funded

Enable apps and games built in the Cardano ecosystem to leverage ZK cryptography for privacy and scalability

₳450,000.00 Requested
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Community Review Results (10 reviewers)
Feasibility
Value for money
Impact / Alignment
Solution

We will release a system to allow using zk proofs inside apps and games in the Cardano ecosystem by leveraging Paima Engine and Zeko

Problem:

Many apps like DIDs, require private data for compliance reasons, and they are also useful for gaming where fog-of-war is important. However, there is no good way to use zk in the Cardano ecosystem

Yes Votes:
₳ 628,854,923
No Votes:
₳ 136,872,165
Votes Cast:
1140

This proposal was approved and funded by the Cardano Community via Project F10: Development & Infrastructure Catalyst funding round.

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

Currently many companies are looking into blockchain adoption for use-cases like commemorative NFTs point systems, DID, traceability and more. However, all of these require private data to avoid GDPR violations, which make them hard to manage with open systems like blockchains. Similarly, a lot of decentralized games are interested in similar concepts as they allow building games with information asymmetry like fog-of-war which is an important game mechanic. Additionally, the verifiability of ZK proofs also means that these could eventually be used to cheaply implement DeFi-focused components to games written with Paima (things that resemble casinos)

Currently there is no good way to build these use-cases in the Cardano ecosystem, but fortunately Paima Engine (a framework for creating web3 apps and games) has a fairly clear path to adding these primitives. Notably, as a L2 solution, it has a lot more flexibility in adding new cryptographic primitives which are always hard to add directly to the Cardano L1

Paima Engine allows writing onchain apps with Javascript, making them fairly easy to write for all developers. For the ZK circuit component, we’ve decided to partner with ZekoLabs. The reason is because they also allow writing ZK circuits in Javascript (so it feels like a unified experience for developers), and their system is based on Mina which is also compatible with Ouroboros and so it is a friendly project towards the Cardano community

Notably, the plan for integration will have the following steps:

  1. Allow running ZK proofs locally and associating their results to Stateful NFTs.
  2. Allow monitoring ZK appchains and merging their state into a Paima app

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

This will benefit the Cardano ecosystem by unlocking many ZK-based use-cases that are seeing massive growth in the crypto ecosystem

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

  1. Number of projects associating ZK proofs to Stateful NFTs
  2. Number of projects using ZK appchains

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

We will share a template that shows how to integrate ZK proofs into your app / game

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

dcSpark and Paima Studios are well renowned companies in the Cardano ecosystem that have a long history of delivering on Catalyst proposals. You can find progress on grants we have previously received at https://dcspark.io/grants

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

The main goal is to enable use-cases that require ZK functionality either for compliance reasons or simply to unlock interesting functionality

We know this project is technically feasible as we have a lot of experience with ZK cryptography. Notably, dcSpark has a ZK R&D team that is one of the contributors to both Zeko (project mentioned above) as well as Lumina (zk-based DEX)

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

  1. Allow running ZK proofs locally and associating their results to Stateful NFTs.
  2. Allow monitoring ZK appchains and merging their state into a Paima app

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

  1. Reference implementation
  2. Reference implementation

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

  1. 50k
  2. 50k

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

  • dcSpark (development support)

  • Paima Studios (advising on the use-case)

    [RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

This will enable many interesting applications both in Web3 and in gaming that will make the ecosystem competitive against other ZK efforts in other platforms

Community Reviews (10)

Feasibility

3.5 / 5
10 Reviews

Is this project feasible based on the proposal submitted? Does the plan and associated budget and milestones look achievable? Does the team have the skills, experience, capability and capacity to complete the project successfully?

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The proposer mentioned partnership with dcSpark and Paima studios. The experience and delivery of previous projects under the Catalyst platform by these suggest the proposal is feasible.

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dcSpark and Paima Studios are the main team to implement the project. They have experience on Cardano ecosystem and have the capacity and skills to implement the project. Links are provided.

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The proposal demonstrates technical feasibility by highlighting the experience of dcSpark's ZK R&D team, which contributes to relevant projects like Zeko and Lumina. This expertise gives confidence in the team's ability to successfully deliver the proposed solution.

Moreover, Paima Engine's capability to allow writing on-chain apps with Javascript simplifies the development process for developers, making it accessible to a wider audience. The partnership with ZekoLabs, which allows writing ZK circuits in Javascript and is compatible with Ouroboros, ensures a smooth integration process and compatibility with the Cardano community.

However, the proposal lacks a detailed technical roadmap or a breakdown of main tasks and activities, which can raise concerns about potential challenges and risks associated with the integration of zk proofs within apps and games. A more comprehensive plan with potential hurdles and solutions would strengthen the overall feasibility rating.

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The proposal's feasibility assessment is low due to insufficient information, lack of clear milestones, and a lack of specificity in the main goals. The team's capabilities are mentioned, but they lack a comprehensive overview of their experience and skills. The approach validation is also lacking, with no detailed explanation of how the team will validate the feasibility of their approach or measure progress. To improve the feasibility, the project team should provide more detailed breakdowns of milestones, tasks, and activities, as well as elaborate on their relevant experience and capabilities.

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This is a great Team in the Cardano Community with full capacity to deliver on the project. However they did not develop much in terms of providing information related to milestones,tasks and budget. I believe there should be more information shared with the community to be able to have a more informed decision.

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The team has partially demonstrated its ability to carry out this project, it has failed to demonstrate at a high level. The feasibility of this proposal is partially demonstrated. The objectives are not well detailed, the plan, the budget, the associated milestones do not seem to be carried out. a breakdown that is not well detailed the stages of this your project with its tasks or activities, the team does not manage to disassemble them. Feasibility will be Medium.

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Given the teams past success, the goals and milestones of this proposal - I think it's very likely this proposal is successful if funded and therefore consider it very feasible.

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I’ve seen the progress that dcSpark has made for the past funds and the multiple projects that have been realized by them, so I’m sure there will be no question about the feasibility of this project if they are involved in any way. Unfortunately I think they didn’t finalize their project in time because quite a big chunk of the proposal is not finished in the capability / feasibility part and there are no milestone or budget breakdown, so that leaves me no choice but to deduct at least 2 points from the feasibility, because these are a vital part of any proposal.

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Combining dcSpark development and Sebastien's new game studio venture should produce a very powerful team. For the size of the budget, 2 milestones with one sentence each is however unacceptable.

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If the Impact section has omited pretty much important information, this Feasibility is even worse. I cannot say that this solution is not good or not feasible, because with the popularity and long history of dcSpark and Paima Studios, I think they are fully capable of undertaking this project. However, they did not provide a good proposal while only repeating the same content as in the Impact section in this one, and did not even provide specific outputs. So, of course, this proposal cannot prove the high feasibility of the project, and I am obliged to give 3 points.

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Value for money

3.1 / 5
10 Reviews

Is the funding amount requested for this project reasonable and does it provide good Value for Money to the Treasury?

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The proposal's value for money lies in the potential of enabling a wide range of interesting applications in Web3 and gaming, making the Cardano ecosystem more competitive against other ZK efforts in other platforms. The cost of the project, which is 50k, appears reasonable for the technical expertise and the potential impact on the ecosystem.

However, the budget breakdown lacks detailed information on resource allocation and expenses, making it challenging to assess the value for money proposition comprehensively. A more transparent budget plan would instill confidence in potential investors and stakeholders.

While the proposal highlights the benefits of the proposed solution, it lacks specific quantitative indicators for assessing the value for money, such as potential Return on Investment (ROI) or expected user adoption. Including these metrics would provide a more comprehensive evaluation of the value proposition.

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The amount requested is just above five percent of the challenge allocation. Whether this will be value for the ecosystem will be a function of the proposed development meeting the needs of developers relative to others within the challenge.

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The value to the Cardano ecosystem is likely far greater than the amount requested by this proposal. Enabling developers to tap into zk technology will pay dividends for years to come, and make games possible that were not possible before.

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The amount requested is reasonable. More clarity is needed for the allocation of the budget in relation to milestones. Both dcSpark and Paima Studios can handle the financial execution of the project.

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While the project does seem to have the pontential to have significant impact on Cardano, there is a significant amount of ADA requested, and not enough transparency on how this ADA will be spent in the project.

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The Value for Money assessment of the project is low due to the lack of a detailed budget breakdown and clear financial aspects. The proposal mentions a funding amount of 50k but lacks context on expenses and resource allocation. The lack of information on milestones and progress tracking further hinders the assessment. Additionally, the proposal does not demonstrate the skills and capacity of the team, including dcSpark and Paima Studios. To improve the value for money aspect, the project team should provide a comprehensive budget breakdown and clarify the roles and capabilities of team members to demonstrate their skills and capacity for effective funding management.

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The team has partially demonstrated a budget breakdown as it is not well detailed and resources are not demonstrated and explained so the team should itemize all necessary project resources for clarity. The project has partially demonstrated the value for money it offers on the cardano ecosystem. The amount of funding requested is partly reasonable based on how the team detailed. It is certainly that the project fund is well managed properly. The price-performance ratio is average.

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Unfortunately without looking at the budget breakdown it’s going to be hard for me to give a high score here, considering I don’t have anything to base my comparisons on. I usually compare the salary rate based on the recommended boundaries and compare it to other similar projects in this fund as well, but I’m unable to do that here, so the money per cost score can’t be hight either.

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This project appears to be a very good idea, maybe great. But the proposer does not demonstrate what the money is used for. Hard to judge value for money based on this business plan alone.

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"Too little information, I can only say this for this section. Apart from the 50K number, a few lines of superficial description of the project team, or unclear explanation of the money value, I did not see any featured information here. The project represents only a portion of its Value for Money. There is some missing or unclear information on how to spend ada and there may be some issues with tracking progress because milestones are too general. Value for money rating is AVERAGE - this proposal is just OK, I give it 2 points.

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Impact / Alignment

4.2 / 5
10 Reviews

Has this project clearly demonstrated in all aspects of the proposal that it will positively impact the Cardano Ecosystem?

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this project partially demonstrates that it will have a positive impact on the cardano ecosystem by showing that, the Cardano ecosystem will benefit from unlocking many ZK-based use cases that are seeing massive growth in the crypto ecosystem, i qu there are gaps in this proposal following the demonstration which is not well detailed on the positive impact to the ecosystem of cardano, the proposal does not explain how the situation will make a positive impact.

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Zk proofs are the holy grail of blockchain scaling. I must stress that this proposal is extremely high impact by allowing Paima gaming engine to handle Zk proofs that will enable the entire ecosystem to benefit from the functionality zk proofs provide.

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The proposal involves enabling games and dapps to leverage ZK cryptography for privacy and scalability. I believe it will enhance the utility of Cardano based games and dapps. The proposal is successfully implemented can attract more web3 developers to the ecosystem.

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The project will bring Cardano ecosystem one step further by unlocking ZK proofs found in apps that are built on Cardano and are not accessible otherwise. Cardano ecosystem will grow and show it potential even more.

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The proposal addresses a significant problem in the Cardano ecosystem by enabling the use of zk proofs inside apps and games. It specifically targets use-cases like DIDs, commemorative NFTs, point systems, traceability, and more, which require private data for compliance reasons. Additionally, the proposal acknowledges the importance of information asymmetry in decentralized games, introducing the concept of fog-of-war, which can enhance gaming experiences. By leveraging Paima Engine and partnering with ZekoLabs, the proposal provides a unified experience for developers and offers flexibility in adding cryptographic primitives as a Layer 2 solution.

Unlocking many ZK-based use-cases and allowing the implementation of DeFi-focused components within games can attract developers and companies interested in leveraging privacy and security features in their applications. This can lead to increased adoption and innovation within the Cardano community.

The success metrics of measuring the number of projects associating ZK proofs to Stateful NFTs and ZK appchains provide clear indicators of the impact and adoption of the proposed solution. Overall, the proposal has the potential to positively impact the Cardano community by expanding use-cases, attracting developers, and enhancing gaming experiences.

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By this solution, the project team want to release a system to allow using zk proofs inside apps and games in the Cardano ecosystem by leveraging Paima Engine and Zeko. This is indeed a creative and potential project for the development of Cardano ecosytem. It use the fairly clear path of Paima Engine (a framework for creating web3 apps and games) to adding the primitives. Overall, this proposal has provides the necessary base information, like how this solution address the challenge, how they measure the project 's success, and where they will share the outputs. But unfortunately, these things are not enough to convince the investors who need more detailed information. So, because this section has not proven the high impacts of the solution, I can just give it 4 points.

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If this project is created it will give an amazing tool for proprietary companies to use in order to legally integrate with the cardano ecosystem. I needed to google a bit to understand that ZK proofs are, but as far as I understand you can verify something without having the full information, which is great when you need to verify that private data is correct without actually seeing it. If I have understood correctly this will have an amazing impact and would help a lot with all kinds of products to integrate in cardano.

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This seems to be a project that would cause a lot of impact to Cardano, it's the implementation of a technology that would allows a lot of gaming usecases to be added into Cardano, and that would certainly be valuable.

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The proposal's Impact assessment is low due to its lack of clear demonstration of its impact on the Cardano Ecosystem, lack of specific details on how the solution will make a difference, and vague measures of success. The proposal also fails to address the challenge of unlocking many Zero-Knowledge (ZK)-based use-cases, which are experiencing significant growth in the crypto ecosystem. The measures of success are vague and lack concrete metrics, and the plan to share a template for integrating ZK proofs into apps or games may not be sufficient to demonstrate the project's impact on the Cardano ecosystem.

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ZK cryptography needs to be easier to implement on Cardano, and using games as an application is clever and appropriate. The project will be partially open source, meaning that the core findings will be shared and become part of Cardano knowledge. The team promises to share their work as a template how to integrate ZK proofs into dapps or games.

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