### Terms and Conditions
- [x] I agree to the [Grant Agreement](https://9ba4718…c-5c73-47c3-a024-4fc4e5278803.usrfiles.com/ugd/9ba471_f81ef4e4b5f040038350270590eb2e42.pdf) terms if funded
- [x] I agree to [Provide KYC information](https://9ba4718c-5c73-47c3-a024-4fc4e5278803.usrfiles.com/ugd/9ba471_7d9e73d16b584a61bae92282b208efc4.pdf) if funded above $50,000 USD
- [x] I agree to disclose conflicts of interest
- [x] I agree to adhere to the [Code of Conduct](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/zcg-code-of-conduct/41787) and [Communication Guidelines](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/zcg-communication-guidelines/44284)
- [x] I understand all milestone deliverables will be validated and accepted by their intended users or their representatives, who will confirm that the deliverables meet the required quality, functionality, and usability for each user story.
- [x] I agree that for any new open-source software, I will create a `CONTRIBUTING.md` file that reflects the high standards of Zcash development, using the [`librustzcash` style guides](https://github.com/zcash/librustzcash/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#styleguides) as a primary reference.
- [x] I understand when contributing to existing Zcash code, I am required to adhere to the project specific contribution guidelines, paying close attention to any [merge](https://github.com/zcash/librustzcash/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#merge-workflow), [branch](https://github.com/zcash/librustzcash/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#branch-history), [pull request](https://github.com/zcash/librustzcash/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#pull-request-review), and [commit](https://github.com/zcash/librustzcash/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#commit-messages) guidelines as exemplified in the `librustzcash` repository.
- [x] I agree to post request details on the [Community Forum](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/c/grants/33)
- [x] I understand it is my responsibility to post a link to this issue on the [Zcash Community Forums](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/c/grants/33) after this application has been submitted so the community can give input. I understand this is required in order for ZCG to discuss and vote on this grant application.
### Application Owners (@Octocat, @Octocat1)
@pishenin
### Organization Name
Incrypted
### How did you learn about Zcash Community Grants
Through industry research and tracking Web3 ecosystem funding opportunities
### Requested Grant Amount (USD)
$5,000
### Category
Media
### Project Lead
```project-lead.yaml
- Name: Oleksandr Pishenin
Role: Project Manager / BD & CFO at Incrypted
Background: Background: I've been in the cryptocurrency market for over 8 years, including 3.5 years at Incrypted. As Business Development Lead and CFO, I have a proven track record of structuring strategic Web3 partnerships, scaling media operations, and managing complex financial ecosystem collaborations.
Responsibilities: Overall project management. Acting as the communication bridge between the Zcash and Incrypted's production teams. Ensuring all media deliverables (articles, videos, press releases and social media publications) strictly meet quality standards and are delivered according to the milestone schedule.
```
### Additional Team Members
```team-members.yaml
- Name: Andrii Makarov
Role: Co-Founder and COO at Incrypted
Background: Co-Founder and COO of Incrypted, driving the company's media operations and content pipeline. Alongside the CEO at Incrypted, he is a core public face of the brand, deeply involved in shooting educational videos, hosting live streams, and actively engaging with our crypto community.
Responsibilities: Leading the creative vision and content strategy for the Zcash campaign. Directing the internal production team (writers, editors, designers) and acting as the primary host for video deliverables to ensure high engagement and resonance with the Web3 audience.
- Name: Artem Galunov
Role: Editor in Chief (Longreads and Articles)
Background: Leads the analytical editorial team at Incrypted. Specializes in Web3 journalism, deep-dive blockchain research, and translating complex crypto concepts into engaging and simplified long-form content.
Responsibilities: Running the editorial process for all Zcash longreads. Working directly with writers to break down complex privacy tech into accurate, easy-to-read articles.
- Name: Andrii Rybak
Role: Community Lead
Background: Over 5 years
Responsibilities: Managing all the processes in the private community Incrypted Plus.
- Name: Rostislav Farionov
Role: Telegram Channel Manager
Background: 5 years running Incrypted community on Telegram. Knows exactly how to package complex Web3 news into engaging posts that the crypto audience actually reads and interacts with.
Responsibilities: Publishing ZCash updates, articles, and announcements across our Telegram channels, and sharing it with the internal social media team to push across the different Incrypted's platforms (X, Instagram).
- Name: Denis Pakhomov
Role: Lead Video Editor
Background: Lead of all the video production at Incrypted for last years.
Responsibilities: Editing all the videos dedicated to Zcash ecosystem and creating custom animations to explain all the features simply.
```
### Project Summary
Incrypted proposes an educational media campaign to popularize Zcash ecosystem within the CIS Web3 community.
### Project Description
Incrypted proposes an educational media campaign to tell CIS community about Zcash ecosystem. Currently, most Zcash information is highly technical and English-centric. Our educational content will bridge this gap and provide the audience with accessible localized resources, including two comprehensive educational articles and an exclusive AMA session within our community. We will use Incrypted's platforms (YouTube, Website, Telegram and Discord) to run an educational campaign in local languages.
Project Goals:
Education & Localization. Explain advanced privacy concepts simply through the articles in local languages (Ukrainian and Russian).
Growth. Increase Zcash awareness and adoption in a regional market.
### Proposed Problem
Zcash has top-tier privacy tech, but there are two big barriers to mass adoption, especially in the CIS market.
First, the technology is highly complex. An average crypto user finds it hard to understand how Zcash works under the hood. Second, almost all quality educational content about Zcash is in English. Because of this language and complexity gap, a huge and active crypto audience is simply ignoring Zcash ecosystem. Not because they don't like it, but because they don't have access to clear, localized information.
### Proposed Solution
Incrypted will use its established media platforms (YouTube, website, Telegram and Discord) to break down these barriers.
We won't do dry and boring content. We will provide the community with detailed and simplified educational materials in order to increase Zcash's brand awareness. And an AMA in our community will bring the audience closer to the project's representative to discuss the ecosystem's future, privacy features, and real-world use cases firsthand.
### Solution Format
Our solution is a localized media and educational campaign. The specific deliverables will include:
- 2 articles on the Incrypted website (4 languages: UA, RU, ENG, PL);
- 2 Telegram posts to highlight the articles on Incrypted and Incrypted UA;
- 2 YouTube weekly digest mentions to highlight the articles;
- 1 voice AMA session in our private community on Discord.
### Dependencies
Since we have a full in-house production team, we have no external technical or hiring dependencies.
Our only dependencies are:
Information Access. Timely communication with the Zcash team to verify technical details or get comments for our content.
Funding. The requested grant amount to cover the media production and distribution costs.
### Technical Approach
Since this is a media project, we don't write code. Our "technical approach" is our standard content production pipeline.
### Upstream Merge Opportunities
N/A (Not Applicable).
### Hardware/Software Costs (USD)
$0
### Hardware/Software Justification
Incrypted already operates a fully equipped professional video studio and covers all necessary software licenses internally.
### Service Costs (USD)
$0
### Service Costs Justification
We do not require external services, as our internal team will handle 100% of the production and distribution.
### Compensation Costs (USD)
$5,000
### Compensation Costs Justification
The $5,000 budget covers both team compensation and internal content production costs required to execute this turnkey media campaign.
The budget is allocated to cover:
Content Production Funding the end-to-end creation of articles and social media publications.
Team Compensation. This compensates not only the core project leads mentioned previously, but also the broader content creation teams working under their direction
### Total Budget (USD)
$5,000
### Previous Funding
No
### Previous Funding Details
_No response_
### Other Funding Sources
No
### Other Funding Sources Details
_No response_
### Implementation Risks
As an established media organization, our internal operational risks are very low. However, we identify two potential external challenges:
1. Market Volatility. A sudden drop in the broader crypto market could temporarily lower overall audience interest in educational content.
Mitigation: We focus on creating "evergreen" content that remains relevant and continues to gain organic views long after publication, regardless of short-term market conditions.
2. Verification Delays. Delays in getting an information for publications (briefs, press releases) and technical details fact-checked by Zcash ecosystem experts could slow down our publishing schedule.
Mitigation: We will establish direct, active communication channels with the Zcash team from day one.
### Potential Side Effects
Because this is strictly an educational media campaign, negative side effects are extremely unlikely.
### Success Metrics
As a media platform, our main goal is to build brand awareness for Zcash in our region. Therefore, our success metrics are based entirely on reach and views. We will provide a transparent final report showing data for each publication on each platform.
### Startup Funding (USD)
$5,000
### Startup Funding Justification
We are requesting the full $5,000 grant amount upfront to kickstart the project immediately. Given the short timeline of the campaign, splitting the funding into multiple milestones is impractical, and upfront allocation ensures seamless execution.
### Milestone Details
```milestones.yaml
Milestone: 1
Amount (USD): 0
Expected Completion Date: 2026-07-31
User Stories:
- "As a regional Web3 user, I want to access localized educational articles and interactive AMA session about Zcash's technology, so that I can clearly understand its core privacy value and ecosystem updates."
Deliverables:
- 2 articles on the Incrypted website (4 languages: UA, RU, ENG, PL);
- 2 Telegram posts to highlight the articles on Incrypted and Incrypted UA;
- 2 YouTube weekly digest mentions to highlight the articles;
- 1 voice AMA session in our private community on Discord.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Links to the published articles and social media posts provided in the milestone report.
- Links to the AMA session announcements and final metrics (number of attendees/listeners) included in the report.
```
### Supporting Documents
```files.yaml
- File Name 1: Brief description of the file contents
- File Name 2: Brief description of the file contents
```