Awesome Mina: exploring the current Mina ecosystem
Discover Mina Protocol's ecosystem, showcasing its zero-knowledge proof innovations and future potential in decentralization and privacy.
Mina was the first protocol that I studied when I was getting introduced to the ZK crypto world at the end of 2021. It's great how its ecosystems, tools, and tech have evolved since then. Over the years, I've closely followed its journey, appreciating the strides it has made in becoming a significant player in the blockchain space.
Today, we will deep dive into the current ecosystem, exploring the existing applications powered by Mina, the apps under development, and a look ahead into the future of the Mina ecosystem.
Quick overview of mina
Mina Protocol Mina is a layer-1 blockchain designed to be the world's lightest blockchain, maintaining a constant size of 22KB regardless of the amount of data it processes. By leveraging the zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs (ZK-SNARKs) technology to achieve this minimal size.
Mina aims to democratize blockchain participation by allowing even average devices like smartphones to run full nodes, enhancing true decentralization. It seeks to provide a platform where users can interact with Web3 applications without compromising their data privacy. By using succinct proofs, Mina addresses blockchain bloat, ensuring scalability without sacrificing security or decentralization. The protocol aims to create an environment where data can be verified without needing to trust intermediaries, thereby fostering a trustworthy digital world.
Unlike traditional blockchains where size grows with usage, Mina's blockchain size remains constant, which significantly reduces the resource requirements for running a node. This approach allows for broader participation and maintains the efficiency and accessibility of the network as it scales.
ZKapps
Mina supports zero-knowledge smart contracts, or zkApps, which allow for private computations where only proofs, not the actual data, are sent to the blockchain. This technology maintains user privacy while still proving the validity of transactions or computations and can connect to offchain data securely. In this article we are going to explore some of the apps built on top of Mina
The Mina ecosystem
Tools and frameworks
Many talented individuals have developed tools and frameworks to enhance both the developer and user experience for those interested in exploring and building on Mina. These innovations range from developer-friendly toolkits to comprehensive apps, all designed to streamline the process of creating and interacting with Mina-based applications. Let’s take a closer look at some of these tools:
Protokit
Twitter account (X) 👉 https://x.com/proto_kit
Website 👉https://protokit.dev
Github 👉 https://github.com/proto-kit
Protokit is a framework built on top of MINA's o1js library. It helps developers create application chains that use ZK proofs, ensuring privacy and security. Essentially, Protokit makes it easy to build complex, privacy-focused applications by leveraging ZK technology.
It utilizes MINA's o1js library, a ZK-dsl, to create circuits that produce zero-knowledge proofs. These proofs can be used as arguments in runtime modules, enabling transaction execution as recursive zero-knowledge proofs.
This allows for generating zero-knowledge proofs on the client side, such as in a browser, which are then sent as part of a transaction to the application chain's runtime. The sequencer processes the transaction server-side by passing the client-side proof to the appropriate runtime method.
O1js (previously SnarkyJS)
Github 👉 https://github.com/o1-labs/o1js
Twitter account (X) 👉x.com/o1_labs
The o1js library is a TypeScript framework for writing general-purpose ZK programs and ZK smart contracts for the Mina blockchain. It provides provable data types and methods, allowing developers to create ZK proofs using plain TypeScript code.
The o1js library supports a variety of built-in provable operations such as arithmetic, hashing, signatures, boolean operations, and comparisons. Developers can use it to write zkApps on Mina, which execute client-side with private inputs. The o1js framework can be used in major web browsers and Node.js, and it is available via npm for easy installation and use.
Mina playground
Twitter account (X) 👉 https://x.com/MinaPlayground
Website 👉 https://www.minaplayground.com/
MinaPlayground provides a simplified, accessible way to run and edit zkApps directly in a browser by offering user-friendly tools and interactive tutorials. It guides users in deploying smart contracts via a web interface and simplifies the complex task of setting up a development environment with SnarkyJS and TypeScript, making it easier for new developers.
Founded in zkIgnite Cohort 1 & 2, MinaPlayground allows users to create, test, and run zkApps/Smart Contracts in their browser. The platform also features engaging tutorials on the Mina Protocol and o1js, enabling users to learn by doing, step by step.
zkApp Cli
- Github 👉 github.com/o1-labs/zkapp-cli
The zkApp CLI enables you to create, develop, test, and deploy zkApps for the Mina Protocol following the established best practices.
Applications are crafted with o1js, a TypeScript framework for building zero-knowledge proof-based smart contracts. When you initiate a project using the zkApp CLI, o1js is integrated by default. 😉
OpenMina
- Website 👉openmina.com
Open Mina allows users to produce and validate blocks directly within their browser. This in-browser Mina node simplifies the process, making it more accessible for users to interact with and contribute to the Mina blockchain without needing additional software or hardware.
Wallets
Clorio
Website 👉 https://clor.io/
Clorio is a JavaScript-based, open-source wallet for Mina Protocol, enabling interactions with the Mina blockchain via private key generation/use or the Ledger hardware wallet**. It ensures all transactions are signed locally or on your Ledger device, without sending your private key out of the app.**
As a self-custodian wallet, Clorio places the responsibility of safeguarding your private key solely on you. It cannot recover lost keys or block transactions, making you essentially your own bank.
Auro wallet
Website 👉 https://www.aurowallet.com/
Twitter account (X) 👉https://x.com/aurowallet_com
Github 👉https://github.com/aurowallet
Auro Wallet is a straightforward yet powerful Mina wallet available as both a browser extension and a mobile app. Fully open-source and offering multi-language support, it enables you to effortlessly send, receive, or stake your MINA and view transaction records at any time. Additionally, Auro Wallet supports sending zkApp transactions.
Interesting projects
ZKON Network
Website 👉 https://zkon.xyz
Twitter account (X) 👉https://x.com/zkon_network
Github 👉https://github.com/ZKON-Network
ZKON is a zkTLS oracle network powered by Multi-Party Computation (MPC) and ZK Proofs, ensuring data provenance, integrity, trust, and privacy by design. It operates similarly to the HTTPS protocol ensuring security, integrity, and privacy of data transfers.
ZKON has three main products: zkOracle, Offchain SDK, and Mina zkApps.
zkOracle facilitates communication between Web2 and Web3 data, ensuring private, tamper-proof data exchange for decentralized applications.
The Offchain SDK is a toolkit for integrating ZKON's data validation solutions into non-blockchain (Web2) environments, extending its capabilities.
Mina zkApps is a framework for creating privacy-preserving applications within the Mina Protocol ecosystem.
ZKnoid
Website 👉 https://www.zknoid.io/
Twitter account (X) 👉 https://x.com/ZkNoid
Github 👉https://github.com/ZkNoid/store
ZkNoid is a gaming platform that ensures verifiable gameplay while keeping your strategy confidential by accumulating all actions inside a zero-knowledge circuit on the client side.
The platform offers a unified ecosystem for ZK gaming, allowing developers to join using the SDK. It also features L2 rollup based on the protokit network, enabling gasless sessions and fast transactions.
DinoDex
Website 👉 https://alpha.dinodex.io/
Twitter account (X) 👉 https://x.com/realDinoDex
DinoDEX is the first decentralized exchange (DEX) on MINA built with the Protokit framework, it offers fast, secure, and private trading powered by zk-SNARK technology. With intuitive tools for creating liquidity pools, swapping tokens, and managing assets, DinoDEX unlocks new possibilities for privacy-focused decentralized finance (DeFi) within the MINA ecosystem.
Mina pay
Mina pay aims to revolutionizes payments in the Mina ecosystem using NFC-enabled wristbands distributed at ETHGlobal. When tapped on an NFC reader, these wristbands fetch user data from api.ethglobal.com to create and associate accounts seamlessly. This allows users to make payments with custom tokens on Mina, ensuring fast and secure transactions.
Leveraging zk-rollups, the solution enhances privacy and scalability with minimal computational overhead. Developed with Protokit, it integrates innovative technologies to maintain decentralization and trustlessness within the Mina Protocol. The frontend, built with TypeScript, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, interacts smoothly with the appchain, delivering a user-friendly experience.
Integration of NFC readers with ETHGlobal wristbands was a key aspect, enabling real-time account creation through APIs and cryptographic operations. Protokit simplified the development, and zk-rollups ensured quick, secure operations, resulting in a novel, efficient payment system with practical real-world applications.
BioSnarks
- Website 👉 https://snarky.bio/#technology
BioSNARKS introduces recursive zero-knowledge proofs for biotech, aiming to accelerate and democratize drug and biotech development. Traditional processes are costly and slow, often due to poor reproducibility and data siloing. BioSNARKS allows for interaction with validated data and protocols without revealing sensitive information, potentially creating a privacy-preserving biodata and drug marketplace for lead generation and optimization.
Key use cases include multi-party funded research with shared protocols, data de-siloing, zero-knowledge NFTs (ZK-NFTs) for asset exchange, ZK machine learning for optimization proofs, and anonymized biobank and patient data. These applications leverage the Kimchi Proof System by MINA, the world's lightest blockchain, which uses advanced cryptography and recursive zk-SNARKs.
BioSNARKS aims to build an ecosystem that supports both open source and private entity pipelines, facilitating the exchange of immutable proofs in federated computing settings. This approach seeks to revolutionize biotech development through enhanced privacy, scalability, and efficiency.
Explore Other Projects
If you’re looking for inspiration or want to see more, check out these projects:
Projects Under Development
Explore ongoing projects in the Mina ecosystem. Here’s where you can find proposals and discussions about new developments:
Awesome Mina Current List
Discover an awesome list of all current projects created by the community. This curated list showcases various Mina-powered initiatives and their progress:
The Mina Project Explorer
Dive into the Mina Project Explorer to see a comprehensive overview of all Mina-related projects. This resource provides detailed information and links to various initiatives within the Mina ecosystem:
MinaScan Directory
The Mina Directory serves as an ever-evolving map of the Mina ecosystem, continuously updating with the discovery and documentation of new projects. It is a publicly accessible resource managed by the community, growing in tandem with the expanding ecosystem.
The Mina foundation grant program
Mina offers substantial incentives for developers to build on its protocol through three distinct grant programs designed to empower and support innovation:
Navigator Grants support ZK projects through an ongoing program, awarding grants based on project proposals, managed by the Navigators Exploration Team (NExT).
zkIgnite Grants provide a community-governed innovation fund for experienced ZK builders to transform ideas into businesses, managed by Mina community electors, having funded 80 applications through three cohorts. The program is designed to support developers with key resources and grants to turn their ideas and passion projects into full-fledged businesses. The allocation of funding is determined by a team of electors from the Mina community.
Core Grants address public goods and infrastructure needs through an RFP process, focusing on high-priority development areas such as token standards and zkOracles, with grants allocated on a rolling basis.
You could look more in the official page 👉https://minaprotocol.com/blog/mina-developers-grants
Looking ahead: the 2025 for Mina
In 2024, Mina made significant strides with the launch of the zkApp layer in June, marking it as the first blockchain to have a Turing-complete zero-knowledge smart contract layer. The Mina Foundation dedicated the latter half of the year to supporting the development on top of this new layer, leading to many new applications and use cases set to launch in early 2025. These new projects range from private credentials API, mobile proving functionalities, and new standards for NFTs, to multiple zk-enabled applications like private voting and proof-of-ownership solutions.
The Mina Foundation's strategy for 2025 involves onboarding more use cases and users, nurturing the development of zk-enabled applications, and enhancing the core platform's capabilities. This includes support for various proof types and use cases, creating a zero-knowledge proof ecosystem where data sources, application proofs, and Mina's technology interconnect seamlessly. Key projects like Protokit, Ethereum bridges, and new zkData sources are planned for early 2025.
Looking forward, Mina aims to facilitate massively distributed consensus participation, promoting decentralization and public trust in cryptocurrency. By the end of 2025, the goal is to have a diverse array of proof types and applications enhancing web2 and web3 functionalities, contributing to a more decentralized and trustworthy internet. The Mina Foundation is excited about the potential for zero-knowledge proofs to transform how individuals and organizations interact, fostering new ways of sharing information and building trustworthy systems.
That's all folks.
I hope this article was helpful for you.
If you have any comment or suggestions, please leave it in the comments section.
You can follow me on twitter @0bkevin and DM me, I’m always happy to talk and get to know more people in this amazing community.