Awesome Nexus

A curated list of awesome Nexus resources, tools, and libraries. Inspired by awesome-go, awesome-rust, and other awesome lists.

Nexus is an EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain with a powerful zkVM that enables developers to build and deploy applications with ease.

Contents

• Awesome Nexus
  • Contents
  • Official Resources
  • Media
  • Nexus Technology
    • Nexus Layer 1
    • Nexus zkVM
    • Network Services
    • Nexus OS
  • Developer Resources
    • Network Configuration
    • Testnets
    • Example Apps
  • Research
    • Zero-Knowledge Evolution
    • Key Research Papers
    • Recent Advancements
  • Ecosystem
  • Call for Projects
    • Financial Applications
    • AI & Autonomous Agents
    • zkVM Extensions & Integration
    • Layer-2 & Layer-3 Solutions
    • Social & Identity
  • Contributing

Official Resources

• Website
• Documentation
• GitHub
• Blog
• Media - Videos and presentations, including Stanford lectures
• Whitepaper

Media

• Nexus YouTube Channel - Official Nexus YouTube account
• Stanford Seminar - MS&E447: ZKP Panel - Panel with Dan Boneh, Jens Groth, Daniel Marin, and Ravi Mhatre
• Nexus Supercomputer Announcement - Introduction to the Nexus Supercomputer
• Nexus Layer-1 Announcement - Launch of the Nexus Layer-1 blockchain
• Nexus zkVM 2.0 Announcement - Introduction to zkVM 2.0 features
• Nexus zkVM 1.0 Announcement - Launch of the first Nexus zkVM

Nexus Technology

Nexus Layer 1

Nexus Layer 1 is a planetary-scale blockchain supercomputer that:

• Concentrates compute power into a single chain
• Scales horizontally with each new node
• Scales vertically with the Nexus zkVM
• Creates a unified proof of all computation: the Proof Singularity

Nexus zkVM

The Nexus zkVM is a modular, extensible, open-source zkVM written in Rust, focused on performance and security.

Key Features:

• Proves any computation with zero-knowledge proofs
• Open source with no proprietary components
• Modular and extensible architecture
• Security-focused design

Simple Workflow:

cargo nexus prove
cargo nexus verify

Evolution of Nexus zkVM:

Version	Release	Key Advancements	Performance Gain
0.0	09/2023	First general-purpose zkVM	Baseline
1.0	01/2024	Parallel proving, optimized circuits, recursion-enabled provers	10x
2.0	06/2024	Improved circuit design / arithmetization	100x
3.0	Coming soon	Distributed proving, novel prover	1000x+

This exponential improvement represents a new Moore's Law for verifiable computation, with each generation delivering order-of-magnitude improvements in proving speed, cost efficiency, and computational capacity.

Network Services

• Nexus Explorer - Blockchain explorer
• Nexus Hub - Network dashboard
• Nexus Status - Network status
• Nexus Bridge - Cross-chain bridge
• NEX Points - Earn points by running nodes

Nexus OS

Nexus OS provides a unified interface to the Nexus ecosystem across multiple platforms:

• Web: app.nexus.xyz
• Mobile: iOS and Android applications
• Desktop: Windows, macOS, and Linux applications

Key Features: Wallet management, cross-platform synchronization, dApp discovery, network monitoring, staking, governance, and NEX Points tracking.

Download at nexus.xyz/download.

Developer Resources

Network Configuration

{
  "chainId": "393",
  "rpcUrl": "https://rpc.nexus.xyz/http",
  "wsUrl": "wss://rpc.nexus.xyz/wss",
  "explorerUrl": "https://explorer.nexus.xyz"
}

Testnets

Testnet II was the latest Nexus testnet, featuring:

• Enhanced stability and performance
• Full EVM compatibility for seamless Ethereum dApp deployment
• Increased transaction throughput
• Improved developer tooling
• Testnet Faucet for obtaining test tokens

Example Apps

• Counter App - Simple smart contract demo
• NFT Platform - NFT creation and trading platform

Research

Zero-Knowledge Evolution

Timeline of Major Developments:

• 1985: Introduction of zero-knowledge proofs by Goldwasser, Micali, and Rackoff
• 1988: First practical zero-knowledge protocols and Fiat-Shamir heuristic
• 1992: Introduction of probabilistically checkable proofs (PCPs)
• 2010-2012: Development of zk-SNARKs for practical applications
• 2016: Zcash launches with zk-SNARKs
• 2019-Present: Explosion of research in recursive proof systems and zkVMs

Key Research Papers

Foundational Theory:

• "The Knowledge Complexity of Interactive Proof Systems" (Goldwasser, Micali, Rackoff, 1985)
• "How to Construct Zero-Knowledge Proof Systems for NP" (Goldreich, Micali, Wigderson, 1986)
• "Non-Interactive Zero-Knowledge" (Blum, Feldman, Micali, 1988)

Modern SNARKs:

• "Pinocchio: Nearly Practical Verifiable Computation" (Parno et al., 2013)
• "Scalable Zero Knowledge via Cycles of Elliptic Curves" (Ben-Sasson et al., 2014)
• "Groth16: On the Size of Pairing-Based Non-interactive Arguments" (Groth, 2016)

Transparent Setup Systems:

• "Bulletproofs: Short Proofs for Confidential Transactions and More" (Bünz et al., 2018)
• "STARK: Scalable, Transparent ARguments of Knowledge" (Ben-Sasson et al., 2018)
• "Halo: Recursive Proof Composition without a Trusted Setup" (Bowe et al., 2019)

Recent Advancements

• Nova (2021): "Nova: Recursive Zero-Knowledge Arguments from Folding Schemes"
• Jolt (2023): "Jolt: SNARKs for Virtual Machines via Lookups"
• HyperNova (2023): "HyperNova: Recursive Arguments for Customizable Constraint Systems"
• STWO (2023): "STWO: Short Transparent Witness-Indistinguishable Arguments"
• Brakedown (2023): "Brakedown: Linear-time Lattice-based Transparent Arguments"
• Neo (2024): "Neo: Practical Zero-Knowledge Proofs for Ethereum"

Ecosystem

Nexus is building a robust ecosystem of partners and developers:

• Advanced R&D Partners: Collaborations with cryptographers and engineers
• Strategic Partners: Organizations exploring applications of verifiable computation
• Compute Providers: Contributors to the distributed prover network

To join the Nexus ecosystem, contact [email protected].

Call for Projects

We're looking for innovative projects in these key areas:

Financial Applications

• DEXs & Aggregators: High-performance exchanges and routing solutions
• Stablecoins & Structured Products: Novel stability mechanisms and yield products
• Prediction Markets & Derivatives: Transparent markets with efficient settlement
• RWA Tokenization: Infrastructure for traditional asset tokenization
• Undercollateralized Lending: Privacy-preserving credit scoring systems

AI & Autonomous Agents

• On-Chain AI: Autonomous agents for strategy execution and asset management
• Verifiable AI Inference: zkVM-generated proofs of AI model execution
• AI-Powered Oracles & Market Makers: Intelligent data interpretation and liquidity provision

zkVM Extensions & Integration

• Language Support & ISAs: Support for additional languages and architectures
• Developer Tooling: IDEs, debuggers, and testing frameworks
• Frontend Integration: NextJS/Vercel templates and React component libraries
• Mobile & Browser Extensions: Native SDKs and browser extensions

Layer-2 & Layer-3 Solutions

• Rollups & Application-Specific Chains: Specialized chains settling on Nexus
• Cross-Chain Messaging & Interoperability: Efficient protocols for asset and data transfer

Social & Identity

• Social Graphs & Reputation Systems: Decentralized networks with verifiable interactions
• Identity Solutions: Self-sovereign identity with selective disclosure
• Social Recovery & Media: Innovative recovery mechanisms and content platforms

Join our Discord to discuss your ideas or contact [email protected] for partnership opportunities.

Contributing

To add your project to this list:

1. Fork this repository
2. Add your project under the appropriate category
3. Submit a pull request with a clear description

See CONTRIBUTING.md for detailed guidelines.