diff --git a/codex/proofs/backend.nim b/codex/proofs/backend.nim
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..1edc18c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codex/proofs/backend.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+## Nim-Codex
+## Copyright (c) 2022 Status Research & Development GmbH
+## Licensed under either of
+##  * Apache License, version 2.0, ([LICENSE-APACHE](LICENSE-APACHE))
+##  * MIT license ([LICENSE-MIT](LICENSE-MIT))
+## at your option.
+## This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed except according to
+## those terms.
+
+{.push raises: [].}
+
+import ../stores
+
+type
+  ProverBackend* = ref object of RootObj
+    maxDepth            : int   ## maximum depth of the slot Merkle tree (so max `2^maxDepth` cells in a slot)
+    maxLog2NSlots       : int   ## maximum depth of the dataset-level Merkle tree (so max 2^8 slots per dataset)
+    blockTreeDepth      : int   ## depth of the "network block tree" (= log2(64k / 2k))
+    nFieldElemsPerCell  : int   ## number of field elements per cell
+    nSamples:           : int   ## number of samples
+
+  ProofBackend* = ref object of Backend
+  VerifyBackend* = ref object of Backend
+
+method release*(self: ProverBackend) {.base.} =
+  ## release the backend
+  ##
+
+  raiseAssert("not implemented!")
+
+method prove*(
+  self: ProofBackend,
+  entropy: seq[byte],                     ## public input
+  dataSetRoot: seq[byte];                 ## public input
+  slotIndex: int,                         ## must be public, otherwise we could prove a different slot
+  slotRoot: seq[byte]                     ## can be private input
+  nCellsPerSlot: int,                     ## can be private input (Merkle tree is safe)
+  nSlotsPerDataSet: int,                  ## can be private input (Merkle tree is safe)
+  slotProof: seq[byte],                   ## path from the slot root the the dataset root (private input)
+  cellData: seq[seq[byte]],               ## data for the cells (private input)
+  merklePaths[nSamples][maxDepth])        ## Merkle paths for the cells (private input)
+  : Future[?!seq[byte]] {.async.} =
+  ## encode buffers using a backend
+  ##
+
+  raiseAssert("not implemented!")
+
+method verify*(
+    self: VerifyBackend,
+    buffers,
+    parity,
+    recovered: var openArray[seq[byte]]
+): Result[void, cstring] {.base.} =
+  ## decode buffers using a backend
+  ##
+
+  raiseAssert("not implemented!")
diff --git a/codex/proofs/backends/circomcompat.nim b/codex/proofs/backends/circomcompat.nim
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..57043926
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codex/proofs/backends/circomcompat.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+## Nim-Codex
+## Copyright (c) 2022 Status Research & Development GmbH
+## Licensed under either of
+##  * Apache License, version 2.0, ([LICENSE-APACHE](LICENSE-APACHE))
+##  * MIT license ([LICENSE-MIT](LICENSE-MIT))
+## at your option.
+## This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed except according to
+## those terms.
+
+{.push raises: [].}
+
+import ../stores
+
+type
+  ProverBackend* = ref object of RootObj
+
+  ProofBackend* = ref object of Backend
+  VerifyBackend* = ref object of Backend
+
+method release*(self: ProverBackend) {.base.} =
+  ## release the backend
+  ##
+
+  raiseAssert("not implemented!")
+
+method prove*(
+    self: ProofBackend,
+    indicies,
+    payload: var openArray[seq[byte]]
+): Result[void, cstring] {.base.} =
+  ## encode buffers using a backend
+  ##
+
+  raiseAssert("not implemented!")
+
+method verify*(
+    self: VerifyBackend,
+    buffers,
+    parity,
+    recovered: var openArray[seq[byte]]
+): Result[void, cstring] {.base.} =
+  ## decode buffers using a backend
+  ##
+
+  raiseAssert("not implemented!")
diff --git a/codex/proofs/prover.nim b/codex/proofs/prover.nim
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3ea43c3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/codex/proofs/prover.nim
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+## Nim-Codex
+## Copyright (c) 2024 Status Research & Development GmbH
+## Licensed under either of
+##  * Apache License, version 2.0, ([LICENSE-APACHE](LICENSE-APACHE))
+##  * MIT license ([LICENSE-MIT](LICENSE-MIT))
+## at your option.
+## This file may not be copied, modified, or distributed except according to
+## those terms.
+
+type
+  Prover* = ref object RootObj
+
+proc prove()
+
+proc verify()