#Boundless @Boundless $ZKC Unbounded Incentive Mechanism: Verifiable Proof of Work (PoVW)

Existing protocols either reward probabilistic work (hash computation → Proof of Work PoW) or reward idle capital (staking → Proof of Stake PoS). PoVW is the first mechanism that can measure the complexity of each Zero-Knowledge (ZK) proof on-chain and accurately pay rewards based on the actual workload completed by the prover.

Measurement Principle

• Immutable Period Label: Each unbounded proof embeds an immutable label that records the number of periods being proven, along with a unique random number to prevent replay attacks. This label is part of the public statement of the proof, thus neither the prover nor the requester can tamper with it.

• Period Aggregation: At the end of each epoch, the PoVW contract sums up the period labels contained in all finalized proofs during that time period.

• Deterministic Distribution: Each epoch will mint a fixed number of $ZKC (the native token of the Unbounded Protocol) and proportionally distribute it to provers based on their share of the periods (for example, if a prover contributed 2% of the total number of periods, they will receive 2% of the minted tokens for that epoch).

PoVW transforms Zero-Knowledge proofs into the first digital native measurable resource that can be rewarded by the protocol, achieving a closed loop between supply, demand, and verifiable output.

Why PoVW is Significant

• Accurate Measurement, Not Guesswork: Rewards are proportional to the cryptographically verified workload; no longer are proofs of 10 periods treated the same as proofs of 10 million periods.

• Permissionless Elite Governance: Any node that meets the delay and staking requirements can receive precise rewards based on the workload of their proofs.

• Transparent Economy: Since the measurement mechanism is on-chain and tamper-proof, anyone can audit the payment status of each period.