ZKV
ZKV is a UK-based, founder-owned validator infrastructure provider that runs non-custodial staking nodes across zero-knowledge blockchain networks, earning commission fees from delegating token holders and serving both retail stakers and institutional $100K+ delegations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ZKV does
ZKV (legal entity: Validation Labs Limited; also operating as Zero Knowledge Validation Limited; collectively the "ZKV Group") is a UK-based, founder-owned validator infrastructure provider specializing exclusively in zero-knowledge (ZK) blockchain ecosystems. The company operates non-custodial validator nodes across eight active networks—Sui, Walrus, Noble, Celo, Celestia, Espresso, Cosmos Hub, and Polkadot—with three additional launches prepared for Hyperlane, zkCloud, and Aztec. Validator infrastructure is strategically positioned across Europe using cloud and Web3-friendly providers to minimize policy risk and reinforce decentralization, and the firm operates minority clients where possible to bolster network diversity.
ZKV's core product is commission-based delegated staking: token holders delegate assets to ZKV's validator addresses through native protocol interfaces (e.g., Sui Wallet, Keplr, network staking apps) and ZKV retains a percentage of staking rewards. Commission rates are publicly disclosed, vary by network, and are periodically reset to prevailing market averages. Beyond staking fees, the company publishes educational content (blog, quarterly State of ZK Report, Zero Knowledge Podcast), supports ZK builders through grants, investments, and sponsorships, and has released open-source developer tooling (Ignite Manager for Celestia/Rollkit). It also conducts governance participation, event hosting (e.g., ZK Paris during EthCC week), and education across the ZK ecosystem.
The company serves two principal customer segments: (1) retail and SMB token holders who delegate assets to earn staking rewards (self-serve via native wallets), and (2) institutional stakers with delegations over $100K served through a dedicated inside-sales process with customized commission arrangements. A secondary, non-paying segment comprises ZK protocol teams that receive grants, investments, and operational support. The firm is lean—approximately 6 core team members led by co-founders Anna Rose (Community & Partnerships) and Will Harborne (Investments & New Networks), alongside Philipp Jovanovic (Systems Security), Koen van Marrewijk (DevOps), Alex Pang (Operations), and adviser Kobi Gurkan. ZKV is privately held with no disclosed institutional funding rounds.
ZKV firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ZKV
- Legal name
- Validation Labs Limited
- Website
- https://zkv.xyz
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ZKV is a UK-based, founder-owned validator infrastructure provider that runs non-custodial staking nodes across zero-knowledge blockchain networks, earning commission fees from delegating token holders and serving both retail stakers and institutional $100K+ delegations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ZKV industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Blockchain Validator Services
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)
- SIC
- Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Layer-1 (L1) Network Validators & Node Operators (FSADAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Governance / DAO Validator Participation & Delegation Infrastructure (FSADAKAL)
Keywords
Where ZKV is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
ZKV business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Validator Commission Fees: ZKV operates as a validator on blockchain networks and earns revenue through commission fees charged on staking rewards earned by delegators. Delegators stake their tokens through ZKV's non-custodial validator infrastructure, and ZKV takes a percentage cut of the rewards generated. Commission rates vary by network and are periodically adjusted to align with market levels and network dynamics.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Variable commission rates by network |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
ZKV product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ZKV operates non-custodial validator nodes across multiple proof-of-stake blockchain networks — focused on zero-knowledge and modular ecosystems including Sui, Celestia, Cosmos Hub, Polkadot, Celo, Espresso, Noble, and Walrus — enabling token holders to delegate assets, earn staking rewards, and participate in network governance. Revenue is earned via commission fees on staking rewards, and the company supplements this core service with ecosystem grants, investments, developer tooling (Ignite Manager), and community-building events.
Product overview
ZKV is a validator infrastructure company offering non-custodial staking services across multiple blockchain networks. Their core offering consists of validator node operations across eight active networks (Sui, Celestia, Cosmos Hub, Polkadot, Celo, Espresso, Noble, and Walrus), with upcoming support for Hyperlane, zkCloud, and Aztec. The company supports the ZK ecosystem through educational content (Quarterly State of ZK Report, blog), community events, and developer tools like Ignite Manager for blockchain deployment on Celestia. ZKV operates validators strategically positioned across Europe for optimal decentralization.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Non-custodial validator staking services Non-custodial validator node operations across eight active proof-of-stake networks (Sui, Celestia, Cosmos Hub, Polkadot, Celo, Espresso, Noble, and Walrus), enabling token holders to delegate assets and earn staking rewards while supporting network security and governance.
- Ignite Manager
Companies that use ZKV
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ZKV technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
ZKV partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and upcoming.
- CelestiacoreZKV operates as a validator on Celestia, supporting the modular data availability layer and contributing to the ecosystem's security. Celestia is one of ZKV's key networks where they focus validator resources.
- SuicoreZKV operates as a validator on Sui blockchain, supporting the high-performance Layer 1 known for its Move programming language and parallel transaction execution. Sui is a priority network for ZKV.
- PolkadotcoreZKV operates as a validator on Polkadot, contributing to the multi-chain ecosystem's security through delegated proof-of-stake.
- Cosmos HubcoreZKV operates as a validator on Cosmos Hub, participating in the Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) ecosystem and governance.
- WalruscoreZKV operates as a validator on Walrus, the decentralized on-chain programmable storage protocol developed by Mysten Labs.
- NoblecoreZKV is one of 20 validators in the Noble set, the specialized blockchain within Cosmos for native asset issuance.
- HyperlaneupcomingUpcoming network for ZKV: Hyperlane is a modular interoperability protocol incorporating path-independent verification mechanisms. ZKV is preparing for validator launch.
- zkCloudupcomingUpcoming network for ZKV: zkCloud is a novel decentralized ZK proving marketplace enabling performant, on-demand proof generation.
- AztecupcomingUpcoming network for ZKV: Aztec is a programmable ZK rollup architecture supporting hybrid private/public execution models on Ethereum.
- Mysten LabscoreZKV participates in the Sui ecosystem developed by Mysten Labs, operating validators and engaging with zkLogin and other ZK-based authentication primitives. Mysten Labs develops core Sui blockchain technology and ZK tools like Enoki.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
ZKV competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Staking Facilities: Validator operator on Cosmos and Polkadot with focus on institutional and professional stakers. Comparable network overlap and similar service offering to ZKV.
- Chorus One: Operates validators across Cosmos, Polkadot, Sui, and other networks with an institutional staking focus and ecosystem investment arm (Chorus Ventures). Closest direct competitor to ZKV in terms of network overlap and validator-as-a-service positioning.
- Allnodes: Non-custodial staking platform supporting Cosmos, Polkadot, and other networks. Competes with ZKV in the self-serve retail delegator segment with similar non-custodial positioning.
- P2P Validator: Large non-custodial staking provider active on Cosmos, Polkadot, and Sui. Competes with ZKV for delegation share on overlapping networks, with comparable self-serve distribution and similar commission-based economics.
- Kiln: Institutional staking provider offering validator services across Cosmos, Polkadot, and other networks. Comparable as a staking-as-a-service operator targeting institutional delegators, competing for the same $100K+ segment ZKV pursues.
- Everstake: Non-custodial staking provider active on Cosmos, Polkadot, Sui, and Celo. Direct competitor with similar multi-network validator footprint and community-led GTM.
Broad incumbents
- Blockdaemon: Enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructure provider offering validator-as-a-service across multiple networks. Competes with ZKV for institutional delegations but at significantly larger scale with broader product portfolio.
- Figment: One of the largest institutional staking providers, operating validators across Cosmos, Polkadot, Sui, Celestia, and other networks ZKV supports. Directly comparable as a multi-network validator operator competing for similar delegator pools, though far larger and broader in scope.
- Ankr: Web3 infrastructure provider offering staking, RPC, and node services across many networks. Indirect competitor in validator space with broader product portfolio; competes for delegators across overlapping networks.
Emerging players
- CoinList: Platform offering crypto staking and validator-related services across multiple networks. Comparable in staking-as-a-service model though broader in scope (also runs token sales and custody).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ZKV social profiles
Digital presenceZKV financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ZKV leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
ZKV funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ZKV M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ZKV
What does ZKV do?
ZKV operates non-custodial validator nodes across multiple proof-of-stake blockchain networks — focused on zero-knowledge and modular ecosystems including Sui, Celestia, Cosmos Hub, Polkadot, Celo, Espresso, Noble, and Walrus — enabling token holders to delegate assets, earn staking rewards, and participate in network governance. Revenue is earned via commission fees on staking rewards, and the company supplements this core service with ecosystem grants, investments, developer tooling (Ignite Manager), and community-building events.
Is ZKV a public or private company?
ZKV is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was ZKV founded?
ZKV was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ZKV based?
ZKV is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does ZKV make money?
One revenue line is on record: validator Commission Fees.
Who are ZKV's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Staking Facilities, Chorus One, Allnodes, P2P Validator, Kiln and Everstake. Broad incumbents are Blockdaemon, Figment and Ankr. CoinList is listed as an emerging player.
Does ZKV have an API?
No public API is recorded for ZKV.
What industry is ZKV in?
ZKV's product category is Blockchain Validator Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSADAKAA, Layer-1 (L1) Network Validators & Node Operators, with a secondary code of FSADAKAL, Governance / DAO Validator Participation & Delegation Infrastructure. Its NAICS code is 522320 and its SIC code is 6200.