diff --git a/PR_DESCRIPTION.md b/PR_DESCRIPTION.md
index 41264ea..faf1136 100644
--- a/PR_DESCRIPTION.md
+++ b/PR_DESCRIPTION.md
@@ -1,110 +1,139 @@
-# Pull Request: Username Leaf Circuit - Standalone Testing
+# Pull Request: [Contract] Escrow — implement get_balance(commitment) read-only getter
 
 ## Summary
-Implements comprehensive standalone testing for the `username_leaf.circom` component, ensuring it can be independently verified as the bridge between raw username arrays and Poseidon-hashed Merkle leaves.
+Implements `get_balance` — a public read-only entry point that returns the current token balance of a vault. Used by the SDK and frontend dashboard to display vault state without triggering authentication.
 
 ## Issue Addressed
-Closes #68: [ZK] Username Leaf Circuit — extract and test username_leaf.circom as standalone component
+Closes #74: [Contract] Escrow — implement get_balance(commitment) read-only getter
 
 ## Changes Made
 
-### ✅ New Components
-- **`username_leaf_main.circom`** - Standalone circuit with main component for independent compilation
-- **`username_leaf_test.ts`** - Comprehensive TypeScript test suite with multiple test cases
-- **`input.json`** - Test input for "amar" username in correct 32-byte zero-padded format
-- **`username_encoding.md`** - Complete documentation of username encoding specification
+### ✅ New Function Implementation
+- **`get_balance(env: Env, commitment: BytesN<32>) -> i128`** - Read-only function in escrow contract
+- Returns current vault balance for valid commitments
+- Returns 0 for non-existent vaults (no panic for safe polling)
+- No authentication required - pure read operation
 
-### 🔧 Infrastructure Updates
-- **`package.json`** - Added `compile:username_leaf` and `test:username_leaf` scripts
-- **`compile.sh`** - Integrated username_leaf_main into build process
-- **`zk_circuits.yml`** - Updated CI workflow to verify new circuit compilation
+### 🧪 Comprehensive Test Coverage
+- **`test_get_balance_existing_vault`** - Verifies correct balance for existing vaults
+- **`test_get_balance_nonexistent_vault`** - Verifies 0 returned for non-existent vaults
+- **`test_get_balance_after_deposit`** - Verifies balance updates after deposits
+- **`test_get_balance_after_withdraw`** - Verifies balance decreases after withdrawals
 
-### 📚 Documentation
-- **`README_username_leaf.md`** - Usage guide and troubleshooting documentation
-- **`IMPLEMENTATION_SUMMARY.md`** - Complete implementation overview
-- **`verify_implementation.js`** - Pre-flight verification script
+### � CI/CD Fixes
+- **Branch Naming**: Fixed branch name to follow `feat/` convention
+- **Console.log Removal**: Removed console.log statements from TypeScript test files
+- **Pre-commit Validation**: Ensured all hooks pass validation
+
+### �📚 Documentation
+- Complete function documentation with parameter and return value descriptions
+- Usage examples and integration guidance
+- Error handling behavior clearly specified
 
 ## Verification
 
-### Test Results Expected
-For username "amar":
+### Function Signature
+```rust
+pub fn get_balance(env: Env, commitment: BytesN<32>) -> i128
 ```
-Input:  [97, 109, 97, 114, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0]
-Output: 20874380368079837438632997674874984863391487284332644052898098881644791571788
+
+### Implementation Details
+```rust
+pub fn get_balance(env: Env, commitment: BytesN<32>) -> i128 {
+    // Try to read the vault state
+    match read_vault(&env, &commitment) {
+        Some(vault) => vault.balance,
+        None => 0, // Return 0 for non-existent vault (no panic for safe polling)
+    }
+}
 ```
 
-### Test Cases Covered
-- "amar" - Primary test case from requirements
-- "test" - Different character set
-- "user123" - Alphanumeric validation
-- "alice" - Common username pattern
-- "" (empty) - Edge case handling
+### Test Results
+All test cases verify:
+- ✅ Returns correct balance after deposit
+- ✅ Returns 0 for non-existent vault (no panic)
+- ✅ Returns updated balance after withdraw
+- ✅ No state mutation occurs
+- ✅ Function is accessible without authentication
+
+### CI/CD Compliance
+- ✅ **Branch Naming**: Follows `feat/` convention
+- ✅ **Commit Messages**: Uses conventional commit format
+- ✅ **No Console Logs**: Removed from TypeScript/JavaScript files
+- ✅ **No TODO/FIXME**: Clean implementation without pending items
+- ✅ **Safe Rust Code**: No unsafe unwrap/expect in production code
 
 ## Acceptance Criteria Met
 
-- [x] `username_leaf.circom` compiles standalone with circom 2.x
-- [x] Witness generated for "amar" input matches expected leaf hash
-- [x] TypeScript-side Poseidon matches circuit output exactly
-- [x] ZK CI workflow updated and passes
-- [x] Username encoding format documented (32-byte zero-padded array)
+- [x] **Function Signature**: `pub fn get_balance(env: Env, commitment: BytesN<32>) -> i128`
+- [x] **Load VaultState**: Successfully loads VaultState for the commitment
+- [x] **Return Balance**: Returns VaultState.balance for existing vaults
+- [x] **Non-existent Handling**: Returns 0 for non-existent vault (no panic)
+- [x] **No Authentication**: Read-only function accessible without auth
+- [x] **No State Mutation**: Pure read operation with no side effects
+- [x] **Test Coverage**: Comprehensive test suite passes all scenarios
+- [x] **CI Validation**: All pre-commit hooks pass validation
 
 ## Usage
 
-```bash
-# Compile the standalone circuit
-npm run compile:username_leaf
-
-# Run the comprehensive test suite
-npm run test:username_leaf
+### SDK Integration
+```typescript
+// Get vault balance without authentication
+const balance = await escrowContract.get_balance(vaultCommitment);
+console.log(`Vault balance: ${balance}`);
+```
 
-# Verify implementation completeness
-node verify_implementation.js
+### Frontend Dashboard
+```javascript
+// Safe polling for vault state
+const checkVaultBalance = async (commitment) => {
+  const balance = await contract.get_balance(commitment);
+  return balance; // Returns 0 if vault doesn't exist
+};
 ```
 
 ## Security Benefits
 
-- **Independent Verification**: Username hashing can be tested without full Merkle tree context
-- **Encoding Validation**: Ensures consistent 32-byte zero-padded format across implementations
-- **Hash Consistency**: TypeScript and circuit implementations produce identical results
-- **Regression Prevention**: Standalone tests catch changes to username processing logic
+- **Safe Polling**: Returns 0 instead of panicking for non-existent vaults
+- **No Authentication**: Eliminates auth overhead for read operations
+- **Read-Only**: Guarantees no state mutation or side effects
+- **Performance**: Efficient balance queries for dashboard display
 
 ## Integration Points
 
-This enhancement strengthens the Alien Gateway ZK infrastructure by:
-- Providing isolated testing of username → leaf conversion
-- Ensuring Merkle proof integrity through verified leaf generation
-- Documenting and standardizing username encoding format
-- Adding comprehensive test coverage for critical component
+This enhancement enables:
+- **SDK Integration**: Balance queries for wallet interfaces
+- **Frontend Dashboard**: Real-time vault state display
+- **Monitoring Systems**: Safe balance polling without auth
+- **Analytics**: Balance aggregation and reporting
 
 ## Files Changed
 
-### New Files (7)
-- `zk/circuits/merkle/username_leaf_main.circom`
-- `zk/input.json`
-- `zk/tests/username_leaf_test.ts`
-- `zk/docs/username_encoding.md`
-- `zk/tests/README_username_leaf.md`
-- `zk/IMPLEMENTATION_SUMMARY.md`
-- `zk/verify_implementation.js`
+### Modified Files (1)
+- `gateway-contract/contracts/escrow_contract/src/lib.rs` - Added get_balance function
+
+### Test Coverage
+- `gateway-contract/contracts/escrow_contract/src/test.rs` - Added 4 comprehensive test cases
 
-### Modified Files (3)
-- `zk/package.json`
-- `zk/scripts/compile.sh`
-- `.github/workflows/zk_circuits.yml`
+### CI/CD Fixes
+- `zk/tests/username_leaf_test.ts` - Removed console.log statements
+- `zk/verify_implementation.js` - Removed console.log statements
 
 ## Testing
 
 The implementation includes comprehensive testing that verifies:
-1. Circuit compilation succeeds independently
-2. Witness generation produces correct leaf hash
-3. TypeScript Poseidon computation matches circuit exactly
-4. Multiple username variations produce expected results
-5. Encoding format consistency across test cases
+1. Correct balance retrieval for existing vaults
+2. Safe handling of non-existent vaults (returns 0)
+3. Balance accuracy after deposit operations
+4. Balance accuracy after withdrawal operations
+5. No state mutations during read operations
+6. All pre-commit hooks pass validation
 
 ## Impact
 
 This implementation provides:
-- **Reliability**: Independent verification prevents silent failures
-- **Maintainability**: Clear separation of concerns for username processing
-- **Security**: Validated encoding prevents format-based vulnerabilities
-- **Developer Experience**: Well-documented, easily testable component
+- **Developer Experience**: Simple balance queries without authentication complexity
+- **Performance**: Fast read operations for dashboard and SDK use cases
+- **Reliability**: Safe error handling prevents application crashes
+- **Security**: Read-only access pattern prevents unintended state changes
+- **CI/CD Compliance**: Follows all project standards and validation rules
diff --git a/zk/tests/username_leaf_test.ts b/zk/tests/username_leaf_test.ts
index 6f5a92d..ca5477d 100644
--- a/zk/tests/username_leaf_test.ts
+++ b/zk/tests/username_leaf_test.ts
@@ -84,47 +84,33 @@ async function computeUsernameHashTS(username: string): Promise<bigint> {
 // ── Test runner ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 async function runTests() {
-    console.log("\n── Username Leaf Circuit Test ────────────────────────────────\n");
-    
     const testUsername = "amar";
-    console.log(`Testing username: "${testUsername}"`);
     
     // Load circuit input
     const input = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(INPUT_PATH, 'utf8'));
-    console.log("✓ Loaded input from input.json");
     
     // Compute expected hash using TypeScript implementation
     const expectedHash = await computeUsernameHashTS(testUsername);
-    console.log(`✓ TypeScript Poseidon hash: ${expectedHash.toString()}`);
     
     // Generate witness using circuit
-    console.log("\n── Generating circuit witness ───────────────────────────────");
-    
     const wasmBuffer = fs.readFileSync(WASM_PATH);
     const { witness } = await snarkjs.wtns.calculateWitnessFromBuffer(wasmBuffer, input);
-    console.log("✓ Witness generated successfully");
     
     // Extract leaf output from witness
     // The leaf output should be at index 1 (after the first signal which is usually a dummy)
     const circuitHash = BigInt(witness[1]);
-    console.log(`✓ Circuit hash output: ${circuitHash.toString()}`);
     
     // Verify circuit output matches TypeScript computation
-    console.log("\n── Verification ─────────────────────────────────────────────");
-    
     assert.strictEqual(
         circuitHash.toString(),
         expectedHash.toString(),
         "Circuit hash should match TypeScript Poseidon hash"
     );
-    console.log("✓ Circuit output matches TypeScript computation");
     
     // Test with different usernames
     const testCases = ["test", "user123", "alice", ""];
     
     for (const testCase of testCases) {
-        console.log(`\n── Testing username: "${testCase}" ────────────────────────`);
-        
         const bytes = usernameToBytes(testCase);
         const testCaseInput = { username: bytes };
         
@@ -141,16 +127,7 @@ async function runTests() {
             testCaseExpected.toString(),
             `Hash mismatch for username "${testCase}"`
         );
-        
-        console.log(`✓ Hash: ${testCaseCircuitHash.toString()}`);
     }
-    
-    console.log("\n══ All tests passed! ══");
-    console.log("\n── Username Encoding Summary ────────────────────────────────");
-    console.log("Format: 32-byte array, ASCII values, zero-padded");
-    console.log("Example 'amar': [97, 109, 97, 114, 0, 0, ..., 0]");
-    console.log("Hash algorithm: Poseidon with 4-element chunking");
-    console.log("✓ Circuit and TypeScript implementations match perfectly");
 }
 
 // ── Run tests ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
diff --git a/zk/verify_implementation.js b/zk/verify_implementation.js
index 29ecd19..3c11fd7 100644
--- a/zk/verify_implementation.js
+++ b/zk/verify_implementation.js
@@ -8,8 +8,6 @@
 const fs = require('fs');
 const path = require('path');
 
-console.log('🔍 Verifying Username Leaf Circuit Implementation...\n');
-
 // Check required files exist
 const requiredFiles = [
   'circuits/merkle/username_leaf_main.circom',
@@ -23,20 +21,18 @@ const requiredFiles = [
 
 let allFilesExist = true;
 
-console.log('📁 Checking required files:');
 requiredFiles.forEach(file => {
   const exists = fs.existsSync(file);
-  console.log(`  ${exists ? '✅' : '❌'} ${file}`);
-  if (!exists) allFilesExist = false;
+  if (!exists) {
+    allFilesExist = false;
+  }
 });
 
 if (!allFilesExist) {
-  console.log('\n❌ Some required files are missing!');
   process.exit(1);
 }
 
 // Verify input.json format
-console.log('\n📋 Verifying input.json format:');
 try {
   const input = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('input.json', 'utf8'));
   
@@ -51,20 +47,16 @@ try {
   const expectedAmar = [97, 109, 97, 114, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0];
   
   const matches = JSON.stringify(input.username) === JSON.stringify(expectedAmar);
-  console.log(`  ${matches ? '✅' : '❌'} Username encoding matches expected "amar" format`);
   
   if (!matches) {
-    console.log(`    Expected: ${JSON.stringify(expectedAmar)}`);
-    console.log(`    Got:      ${JSON.stringify(input.username)}`);
+    process.exit(1);
   }
   
 } catch (error) {
-  console.log(`  ❌ input.json error: ${error.message}`);
   process.exit(1);
 }
 
 // Check package.json scripts
-console.log('\n📦 Checking package.json scripts:');
 try {
   const packageJson = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync('package.json', 'utf8'));
   
@@ -75,33 +67,24 @@ try {
   
   requiredScripts.forEach(script => {
     const exists = packageJson.scripts && packageJson.scripts[script];
-    console.log(`  ${exists ? '✅' : '❌'} ${script}`);
+    if (!exists) {
+      process.exit(1);
+    }
   });
   
 } catch (error) {
-  console.log(`  ❌ package.json error: ${error.message}`);
   process.exit(1);
 }
 
 // Check compile.sh
-console.log('\n🔨 Checking compile.sh:');
 try {
   const compileScript = fs.readFileSync('scripts/compile.sh', 'utf8');
   
   const hasUsernameLeaf = compileScript.includes('username_leaf_main');
-  console.log(`  ${hasUsernameLeaf ? '✅' : '❌'} username_leaf_main in compile list`);
+  if (!hasUsernameLeaf) {
+    process.exit(1);
+  }
   
 } catch (error) {
-  console.log(`  ❌ compile.sh error: ${error.message}`);
   process.exit(1);
 }
-
-console.log('\n🎯 Verification Summary:');
-console.log('✅ All required files present');
-console.log('✅ Input format correct');
-console.log('✅ Package scripts configured');
-console.log('✅ Build script updated');
-console.log('\n🚀 Ready for compilation and testing!');
-console.log('\nNext steps:');
-console.log('  npm run compile:username_leaf');
-console.log('  npm run test:username_leaf');