Deep Dive
1. CLI Critical Fix (25 Nov 2025)
Overview: Provers must upgrade to v1.1.2 before 3 December 2025 to avoid losing Proof-of-Verifiable-Work (PoVW) rewards due to Ethereum’s Fusaka upgrade.
The update patches compatibility issues between the CLI and Ethereum’s post-upgrade environment. Provers who fail to reinstall via cargo install --locked... will be unable to submit proofs or claim rewards. Broker and Bento components now include stress-test tools and GPU-optimized execution agents.
What this means: This is urgent for provers – missing the deadline risks forfeiting rewards. (Source)
2. Profit-First Prover Setup (4 Nov 2025)
Overview: v1.1.0 introduced dual revenue streams (ETH fees + ZKC rewards) and a hardware-optimized configuration wizard.
Provers now auto-switch between fulfilling market orders (ETH) and ZK mining (ZKC) based on demand. A new “CyclePrice” algorithm prioritizes high-profit tasks, while the CLI v1.0.0 simplifies earnings tracking. The update also enforces stricter RPC/private key security.
What this means: This is bullish for ZKC as it incentivizes more provers to join, boosting network security and utility. (Source)
3. ZK Mining Lifecycle (7 Oct 2025)
Overview: ZK Mining now integrates with Bento workflows, allowing provers to accumulate rewards during idle periods.
Provers generate proofs → aggregate work via prepare-mining → submit proofs on-chain → claim rewards every ~48-hour epoch. The process ensures provers maximize hardware utilization while earning ZKC proportional to staked amounts (capped at staked_ZKC / 15 per epoch).
What this means: This is neutral for ZKC – it stabilizes mining participation but requires upfront staking. (Source)
Conclusion
Boundless is aggressively optimizing its prover ecosystem to attract and retain participants, with urgent fixes, profit incentives, and streamlined mining workflows. Will these upgrades reverse ZKC’s -87% 90d price decline by stabilizing network participation?