snip-36

SNIP-36

Overview

SNIP-36 allows executing a single INVOKE_TXN_V3 off-chain against a reference Starknet block's state, then submitting a stwo-cairo proof on-chain. The proof extends the standard v3 transaction hash by appending a proof_facts_hash. Contracts verify this via get_execution_info_v3_syscall.

Core value: Run arbitrary Cairo logic off-chain (heavy computation, privacy checks, game outcomes, attribute proofs) and commit only the verified result on-chain — without revealing private inputs.

Spec: https://community.starknet.io/t/snip-36-in-protocol-proof-verification/116123

Reference implementation: https://github.com/starknet-innovation/snip-36-prover-backend

---

Quick Start

1. Review the operator checklist.
2. Add a virtual create_proof function that emits one L2->L1 message.
3. Prove an unsigned virtual tx with snip36 prove virtual-os.
4. Submit verify_result with { proof, proofFacts } and the decoded message.

When to Use

• The user asks for SNIP-36, virtual block proving, off-chain Starknet proof generation, or proof-backed on-chain verification.
• The workflow needs heavy Cairo computation, privacy-preserving inputs, anonymous voting, secret whitelist checks, or replay-safe nullifier patterns.
• The implementation needs a Cairo virtual function, proof server, starknet.js signing flow, and on-chain verify_result contract pattern.

When NOT to Use

• The user needs a normal Starknet transaction that should be broadcast and fee-estimated through standard RPC.
• The proof cannot run on a backend with native binaries, disk, and about 18 GB RAM.
• The security model requires SNOS-native verification instead of Phase 1 sequencer-side proof verification.

---

Use Cases

• Heavy computation: prove a large hash or algorithm result, then store only the verified output.
• Private attributes: prove age, whitelist membership, or voting weight with a nullifier and public boolean/result.
• Provable games: commit coin flips, seeds, bets, and outcomes for on-chain settlement.
• ZKThread or shard transitions: prove { old_root, new_root, ... } before updating L2 state.

---

Generic 3-Phase Pattern

PHASE 1 — CREATE (off-chain build)
  Build a signed INVOKE_TXN_V3 that calls the virtual function.
  Never broadcast. Includes public_input + private_input in calldata.

PHASE 2 — PROVE (proof server)
  POST { blockNumber, tx } → snip36 prove virtual-os
  Returns { proof, proofFacts, l2ToL1Messages }
  Duration: ~40-50s, ~18 GB RAM

PHASE 3 — VERIFY (on-chain)
  execute(verify_call, { proof, proofFacts })
  Contract reads proof_facts, recomputes message hash, applies state change.

---

Part 1 — Cairo Contract

Scarb.toml requirements

[[target.starknet-contract]]
allowed-libfuncs-list.name = "all"   # required for get_execution_info_v3_syscall

Virtual function pattern

// Called VIRTUALLY (by proof server). Never call directly on-chain.
// public_input  → included in L2→L1 message (visible to verifier)
// private_input → used in computation but NEVER revealed on-chain
fn create_proof(
    ref self: ContractState,
    public_input: PublicInput,
    private_input: PrivateInput,
) {
    // 1. Compute result using both inputs
    let result = heavy_computation(public_input, private_input);

    // 2. Commit result as L2→L1 message — this becomes the proof output
    let mut payload: Array<felt252> = array![];
    // serialize fields the verifier will need:
    payload.append(public_input.field1);
    payload.append(result);
    send_message_to_l1_syscall(
        to_address: 0,   // unused for SNIP-36 (no L1 delivery)
        payload: payload.span()
    ).unwrap();
}

On-chain verify function pattern

// Called ON-CHAIN with proof attached via { proof, proofFacts }.
fn verify_result(
    ref self: ContractState,
    public_message: PublicMessage,  // decoded from l2ToL1Messages[0].payload
) {
    // 1. Read proof_facts committed by SNIP-36
    let info = starknet::syscalls::get_execution_info_v3_syscall()
        .unwrap_syscall().unbox();
    let proof_facts = info.tx_info.unbox().proof_facts;

    // 2. Recompute message hash from the submitted public_message
    let message_hash = compute_message_hash(get_contract_address(), @public_message);

    // 3. Assert proof integrity: proof_facts[8] must equal our hash
    assert(*proof_facts[8] == message_hash, 'Proof message mismatch');

    // 4. Apply state change (nullifier, store result, transfer funds, etc.)
    // ...
}

proof_facts layout

index: [0,  1,  2,                   3,  4,            5,          6,              7,          8,             ...]
value: [0,  0,  virtual_OS_prog_hash, 0,  block_number, block_hash, OS_config_hash, n_messages, msg_hash_0,    msg_hash_1, ...]

• [7] = number of L2→L1 messages emitted (usually 1)
• [8] = Poseidon hash of first message (checked against recomputed hash)

Message hash computation (Cairo)

fn compute_message_hash(contract_addr: ContractAddress, msg: @PublicMessage) -> felt252 {
    let mut payload: Array<felt252> = array![];
    (*msg).serialize(ref payload);
    let mut data: Array<felt252> = array![
        contract_addr.into(),
        0_felt252,
        payload.len().into(),
    ];
    for f in payload.span() { data.append(*f); }
    poseidon_hash_span(data.span())
}

Nullifier pattern (for replay protection)

const NULLIFIER_DOMAIN: felt252 = 'my_app_nullifier_v1';

fn compute_nullifier(unique_id: felt252, secret: Span<felt252>) -> felt252 {
    let secret_hash = poseidon_hash_span(secret);
    poseidon_hash_span(array![NULLIFIER_DOMAIN, unique_id, secret_hash].span())
}

TypeScript equivalent (must match exactly):

const NULLIFIER_DOMAIN = shortString.encodeShortString("my_app_nullifier_v1");

function computeNullifier(uniqueId: string, secret: string[]): string {
    const secretHash = hash.computePoseidonHashOnElements(secret);
    return hash.computePoseidonHashOnElements([NULLIFIER_DOMAIN, uniqueId, secretHash]);
}

Part 2 — Proof Server (Node.js + Rust CLI)

Setup

git clone https://github.com/starknet-innovation/snip-36-prover-backend
cd snip-36-prover-backend
cargo build --release -p snip36-cli
./target/release/snip36 setup

cp .env.example .env
# STARKNET_RPC_URL=...      (v0.8+ JSON-RPC, e.g. Alchemy)
# STARKNET_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS=...
# STARKNET_PRIVATE_KEY=...
# STARKNET_GATEWAY_URL=https://alpha-sepolia.starknet.io

Express server

// src/index.ts
import express from "express";
import { ensureBuilt } from "./build";
import { proveRouter } from "./prove";

ensureBuilt();
const app = express();
app.use(express.json());
app.use(proveRouter);
app.listen(Number(process.env.PORT ?? 3030));

POST /prove — SSE streaming endpoint

// src/prove.ts
proveRouter.post("/prove", (req, res) => {
    const { blockNumber, tx } = req.body ?? {};
    if (!Number.isInteger(blockNumber) || blockNumber < 0 || typeof tx !== "object" || tx == null) {
        res.status(400).json({ code: "SNIP36_INVALID_REQUEST", message: "blockNumber or tx is invalid" });
        return;
    }

    const txJsonPath = `./tmp/tx-${Date.now()}.json`;
    const outputBase = `./output/prove-${Date.now()}`;
    const proofPath = `${outputBase}.proof`;
    const proofFactsPath = `${outputBase}.proof_facts`;
    const rawMessagesPath = `${outputBase}.raw_messages.json`;
    const cleanupPaths = [txJsonPath, proofPath, proofFactsPath, rawMessagesPath];
    const args = [
        "prove", "virtual-os",
        "--block-number", String(blockNumber),
        "--tx-json", txJsonPath,
        "--rpc-url", process.env.STARKNET_RPC_URL!,
        "--output", proofPath,
    ];

    res.setHeader("Content-Type", "text/event-stream");
    res.flushHeaders();

    let child: ReturnType<typeof spawn> | undefined;
    let timeout: NodeJS.Timeout | undefined;
    let settled = false;
    let timedOut = false;
    const errorDetails = (error: unknown) => error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error);
    const send = (event: "log" | "done" | "error", data: object) =>
        !settled && res.write(`event: ${event}\ndata: ${JSON.stringify(data)}\n\n`);

    const cleanup = () => {
        for (const p of cleanupPaths) {
            try {
                if (fs.existsSync(p)) fs.unlinkSync(p);
            } catch (error) {
                send("log", { stream: "cleanup", line: `failed to remove ${p}: ${errorDetails(error)}` });
            }
        }
    };

    const finish = () => {
        if (settled) return;
        if (timeout) clearTimeout(timeout);
        cleanup();
        settled = true;
        res.end();
    };

    try {
        fs.mkdirSync("./tmp", { recursive: true });
        fs.mkdirSync("./output", { recursive: true });
        fs.writeFileSync(txJsonPath, JSON.stringify(tx));
        child = spawn(BINARY, args, { cwd: REPO_CWD, env: process.env });
    } catch (error) {
        send("error", { code: "SNIP36_PROVER_START_FAILED", message: "failed to start snip36", details: errorDetails(error) });
        finish();
        return;
    }

    timeout = setTimeout(() => {
        timedOut = true;
        send("error", { code: "SNIP36_PROVER_TIMEOUT", message: "snip36 timed out", details: "terminated after 10 minutes" });
        child?.kill("SIGTERM");
    }, 10 * 60 * 1000);

    child.on("error", error => {
        send("error", { code: "SNIP36_PROVER_START_FAILED", message: "snip36 process failed", details: errorDetails(error) });
        finish();
    });
    child.stdout.on("data", c => send("log", { stream: "stdout", line: c.toString() }));
    child.stderr.on("data", c => send("log", { stream: "stderr", line: c.toString() }));

    child.on("close", code => {
        if (settled) return;
        try {
            if (timedOut) return;
            if (code !== 0) {
                send("error", { code: "SNIP36_PROVER_EXIT_NON_ZERO", message: "snip36 exited non-zero", details: `exit code ${code}` });
                return;
            }
            if (!fs.existsSync(proofPath) || !fs.existsSync(proofFactsPath)) {
                throw new Error("missing proof or proof_facts artifact");
            }
            const proof = fs.readFileSync(proofPath, "ascii").trim();
            const proofFacts = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(proofFactsPath, "ascii"));
            const l2ToL1Messages = fs.existsSync(rawMessagesPath)
                ? JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(rawMessagesPath, "ascii")).l2_to_l1_messages
                : undefined;
            send("done", { proof, proofFacts, ...(l2ToL1Messages && { l2ToL1Messages }) });
        } catch (error) {
            send("error", { code: "SNIP36_ARTIFACT_READ_FAILED", message: "failed to read proof artifacts", details: errorDetails(error) });
        } finally {
            finish();
        }
    });
});

Output artifacts and env

The CLI emits *.proof (base64 stwo proof), *.proof_facts (JSON hex felt252s), and optional *.raw_messages.json with l2_to_l1_messages.

Required env: STARKNET_RPC_URL, STARKNET_ACCOUNT_ADDRESS, STARKNET_PRIVATE_KEY, STARKNET_GATEWAY_URL, STARKNET_CHAIN_ID, and PORT.

Part 3 — Starknet.js Integration

SSE client

// requestProof.ts
type ProveResult = { proof: string; proofFacts: BigNumberish[]; l2ToL1Messages?: { payload: BigNumberish[] }[] };

export async function requestProof(blockNumber: number, tx: INVOKE_TXN_V3): Promise<ProveResult> {
    const res = await fetch(`${process.env.PROOF_SERVER_URL ?? "http://localhost:3030"}/prove`, {
        method: "POST",
        headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
        body: JSON.stringify({ blockNumber, tx }),
    });

    const reader = res.body!.getReader();
    const dec = new TextDecoder();
    let buf = "";
    let result: ProveResult | undefined;

    while (true) {
        const { done, value } = await reader.read();
        if (done) break;
        buf += dec.decode(value, { stream: true });
        const parts = buf.split("\n\n");
        buf = parts.pop() ?? "";
        for (const msg of parts) {
            const event = msg.match(/^event: (\w+)/)?.[1];
            const data = JSON.parse(msg.match(/^data: (.+)$/m)?.[1] ?? "null");
            if (event === "done") result = data;
            if (event === "error") throw Object.assign(new Error(data.message), { code: data.code, details: data.details });
        }
    }
    if (!result) throw new Error("No proof result");
    return result;
}

Virtual transaction build + proof orchestration

// server-side only: private inputs and signing keys must never reach the browser.
async function proveAndVerify(publicInput: unknown, privateInput: unknown): Promise<string> {
    const provider = new RpcProvider({ nodeUrl: process.env.RPC_URL! });
    const account = new Account({
        provider,
        address: process.env.ACCOUNT_ADDRESS!,
        signer: process.env.PRIVATE_KEY!,
    });
    const contract = new Contract({ abi, address: CONTRACT_ADDRESS, providerOrAccount: account });

    // 1. Build virtual call (never broadcast)
    const call = contract.populate("create_proof", { public_input: publicInput, private_input: privateInput });

    // 2. Must set resourceBounds manually; fee estimation would expose private calldata.
    const prices = await provider.getGasPrices();
    const M = 2n;
    const resourceBounds = {
        l2_gas:     { max_amount: 0x279fc0n * M, max_price_per_unit: prices.l2GasPrice * M },
        l1_gas:     { max_amount: 0xbd2an * M,   max_price_per_unit: prices.l1GasPrice * M },
        l1_data_gas:{ max_amount: 0xc0n * M,     max_price_per_unit: prices.l1DataGasPrice * M },
    };

    // 3. Requires the proof-enabled starknet.js fork, not standard starknet.js.
    const tx: INVOKE_TXN_V3 = await account.getSignedTransaction(call, { resourceBounds });
    const blockNumber = await provider.getBlockNumber();
    const proofResult = await requestProof(blockNumber, tx);

    const cd = new CallData(abi);
    const publicMessage = cd.decodeParameters(
        "my_contract::PublicMessage",
        proofResult.l2ToL1Messages![0].payload as string[]
    );

    const verifyCall = contract.populate("verify_result", { public_message: publicMessage });
    const { transaction_hash } = await account.execute(verifyCall, {
        proof: proofResult.proof,
        proofFacts: proofResult.proofFacts,
    } as any);

    return transaction_hash;
}

SNIP-36 transaction hash extension

Standard v3: poseidon(INVOKE, version, sender, tip_rb_hash, paymaster_hash,
                      chain_id, nonce, da_mode, acct_deploy_hash, calldata_hash)

SNIP-36:     poseidon(INVOKE, version, sender, tip_rb_hash, paymaster_hash,
                      chain_id, nonce, da_mode, acct_deploy_hash, calldata_hash,
                      proof_facts_hash)    ← appended only when proof_facts present

account.execute(call, { proof, proofFacts }) handles the hash extension automatically in starknet.js.

Frontend boundaries

• Browser: collect public inputs, optionally request a wallet signature, and poll for the final transaction hash.
• Server: keep RPC_URL, ACCOUNT_ADDRESS, PRIVATE_KEY, PROOF_SERVER_URL, getSignedTransaction(), and /prove calls off the client.
• RPC proxy: route browser RPC through a server endpoint if the provider key is sensitive.

Only expose NEXT_PUBLIC_CONTRACT_ADDRESS or other non-secret addresses to the browser.

---

Critical Pitfalls

Pitfall	Fix
Fee estimation on virtual tx	Estimating fees online would send the full calldata (including private inputs) to the RPC node — exposing secrets. Set resourceBounds manually at 2× current gas prices instead
Proof generation in browser	The proving backend requires ~18 GB RAM and a native Rust binary — impossible in a browser. The proof server call must go through a backend. On-chain submission can be done from the browser (wallet) if the RPC key is not sensitive, or from the backend to hide a dedicated account private key
Missing allowed-libfuncs-list.name = "all"	get_execution_info_v3_syscall requires it
Proof server resources	~18 GB RAM, 40-50s per proof, ~10 GB disk for deps
L2→L1 to_address for SNIP-36	Set to 0 or any felt — no actual L1 message is sent
Nullifier domain mismatch between Cairo and TS	Must use identical domain string and identical hash chain
Wrong blockNumber sent to proof server	Use provider.getBlockNumber() right before getSignedTransaction
Re-using a nullifier	Contract must check and revert; compute nullifier locally first to fail fast
Security caveat (Phase 1)	Proofs are verified by sequencer only, not by SNOS — degraded security vs native Starknet
Proof pricing	130 L2gas/byte (125 propagation + 5 storage) + 10M L2gas base overhead

---

Error Codes & Recovery

Code	Name	Source / symbol	Recovery
SNIP36_INVALID_REQUEST	invalid_request	HTTP /prove before CLI spawn	Validate inputs before calling /prove; blockNumber must be a non-negative integer and tx must be a complete INVOKE_TXN_V3 object
SNIP36_PROVER_START_FAILED	prover_start_failed	HTTP /prove, spawn(BINARY, args) or temp file setup	Confirm the snip36 binary path, REPO_CWD, ./tmp, and ./output permissions; inspect proof server logs for the included details field
SNIP36_PROVER_TIMEOUT	proof_generation_timeout	HTTP /prove, long-running snip36 prove virtual-os	Retry on a dedicated backend; verify the host has ~18 GB RAM, available CPU, and no stuck prior prover process
SNIP36_PROVER_EXIT_NON_ZERO	proof_generation_failed	CLI flow: snip36 prove virtual-os	Check stderr logs, STARKNET_RPC_URL, STARKNET_CHAIN_ID, block availability, and whether the virtual transaction uses unsupported calldata or libfuncs
SNIP36_ARTIFACT_READ_FAILED	artifact_read_failed	HTTP /prove reading .proof, .proof_facts, or .raw_messages.json	Check disk space and output permissions; verify the CLI wrote both proofPath and proofFactsPath before the server cleaned temporary files
SNIP36_FEE_ESTIMATION_SENSITIVE	fee_estimation_sensitive	JS getSignedTransaction orchestration	Do not call fee estimation for a virtual transaction; set resourceBounds manually from provider.getGasPrices() before signing
SNIP36_STALE_BLOCK_NUMBER	stale_block_number	JS provider.getBlockNumber() and HTTP /prove	Fetch provider.getBlockNumber() immediately before getSignedTransaction() and retry with a recent finalized block
SNIP36_PROOF_FACTS_MISSING	proof_facts_missing	Cairo verify_result, get_execution_info_v3_syscall()	Ensure the on-chain account.execute(verifyCall, { proof, proofFacts }) includes both fields and uses the starknet.js proof hash extension
SNIP36_MESSAGE_HASH_MISMATCH	proof_message_mismatch	Cairo verify_result, proof_facts[8] check	Compare the create_proof L2->L1 payload with the public_message passed to verify_result; check serialization order and compute_message_hash inputs
SNIP36_NULLIFIER_MISMATCH	nullifier_mismatch	Cairo compute_nullifier, TS computeNullifier	Verify the domain string, short-string encoding, field order, and Poseidon hash chain match exactly across Cairo and TypeScript
SNIP36_REUSED_NULLIFIER	reused_nullifier	Cairo verify_result state update, optional read_result()	Abort submission, call read_result() or the nullifier storage view, and surface a replay/conflict error to the user
SNIP36_RPC_CHAIN_MISMATCH	rpc_chain_mismatch	CLI/HTTP env: STARKNET_RPC_URL, STARKNET_GATEWAY_URL, STARKNET_CHAIN_ID	Align RPC, gateway, and account network; rebuild the virtual transaction after correcting environment variables

---

Quick Reference

Contract: create_proof(public, private) -> emit L2->L1 message
Contract: verify_result(public_msg) -> check proof_facts[8] and apply state
Optional: read_result() -> query stored result/nullifier
Facts:    proof_facts[7] = n_messages; proof_facts[8] = poseidon(contract, 0, len, payload)
CLI:      snip36 prove virtual-os --block-number N --tx-json tx.json --rpc-url URL --output out.proof
HTTP:     POST /prove { blockNumber, tx } -> SSE log* then done|error
JS:       getSignedTransaction(call, { resourceBounds }) then execute(verifyCall, { proof, proofFacts })