Whitepaper

zer0 Whitepaper v1.0 - August 2025

Live in the Zer0, earn in the light.


Abstract

zer0 redefines the browser as a privacy fortress powered by zero-knowledge proofs and on-device AI. Users earn $zer0 tokens for anonymous browsing, staking them to run mixnodes or agents that attract premium privacy-preserving ads. This creates a self-sustaining flywheel targeting 1% of the $318B browser market and 2% of the $7.6B AI agent market by 2026.


The Problem

  • 4B users leak data daily through browsers

  • Surveillance economy costs $4.45T globally

  • AI agents amplify exposure (97% of AI breaches from ungoverned access)

  • Privacy browsers stop at ad-blocking—no AI, no earnings


The Solution

zer0's Core Stack:

Layer
Technology
Value

Shielding

Zcash Sapling + Halo2

100% anonymous traffic

AI Agents

On-device Llama-3-8B

Private autonomous tasks

Agent Vault

Rentable specialists

Lock $zer0, earn fees

Shielded Social

Semaphore zk-proofs

Anonymous posting

zer0 Pro

zk-Compliance

Enterprise privacy reports


The $zer0 Flywheel

Private Browsing → Earn $zer0 (0.13/min) → Stake for Mixnodes (15% APY)
→ Run Agents → Attract Premium Ads (10x CPM) → Treasury Buyback (2% Burn)
→ Price Increases → More Users → Stronger Network

Technology

  • Browser: Chromium fork + Tor Expert Bundle

  • Privacy: librustzcash + zk-DNS (zero logs)

  • AI: Llama-3-8B (WebGPU optimized)

  • Cross-Chain: IBC to Cosmos/ETH/Solana

  • Hardware: zer0 Key USB (optional dePIN earnings)


Token Economics

  • Supply: 21M fixed

  • Allocation: 50% community, 25% ecosystem, 15% team, 10% treasury

  • Earning: 0.13 $zer0/min browsing

  • Staking: 15-25% APY

  • Burns: Agent fees (20%), exits (2%), buybacks (variable)


Market Opportunity

  • $318B browser market × $7.6B AI agent market

  • Target: 1M users (2026), 5M users (2027)

  • Projected FDV: $5-10B at scale


Competitive Moats

vs Brave
vs Tor
vs Zcash

zk-proofs (not basic ads)

Daily driver UX

Full browser + AI

AI agents

Always fast

Constant earning

Full economy

Token rewards

Autonomous agents


Roadmap

  • Q4 2025: Beta launch (live)

  • Q1 2026: Mainnet + TGE

  • Q2 2026: Agent marketplace, zer0 Pro

  • Q4 2026: 1M MAU, cross-chain hubs

  • 2027+: 10M+ users, industry standard


Team & Audits

  • Built by ex-Zcash developers

  • Audits: Trail of Bits, Least Authority (Q1 2026)

  • Bug bounty: $500K pool


Risks

  • Regulatory: zk-compliance by design, no security offering

  • Competition: Unique agent layer, 3x retention via earnings

  • Adoption: Zero-trust onboarding, gamified privacy scores


Read full whitepaper: zer0.build/whitepaper.pdf (coming soon)

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