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Jolt

Jolt is an open-source Rust zero-knowledge virtual machine and CLI for executing RISC-V programs and generating zero-knowledge proofs. The repository implements RV64IMAC, and includes a prover workspace, example programs and profiling tools.

Explore the practical guide ↓

Independent OpenViST project profile, based on linked sources.

Jolt — OpenViST project profile in ZK & Privacy.
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Understand the project

Practical overview

When it fits

Use Jolt when developing or experimenting with zero-knowledge execution for programs targeting RV64IMAC, or when profiling the documented prover examples. Its alpha status makes it a research and development choice rather than a production-ready system.

Who it is for

  • Developers exploring proof-backed execution of RISC-V programs.
  • Rust developers who want to build with or contribute to a zkVM implementation.
  • Researchers and developers profiling Jolt prover workloads.

Documented uses

  • Execute a program targeting RISC-V RV64IMAC in a zkVM workflow.
  • Work with Jolt's prover and example workloads, including Fibonacci and hash-chain examples.
  • Profile execution and inspect trace, summary and memory outputs.
Before you choose

Requirements & limits

The repository is public and licensed under Apache-2.0. Setup instructions use Rust and Cargo; no account requirement is documented.

  • Instruction-set scope is explicit: RISC-V RV64IMAC.
  • The project is marked alpha and not suitable for production use at this time.
  • The repository supplies a pinned Rust toolchain, CLI installation instructions, examples and profiling commands.
  • The Jolt Book is noted as undergoing updates.

Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.

Source-based practical guide

Install the Jolt CLI from its repository

Set up the repository and install the Jolt command-line tool.

Before you start

  • Rust toolchain pinned in rust-toolchain.toml
  • rustup is recommended to select the pinned toolchain and required targets

Steps

  1. Clone https://github.com/a16z/jolt.

  2. From the cloned repository, run rustup show to check the selected Rust toolchain.

  3. Run cargo install --path . to install the Jolt CLI.

Expected outcome

The Jolt CLI is installed from the local repository.

Guide limitations

  • Jolt is described as alpha and not suitable for production use at this time.
Documentation 1 ↗
Source-based practical guide

Generate an execution profile for an example workload

Create a profiling trace and summary for a documented Jolt example.

Before you start

  • A Rust toolchain pinned in rust-toolchain.toml
  • Jolt repository checkout
  • A documented example name: fibonacci, sha2-chain, sha3-chain or btreemap

Steps

  1. From the repository, run cargo run --release -p jolt-prover --features profiling -- profile --name fibonacci --format chrome, substituting another documented example name if desired.

  2. Inspect the timestamped output directory created under benchmark-runs/ for trace.json, summary.json and memory.html.

  3. Open the Chrome trace in Perfetto.

Expected outcome

A profiling output directory containing trace and summary files, with the trace viewable in Perfetto.

Guide limitations

  • The documented profile command generates profiling output; it does not establish a production deployment workflow.
  • Jolt is described as alpha and not suitable for production use at this time.
Documentation 1 ↗
Evidence and transparency

Sources & review

Official repository ↗
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13 October 2026
Original website title
a16z/jolt · Official homepage title · retained in its source language
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