A major milestone in blockchain infrastructure unfolded this week as Space and Time, a decentralized data protocol backed by Microsoft, officially launched its permissionless mainnet.
Designed to serve as a verifiable data layer for Web3, the platform enables smart contracts to securely query real-world, cross-chain, and historical blockchain data - without the need for centralized intermediaries. This launch introduces a zero-knowledge (ZK)-powered framework that aims to bridge one of the most persistent gaps in decentralized application development: trustless, tamper-proof access to large-scale data.
The protocol, developed by MakeInfinite Labs (formerly Space and Time Labs), represents a fusion of blockchain immutability with off-chain data querying capabilities, powered by cryptographic proofs. In addition to technical advancements, the launch reflects the growing convergence between traditional cloud service providers and decentralized networks. Space and Time already counts Microsoft Azure, Google BigQuery, Chainlink, Sui, and ZKsync among the early ecosystem participants, with financial institutions and infrastructure builders also exploring integrations.
With the Space and Time (SXT) token scheduled for release on May 8, the project is entering its next phase with a globally distributed validator set and an open invitation for the community to participate in staking and network governance.
A New Infrastructure Layer: Why Space and Time Matters
At its core, Space and Time addresses a fundamental architectural challenge in blockchain: how to make reliable, scalable, and trust-minimized data accessible to smart contracts. While on-chain computation ensures state integrity, most decentralized applications (dApps) rely on external data - whether user behavior, market prices, or historical ledger activity - to make meaningful decisions. The inability to securely integrate such data without compromising decentralization has long been a limitation.
Space and Time introduces a solution through a decentralized data warehouse that supports ZK-proofed queries. Developers can query this off-chain data via SQL, and each result is accompanied by a cryptographic proof-generated by what the project calls its “Proof of SQL” engine. This proof can then be verified by smart contracts, enabling dApps to trust external data inputs without relying on centralized data feeds.
According to Scott Dykstra, co-founder of Space and Time, this model allows developers to "build applications with on-chain security guarantees while leveraging the scale and richness of off-chain databases." This opens up new possibilities for DeFi, GameFi, identity systems, and more, particularly those that rely on high-throughput analytics or complex historical context.
How It Works: ZK-Proven Queries and Proof of SQL
Space and Time’s core innovation is the Proof of SQL, a ZK-powered co-processor that allows sub-second verification of off-chain data queries. When a developer queries the database, the system generates a zero-knowledge proof that attests to the accuracy and integrity of the data returned.
Unlike traditional oracles, which rely on trust in third-party sources or relayers, Space and Time's model ensures that the data has not been tampered with, is cryptographically valid, and is queryable in a decentralized environment. The system’s validator network confirms both the result and its corresponding proof, enabling smart contracts to interact with data inputs autonomously and securely.
This verifiability layer is crucial for high-value applications - such as decentralized finance protocols - that need to access cross-chain liquidity data, user positions, or off-chain pricing while ensuring that no single entity can manipulate the results.
Mainnet Launch: A Permissionless Network for Verifiable Data
The public launch of Space and Time's mainnet establishes the protocol as a permissionless network, meaning any user can interact with it without prior approval. This includes becoming a validator or delegated staker, roles critical to securing the system and verifying query proofs.
The testnet, which ran for several months prior to the mainnet deployment, reportedly onboarded more than 30 validators across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. The validator set includes a mix of institutional infrastructure providers and community-run nodes.
With mainnet now live, Space and Time enters a new operational phase. The network will process live queries, serve smart contract applications, and allow external developers to build data-driven dApps that rely on cryptographic verification rather than implicit trust.
The permissionless architecture also positions Space and Time as a complementary layer to existing blockchain ecosystems, enabling Ethereum-based applications - and those on other Layer 1s or rollups - to offload data querying without sacrificing decentralization or transparency.
Enterprise and Ecosystem Adoption
Beyond the technical achievement, Space and Time’s most notable strength may lie in its institutional and ecosystem partnerships. Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform was among the earliest supporters, providing infrastructure services and investing in MakeInfinite Labs during a 2022 strategic round. The company followed up with participation in the project’s Series A round in 2024, underscoring long-term confidence in the protocol’s mission.
Space and Time also integrates with Google BigQuery, a widely used data warehouse service, allowing developers to access familiar cloud tooling while maintaining cryptographic trust guarantees. These partnerships represent a growing trend of hybrid infrastructures, where decentralized cryptographic guarantees are layered onto centralized data systems.
Other early adopters include major blockchain projects like Chainlink, which focuses on decentralized oracles and data delivery; Sui, a Layer 1 blockchain built around object-based programming; and ZKsync, an Ethereum Layer 2 rollup specializing in zero-knowledge proof technology. These integrations reflect the platform’s flexibility and relevance across the data-intensive segments of the crypto ecosystem.
The forthcoming launch of the SXT token will also bring economic alignment to these partnerships, allowing stakeholders to participate in network security, governance, and data validation incentives.
Building in the Post-ZK Era: What Space and Time Represents
The broader significance of Space and Time lies in its alignment with the emerging ZK paradigm in Web3. Zero-knowledge proofs have rapidly evolved from cryptographic research tools into real-world scalability and privacy solutions for blockchain networks. From ZK rollups to privacy-preserving identity systems, ZK tech is reshaping what developers can achieve in decentralized environments.
Space and Time adds a new dimension to this toolkit by applying zero-knowledge verification to the data layer itself. Rather than focusing on computation or transaction compression, the protocol ensures that data inputs used by smart contracts are correct, untampered, and provable. This solves a fundamental problem of data integrity, particularly in contexts where the economic stakes are high.
The application scope is wide: decentralized finance protocols can audit liquidity positions in real time, on-chain games can verify player history without bloating contract logic, and governance systems can enforce rules based on off-chain identity checks or user contributions. All of this can now be done without sacrificing decentralization or introducing centralized dependencies.
Token Economics and Incentive Models
The launch of Space and Time’s native token, SXT, is scheduled for May 8. While full tokenomics have yet to be disclosed, the token is expected to play a central role in the network’s operation. Validators will earn SXT for processing and verifying data queries, while delegated stakers can earn rewards by supporting the validator set.
SXT may also be used for governance, giving token holders the ability to vote on protocol upgrades, parameter changes, and resource allocation. This aligns with the broader ethos of decentralized infrastructure - ensuring that the platform’s evolution is guided by the community and stakeholders rather than a centralized entity.
MakeInfinite Labs, as the primary contributor, has stated that it will maintain an active role in developing tools and standards for the network, but that governance will progressively shift toward a decentralized structure as the protocol matures.
A Growing Landscape for Decentralized Data Infrastructure
Space and Time enters a competitive but still nascent landscape of blockchain-based data protocols. Other projects like The Graph, Covalent, and Flare also aim to solve problems around indexing, querying, or delivering data to smart contracts. However, Space and Time’s unique emphasis on zero-knowledge verification of SQL queries gives it a novel technical and trust model.
Moreover, its deep integrations with both cloud services and Web3 infrastructure projects position it as a potential backbone for next-generation applications that require real-time, verifiable data feeds.
As the Web3 ecosystem grows more complex - with multi-chain applications, cross-chain interoperability, and the blending of off-chain and on-chain states - projects like Space and Time will play a critical role in anchoring data trust. Without verifiable inputs, even the most secure smart contracts are vulnerable to misinformation, manipulation, or opaque data logic.
Final Thoughts
The launch of the Space and Time mainnet marks a significant advancement in the evolution of decentralized infrastructure. As smart contracts grow more sophisticated and users demand greater transparency in how data is sourced and validated, protocols that bridge off-chain computation with on-chain verification will become increasingly essential.
By enabling SQL-based queries with cryptographic guarantees, Space and Time empowers developers to build dApps that are not only decentralized in architecture but also verifiable in execution. It represents a step toward a future where blockchain-based systems can interact with external data at scale, securely, and without compromise.
Backed by Microsoft, supported by cloud and blockchain leaders, and powered by a global validator community, Space and Time’s permissionless mainnet is now live - and it aims to set the standard for ZK-proven data infrastructure in a decentralized future.