Genius X onboards zkFold — the scalability solution for Cardano

Genius X, one of the first tokenized, blockchain-agnostic accelerators and launchpads for fully vetted early-stage startups, is thrilled to announce the admission of zkFold into its prestigious Accelerator Program. As Genius X continues to support innovative projects in the blockchain and infrastructure space, zkFold emerges as a promising startup with a unique vision for the Cardano ecosystem. Moreover, zkFold has won the Cardano EMURGO Build 2023 Hackathon for zero-knowledge category.

zkFold Wrapper: A Game-Changer for Cardano Smart Contracts

The first product from zkFold is the zkFold Wrapper. This product offers L1 scaling through a pioneering zero-knowledge wrapping algorithm designed specifically for Cardano smart contracts. For smart contract developers, this translates to enhanced tools and greater flexibility in designing smart contracts.

Key Features of zkFold Wrapper:

No script length limit: Cardano’s on-chain script language, Untyped Plutus Core (UPLC), typically has a restriction due to the Cardano transaction size, which is currently set at 16KB. The zkFold Wrapper eliminates this limitation, offering developers more freedom.
No CEK execution budget limit: The zkFold Wrapper takes smart contract verification off-chain, leveraging Cardano’s transaction determinism. The wrapper script solely verifies the proof of execution, ensuring it remains within the set limits.
No redeemer size limit & no datum size limit: With the power of zero-knowledge cryptography, particularly short polynomial commitments, zkFold Wrapper can provide an unlimited amount of input data to wrapped scripts. This feature is applicable to both redeemers and datums, optimizing the overall transaction size.
Private smart contracts: One of the standout features of the zkFold Wrapper is the ability to maintain the privacy of smart contract scripts. These scripts are not submitted on-chain, allowing users the option of private smart contracts where the terms remain undisclosed.

The Road Ahead

Upon the successful launch of the zkFold Wrapper, the team has ambitious plans. They intend to further develop a Validium rollup, eventually transitioning it into a zk-rollup. This final product, as per their current roadmap, will be powered by a side chain that employs innovative data compression techniques, ensuring superior storage efficiency compared to the Cardano mainnet.

About Genius X

Genius X is one of the first tokenized, blockchain-agnostic business accelerators and launchpads for fully-vetted, early-stage blockchain startups. Our mission is to create a more decentralized and inclusive future built by the brightest minds utilizing blockchain technology. The Genius X program helps ambitious founders turn their visions from startups into impactful and scalable solutions that add value across multiple blockchains. We accelerate the most promising startups by providing advisory support in areas such as marketing, business strategy, token design, fundraising, as well as token sales, giving them the edge to become successful.

The Genius X Launchpad is the most advanced smart contract-based Launchpad on Cardano and provides a seamless way for investors to safely participate in early-stage project funding, and achieve a maximum potential return for their involvement. The Genius X Launchpad’s operations for token sales are handled by a smart contract, allowing for oversubscription on sales with any unused ADA being automatically refunded to each user’s wallet.

The Genius X Advisory Program onboards professionals who provide consulting services to Genius X Projects founders and teams under the Genius X Accelerator program.

Startups interested in joining the Genius X Accelerator program can get in touch and apply here.

Venture Capital / Accredited Investors — Contact us here.

About zkFold

zkFold is a startup that is focused on developing a scalability solution tailored for Cardano. Their mission is to enhance Cardano’s throughput by introducing both L1 and L2 technologies. The team at zkFold believes in the potential of Cardano and is committed to providing tools that will elevate its capabilities to new heights.

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