# What is Energy Web Verified Compute Cloud? The Verified Compute Cloud (VCC) is Energy Web's decentralised compute and verification network. It enables organisations to execute computational workflows, or Verifications, across a network of independent nodes and produce results that are cryptographically verifiable, tamper-evident, and anchored on a public blockchain. Rather than relying on a single centralised system to execute and attest to these workflows, VCC distributes computation across a network of independent VCC Runtime nodes. Each node executes the same Verification independently and submits its result on-chain. Consensus is reached when a sufficient threshold of nodes agree. The agreed result is recorded as the verified output of that round. The outcome is a verifiable record that a specific computation was performed according to a specific methodology against a specific set of inputs, without necessarily revealing the underlying data. This makes VCC suited to sustainability claims, compliance reporting, and other use cases where a third party needs to trust the result but the underlying data owner cannot or should not expose it in full. ### VCC Use Cases VCC is used across a range of sustainability and compliance verification use cases. Current deployments include renewable energy and GHG accounting (verifying Scope 2 electricity consumption calculations and certificate retirements), sustainable aviation fuel (attesting to SAF certificate chains and feedstock provenance), and maritime decarbonisation (verifying fuel and emissions data across shipping supply chains). ### VCC as infrastructure VCC is not a specific application or registry. It is infrastructure that solution builders use to deploy their own Verifications. Each deployment defines its own computation logic, privacy model, operator set, and governance parameters. VCC provides the shared layer that makes all of those deployments independently verifiable and publicly inspectable under a consistent standard. *** ## Key Concepts ### VCC Protocol The full Verified Compute Cloud offering: all components, infrastructure, and network combined. *** ### Launchpad The SaaS interface used to configure and deploy Verifications and VCC Solution Groups. Solution builders and registrars use Launchpad to define Verification Logic, set Verification Consensus Rules, configure operator participation, and download Gateway deployment packages. Long form on first mention in formal content: **Verified Compute Cloud Launchpad**. *** ### VCC Solution Group (VCG) The top-level tenancy unit within VCC. A VCG contains one or more Verifications and defines which operators participate, what the reward structure is, and how consensus is configured. Short form: **VCG**. *Previously referred to as "Solution Group".* *** ### Verification The unit of work within a VCC Solution Group. A Verification defines a specific computational workflow that VCC Runtime nodes execute each round. Every Verification consists of two components: **Verification Logic:** the computational workflow that defines how input data is processed and what result VCC Runtime nodes should produce. Published to IPFS and referenced on-chain by its content identifier (CID). **Verification Consensus Rules:** the governance and lifecycle parameters: quorum threshold, consensus threshold, round duration, and Verification expiry date. *Previously called a "Solution" in some older contexts.* *** ### VCC Operator An independent node operator who runs VCC Runtime software and participates in verification rounds. VCC Operators execute Verification Logic, submit votes on-chain, and earn rewards for consistent and accurate participation. *** ### Subscriber An account that stakes into a VCC Solution Group. Subscribers earn the Subscription Base Reward for their participation. Operators who meet the Performance Threshold also earn the Active Compute Reward. *Previously referred to as "stakers".* *** ### VCC Gateway Software deployed within the enterprise's own infrastructure. The Gateway ingests raw data from the organisation's systems, processes it according to the Verification Logic, and publishes the output to the network. Raw data does not leave the Gateway. *** ### VCC Runtime The software that VCC Operators run. Each Runtime node independently picks up a verification round, executes the Verification Logic or verifies the ZK proof, and submits its vote on-chain. *** ### VCC Explorer The public, read-only interface for inspecting verification outputs. VCC Explorer displays active VCC Solution Groups, round histories, consensus results, and operator participation. No account is required. *** ### Energy Web X (EWX) The blockchain coordination layer that VCC runs on. EWX is a Substrate-based Nominated Proof-of-Stake Polkadot parachain. It records vote submissions, applies Verification Consensus Rules, and maintains the permanent on-chain record of every verification round. *** ### ComputeReceipt The cryptographic commitment produced by the VCC Gateway for a given verification round. In ZK mode, this is the zero-knowledge proof and its public signals. In standard mode, this is the deterministic hash of the input payload. *** ### AssurancePack The on-chain record of a completed verification round, including the agreed result, consensus outcome, operator participation, and a reference to the Verification Logic applied. The AssurancePack is displayed on VCC Explorer and used by downstream systems to anchor verified claims. *** ### Proof mode The mechanism a Verification uses to process inputs and produce a verifiable result. VCC supports two proof modes: **standard mode** (deterministic re-execution, often referred to as Manifest-Only mode) and **ZK mode** (privacy-preserving, zero-knowledge proof). --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.energyweb.org/energy-web-verified-compute-cloud/what-is-energy-web-verified-compute-cloud.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. 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