System Overview

System Overview

Nexus is a Layer 1 blockchain that integrates high-performance execution, deterministic consensus, and verifiable computation into a unified protocol architecture.

The system is structured as a three-layer model (Execution, Consensus, and Verification) which cleanly separates runtime computation from block production and long-term trust minimization.

Three-Layer Architecture

Execution Layer

The execution layer consists of two parallel state machines:

• NexusEVM — an Ethereum-compatible environment for general-purpose smart contracts, and composable application development.

• NexusCore — a high-performance runtime hosting enshrined co-processors, each implemented as an independent, deterministic state machine optimized for specialized financial operations.

Both environments execute concurrently and communicate via atomic cross-domain message passing, ensuring a single, globally consistent execution state across NexusEVM, NexusCore and Cross-Domain states.

This dual-execution model resolves the programmability–performance trade-off by allowing developers to retain full EVM flexibility while leveraging CEX-grade computational paths for latency-sensitive logic.

Consensus Layer

The NexusBFT protocol finalizes blocks, validates execution commitments, and governs the activation and evolution of co-processors.

Each block contains:

• A Merkle commitment to the execution state

• Validator signatures and metadata

• Optional registry updates that modify the set of active co-processors via CPregistry

Nexus enables protocol-level extensibility without hard forks or execution-layer disruption, by placing co-processor registration and lifecycle management in the consensus layer.

Verification Layer

The verification layer provides trustless validation of the entire chain through the Nexus zkVM, a zero-knowledge virtual machine.

The Nexus Network generates these proofs, progressively compressing chain execution into a single recursive Universal Proof. This architecture enables horizontally scalable validation where even low-resource devices can independently verify the chain.

Design Goals

The system is engineered to achieve:

• High-frequency execution: Sub-100 ms Core latency and sub-second EVM confirmation.

• Composable programmability: Seamless integration between general smart contracts and specialized co-processors.

• Deterministic coordination: Predictable block timing and atomic cross-domain operations.

• Progressive verifiability: zkVM integration enables recursive proof aggregation for full-chain validation.

• Scalable decentralization: Performance scales with hardware and validator participation, not fragmentation across rollups.

Summary

Nexus unifies execution, consensus, and verifiable computation into a single architecture capable of delivering high-performance financial computation with mathematically provable correctness. By embedding verifiability directly at the base layer and enabling deterministic, parallel execution through co-processors, Nexus provides a foundation for globally scalable applications, markets, and autonomous agents