zkLeaderboard
A zkVerify powered betting + leaderboard infrastructure to make games competitive
Created on 11th February 2025
•
zkLeaderboard
A zkVerify powered betting + leaderboard infrastructure to make games competitive
The problem zkLeaderboard solves
zkLeaderboard bridges the gap between traditional gaming and competitive Web3 gaming by providing a plug-and-play betting infrastructure. It solves key challenges for both game developers and players:
Core Problems
- Game developers must invest significant resources to add competitive elements and economies to their games
- Players lack meaningful ways to engage with leaderboards and face trust issues with traditional ranking systems
- Each game operates in isolation, creating fragmented experiences and multiple token systems
Our Solution
For Developers:
- Simple API integration without modifying existing game mechanics
- Ready-to-use betting infrastructure with built-in economy
- Zero-knowledge security through zkVerify ensures leaderboard integrity
For Players:
- Bet on player performance across multiple games using a single token
- Progressive betting rounds make competition more meaningful
- Cryptographically verified rankings prevent manipulation
- Unified experience across all integrated games with consistent interface
This infrastructure makes existing games more engaging while saving developers significant time and resources, all secured by zero-knowledge proofs. It creates a standardized competitive layer that works across the gaming ecosystem, benefiting both developers and players without complex integration requirements.
Real-World Applications
- Esports and competitive gaming platforms
- Educational games seeking to increase engagement
- Social games looking to add competitive elements
- Game developers wanting to boost player retention
- Gaming communities seeking cross-game competition
Future Impact
- Creates a standardized competitive layer for the gaming industry
- Enables new forms of engagement without changing core gameplay
- Provides a foundation for cross-game competitive ecosystems
- Makes adding Web3 elements to games more accessible
Challenges I ran into
You're right, we should add the database security limitation. Here's the revised version:
Technical Challenges and Solutions
1. Arbitrum Stylus Contract Size
The main challenge was managing memory constraints in Stylus smart contracts:
- Initial contract implementation exceeded memory limits
- Lack of established patterns for large Rust-based contracts
- Limited tooling compared to Solidity ecosystem
Solution: Had to significantly refactor the contract, breaking down functionality into more manageable components. This highlighted the need for better storage management patterns in Stylus contracts.
2. zkVerify and RISC0 Integration
Working with relatively new zero-knowledge proof infrastructure presented several hurdles:
- Limited documentation and examples for zkVerify integration
- Understanding how to structure RISC0 guest/host programs effectively
- Learning curve with ZK proof generation and verification flow
Solution: Had to experiment through trial and error while working with basic examples first. The experience showed that more comprehensive documentation and examples would benefit future developers.
3. Database Security Compromises
For the hackathon implementation:
- Used SQLite database for simplicity, leaving scores potentially exposed
- Backend API could be modified to expose sensitive score data
- Production version would need encrypted storage and secure API design
4. Betting Window Implementation
Made several practical compromises:
- Manual operator control for betting windows instead of automatic block-based timing
- Simplified phase transition logic
- Basic randomization for address selection
While these areas need enhancement for production, the current implementation successfully demonstrates the core concept of zero-knowledge powered betting infrastructure.
Tracks Applied (3)
Arbitrum Stylus Web3 dApp with zkVerify
Arbitrum
Arbitrum Web3 dApp with zkVerify
Arbitrum
zkVerify Main Prize Track
Technologies used
Cheer Project
Cheering for a project means supporting a project you like with as little as 0.0025 ETH. Right now, you can Cheer using ETH on Arbitrum, Optimism and Base.