The Trustless Index

Coming Soon....

ZeroTrust and PulseChain Nexus present: The Trustless Index — a ranked ledger of blockchains and protocols, measured by their adherence to true, immutable, open-source code.

This isn’t about market cap, hype, or VC narratives.
It’s about one question: Can you trust the code — or are you still trusting people?

Because if it requires trust, it’s not DeFi.

0:00

/0:59

Trustless Criteria: What Really Matters

To earn top placement, a chain or protocol must meet all 5 of the following

standards:

1️⃣ Immutable Code — once deployed, it cannot be changed

2️⃣ No Admin Keys — no one has special control or override access

3️⃣ No Freeze/Upgrade Functions — nothing can be paused or altered post-launch

4️⃣ Open Source — code must be fully accessible and auditable

5️⃣ Community Validators — validator sets must not be insider-controlled

❌ Fail even one, and you fall down the chain.

This is a sample ranking for illustrative purposes only — the official Trustless Index is coming soon.

The Tiers

🟩 Tier 1: Verified Sovereignty

Chains that meet all 5 standards of trustlessness. Immutable, open source, unstoppable. Where real DeFi lives.

Examples:

LAYER 1

✅ PulseChain – 5/5

Open-source, forked from Ethereum.

No “multi-sig” team wallet.

No admin controls.

Anyone can validate — 50,000+ independent validators already running the network.

Chain cannot be paused, stopped, or edited.

SMART CONTRACT

✅ HEX – 5/5

Immutable.

Finished.

No admin keys.

No upgrade path.

No central control.

🟨 Tier 2: Permissioned Protocols

Protocols that appear to have good intentions but allow upgrades, have admin keys, or lack full validator decentralization. You’re not in danger—yet.

But someone still has the off switch.

Examples: Polygon, Ethereum L2s

🟧 Tier 3: The FauxChain Files

Heavily VC-backed, controlled, or upgradeable chains. DeFi in name only. Smart contracts can be paused. Governance is centralised. Still think your keys matter?

Examples: Solana, Sui, Aptos

🟥 Tier 4: The Rug Zone

Protocols and chains that have either catastrophically failed or were built to fail. Known exploits, shady governance, or flat-out scams.

If it didn’t kill DeFi, it definitely killed trust.

Examples: [To be added as the dead are confirmed]

Every chain or protocol listed will link directly to a PulseChain Nexus deep-dive article, breaking down what’s real — and what’s not. Each entry will include:

✅ Criteria passed or ❌ red flags

🚨 Known vulnerabilities or “trust points”

📎 External audits (if available)

🔍 Source-backed analysis