🟠create, prove & verify Bitcoin handles off-chain
Basic principle
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Add handles to a Merkle tree & commit the 32-byte root to Bitcoin.
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New handles must prove non-existence in the previous root(s).
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Subs compresses these proofs: STARK or SNARK → root cert.
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Owners get an inclusion proof → leaf cert.
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Certificates are non-revocable: once bound to a script pubkey, it’s yours.
Note: Only the tree root gets committed to Bitcoin - certificates remain off-chain (low footprint!).
See https://spacesprotocol.org/paper
Operators are chosen via permissionless auctions on Bitcoin. They manage top-level spaces: https://explorer.spacesprotocol.org
Prereq (RISC Zero toolchain):
curl -L https://risczero.com/install | bash
rzup install
Install subs:
git clone https://github.com/spacesprotocol/subs && cd subs
cargo install --path subs
cargo install --path prover
For operators, use --features cuda on subs-prover for nvidia machines to enable GPU acceleration.
subs-prover --server --server-port 8888
Point it at your spaced RPC and the wallet that will be used to operate spaces:
subs \
--rpc-url http://127.0.0.1:7225 \
--wallet my-wallet \
--data-dir ./data \
--port 7777
Then open http://localhost:7777 in a browser. Under Settings, set the prover URL to http://127.0.0.1:8888 so subs can dispatch proofs.
From the UI you can stage handles, run local commits, broadcast on-chain commitments, and issue / export certificates.
A registry is the public-facing service where users request handles, keeping subs private since it holds wallet keys. subs polls it, stages what it finds, and publishes certificates.
See REGISTRY.md to build one, and examples/registry-server for a working reference.
The test-rig feature spins up a fresh regtest bitcoind + spaced automatically, so no external setup is needed. Useful for hacking on subs without a live node.
cargo install --path subs --features test-rig
subs --test-rig --test-rig-dir ./testrig-data
--wallet and --rpc-url are not required in this mode. The rig persists chain data in --test-rig-dir so restarts keep state. The UI exposes an RPC console and a "mine N blocks" helper for driving the chain forward.
Apache 2.0