Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) are one of the most exciting breakthroughs in blockchain scalability. But while the theory is powerful, the challenge has always been how to actually deploy ZK compute at scale. This is where Boundless steps in.
Backed by the RISC Zero team and leading investors such as Blockchain Capital, Bain Capital Crypto, Delphi Ventures, and Maven11, Boundless is building a universal protocol for verifiable compute across all chains. With its airdrop of the ZKC token and upcoming community token sale starting on August 25, everyday users now have a chance to join the ecosystem from the ground floor.
Learn how to participate in the Boundless (ZKC) token sale and airdrop, including eligibility, key dates, tokenomics, and step-by-step guides for claiming rewards and joining the launch.
What Is Boundless (ZKC) and How Does It Work?
How Boundless protocol works | Source: Boundless docs
Boundless is a decentralized marketplace for verifiable compute. Think of it as an open exchange where users who need zero-knowledge proofs (“requestors”) connect with operators who have GPUs or other hardware to generate those proofs (“provers”).
• Proof of Verifiable Work (PoVW): A unique mechanism that measures the computational effort behind each ZK proof, ensuring fair rewards and spam resistance.
• Spot Market for Compute: Users request ZK proofs via reverse Dutch auctions, where the lowest-priced prover wins. This makes compute accessible and efficiently priced.
• Service Agreements: Long-term contracts between requestors and provers ensure stability for high-demand protocols.
• Decentralization by Design: Anyone with commodity hardware (like a gaming PC) can become a prover, keeping the market competitive and open.
By offloading computation to Boundless and verifying results on-chain, protocols can scale without sacrificing decentralization or trust.
Why Does the Boundless Token Sale and Airdrop Matter?
The Boundless token sale matters because the project is positioning itself as a core ZK infrastructure layer for the entire Web3 ecosystem. Much like early Bitcoin mining or the rise of cloud computing, Boundless provides “compute liquidity” that enables scalable applications across chains. With over $54 million raised from top VCs and over 2,800 provers already active, the demand for its proving marketplace is clear.
Season 1 alone saw more than 500 trillion cycles proven, including 40 trillion in a single day, showing strong adoption and performance. In a key decentralization milestone, the team even shut down its own prover nodes, proving that external contributors now sustain the network. With just 2.9% of supply available in the public sale, access is limited, making this one of the few early opportunities for new participants to enter the Boundless ecosystem.
What Is the Boundless Airdrop?
The Boundless airdrop is a reward program created to give back to the project’s earliest supporters. Instead of random giveaways, it focuses on people who actively helped the ecosystem grow, whether by running prover nodes, completing community tasks, or engaging in early campaigns. In total, around 6% of the ZK Coin (ZKC) token supply has been set aside for community sales and airdrops, making this a significant way for regular users to get involved before Boundless scales further.
Who Is Eligible?
• Mainnet Beta Participants: Provers and requestors who engaged in Season 1.
• Tiered Contributors: Users who achieved Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Diamond ranks through activity.
• Manifesto Signers & Community Members: Wallets that signed the Boundless manifesto or engaged in campaigns.
• Validators & Partners: Early validators and allied communities such as Kaito “Yappers.”
Boundless Airdrop Snapshot and Key Dates
The snapshot for the Boundless airdrop was taken on August 19, 2025, at 11:59 PM ET, capturing the Prover Leaderboard at the close of the first phase of the proving competition. This finalized leaderboard will determine eligibility for 0.5% of the ZKC token supply, which will be distributed to recognized provers at the Token Generation Event (TGE).
• TGE (Token Generation Event): August 25, 2025.
• Unlock Schedule:
- Airdrop tokens unlock 100% at TGE.
- Community sale token buyers receive 50% at TGE, remaining 50% after 6 months.
How to Claim Boundless Airdrop Rewards
Claiming your ZKC tokens is designed to be simple, even if you’re new to crypto.
1. Check Eligibility – Go to the official Boundless dashboard and connect your web3 wallet (e.g., MetaMask). The system will automatically check if your wallet address was included in the August 19, 2025 snapshot.
2. Verify Your Tier – Confirm your contribution level, such as Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Diamond. Provers, requestors, and manifesto signers can all see their status here.
3. Claim Tokens at TGE – On August 25, 2025, the claim page will open. Eligible users can click the “Claim” button and receive ZKC tokens directly into their wallet.
4. Secure Your Tokens – Once received, make sure your tokens are stored safely in a wallet you control. If you plan to hold long-term, consider hardware wallets or other secure storage options.
Boundless Prover Airdrop: Season 2 Participation Guide
Boundless Season 2 airdrop leaderboard | Source: Boundless
Boundless launched Season 2 of its incentivized proving program on August 20, 2025, at 12:00 PM KST, where a new reward pool, approximately 0.1% of the ZKC token supply per week, is distributed among provers actively participating prior to the mainnet Proof-of-Verifiable-Work (PoVW) launch . This second season follows Season 1, which offered 0.5% of the total supply over a 5-week period to early mainnet beta provers.
To participate, you need to run a prover node on the Boundless mainnet beta, compete in the marketplace by generating proofs, and rank on the leaderboard based on performance metrics like cycle count, success rate, and proving speed. Higher performance earns you a larger share of the weekly rewards, making Season 2 a continued opportunity for compute operators to earn ZKC, and to help prepare for future airdrop eligibility.
How to Participate in the Boundless Token Sale
The Boundless token sale will take place on Kaito Capital Launchpad on August 25, 2025, at 12:00 PM UTC. The project is raising $4M+ at a $290M fully diluted valuation (FDV), which is slightly lower than its previous $333M round.
Only 2.9% of the total ZKC supply is being offered, making it a relatively scarce allocation. Each participant can contribute between $100 and $100,000, with tokens unlocking in two phases: 50% at the Token Generation Event (TGE) and the other 50% after six months.
Step-by-Step Guide for the Boundless (ZKC) Token Sale
1. Create a Kaito Account: Sign up on Kaito Launchpad and complete KYC verification.
2. Connect Wallet & Socials: Link your Ethereum wallet and X/Twitter account as required.
3. Fund Your Account: Deposit ETH or USDT to participate.
4. Join the Sale: On August 25, select the ZKC sale page, enter your contribution amount, and confirm.
5. Receive Tokens: At TGE, your allocation unlocks 50%, with the rest after 6 months.
ZKC Token Utility and Tokenomics
The ZKC token is the backbone of the Boundless protocol. It powers the network by securing proofs, rewarding contributors, and giving holders governance rights. Its main utilities include:
• Proof of Verifiable Work (PoVW) Rewards: Provers earn ZKC by generating unique zero-knowledge proofs. Rewards are split 75% to active provers and 25% to protocol stakers, ensuring both workers and long-term supporters benefit.
• Collateral for Proofs: Before accepting a proof request, provers must stake ZKC as collateral, typically 10x the request’s maximum fee. If they fail to deliver on time, the stake is slashed (50% burned and 50% reassigned as a bounty). This ensures reliability and strong economic guarantees.
• Staking & Service Agreements: Users stake ZKC to secure long-term service agreements or to lock proof requests in the spot market, providing predictability for both provers and requestors.
• Vault Rewards: ZKC holders can lock tokens in the Vault to earn non-transferable points, which grant a proportional share of the fees collected by the marketplace.
• Governance: Tokenholders can vote on key protocol parameters such as reward frequency, minting rate, and marketplace fees, helping shape the future of Boundless.
• Payments & Incentives: ZKC is also used for settlement of compute services and liquidity incentives, linking its value directly to network activity.
ZKC Allocation Breakdown
ZKC token distribution | Source: Boundless blog
ZKC has a fixed supply of 1 billion tokens, distributed across four main categories with structured vesting to balance community incentives, team rewards, and ecosystem growth.
• Ecosystem Growth – 49%
- 31% Ecosystem Fund: Managed by the Boundless Foundation, dedicated to grants, developer tooling, and infrastructure. Vesting: 1-year cliff, then 24 months linear.
- 18% Strategic Growth Fund: Focused on enterprise integrations, institutional prover onboarding, and business development. Unlocks gradually over 12 months tied to milestones.
• Core Team & Early Contributors – 23.5%
- 20% Core Team: Allocated to the builders driving Boundless from concept to mainnet. Vesting: 1-year cliff, then 24 months linear.
- 3.5% RISC Zero: Reserved for zkVM R&D, hiring, and future grants. Same vesting as core team.
• Investors – 21.5%: Allocated to strategic backers providing capital, technical support, and industry reach. Vesting: 25% unlock after 1 year, then 24 months linear.
• Community Sale & Airdrop – ~6%: Community sale tokens unlock 50% at TGE and the remaining 50% after six months, while airdrop rewards unlock 100% at TGE for early provers, manifesto signers, and community members.
Conclusion
Boundless positions itself as more than just another ZK project by aiming to become a universal proving layer for Web3. Its marketplace treats compute as a tradable commodity, rewarding provers through a tokenized model and enabling scalable, decentralized applications across different blockchains. For builders, it offers a way to earn by contributing compute; for community members, the airdrop provides direct participation; and for investors, the token sale on August 25 represents an early entry point into the ZKC ecosystem.
That said, participation in the sale or airdrop carries risks. Token prices can fluctuate significantly, vesting schedules may delay access to full allocations, and eligibility depends on official snapshots and verification. While Boundless benefits from strong backers, active contributors, and clear utility, prospective participants should confirm details through official channels and consider their own risk tolerance before joining.
