Mina Protocol

This section is a brief overview of the Mina Protocol, you can find more information in the Mina documentation.

Overview of Mina's Unique Architecture

Mina Protocol distinguishes itself with a unique architecture designed to be a succinct blockchain. At its core, Mina leverages zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs), specifically using the Kimchi proof system and the Pickles recursive system. This allows for advanced cryptographic functions and efficient verification.

💡 Kimchi and Pickles 💡

Find more about Kimchi and Pickles in this Mina article and in the Mina Book.

A hallmark of Mina's design is its support for arbitrary infinite recursive proof construction. Mina is noted as being the only blockchain currently offering this capability. Recursion is fundamental to how Mina operates, being used to compress the historical blockchain data into a constant, small size. It also utilizes tree-based recursive proofs (described as "rollup-like") to compress transactions within blocks.

Developers on Mina build zkApps, which are zero-knowledge smart contracts. Interactions and state changes on Mina are expressed through Account Updates, the fundamental data structure for transactions. These updates contain instructions for the network and require specific authorization, which can be a signature or a proof derived from executing zkApp logic.

How Zeko Leverages Mina

Zeko is a Layer 2 (L2) ecosystem purpose-built for Mina's zkApps.

It operates on top of the Mina Layer 1 (L1) chain, providing enhanced throughput and quicker transaction confirmation times while offering a fully Mina-equivalent application layer.

The Zeko rollup is implemented as a zkApp account on the Mina L1 chain, leveraging Mina's recursive capabilities and existing infrastructure. This design enables seamless tooling integration with existing Mina developer tools and wallets.

💡 Zeko's Architecture 💡

For detailed information about Zeko's architecture, see the dedicated Zeko section.