How a Solo Hacker Built a ZK-Optimistic Bridge in One Weekend

Hi, I’m Raíssa, Developer Campaigns Manager at Rootstock Labs. Recently, I started attending the post-hackathon calls with the winners, and they have been a pleasant surprise to me. These aren't just your average follow-ups; they're excellent opportunities to chat with highly innovative people and truly understand what works, what they're struggling with, and what they hope to achieve with their Rootstock dApps.

At ETHGlobal Prague 2025, the team had the pleasure of meeting with Jordan Stojanovski, a seasoned solo hacker whose project Acrozz: OptZKBridge won the top prize from Rootstock. Built in just a weekend, this optimistic ZK bridge reimagines how assets can move across chains, with stronger guarantees and less overhead.

Meet Jordan, Builder by Passion

Jordan’s (X / GitHub) journey into Web3 hackathons started over three years ago when he joined one alongside his daughter, who was looking for her first job post-college. She landed a job. Jordan kept hacking.

With a background in computer science and engineering, a PhD track at the University of Michigan (which he left to pursue a business venture), and years of technical leadership behind him, Jordan now calls hackathons his “serious hobbies.” At 62, he’s a regular on the global hackathon circuit, meeting builders, learning emerging tech, and chasing new ideas.

Introducing OptZKBridge - A Safer, Lighter Bridge

Inspired by solutions like Across Protocol, Jordan set out to build something even better: a bridge that’s cheaper, faster, and trustless by design.

OptZKBridge combines the speed of optimistic relayers with the verifiability of ZK proofs. If a relayer misbehaves, a ZK proof kicks in and automatically slashes the actor, removing the need for trust. It’s also not a lock-and-mint bridge, assets exist on both sides, reducing risk and complexity. Check Acrozz: OptZKBridge repository here.

Built on Rootstock and powered by VLayer’s tech stack, the bridge delivers secure, one-transaction ERC20 transfers with gas as the only cost.

Hackathon Highlights and No-Sleep Sprints

Jordan worked solo on this project, using the hackathon as both a building sprint and a deep dive into VLayer’s new protocol. “I studied VLayer right there during the event,” he told us. “Once I saw it, I knew it was finally possible to build the kind of bridge I’d been envisioning.”

Like many of his past events, he barely slept, catnapping in 15-minute intervals to push through development. “You hack, talk to people, and just keep going.”

Building on Rootstock

This wasn’t Jordan’s first time building on Rootstock. Thanks to prior experience and DevEx team support, deployment went smoothly. “The documentation was clean, and I had no problems setting things up,” he said. “Even when I needed extra testnet funds, the team responded quickly.”

His main feedback? Bigger testnet faucets would be helpful for contract-heavy builders. Noted, Jordan. ✅

What’s Next for OptZKBridge?

Jordan has no plans of leaving this as a weekend project. He’s already applied for a grant from VLayer, and we’ve connected him with the Rootstock Collective to explore further funding opportunities.

“I’ll handle the tech,” he said. “But I’ll need help with go-to-market, liquidity providers, and front-end development. I want to turn this into something real.”

With a strong foundation, real-world utility, and an ambitious vision, OptZKBridge could easily become a production-ready tool in the multi-chain ecosystem.

Final Thoughts

OptZKBridge showcases what’s possible when long-term curiosity meets cutting-edge tech. Jordan’s story is a reminder that innovation doesn’t have a limit and that bridges don’t need to compromise on security or simplicity.

We’re excited to follow the next chapter of OptZKBridge and hope to see it become a cornerstone of Rootstock-based interoperability.

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Get Involved

Ready to start building on Rootstock? Here’s how you can dive in:

📖 Explore the Docs – Your starting point for Rootstock development.

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