What is the project about?

Union is a hyper-efficient zero-knowledge infrastructure layer designed for general message passing, asset transfers, NFTs, and DeFi. It's built on the principle of Consensus Verification, eliminating reliance on trusted third parties, oracles, multi-signatures, or MPC.

What problem does it solve?

It provides secure and trustless interoperability between different blockchain ecosystems, specifically focusing on compatibility with Cosmos chains (via IBC) and EVM chains (like Ethereum, Berachain, Arbitrum). It solves the problem of siloed blockchains by enabling them to communicate and exchange value without trusted intermediaries.

What are the features of the project?

• Zero-Knowledge Proofs: Uses ZKPs for efficient and secure cross-chain communication.
• Consensus Verification: Avoids dependence on trusted third parties.
• IBC Compatibility: Integrates with the Inter-Blockchain Communication protocol for Cosmos chains.
• EVM Compatibility: Connects to Ethereum Virtual Machine-based chains.
• Decentralized Governance: Protocol upgrades and configurations are controlled by decentralized governance.
• Modular Architecture: Includes various components like a node implementation (uniond), ZK prover (galoisd), relayer (voyager), indexer (hubble), smart contract stacks (CosmWasm, EVM), light clients, and more.
• Reproducible Builds: Uses Nix for reproducible builds and dependency management.

What are the technologies used in the project?

• Languages: Go, Rust, TypeScript, Solidity.
• Frameworks/Libraries: CometBLS, Gnark, CosmWasm, Svelte, Astro.
• Tools: Nix (for build and dependency management).
• Protocols: IBC (Inter-Blockchain Communication).

What are the benefits of the project?

• Security: Trustless and secure cross-chain communication via ZKPs and consensus verification.
• Efficiency: Hyper-efficient infrastructure for message passing and asset transfers.
• Interoperability: Connects disparate blockchain ecosystems (Cosmos, EVM).
• Decentralization: Governance and operations are decentralized.
• Reproducibility: Builds are reproducible, enhancing transparency and security.

What are the use cases of the project?

• Cross-Chain DeFi: Enabling DeFi applications to operate across multiple chains.
• Asset Transfers: Securely transferring assets (tokens, NFTs) between different blockchains.
• General Message Passing: Facilitating communication and data exchange between chains.
• Cross-Chain Governance: Allowing governance actions on one chain to affect another.
• Building Cross-Chain Applications: Providing the infrastructure for developers to create dApps that span multiple blockchain ecosystems.