Microsoft-backed Space and Time launches SXT Chain Testnet at Chainlink SmartCon after $20 million Series A raise

Just months after closing a $20 million Series A, Microsoft-backed AI blockchain startup Space and Time Labs has launched the SXT Chain Testnet at Chainlink SmartCon. The SXT Chain, designed to bring zero-knowledge (ZK)-proven data directly to smart contracts, is now live in testnet.

With support from partners like ZKsync, Chainlink, and Microsoft, SXT is primed to power DeFi’s next evolution, providing the data, infrastructure, and tools developers need to build more advanced, data-driven smart contracts.

The latest also comes six months after Space and Time announced the beta release of its data warehouse and developer suite. Space and Time allows developers to leverage provable computation against on-chain and off-chain data to power dapps, smart contracts and verifiable AI models

SXT Chain operates as a blockchain indexing data from major blockchains, including Ethereum and ZKsync, and stores it on a decentralized network of database nodes. Developers can use SXT’s “Proof of SQL” coprocessor to access, query, and ZK-prove data before connecting it to their smart contracts.

While blockchain technology has enabled a new level of asset ownership, it still faces challenges with large-scale data access. For instance, onchain lending protocols often set uniform lending rates because smart contracts can’t easily verify a wallet’s transaction history. With SXT, a lending platform can create a wallet’s “credit score” by aggregating onchain data using a SQL interface, verifying its accuracy through ZK-proof, and sending the score directly to a smart contract. Projects like Lendvest, an onchain credit scoring protocol in the Chainlink BUILD program, are already leveraging SXT for data-driven DeFi solutions.

“Our mission has always been to make smart contracts more capable by connecting them to a verifiable database. Launching SXT Chain in testnet is a huge step in helping developers build smarter applications onchain. Both ZKsync and Chainlink have been expanding blockchain’s capabilities, and we’re excited to work together on the future of DeFi,” said Nate Holiday, Co-Founder and CEO of Space and Time.

To back SXT Chain, Space and Time is also rolling out a ZK Chain within the Elastic Chain ecosystem, powered by ZKsync technology. This ZK rollup will serve as the smart contract layer for SXT, supporting Solidity smart contract deployments while enabling native DeFi applications for client payments, staking, and network operations, along with third-party DeFi apps for liquid staking and derivatives.

Alex Gluchowski, ZKsync Co-Inventor, added, “Space and Time’s SXT Chain and custom ZKsync rollup are helping expand Elastic Chain’s capabilities. With ZK as a backbone for Web3 scaling, SXT Chain brings a new level of sophistication to cross-chain, data-driven smart contracts.”

SXT also integrates with Chainlink Network, offering a lower-cost method for ZK-verified queries and expanding the toolkit available to developers. The integration of Chainlink Functions allows direct delivery of ZK-proven query results from SXT to smart contracts, serving as a trusted data source for decentralized applications.

“We’re thrilled to see SXT leverage Chainlink services through the Chainlink BUILD program. Integrating Chainlink’s network with SXT gives developers secure tools for scalable, data-centric smart contracts that bridge onchain and offchain data,” said Sergey Nazarov, Co-Founder of Chainlink.

Microsoft, an early supporter, highlighted that Space and Time Labs is collaborating with the Microsoft AI Co-Innovation Lab to fast-track generative AI tools for onchain app development. Kathleen Mitford, CVP of Global Industry Marketing at Microsoft, stated, “Together with Space and Time, Microsoft Azure is helping developers push forward with blockchain innovations.”

The SXT Chain testnet is live and open to developers ready to enhance their applications with ZK-proof capabilities. Community members can get involved by completing SXT quests on Galxe.

Founded by Scott Dykstra and Nate Holiday, Space and Time is the verifiable compute layer for AI and Blockchain enterprises, providing tamperproof on-chain and off-chain data for building use cases on smart contracts and LLMs. Via its propriety cryptography model, Proof of SQL, developers can connect analytics directly to smart contracts, opening up a wealth of powerful new use cases and business logic on blockchain technology. The technology has been used to develop a variety of data-intensive platforms including financial services, gaming, DeFi, or any project requiring verifiable data across enterprise, blockchain, and AI.

Space and Time Founders Scott Dykstra and Nate Holiday