Good day all, I just posted a grant request for a Decentralized Campus Scooter Rental where user will use ZEC for payments. This is an opportunity for the adoption of Zcash on tertiary institution campuses in Nigeria by the over 1.8 million students via payment with ZEC for Scooter Rental. Please and please let us facilitate the Zcash adoption on the Nigeria space via Decentralized Campus Scooter Rental. Below is the link for the grant request. Thank you.
Hi @ogasky - Thank you for submitting your grant proposal! We will review it in the upcoming weeks and reach out if we have any questions.
In the meantime, if you have any questions for us, you can post them to this thread or DM us at @ZcashGrants.
Zcash Community - We want to hear your feedback on this grant! You can post your comments to this thread or DM us at @ZcashGrants if you’d like to provide feedback in private.
Hey,
Very cool idea although reading through the Technical approach and Milestones its hard to justify the costs involved.
The proof of concept is near complete! I’d say build it first 
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@aquietinvestor Thank you for the update.
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@squirrel thank you for the points you raised and I will answer in the same sequence.
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Cost justification: We provided the cost of each milestones with a sum total of everything, also the team will put in a total of 1000 work hours at a rate of 50 USD per hour, which give the project budgeted amount. You can refer to the link below for more details.
Decentralized Campus Scooter Rental .pptx - Google Slides -
We have gotten the Proof of Concept, which is for students to rent a scooter for a period of time at a certain amount and make their payment with cryptocurrency which I did using the XRP for payment. But in this case, I am proposing to use ZEC for payment which is the integration of ZEC payment by users. Also, there is Design and Planning as part of the milestones which will fully take care of this particular concern you raised.
Thank you.
Is the source code available? It might be easier to help if we could see how this XRP wallet works with the app.
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The source code will be made available for this project.
@squirrel here is a detailed response to the points you raised & my response is in same order.
(A) Technical Approach & Milestones: Here is it below;
1. Design & Planning:
- Determine the Zcash node specification for the project.
- Design the payment flow for ZEC transactions
- Define how users will initiate payment provide payment information and confirm transactions.
- Design the integration process for connecting this project to the Zcash wallet, including authentication, authorization, and data exchange.
- Define error handling and recovery mechanisms to address potential issues and failures during the payment process.
- Factor out the security measure to put in place to secure ZEC payments for users.
- Provide detailed documentation and diagrams for the above stated.
2. Installation of Project code dependencies and Zcash Node Set-up:
- Create a new project directory and navigate through it.
- Install the appropriate packages for interacting with the Zcash blockchain and handling ZEC payments, example: zcash librustzcash zcash-rpc.
Configure Zcash Node RPC to - Enable the RPC interface on Zcash node to allow external access.
- Configure RPC settings such as RPC username, password, and port number in the Zcash configuration file.
- Ensure that RPC authentication and access controls are properly configured to secure the RPC interface.
- Test Zcash Node Connection
- Integrate Zcash Node with Project Code. Update the project code to connect to the Zcash node using the RPC interface.
- Test the deployment environment to ensure that the project code and Zcash node are set up correctly and functioning as expected.
- Document the installation and set-up steps for the project code dependencies and Zcash node configuration.
3.1; Zcash Wallet configuration:
- Generate a new Zcash wallet address to receive payments within the project and back it up.
- Review and configure the security settings of the Zcash wallet to enhance protection against unauthorized access and potential threats.
- Configure transaction notification settings in the Zcash wallet to receive alerts or notifications when new payments are received or outgoing transactions are processed.
- Test the functionality of the Zcash wallet to ensure that it can send and receive ZEC payments as expected.
- Update the project code to integrate the Zcash wallet with payment processing functionality.
- Document the entire process of this milestone.
3.2; Zcash API integration:
- Sign Up and Obtain Zcash API Credentials.
- Configure authentication mechanisms in the project code to authenticate API requests using the obtained API credentials.
- Implement functionality in the project code to initiate ZEC payments using the Zcash API.
- Implement functionality in the project code to receive ZEC payments and monitor incoming transactions using the Zcash API.
- Process incoming payment data received from the API, validate transactions, and update internal records accordingly.
- Implement functionality to query blockchain data and retrieve information such as transaction details, address balances, block headers, and transaction history.
- Test Zcash API integration and Document the entire process.
3.3; Implement Payments Flow:
- Configure the payment flow for ZEC transactions within the project, to reflect on the user interface (UI) or front end.
- Develop functionality in the project code to initialize ZEC payments when users request to make a payment.
- Validate user input and verify payment details to ensure that payment requests are valid and comply with project requirements.
- Implement functionality to process ZEC payments, and handle transaction signing, fee calculation, and transaction submission to the Zcash blockchain.
- Implement mechanisms to track transaction confirmations and update payment status accordingly.
- Develop transactions history and data storage.
- Test and document the process appropriately.
3.4; Test and Deploy:
- Set up a dedicated test environment that closely resembles the production environment.
- Conduct unit tests to verify the functionality of individual components and modules within the project code.
- Perform integration tests to verify the interaction between different components and systems involved in the ZEC payment flow.
- Conduct user acceptance testing with some selected end-users, or designated testers to validate the ZEC payment integration from a user perspective.
- Perform performance testing to evaluate the scalability, reliability, and responsiveness of the ZEC payment system under certain expected load conditions.
- Conduct security testing to identify and address potential vulnerabilities and security risks in the ZEC payment integration.
- Prepare for deployment by finalizing any configuration settings, environment variables, or deployment scripts required for the production environment.
- Deploy the tested and validated ZEC payment integration to the production environment following the project approved deployment procedures and best practices.
- Set up monitoring and alerting mechanisms to monitor the health, performance, and security of the ZEC payment system in the production environment.
- Monitor feedback and system metrics to identify areas for improvement and optimization over time.
- Document the entire process appropriately.
(B) Cost Justification: Here it is below;
1. Design & Planning:
- Using a work rate of 50 USD per Hour
- Total work hours = 250 hours
- Cost = 250 hours X 50USD
- = 12500 USD
2 Installation of Project code dependencies and Zcash Node Set-up:
- Using a work rate of 50 USD per Hour
- Total work hours = 250 hours
- Cost = 250 hours X 50USD
- = 12500 USD
3.1; Zcash Wallet installation and configuration:
- Using a work rate of 50 USD per Hour
- Total work hours = 140 hours
- Cost = 140 hours X 50 USD
- = 7,000 USD
3.2; Zcash API integration:
- Using a work rate of 50 USD per Hour
- Total work hours = 100 hours
- Cost = 100 hours X 50 USD
- = 5,000 USD
3.3; Implement Payments Flow:
- Using a work rate of 50 USD per Hour
- Total work hours = 180 hours
- Cost = 180 hours X 50 USD
- = 9,000 USD
3.4; Test and Deploy:
- Using a work rate of 50 USD per Hour
- Total work hours = 80 hours
- Cost = 80 hours X 50 USD
- = 4,000 USD
Total Budget
- = (12500 + 12500 +7000 + 5000 + 9000 + 4000) USD
- = 50000 USD
I am of the believe that this project will provide a very great opportunity for Zcash protocol to become very popular & fully adopted in the Nigerian space. I hereby appeal for this project to be considered for the Zcash Community Grant & it will be delivered within the timeframe. Thank you.
@HIROSHIMAH thank you for your comments and I will respond to your questions in same order.
1. Are the necessary scooters already available, there any information about this ? Here is my answer: we have had some conversation with some persons who are ready to onboard their scooters when the platform is ready. Also, we will onboard more scooter owners once it is launched. So i will say the scooter is available.
2. What is the technical infrastructure like, how many students have a smartphone, is the internet sufficient and stable for using the project/service?
We will need computers, Zcash nodes, etc but you can also look through how we will go about this concern in my earlier response to a community member question above, however more detailed lists will surface once the first milestone is achieved.
Nigeria has the highest number of smart phone users in Africa, with a population of over 200 million, 60 percent has smart phones. Which implies that from the 1.8 million students on campus, 1.08 million student have smart phones.
Nigeria has several internet services providers, which is relatively stable for this project.
3. Will you make a monthly profit from the project? Not only from the grant, but also from the completed project itself, and how much will the monthly profit approximately be?
The aim of the budget we are requesting is to cover this project scope, which is to integrate ZEC payment and get it done. As for the is completed project, in order to sustain this project some profit will be made from every scooter rented by users as the payment system will be configured in such a way that certain percentage will go to the platform during rental payments. The profit will be determined by the number of scooter rentals made per month. Thank you.
@HIROSHIMAH Thank you once again, but if I may ask you, are you a Nigerian? Have you been to any Nigerian tertiary institution campuses? hope to get your answer on these question. Having said that, let me answer you in same manner.
Firstly, you are very wrong when you say there is no market for this project, reason being that most campuses building and lecture theatres/halls are very distance apart, that students have to walk several long distances in order to receive their lecture. Secondly you are wrong again to say there is no market because there is bicycle rental in the Bayelsa State University, and secondly the Lagos state University has an e-scooter sharing services, you can see the links below
https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2023/05/10/trekk-scooters-launches-e-scooters-sharing-service-at-lasu/
However, we are innovating by integrating ZEC payments which is very similar to the payment you suggested for the ZecFood or ZeFood.
For your information all campuses in Nigeria have different canteens and cafeteria that provide students with paid food on campus which automatically have no market share for new comers. But unlike that for campus students transportation, the market share is very large for innovators and new comers into the industry, which has a very low number of participants. I have given you some figures / data previously.
As for the name of the project is does not really matter for now, as we use the above project title for the grant application, but the name can be changed to ZecScooters, or Z-Scooters, etc, if it will be part of what the Zcash Community Grant are interested in, after the project is completed. Thank you.
Thank you too for all your comments.
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my question would be. where do the scooter renter get Zcash to pay with? buy from exchanges? is Zcash popular enough in the campuses that many would have it or not?
its a big friction if nobody has Zcash and the scooters only work with Zcash. something to think about.
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@HIROSHIMAH Thank you once again. From this your statement, it simply shows that you do not really understand the process that lead to adoption of a blockchain protocol. Imagine you suggesting that the $50k to be use to buy the scooters and just wrap “power by Zcash” on them. My question is how will people make use of Zcash? Don’t you know that with this project all the scooter users will know and use Zcash, and all the scooter owners will know and use Zcash too; which is far better than your suggestion because your suggestion will not in any way lead to the adoption of the Zcash protocol, which is one of the critical problem we are trying to solve. Again, have you thought of the scalability of this project? Don’t you think that this same project can provide solutions to other use cases, thereby leading to more adoption of the Zcash protocol. For example, these same scooters can scale-up to be use for the delivery of packages in the future where ZEC will be the major means of transactions.
Paying for electricity charging with Zcash is a different scope entirely, as we are not an electricity providing company, and these scooters will be charged by their owners most probably at their various homes.
For your information, I do not think any blockchain protocol will just give you a grant to buy scooters just for sponsorship, when you are not given a commensurate value to the grant in return. Which is why our project will contribute to the adoption of the Zcash protocol via the ZEC payment system to be built in it, which is very key at the moment. Thank you.
@zerodartz Thank you for your comments. You have asked a very key questions and I will respond in the same order.
where do the scooter renter get Zcash to pay with? In my country people make transactions using Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL) and even Polygon Matic (MATIC), which they obviously get from somewhere, right? The same way people get these cryptocurrencies I just mentioned will definitely be the same the scooter renter will get ZEC for their transactions; all we need to do is to educate them on where and how to get ZEC.
Buy from exchanges? Obviously, almost everybody that trade with cryptocurrencies get it from one form of exchanger or the other. Apart from those that either own a blockchain company or those that work for a blockchain brand, who simply get paid directly with the blockchain coin or token. Others get it through an exchange.
is Zcash popular enough in the campuses that many would have it or not? Zcash may not be popular in the Nigerian space generally neither is Zcash popular on campuses, but this is the problem we are trying to solve, which is making Zcash popular and adopted through a use case project that will make students movement on campus seamless, that is environmentally friendly and innovative with blockchain technology by integrating ZEC payments into it.
Finally I understand the friction you spoke about clearly, which is a major challenge in the entire Zcash ecosystem, but my question is should we now decide to neglect the adoption challenge that Zcash is facing currently? If we don’t come up with use cases solutions, how then will Zcash become popular and being adopted. So we are to provide solutions to some of these challenges. There is adoption challenge and it can only be solved by innovative solutions built with Zcash. Thank you.
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@HIROSHIMAH once again, I say you are very wrong to say that this project is not feasible, being that I have given you some reason before now, but I will still add more to it base on the content of this your statement.
Firstly, I am a web3 builder and a blockchain community advocate in Nigeria, in addition to the fact that I am a founder of a hub that train and grow developers in Nigeria. Thus, I am speaking from the depth of true knowledge as regard blockchain protocol adoption & web3 development. And for the records, I did introduced the ChainLink protocol to the Nigerian web3 space some years back and today ChainLink is seriously spreading like wildfire in Nigeria. Again, when Matic rebranded to Polygon, I did introduced Polygon in one of my activity to the web3 community in Nigeria and today Polygon is an house hold name in Nigeria, these are just few of my work. I can share links here if necessary but my question to you is; what is your contribution to the web3 space in your country? because to me you are yet to understand clearly how these processes work in the blockchain space.
Secondly, the money requested for this project is for a better use and not for direct burning as you said in your comment.
Thirdly, you are not more passionate than I am concerning Zcash advancement and adoption, you can search and read through some of my post on this forum some months or may be years ago. And again I will say that you are wrong to believe that my motivation in number is $50,000 and not the adoption of Zcash. Well, I am not here to criticize any project, but this project is one of the realistic & least budgeted project, there are projects in the hundreds of thousands of USD been approved but today they have not contributed to the adoption of Zcash… will you now say that these failed projects were motivated by the numbers in the hundreds of thousands of USD? Also, are you aware that we are not requesting for funding upfront but after the completion of each milestone. So how else do you want me to show my commitment for the advancement of the Zcash protocol?
Please and please, let us be open minded in our criticism and decision making as regards this very project, as the main objective of the Zcash Ecosystem should be the advancement and massive adoption of the Zcash protocol via innovative solutions and education. Thank you.
Good day all, please I would like to know if there is any area that needs more clarity from me as regard this grant application. Thank you
Trust me Ogasky, you really don’t need a grant.
~just do it.
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@morocco Thank you so much for your response, but if I may ask you some questions:
Firstly, why did you say I do not need a grant for a project that will advance ZEC usage and Zcash adoption? Secondly, are you saying that other projects that received Zcash grants should not have applied for Zcash grant? Thirdly, are you scared that my team from Nigeria want to provide solution that will lead to Zcash adoption at a very reduced budget?
However, in response to your comment, the grant is needed for the project. Also, I still want to appeal to this forum, please and please let us be open minded in our criticism and response.
Our key focus should be,
- How can we make ZEC usable and adopted by many, be it private or open transactions.
- We should think of building used cases solutions that will facilitate ZEC transactions.
- We should think of building solutions that will enable ZEC transactions in crowded facilities or highly populated places which I once suggested on this forum.
- We should encourage projects that will aid Zcash adoption.
Thank you.
@HIROSHIMAH Just went through your comment, and I noticed that you misunderstood what I meant by Design & Planning, but I will advice that you read through the entire content above.
Secondly, what you pasted in your post as regard a Zcash event, that I wanted to host in Nigeria was in 2022 but do you know that I have done web3 events in Nigeria that got sponsorship from some blockchain brands far above what I asked as at that time.
Thirdly, from the records here, it shows that you joined this community in May 24, 2024 which simply means that you are even less than a month old on this forum. Also, I went through one of your post on this forum, my question to you sir is… why are you this controversial? Please, and please you must learn to address issues and not shift from the main issue.
Fourthly, are you aware that there are grant applications in hundreds of thousands of USD with designs on them. Have you criticized their application the way you are criticizing this application,
Sir, I just want to believe that you understand Zcash challenges at the moment and that you are not sentimental either in your approach and response to issue-based discussions because you are doing the exact opposite of what is on your bio, see image below
Thank you.
I would love this thing you are doing, only if you can apply same energy to other grants applicants. Thank you.
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