The Autopoiesis of Verifiable Computation: Analyzing the Nexus zkVM as a Model for Autonomous Decentralized Systems

Abstract

This paper proposes a new theoretical framework for understanding autonomous decentralized systems by synthesizing the biological theory of autopoiesis with the cryptographic paradigm of verifiable computation. We argue that operational closure and self-production, central to autopoietic systems, find a technical analogue in the architecture of modern zero-knowledge virtual machines (zkVMs). Using the Nexus zkVM as a primary case study, we analyze how recursive proof systems (e.g., Nova, SuperNova) and Proof-Carrying Data (PCD) function as mechanisms for maintaining systemic integrity without reliance on a central authority, thereby creating a form of "computational autopoiesis." This framework is then applied to Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), interpreting their governance models, crises (such as the 2016 The DAO hack), and reproductive events (blockchain forks) as phenomena of an emerging sociotechnical autopoietic system. By drawing parallels with self/non-self discrimination and the layered defense mechanisms of the biological immune system, we develop a robust model for analyzing the security, identity, and autonomy of these nascent digital entities. The paper concludes that this synthesis not only offers a powerful new lens for analyzing decentralized systems but also challenges traditional philosophical distinctions between living and artificial systems, suggesting a continuum of autonomous organization grounded in the logic of verification rather than trust.