Post-quantum Layer-1
Confidential by default.Auditable on demand.Nyks Network: a post-quantum privacy Layer-1. Confidential by default, auditable on demand through attestor certificates.
Shielded transactions. Smart contracts at the base layer. Cryptography that survives quantum computers. Compliance proven by certificate, not by handing over history.
What we’re building
Nyks is a proof-of-work Layer-1 that uses post-quantum cryptography for its signatures, commitments and proofs. Here's what that means if you hold coins or run a node, and what we're working on next.
Coins that all spend the same
Anyone reading the chain can see that a transaction happened, but not the amount or who was on either end, so a coin doesn't pick up a trail as it changes hands. If an auditor or a business needs to see your records, you can give them a viewing key for one address or for the whole wallet.
Contracts that stay private
Smart contracts run at the base layer, and every coin carries a type script the network enforces, so a contract call gets the same privacy as an ordinary transfer. Native assets, for people who want to issue their own tokens, are planned for 2027.
A full node that stays small
A node's memory use stays flat however many coins get spent, so the machine you run it on doesn't need upgrading as the chain grows. Mining is designed for commodity CPUs with about 10 GB of RAM, to make ASICs and big GPU farms less of an advantage.
How Nyks stays light.
Two pieces of cryptography carry most of the load.
zk-STARKs
Validity proofsEach block comes with a STARK proof that it follows the consensus rules. The proof system is built from hash functions alone, so it's post-quantum and there's no trusted setup to depend on.
Mutator Sets
Coin-set accumulatorYour wallet keeps a membership proof for each of your coins and updates it as new blocks arrive. Nodes only hold a small accumulator, which is where the flat memory use comes from.
Answering an exchange’s checks
Exchanges and custodians often need to know something about the funds you send them. Attestation, planned for Q1 2027, lets you answer that through an independent attestor the exchange accepts. The attestor signs a time-bound certificate, and the exchange checks it without needing a copy of your transaction records.
It works a bit like a notary who checks one document and stamps it, so the bank can rely on the stamp without keeping a copy of the paperwork.
Here’s the shape of it with a made-up policy. The real policies come from each exchange once the framework launches.
policy: example policy v1 └─ q: does it meet the policy? ├─ you answer the challenge ├─ attestor checks the answer └─ answer: yes
certificate (example) ├─ policy: example policy v1 ├─ signed by: attestor A └─ valid until: 2027-06-30
What happens when an exchange asks
It lists the attestors and policies it accepts.
Depending on the policy, you either give the attestor the information it asks for, or answer a narrow challenge that proves what the policy needs without opening the rest of your history.
It names the policy it covers and it has an expiry date. The exchange checks the signature, the policy, the expiry and whether the attestor is still listed in the registry.
Where it fits in EU rules.
The checks happen at the exchange or custodian, when funds come in or go out. Transfers between wallets on the network stay shielded, and the certificate gives the exchange a signed record of what was checked.
NYKS is a crypto-asset other than an asset-referenced or e-money token. Its white paper has been notified for admission to trading in the EU.
Once the framework is live, it's meant to let an exchange accept a certificate from an attestor listed in the registry without collecting and storing your transaction records itself. Whether that's enough under AMLR is for the exchange and its supervisor to decide, and the exchange can still ask you for more.
Forward-looking summary, provided for information only and not legal advice. The attestation framework, including the attestor registry, is planned for Q1 2027 and is not yet live. The regulatory treatment of any crypto-asset rests with competent authorities and supervised entities.
What’s in the
first release
Mainnet is targeted for Q4 2026. It launches with shielded transfers, smart contracts and proven blocks, and you can mine on your own desktop. Native assets are planned for 2027, and the attestation framework for exchanges for Q1 2027. If you want the transaction format or the full emission schedule, they’re in the white paper.