification. In parallel, the teams are co-developing SDKs and APIs for hybrid ZK-TEE solutions, simplifying TEE-secured computation integration with zkVMs. 

Additionally, Rena Labs is building pre-configured modules for applications such as secure data analytics, multi-party computation, and private voting.

Mutual growth and ecosystem synergy

At Nexus, we believe in collective success. Our partnerships provide increased visibility, technical mentorship, and co-development opportunities that amplify the impact of our collaborators' technologies. A prime example is our collaboration with QED Protocol to enhance Dogecoin's capabilities.

• QED Protocol and Nexus partnered to introduce a zkVM on the Dogecoin network. This initiative aims to enable Dogecoin to support smart contracts; a platform to build a sustainable ecosystem, allowing it to compete with platforms like Ethereum and Solana. Thus, developers can create high-performance applications on Dogecoin, including Dexes, games, and NFTs.

This partnership also led to the proposal of a new opcode, OP_CHECKGROTH16VERIFY, which facilitates the verification of Groth16 (invented by Nexus’ Chief Scientist, Jens Groth) proofs on Dogecoin, which enables off-chain smart contract computations to be verified on-chain, enhancing scalability and efficiency.

• Halliday, Fermah, Electron, and several others are collectively pursuing strategic goals and initiatives aimed at expanding shared ecosystems through technological innovation, and joint go-to-market strategies.

Community growth

Our latest Testnet I in December demonstrated the network’s scale and accessibility, with over 1.5 million nodes contributing compute power. At peak, 100,000 nodes powered the network simultaneously, driving 6 quadrillion FLOPS of compute and generating 2.5 trillion zkVM cycles in just five days — equal to over 300 Nvidia A100 GPUs at full capacity, which in return drive user engagement towards our ecosystem and partners. This rivals the compute power of advanced supercomputers, but distributed globally.

This engagement of developers and compute providers reflects the growing excitement around Nexus and the tangible value for partners entering our ecosystem. In fact, over 100,000 people joined our Discord during the 5-day testnet. By joining Nexus, partners gain immediate access to this expanding pool of engaged users and innovators, accelerating adoption and collaboration. This in return, helps drive more user engagement towards the various applications and partners within the ecosystem. For a deeper dive into the Testnet I results and what this means for the broader ecosystem, check out our recap post.

The road ahead

At Nexus, we are building for the next 100 years, and as we look toward the future our focus remains on creating an ecosystem that democratizes access to verified computation. We are committed to deepening our partnerships and expanding collaborations to drive the adoption of our vision as well as leveraging the collective wisdom and support of our community as Nexus Ambassadors for both technical and non-technical roles. Stay tuned for more information about our Ambassador Program.  

Partnering with Nexus

Ready to build the future of verifiable computation? We’re backed by top VCs and led by a team of world-class experts committed to making verifiable computation the new standard. Join Nexus by collaborating on the next wave of zk innovation. Reach out to growth@nexus.xyz and follow us on X for updates.