{
  "type": "option",
  "name": "Decentralised proof markets",
  "slug": "proof-markets",
  "section": {
    "id": "frameworks",
    "number": "02",
    "title": "Choosing a framework",
    "url": "https://zkpick.com/frameworks/"
  },
  "url": "https://zkpick.com/frameworks/proof-markets/",
  "markdown": "https://zkpick.com/md/frameworks/proof-markets.md",
  "category": "Operations — proof marketplaces",
  "summary": "Decentralised proof markets: Operations — proof marketplaces. Protocols matching proof requests with a permissionless set of prover nodes using staking, bidding and on-chain settlement. Maturity: Live on mainnet; under a year of operating history. Maintained by: Boundless (RISC Zero) and the Succinct Prover Network are the leading examples; each is anchored to its sponsor's zkVM. Choose it when: Non-private, latency-tolerant, variable-volume demand where censorship resistance matters more than deterministic latency. Pair with a self-hosted fallback prover for critical paths.",
  "description": "Protocols matching proof requests with a permissionless set of prover nodes using staking, bidding and on-chain settlement. The leading examples are anchored to their sponsor's own zkVM.",
  "notes": [],
  "sections": [],
  "strengths": [
    "Addresses the single-provider liveness and censorship risk that hosted services carry",
    "Competitive bidding can lower marginal cost, especially for bursty demand",
    "Permissionless prover entry creates a real supply side"
  ],
  "tradeoffs": [
    "Both leading markets are anchored to their sponsor's zkVM and token — verify neutrality claims against what is supported today, not the roadmap",
    "Introduces token-economic and settlement risks orthogonal to your cryptography",
    "Latency and tail-latency guarantees are weaker than a dedicated prover",
    "Operating history is short relative to the value some systems would place on it"
  ],
  "bestFit": "Non-private, latency-tolerant, variable-volume demand where censorship resistance matters more than deterministic latency. Pair with a self-hosted fallback prover for critical paths.",
  "maintainers": "Boundless (RISC Zero) and the Succinct Prover Network are the leading examples; each is anchored to its sponsor's zkVM",
  "maturity": "Live on mainnet; under a year of operating history",
  "license": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "source": "https://docs.boundless.network/",
  "facts": [],
  "relatedFailureModes": [],
  "sources": [
    {
      "title": "Boundless — decentralised proof market documentation",
      "url": "https://docs.boundless.network/",
      "kind": "documentation"
    }
  ],
  "updated": "2026-09-12",
  "version": "1.3",
  "canonical": "https://zkpick.com/frameworks/proof-markets/",
  "authors": [
    "MarketComp"
  ]
}