CIP - 00XX - Add Zenith as an SV of max weight 9
- Dear GSF Members,
Please find below and attached our proposal "CIP-00XX: Add Zenith as an SV of weight 9", open for discussion.
At Zenith, we propose to build a solution enabling participants in the Canton Network to run execution environments using arbitrary VMs (EVM, SVM, MoveVM etc.) launched as Canton Virtual Blockchains (VBs) on Zenith, that can subsequently be settled to Canton.
While we propose a max weight of 9, the majority of the weight is reachable through performance and adoption KPIs.
We hereby request your feedback, as well as your support and endorsement for our draft CIP.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions you may have.
Thank you for your consideration.
All the best, NorbertCIP-00XX: Add Zenith as an SV of Weight 9
CIP: CIP 00XX
Title: Add Zenith as an SV of Weight 9
Author: Norbert Vadas norbert.vadas@...
Teemu Paivinen teemu@...Heslin Kim heslin.kim@...
Henri Kamarainen henri.kamarainen@...
Status: Draft
Type: Governance
Created: 2025-08-28
License: CC0-1.0
Abstract:
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Add Zenith as a Super Validator (SV) of weight 9, with the majority of the weight reachable through performance and adoption KPIs.
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Zenith commits to building a solution enabling participants in the Canton Network to run execution environments using arbitrary VMs (EVM, SVM, MoveVM etc.) launched as Canton Virtual Blockchains (VBs) on Zenith, that can subsequently be settled to Canton.
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The mechanism allows the state root of Canton Virtual Blockchains, committed to on Zenith, to be made accessible and to be settled within the Canton Network using a CometBFT light client integration.
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This provides a trust-minimized solution between Canton and smart contracts running inside Zenith VBs, allowing Canton participants to run EVM- or SVM-compatible environments as VBs and settle them on Canton.
Motivation:
Canton currently lacks direct access to execution environments built on different VMs. With Zenith, Canton Virtual Blockchains (VBs) can host runtimes for various VM environments, such as EVM or SVM, execute smart contracts off-chain that are verified through ZK-proofs, and make the VB’s state roots accessible for settlement on Canton Network.
Zenith’s solution—encompassing the multi-VM runtime, trust-minimized settlement, ecosystem expansion, high-throughput execution, off-chain parallelization, and horizontal sharding—aims to further strengthen Canton Network’s position as a powerful "network of networks.”
By integrating Zenith, Canton gains:
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Composability
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What it implies? Zenith empowers Canton with a multi-VM execution environment. Participants can run different runtimes inside Virtual Blockchains (VBs), settling VB state roots to Canton, creating multi-network cohesion within and extending out of Canton’s current reach.
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Canton benefits:
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Allowing Web3 developers to use familiar languages and tools reduces the learning curve of Daml and deploying to Canton, attracting a more inclusive developer base to build on VBs from different blockchain communities (Ethereum, Solana, Cosmos).
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Enterprises and developers can choose the VM and corresponding tooling that best suits their use case (e.g., SVM for DeFi, EVM for general-purpose apps), enhancing Canton’s appeal across industries.
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Zenith’s access controls allow VBs to create various business environments, expanding the roles of current Canton subnets:
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private permissioned isolated setups,
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private permissioned multi-network environments,
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public, permissionless products,
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public permissioned environments with whitelisted access.
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Canton Virtual Blockchains can securely become mirror networks to existing Web2 databases or Web3 dApps built on different VMs, creating seamless interoperability with varying technical solutions.
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Interoperability
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What it implies? Zenith is built to minimize the need for trusted bridging, allowing Canton to house native environments, potentially mitigating the need for wrapped assets in many cases. VB state roots committed on Zenith are verifiably settled into Canton via a light client.
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Canton benefits:
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This reduces the risk of hacks or collusion, as seen in past bridge exploits (e.g., $2.5B lost in 2022 bridge hacks).
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The ability to verifiably settle state roots further adds to both security and compliance demands, making Canton a preferred settlement layer for multi-chain ecosystems appealing to risk-averse enterprises and DeFi protocols.
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Performance
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What it implies? Zenith was purpose-built as a high-throughput multiVM execution environment. VB execution is amplified with off-chain parallelization and horizontal sharding, and is then verified through zero-knowledge proofs, allowing Canton to remain optimized for synchronization and final settlement.
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Canton benefits:
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Horizontal sharding allows Canton to scale linearly by adding Canton Virtual Blockchain shards, supporting unbounded TPS volumes appealing to large-scale enterprise and consumer applications. It also enables shard-specific execution channels for segregating data streams.
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High-throughput execution, and tx confirmation below 100ms (with a single centralized sequencer) positions Canton Virtual Blockchains as a competitor to chains like Solana or Aptos.
Both Haskell and Scala are non-native development languages for crypto developers. Canton can ease onboarding and scale its Web3 dApp ecosystem by opening up accessibility with Zenith’s RISC-V execution layer, liberating Canton’s Web3 potential, and providing direct access to execution environments built on different VMs.
By integrating Zenith’s solution, Canton can evolve into a more scalable and interoperable global settlement layer that facilitates the creation, operation, and interconnection of future networks as Canton Virtual Blockchains.
About the Applicant:
Zenith Network:
Zenith is a MiCA-Compliant, RISC-V-based protocol for deploying Canton Virtual Blockchains (VBs). Virtual Blockchains are fully programmable blockchain environments deployed on Zenith as RISC-V programs, executed in RISC Zero’s zkVM, R0VM, and settled to Canton.Virtual Blockchains enable different runtime environments to run off-chain, with cryptographic proofs ensuring the correctness of state transitions and execution. In the case of an EVM-based VB, by compiling Reth to run within the R0VM, we achieve full compatibility with standard Ethereum tooling (e.g., Solidity, Hardhat, Remix, Metamask), while moving execution off-chain and still maintaining trustless security guarantees through ZK proofs.
The team building Zenith:
Zenith, built by ZkCloud, has its headquarters in Helsinki, Finland. It spun out of Equilibrium Labs, an R&D studio founded in 2017 and focused on the hardest engineering problems around security, privacy, and scaling of the decentralized web, with a team of over 100 talented individuals. The Labs has worked with some of the Web3 industry's top companies, such as Ethereum Foundation, Fireblocks, Solana Foundation, Zcash, and more.Equilibrium Labs, creator of Zenith and Membrane Finance, has proven itself as a trusted R&D studio through Paxos' acquisition of Membrane Finance on February 4, 2025. By operating and launching the MiCA-compliant EUROe stablecoin, regulated by Finland's Financial Supervisory Authority, Equilibrium Labs enabled Paxos to gain Electronic Money Institution status in the EU, showcasing its expertise in regulatory-compliant financial infrastructure.
Specification:
The state roots of Canton Virtual Blockchains (VBs), committed to on Zenith, are made accessible to Canton-connected chains using a light client integration, ensuring secure state synchronization.
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The Zenith team integrates a CometBFT light client for the Canton Network to monitor Zenith’s state, allowing users to keep it updated with the latest data.
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Virtual Blockchain operators can submit messages to a Canton contract, providing a Merkle inclusion proof that anchors the VB’s state root into Canton by verifying its inclusion within Zenith’s state.
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No zero-knowledge (ZK) proof verification is required on the Canton side, as it trusts Zenith’s rigorous proof verification.
This approach minimizes computational demands on the Canton chain while ensuring secure and reliable state bridging, leveraging Zenith’s robust proof validation process and overall performance benefits.
Process flow for VB state root settlement on Canton:
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VB block production: An operator produces a new Virtual Blockchain (VB) block on Zenith at Zenith block Z.
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Inclusion proof generation: The operator generates a cryptographic proof demonstrating that root(VB) is included in root(Z).
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Settlement proposal: The operator submits a transaction to the Canton Daml contract (“settle root(VB)”), proposing to anchor the VB state root on Canton.
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Contract verification via off-chain service: The Daml contract awaits confirmation from a participant-run off-chain service before finalizing the settlement.
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Light client verification: The participant’s off-chain service runs a Zenith CometBFT light client, verifying:
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the validity of block Z;
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the correctness of the inclusion proof (root(VB) ∈ root(Z)). Upon successful verification, the service posts a confirmation to the Canton contract.
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Finalization: Once the contract has received confirmation from the participant, it is finalized and the root(VB) is permanently recorded in the Canton ledger and becomes accessible to Canton applications.
Deliverables for full SV Reward:
The proposed framework allocates a results-driven total potential weight of 9 across three key areas: Integration (4), Audited Performance (1), and 0-to-1 Growth and adoption (4). Below is a detailed breakdown of each category, including timelines and key performance indicators (KPIs).
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Integration deliverables (max. weight of 4): Integrate a robust, scalable infrastructure (including a light-client, an off-chain service, and a Daml contract) to support the settlement of Canton Virtual Blockchains to Canton Network.
Deliverable
Acceptance Criteria
Deadline
Weight Earned
Testnet
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Zenith’s commitment to building with Canton.
120 days from CIP Approval
0
EVM-ready mainnet:
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EVM-based VB launched on Zenith mainnet, settling to Canton Network (as described above), with VB state root verification with at least one Canton participant.
360 days from CIP Approval
Base weight of 1, upon successful implementation.
To encourage expedited deployment following CIP approval, a bonus weight incentive is proposed, with a maximum achievable weight of 1.5.
The bonus weight will be determined using a linear sliding scale, commencing at 90 days post-CIP approval and depreciating gradually over a period extending to 360 days.
Multi-VM scaling
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Integration of at least four additional virtual machines prioritized by the Tech & Operations Committee to enhance ecosystem interoperability.
Within 12 months of EVM-ready mainnet delivery.
0.25 weight per VM integration (up to a weight of 1)
zkVM optionality
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Support for one additional zero-knowledge virtual machine (zkVM) to allow multi-proofs for enhanced security.
Within 12 months of EVM-ready mainnet delivery.
0.5 weight
Justification: Integrating an additional zkVM requires all the VM implementations (EVM, SVM etc.) to be rebuilt and integrated with the new zkVM. This requires significant efforts, hence the proposed weight.
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Audited performance deliverables (max weight of 1):
Deliverable
Acceptance Criteria
Deadline
Weight Earned
TX confirmation
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Tx confirmation time to user sub-100ms on a performance-optimized virtual blockchain settling to Canton.
Within 12 months of EVM-ready mainnet delivery.
0.5
Transactions per second (TPS)
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1,000,000+ TPS reached on a performance-optimized virtual blockchain settling on Canton.
Within 12 months of EVM-ready mainnet delivery.
0.5
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0 to 1 Growth and adoption weights (max weight of 4): Zenith will drive adoption and real-world impact through measurable growth metrics.
Deliverable
Acceptance Criteria
Deadline
Weight Earned
Enterprise and institutional pilots
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Onboarding at least 20 enterprise or institutional entities to deploy VBs through submission-based criteria, with approved eligibility determined by the Canton Foundation.
Within 12 months of EVM-ready mainnet delivery.
0.5 weight per batch of 5 committee-approved Virtual Blockchain (VB) pilots (up to a weight of 2).
Non-Sybil wallet addresses
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1 million unique, non-Sybil wallet addresses across all VBs settled on Canton.
Within 12 months of EVM-ready mainnet delivery.
0.5
Real-world assets (RWAs) issued
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Over $1 billion in RWAs issued across all VBs settled on Canton.
Within 12 months of EVM-ready mainnet delivery.
0.5
Total Value Locked (TVL)
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Over $1 billion in TVL deposited across all VBs settled on Canton.
Within 12 months of EVM-ready mainnet delivery.
0.5
Monthly Transaction Volume
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Surpass $15 billion in monthly transaction volume across all VBs settled on Canton.
Within 12 months of EVM-ready mainnet delivery.
0.5
Zenith’s approach is incentive-based, tying weights/rewards to measurable outcomes. Zenith seeks to deliver a high-impact solution that enhances Canton’s ecosystem by:
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Addressing composability and interoperability challenges for Web3 developers.
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Achieving unparalleled performance metrics for transaction speed and throughput.
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Driving enterprise and institutional adoption through scalable, audited solutions.
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Establishing Zenith as a key partner in Canton’s mission to scale decentralized infrastructure.
Zenith is also committed to fostering collaboration and driving ecosystem growth by actively participating in the Global Synchronizer Foundation and joining committees related to technology, tokenomics, and marketing.
Rationale:
Zenith’s proposal is not a “build it and they will come” approach. Instead, it is a performance-based plan that ties rewards to tangible outcomes. By focusing on ambitious yet achievable KPIs, we aim to:
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Solve critical technical challenges (composability, interoperability, performance).
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Drive enterprise and institutional adoption not only on Canton subnets but also on Canton Virtual Blockchains, positioning Canton as a leader in both Web2 and Web3 circles.
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Minimize risks for the Canton Foundation by ensuring our Super Validator reward model and product integration are directly tied to long-term alignment and ecosystem growth.
Zenith is committed to earning its place as a Super Validator by delivering transformative results for the Canton ecosystem. Our weighted value framework ensures accountability, aligns incentives, and drives adoption for both Canton Network and Canton Virtual Blockchains. We look forward to your feedback and collaboration regarding this proposal.
SV Reward Mechanics:
Zenith will implement the following mechanics both for itself, and for all other Super Validators whose SV weights are contingent on completion of specified contributions, following similar mechanics:
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An extraBeneficiary PartyID associated with the ‘escrowed’ Super Validator will be set up by the GSF with an SV Weight at the maximum earnable weight in the CIP that granted rights to that Super Validator.
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The Applicant is responsible for all costs associated with the operation of the escrow SV
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The escrow SV will NOT mint rewards on a block by block basis
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All escrow SV rewards will go to the Unclaimed Rewards pool
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⅔ of the Super Validator Operators will update their configurations to allow GSF to host the full weight to be earned by the given Super Validator
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Applicant is required to present proof of successfully completed milestones to the Tokenomics Working Group
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Applicant is required to present a calculation for number of Canton Coin it should earn for meeting the requirements of the milestone
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If the Tokenomics Working Group agrees the milestone has been met and agrees with the calculation, an announcement will be sent via the Tokenomics-Announce mailing List
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The GSF will update the extraBeneficiary to an active PartyID controlled by that Super Validator.
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⅔ of Super Validator Operators will then assign a portion of the Unclaimed Rewards to be minted by the Applicant’s Validator, based on the calculation approved by the Tokenomics working group.
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If any milestones and associated rewards are not achieved by the deadline
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Applicant will be notified that they have not met a deliverable by the GSF
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Remaining SV Weight assigned to the extraBeneficiary SV will be removed from the GSF node configuration, and the total SV weight of the GSF SV node will be reduced by the same amount by a vote of the Super Validators.
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The Tokenomics Working Group will make a recommendation to the SVs on what to do with the Unclaimed Rewards
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Applicant is subject to CIP-0045 : SV Operating Requirements
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If, at any time, the Applicant has been rewarded SV Weight > 2.5, they are required to operate their SV within 6 months of crossing that Weight. This SV node will join the network with an SV weight of zero (0) and may add weights as the SV completes the milestones listed in this CIP.
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Copyright
This CIP is licensed under CC0-1.0: Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal.
Changelog
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2025-08-28: Initial draft of the proposal.
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- Dear GSF Members,
Based on the feedback received, we've added the below section titled "Value and utility alignment with $CAN" under the "Motivation" part of our proposal.
Please see the updated proposal in the attached PDF.
We are committed to aligning with Canton Network and bringing additional value and utility to $CAN.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions you may have.
Thank you,
Norbert
_________________________________________
Additional section under "Motivation":
Value and utility alignment with $CAN
Virtual Blockchains (VBs) settling on Canton can directly increase the utility and value of the Canton Network’s native token, $CAN, by integrating it into their operational and settlement flows.
The mechanisms below could further strengthen the alignment of VBs with Canton:
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Transaction fees for settlement: all VBs that settle on Canton need to pay a transaction fee in $CAN when interacting with the Daml contract for the settlement.
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Native token for VBs: VBs could be launched with $CAN as their native asset, allowing users to pay fees and sequencers to collect rewards in $CAN. By using $CAN as a native token, VB operators could reduce regulatory friction, using a standard asset already integrated across the network.
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Economic security for settlement:
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Canton participants running the light client essentially act as oracles for VB state roots and could be required to stake $CAN as economic security to ensure honest behavior. In this design, settlement itself could evolve into a marketplace, where multiple participants compete to verify and finalize VB state roots, charging and receiving fees in $CAN.
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Alternatively, if a single subnet is created to handle all VB settlements on Canton, with enforced staking rules, $CAN could be used as collateral.
These mechanisms could ensure that the growth of VBs settled on Canton drives demand and value for $CAN. We are happy to explore other avenues to further align with Canton and the $CAN token.
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- toggle quoted message Show quoted textHi all,Teemu and I had a discussion on this CIP today as I was trying to get a better understanding of what's proposed myself. I gave some inputs on how to structure the CIP to more clearly draw out the proposed value to Canton Network. As far as I understood, Zenith is intending to iterate on the proposal off the back of that, so I'd recommend waiting for that iteration before moving forward with any discussion or voting.Kind regards,BernhardOn Thu, Sep 11, 2025 at 6:47 PM Norbert Vadas via lists.sync.global <norbert.vadas=zenith.network@...> wrote:Dear GSF Members,
Based on the feedback received, we've added the below section titled "Value and utility alignment with $CAN" under the "Motivation" part of our proposal.
Please see the updated proposal in the attached PDF.
We are committed to aligning with Canton Network and bringing additional value and utility to $CAN.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions you may have.
Thank you,
Norbert
_________________________________________
Additional section under "Motivation":
Value and utility alignment with $CAN
Virtual Blockchains (VBs) settling on Canton can directly increase the utility and value of the Canton Network’s native token, $CAN, by integrating it into their operational and settlement flows.
The mechanisms below could further strengthen the alignment of VBs with Canton:
-
Transaction fees for settlement: all VBs that settle on Canton need to pay a transaction fee in $CAN when interacting with the Daml contract for the settlement.
-
Native token for VBs: VBs could be launched with $CAN as their native asset, allowing users to pay fees and sequencers to collect rewards in $CAN. By using $CAN as a native token, VB operators could reduce regulatory friction, using a standard asset already integrated across the network.
-
Economic security for settlement:
-
Canton participants running the light client essentially act as oracles for VB state roots and could be required to stake $CAN as economic security to ensure honest behavior. In this design, settlement itself could evolve into a marketplace, where multiple participants compete to verify and finalize VB state roots, charging and receiving fees in $CAN.
-
Alternatively, if a single subnet is created to handle all VB settlements on Canton, with enforced staking rules, $CAN could be used as collateral.
These mechanisms could ensure that the growth of VBs settled on Canton drives demand and value for $CAN. We are happy to explore other avenues to further align with Canton and the $CAN token.
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