Execution Kernel
The Execution Kernel is a consensus-critical, deterministic agent execution framework for RISC Zero zkVM. It enables verifiable DeFi ML agents that make capital allocation decisions with cryptographic proof of correct execution.
Quick Navigation
| If you want to... | Start here |
|---|---|
| Understand how it works | Architecture Overview |
| Build an agent | Writing an Agent |
| Set up your dev environment | Prerequisites |
| Integrate with smart contracts | On-Chain Verification |
| Understand the binary formats | Input Format |
| Package an agent for deployment | Agent Pack Format |
| Audit or review the codebase | Repository Map |
What is the Execution Kernel?
The Execution Kernel defines what constitutes a valid agent execution through zero-knowledge proofs. Capital is held in on-chain vaults that delegate decision-making to agents—programs that analyze market conditions and produce actions like deposits, withdrawals, or trades.
The kernel acts as a verifiable sandbox: an agent runs inside the kernel, which runs inside a zkVM. The zkVM produces a proof that:
- The agent executed correctly according to its own code
- The kernel enforced all protocol constraints
- The resulting actions are exactly what the agent decided
Key Features
Agent-Agnostic Design
The kernel uses trait-based dependency injection, allowing new agents without modifying kernel code:
pub trait AgentEntrypoint {
fn code_hash(&self) -> [u8; 32];
fn run(&self, ctx: &AgentContext, opaque_inputs: &[u8]) -> AgentOutput;
}
// Execute kernel with any agent
let journal = kernel_main_with_agent(&input_bytes, &MyAgent)?;
Cryptographic Commitments
Every execution produces a journal containing:
- Input commitment: SHA-256 hash of all inputs
- Action commitment: SHA-256 hash of all outputs
- Execution status: Success or Failure
Constraint Enforcement
The constraint engine validates agent outputs against safety rules:
- Position size limits
- Leverage bounds
- Asset whitelists
- Cooldown periods
Protocol Constants
| Constant | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
PROTOCOL_VERSION | 1 | Wire format version |
KERNEL_VERSION | 1 | Kernel semantics version |
MAX_AGENT_INPUT_BYTES | 64,000 | Maximum input size |
MAX_AGENT_OUTPUT_BYTES | 64,000 | Maximum output size |
MAX_ACTIONS_PER_OUTPUT | 64 | Maximum actions per execution |
MAX_ACTION_PAYLOAD_BYTES | 16,384 | Maximum payload per action |
HASH_FUNCTION | SHA-256 | Commitment hash function |
These constants are defined in kernel-core/src/lib.rs and kernel-core/src/types.rs.
On-Chain Deployment (Sepolia)
| Contract | Address |
|---|---|
| AgentRegistry | 0xBa1DA5f7e12F2c8614696D019A2eb48918E1f2AA |
| VaultFactory | 0x3bB48a146bBC50F8990c86787a41185A6fC474d2 |
| KernelExecutionVerifier | 0x9Ef5bAB590AFdE8036D57b89ccD2947D4E3b1EFA |
| RISC Zero Verifier Router | 0x925d8331ddc0a1F0d96E68CF073DFE1d92b69187 |
The system is fully permissionless: anyone can register agents via AgentRegistry and deploy vaults via VaultFactory. See Permissionless System for details.
Quick Start
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/Defiesta/execution-kernel.git
cd execution-kernel
# Run tests
cargo test
# Build with zkVM support
cargo build --release --features risc0
Next Steps
- Architecture Overview - Understand the system design
- Prerequisites - Set up your development environment
- Writing an Agent - Build your first agent