What is ERC‑0

🧠 The Core Idea

Users commit ETH or tokens to the ERC-0 smart contract on Ethereum mainnet, establishing their off-chain balance. Once committed, they can perform trustless, off-chain operations (e.g., swaps, transfers) without paying gas fees for each transaction.

These interactions are coordinated off-chain, with zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) ensuring correctness.

zk proof diagram

✅ Disperse Transaction

When ready, users or operators submit a disperse transaction, which:

  • Batches all off-chain activity since the last checkpoint.
  • Generates a ZK proof verifying the validity of every operation.
  • Anchors the final state immutably on Ethereum L1.
zk proof diagram

This approach eliminates the need for:

  • Bridges (funds never leave Ethereum)
  • Sequencers (no centralized ordering)
  • Optimistic challenges (ZKPs provide instant, fraud-proof finality)
IntroductionRoles & Components