Key Takeaways
- Space and Time Labs has launched a testnet for its new SXT Chain.
- The blockchain aims to bring zero-knowledge-proven data directly to smart contracts.
- The SXT chain also promises to be lower-cost.
Microsoft-backed Space and Time Labs has launched a testnet for its new SXT Chain, designed to help developers build smarter applications on-chain.
The move comes just months after the blockchain data platform closed a $20 million Series A funding round.
SXT Chain Launches
Space and Time aims to provide developers with data and infrastructure to improve the development of apps “at the intersection” of AI and blockchain.
“Until now, smart contract devs have been building with their hands tied behind their backs, stuck with self-referential opcodes which can’t access even the most basic answers about activity on-chain,” Scott Dykstra, Space and Time Co-Founder, said in a blog post.
The Microsoft-backed startup’s new SXT Chain aims to bring zero-knowledge (ZK) proven data directly to smart contracts.
The SXT chain will operate as a blockchain, indexing data from other leading blockchains and storing it in a decentralized network for developers to query using Proof of SQL, SXT’s ZK coprocessor.
“Our mission has always been to make smart contracts more capable by connecting them to a verifiable database,” said Nate Holiday, Co-Founder and CEO of Space and Time.
“Launching SXT Chain in testnet is a huge step in helping developers build smarter applications on-chain,” he added.
More Efficient Smart Contracts
Space and Time confirmed that its indexing nodes have been built to be “very lightweight so that anyone can run them on hardware as simple as a MacBook.”
“The primary purpose of SXT Chain validators is to witness and secure the data ingested into the network,” Dykstra said.
The SXT chain will also integrate the Chainlink Network to offer a lower-cost method for ZK-verified queries and provide more tools for developers.
Space and Time Raise $20 Million
In August, Space and Time raised $20 million in a Series A funding round, bringing its total funding to $50 million.
Framework Ventures, Lightspeed Faction, Arrington Capital, and Hivemind Capital led the round.
Speaking to Fortune, cofounder and CEO Nate Holiday said: “[We’re] moving to an AI-powered world, meaning you don’t know what is being generated by AI and what is being generated by a person or corporations.
“We think it’s super critical to sit right in the middle of this to ensure that as applications are being built in this new world, powered by Space and Time, you have this verifiability, trust, and transparency.”
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
