Introduction

Zircuit is an innovative Layer 2 blockchain network that combines a hybrid architecture of ZK-Rollups and Optimistic Rollups, designed to provide an efficient, secure, and low-cost solution. It is fully compatible with the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) and allows developers to easily migrate existing Ethereum applications while benefiting from higher transaction throughput and lower fees.

Zircuit also introduces a unique on-chain security system that effectively prevents smart contract vulnerabilities and malicious attacks through sequencer-level security and automated AI mechanisms. This ensures the network’s safety and stability and provides strong support for decentralized applications, driving the adoption and development of blockchain technologies in DeFi, NFTs, and Web3.

Official website of Zircuit (Source: Zircuit)

About the Team

The founding team of Zircuit consists of four experienced professionals with backgrounds from prestigious universities. They have a wide range of expertise in both technology and business.

On the technical front, co-founders Jan and Martin, both PhD graduates from the University of Waterloo in Canada, bring a wealth of expertise in smart contract auditing and security. With over a decade of experience in software engineering, they have previously held key roles at leading companies, specializing in smart contract security audits. Their extensive background underscores their commitment to ensuring the platform’s stability, security, and user accessibility.

On the business front, Angel and Krishna oversee strategy and operations. With deep involvement in the crypto industry since 2016, they have collectively invested in and provided strategic guidance to multiple projects. Their longstanding collaboration and mutual trust have fostered a strong partnership, propelling Zircuit’s growth and success.

Funding

Zircuit has successfully raised funds in two rounds, with specific investment amounts undisclosed. The first round, which concluded on June 11, 2024, was led by Binance Labs. The second round, completed on July 22, 2024, saw participation from Binance Labs, Mirana Ventures, Amber Group, Selini, Robot Ventures, Nomad Capital, Borderless Capital, and a network of angel investors representing prominent projects such as Renzo, Etherfi, Pendle, Parallel, LayerZero, Axelar, F2Pool, Nonce, KelpDAO, ETHGlobal, and Maelstrom.

Features and Architecture of Zircuit

Features

The two core features of Zircuit are Sequencer-Level Security (SLS) and the hybrid architecture of ZK Rollups. These features significantly enhance its security, efficiency, and scalability.

• Sequencer-Level Security (SLS)

SLS is a security mechanism provided by Zircuit. It is designed to prevent malicious transactions from being included in blocks on the Layer 2 network. In traditional Rollup systems, transactions are first placed in a Mempool and then sequentially packaged into blocks. The SLS mechanism monitors these pending transactions in real-time, identifies potential malicious transactions, and prevents them from being included in blocks before they are processed. By combining parallel and sequential detection methods, SLS can quickly and accurately identify and isolate malicious transactions while minimizing the impact on sequencer performance.

• Hybrid Architecture of ZK Rollup

Zircuit’s hybrid architecture combines traditional Rollup technology with zero-knowledge proof (ZK) technology to provide an efficient and scalable solution. In this architecture, transactions are first handled by the sequencer which determines which transactions should be included in the L2 block. Then, the execution engine processes these transactions, updating the L2 state. Next, the prover generates validity proofs for these transactions to ensure that all operations are carried out according to the rules. Finally, these validated L2 blocks are submitted to L1 via aggregated proofs to ensure transaction finality.

For example, suppose user A initiates an ETH transfer on Zircuit. The transfer goes through several steps: First, the sequencer adds this transaction to a pending L2 block. Then, the execution engine processes the transaction and updates the account balance. After that, the prover generates a validity proof, demonstrating that the transaction is legal and adheres to the network’s rules. To improve efficiency, Zircuit uses parallel processing, which allows multiple proofs to be generated simultaneously and aggregated into one final validity proof. Finally, this proof is submitted to L1 (Ethereum’s main chain) for final confirmation and state updates. This process ensures the security and legality of the transaction as well as improves processing speed and overall system efficiency through parallel computation and proof aggregation.

Overview of SLS Architecture (Source: Zircuit)

Architecture

Zircuit’s architecture leverages a hybrid ZK Rollup solution, integrating zero-knowledge proof technology with Rollup infrastructure to deliver an efficient, secure, and cost-effective blockchain scaling solution. Key components such as Sequencers, Provers, and Smart Contracts seamlessly collaborate to ensure smooth transaction processing and finality.

• Sequencers: Sequencers are responsible for processing transactions and packaging them into L2 blocks in sequence. Their primary task is to decide which transactions should be included in the L2 blocks. Typically, these transactions come from two sources: L1 (deposit transactions or cross-domain calls on the main chain) and L2 (internal asset transfers or smart contract calls). The sequencer submits these transactions to the execution engine and ensures they are executed in the correct order to maintain the integrity of the L2 state.
• Provers: Provers are one of the core components of Zircuit, responsible for generating zero-knowledge proofs for L2 blocks. Each prover is responsible for verifying different types of transactions or operations, such as the correct execution of transactions or the accuracy of hash calculations. Through parallel processing and the aggregation of multiple proofs, provers ensure the legality of transactions and generate verifiable zero-knowledge proofs.
• Smart Contracts: Smart contracts facilitate interactions with the Ethereum main chain by verifying and updating the finality of the L2 state. They ensure that L2 transactions adhere to the main chain’s security rules. Once transactions are processed and validated by provers, L1 smart contracts verify the proof and update the L2 state root. This process guarantees that all state changes on L2 are recognized by the Ethereum main chain, and ensures the final settlement of user assets. Additionally, smart contracts manage deposit and withdrawal operations, providing secure asset transfers between L1 and L2.

Through these components, Zircuit achieves efficient transaction processing, low-latency finality, and strong scalability while maintaining system security and reliability.

To take an example: in terms of the transaction flow, Zircuit supports transactions initiated from the Ethereum main chain (L1) or directly from Zircuit’s Layer 2 (L2). Whether it is a deposit transaction (such as bridging ETH or ERC-20 tokens) or an internal L2 transaction (such as asset transfers between accounts or smart contract calls), all transactions are handled by Zircuit’s Rollup nodes. Specifically, the sequencer determines which transactions should be included in the L2 block and passes deposit and other L2 transactions to the execution engine. The latter processes them and generates the updated L2 state. These transaction batches are then submitted to L1 by the Batcher to ensure data availability and transparency.

After the transaction is completed, Zircuit uses the provers to validate the L2 blocks. Each prover plays a specific role in the proof process, such as proving the correctness of transaction execution or verifying the correctness of related hash operations. These operations are processed in parallel to improve the speed of proof generation, and multiple proofs are aggregated to optimize the validation process. Finally, the generated validity proofs are submitted to the Ethereum main chain’s (L1) smart contracts for verification, which ensures that the state changes in the L2 block are legitimate.

交易处理流程（来源：Zircuit）

Zircuit’s Tokenomics

Zircuit Token (ZRC) is the native token of the Zircuit network, designed to fuel and incentivize the ecosystem. With a total supply of 10 billion tokens, ZRC’s distribution is strategically allocated across several areas, including airdrops, community rewards, ecosystem development, team, investors, and more, ensuring a wide-reaching and balanced incentive structure.

Token Allocation and Vesting

1. Airdrops and Community Rewards (21%)
   21% of the total supply of ZRC is allocated for airdrops and community rewards, further broken down as follows:

   • Season 1 Airdrop (7%): 7% of tokens were allocated to 262,200 unique addresses in the snapshot taken on July 7, 2024, at 16:00:00 UTC.
   • Season 2 Airdrop (3%): 3% of tokens were allocated to qualified users in the snapshot taken on November 20, 2024, at 5:00:00 UTC.
   • Event Rewards (2.45%): Used for various events and platforms, including Fairdrop, Catizen, and Binance Web3.
   • Future Airdrops and Rewards (8.55%): Includes 6-month and 12-month cliff periods, with linear vesting over the subsequent 24 months.

2. Community Governance (13.08%)
   13.08% of ZRC tokens are allocated for community governance and ecosystem development. After a 1-year cliff period, the remaining tokens will be vested linearly over the following 24 months.

3. Ecosystem Development (17.93%)
   17.93% of tokens are allocated to support Zircuit’s ecosystem development, including technological innovation, partnerships, and market expansion. This portion also has a 1-year cliff period, with linear vesting over the subsequent 24 months.

4. Foundation (18.70%)
   18.70% of ZRC is allocated to the foundation development fund for the long-term sustainability of the Zircuit network. Similarly, after a 1-year cliff period, the tokens will vest linearly over the next 24 months.

5. Team (18.74%)
   18.74% of ZRC is allocated to the Zircuit team, aimed at incentivizing the team to work towards the long-term success of the project. This portion also has a 1-year cliff period, with linear vesting over the subsequent 24 months.

6. Investors (10.55%)
   10.55% of ZRC is allocated to early investors, with the tokens subject to a 1-year cliff period and linear vesting over the following 24 months.

ZRC Unlocking Timeline (Source: Zircuit)

Points and Airdrops

Zircuit’s previous staking campaign garnered significant attention and participation, with total staked amounts surpassing $2.5 billion.”

Zircuit has conducted two rounds of airdrops and points campaigns, featuring the Season 1 and Season 2 Airdrops, alongside associated staking and points activities. These initiatives are designed to incentivize user engagement with the Zircuit ecosystem, reward early supporters, and drive platform liquidity and growth.

• Season 1 Airdrop and Points Campaign
  During the first season, 7% of the total Zircuit token supply was allocated, with 262,200 unique addresses eligible for the airdrop. The snapshot was taken at 16:00:00 UTC on July 7, 2024.
  As part of the first season’s activities, users were rewarded through a staking program, where participants accumulated points on the Zircuit mainnet, which were subsequently converted into ZRC tokens.”

• Season 2 Airdrop and Points Campaign
  In the second season, 3% of the total Zircuit token supply was allocated, with the snapshot occurring at 5:00:00 UTC on November 20, 2024. Similar to the first season, the second airdrop was aimed at users actively engaged in the Zircuit ecosystem, particularly those participating in staking and interacting with the network.

How to participate:
Users can participate in the Zircuit ecosystem by staking assets (including ETH and LST/LRT tokens) and earning points. Zircuit encourages staking LST/LRT tokens by offering different multipliers for staked assets, with the specific rules as follows:

• ETH Staking: Earn a 0.5x multiplier on points.
• LST/LRT Staking: Earn a 1x multiplier, a more efficient way to accumulate points.

To further stimulate active participation in the Zircuit ecosystem, boost activity and liquidity, and enhance mainnet security, Zircuit has implemented several incentive measures. For instance, during the mainnet launch, users will receive ZRC tokens for every gas fee payment, with the opportunity to earn up to 100,000 ZRC

Conclusion

Zircuit’s cutting-edge architecture and incentive mechanisms provide robust support for ecosystem growth and user engagement. Featuring Sequencer-Level Security (SLS) and a hybrid ZK Rollup framework, Zircuit delivers a highly efficient, secure, and cost-effective blockchain solution for developers. In addition, through a series of airdrops, staking rewards, and other incentives, Zircuit actively stimulates liquidity and drives growth within its ecosystem.