IoTeX and NovaNet are collaborating in what marks a significant breakthrough in the Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) ecosystem. New possibilities are being unlocked by integrating IoTeX’s trusted device identity management system with NovaNet’s pioneering zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) technology. This partnership is set to greatly influence how DePIN devices authenticate, prove data integrity, and protect user privacy.
As DePIN projects grow, the need for secure, scalable, and private data verification becomes increasingly critical. Many devices in the network operate in constrained environments, such as microcontrollers with limited computational resources. Traditional ZKP methods have high memory and processing demands, making them unsuitable for such devices.
NovaNet’s zkVM is a game-changer, enabling ZKP generation on constrained IoT devices. By leveraging Nova-NIVC (nonuniform incremental verifiable computation) folding techniques, NovaNet has drastically reduced the memory and computational requirements for proof generation.
An ESP32 or a RaspberryPi running the ioID-SDK can now generate proofs of physical world activities using ZKPs to prove its firmware’s integrity directly on the device, without external computation resources.
IoTeX’s ioID provides a decentralized identity framework that integrates on-chain and off-chain identities for IoT devices.
The integration of IoTeX’s ioID and NovaNet’s ZKP technology demonstrates its real-world potential with a compelling use case: privacy-preserving proof of device location. A proof of concept being developed in this code repository illustrates the core components for how DePIN devices can establish trust, ensure data privacy, and interact with decentralized applications seamlessly:
A new IoT device powered by ioID and NovaNet firmware generates a DID and links it to the owner’s wallet. This DID and ownership information is registered on-chain using IoTeX infrastructure.
The device collects GPS location data and generates a ZKP to prove the location of the device within a region without revealing the actual location details.
The ZKP message is signed by the device using ioID and sent to an IoTeX smart contract.
The smart contract verifies:
The PoC’s initial implementation verifies off chain and will be moved on chain. The benefit of on-chain verification is enabling anyone to view and perform the verification themselves (public verifiability). On-chain verification also leverages the enhanced security and composability of the IoTeX blockchain.
If all checks pass, rewards or actions are triggered, such as distributing incentives or granting access to a service.
This process eliminates reliance on external validators simplifying the architecture, while ensuring data ownership, integrity and user privacy. ZKPs also enable selective disclosure of verifiable credentials, as recognized by W3C’s verifiable credentials data model.
For DePIN, this means enabling the verification of specific characteristics and processes of IoT devices without needing to see the actual computations or raw data. It also means verification without relying on a centralized party for validation. A smart sensor in a decentralized energy grid can use a ZKP to prove it is compliant with regulatory standards (e.g., safety, energy efficiency) without disclosing operational specifics. And no centralized authority is needed to verify the claim.
DePIN projects benefit from robust, decentralized systems that scale seamlessly and uphold trust.
We’ve seen how the IoTeX and NovaNet partnership unlocks new capabilities for DePIN devices. By combining IoTeX’s ioID infrastructure with NovaNet’s on-device ZKPs, this collaboration addresses the core challenges of security, privacy, and scalability. What does the future look like for DePIN builders then?
With this solution:
This innovation is more than a technical milestone—it’s a huge step toward empowering decentralized infrastructures across industries, from location to health data collection, to communication and energy grids, data provenance and privacy are paramount in any DePIN project.
IoTeX and NovaNet’s collaboration represents a new era for DePIN technology. By enabling trusted, privacy-preserving, and scalable device interactions, they are setting the stage for the next generation of decentralized applications. This partnership proves that even the most constrained IoT devices can achieve robust, trustless verification—creating a future where decentralized networks thrive on efficiency, security, and user empowerment.
