### 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)
@itsdanielsultan
### Organization Name
Daniel Sultan
### How did you learn about Zcash Community Grants
I found Zcash Community Grants while researching current open-source funding for privacy education, then read the grant process and Education wishlist.
### Requested Grant Amount (USD)
$15,000
### Category
Education
### Project Lead
```project-lead.yaml
Name: Daniel Sultan
Role: Sole builder and project lead
Background: I am 18 and work in financial sales. I built InvestmentRegulation.ca while preparing for the Canadian Investment Regulatory Exam because the official path assumed I already understood the language. In about three weeks I shipped 69 lessons, a check after every lesson, a separate 100-question bank, flashcards, drills, mock exams, a glossary, and local progress tracking. The live project is free, account-free, and MIT-licensed.
Responsibilities: Project specification, Rust prototype, web learning module, source map, tests, documentation, user sessions, corrections, and public progress reports.
```
### Additional Team Members
```team-members.yaml
None or N/A. Independent technical, regulatory, privacy, accessibility, and language reviewers will be contracted for defined reviews; they are not project co-builders.
```
### Project Summary
Zcash Privacy Literacy Lab Canada is a free, account-free learning module and test environment that shows what shielded transactions protect, what they do not protect, and how selective disclosure works. It will pair twelve documented Zcash scenarios with a dated map of relevant Canadian official guidance, while keeping real money and learner identity out of the lab.
### Project Description
I made InvestmentRegulation.ca account-free because an exam-prep site should not need a learner's identity or study history. Progress stays on the learner's device. Building that choice made me care about the gap between saying something is private and showing exactly what is disclosed.
The Zcash Privacy Literacy Lab will let a learner work through twelve scenarios: transparent and shielded transfers, recipient and amount visibility, network and device metadata, unified addresses, viewing keys, selective disclosure, wallet backups, exchange touchpoints, scams, and the limits of privacy claims. A small Rust tool will produce scripted regtest or testnet examples using current maintained Zcash libraries. The web module will explain each example, link to the source behind the explanation, and require the learner to predict what each party can see before revealing the answer.
A separate Canadian source map will organize dated official material on recordkeeping, reporting, registration, and consumer protection. It will state where professional advice is needed and will undergo independent Canadian review. The funded release will be free, require no account, use no real learner funds, and publish its code under MIT and its writing/data under MIT-compatible public terms required by the grant.
### Proposed Problem
The word “private” is easy to overread. A new user can hear “shielded transaction” and assume that the wallet, device, exchange, network observer, recipient, and regulator all see nothing. That mistake can be dangerous. Existing technical documentation is necessary, but a beginner still needs concrete situations that separate transaction privacy, metadata, selective disclosure, custody, and legal duties.
Canadian users have an added problem: relevant official information is split across federal agencies, securities regulators, enforcement notices, and tax guidance. There is no small, testable learning path that connects Zcash privacy mechanics to dated Canadian primary sources without turning the lesson into legal advice.
### Proposed Solution
The lab will replace broad privacy claims with questions a learner can test. For every scenario, the learner will identify the sender, recipient, wallet, network observer, exchange, and voluntary auditor; predict what each can see; inspect a scripted Zcash example; and compare the result with a source-linked explanation.
The lab will publish its assumptions and limitations beside the code. Independent Zcash and Canadian reviewers will check the technical and source-linked material. Learner sessions will test comprehension rather than page views, and every correction will remain visible in a public log.
### Solution Format
- MIT-licensed Rust scenario generator using maintained Zcash libraries and regtest or testnet only
- Free accountless web learning module with twelve privacy and disclosure scenarios
- Dated Canadian official-source map with at least 30 records
- Glossary, threat model, automated tests, setup guide, and CONTRIBUTING.md
- Public correction log and monthly progress updates
- Independent technical/privacy and Canadian regulatory reviews
- Structured tasks with at least 10 learners and one public walkthrough
### Dependencies
- Current maintained Zcash Rust libraries, including the appropriate client-backend components selected during Milestone 1
- Regtest or testnet infrastructure; no production funds
- Public Canadian regulator and government sources
- Independent Zcash technical/privacy reviewer and Canadian regulatory reviewer
- Accessibility tester, French editor, and learner participants
No partner organization or second builder is required. If a dependency changes, the public specification will document the replacement before implementation.
### Technical Approach
Milestone 1 will freeze a narrow threat model and choose current supported Zcash client libraries after reviewer input. A Rust command-line tool will create deterministic scripted examples on regtest where possible and testnet where public verification adds value. Fixtures will record only synthetic data.
The web module will consume sanitized JSON fixtures rather than wallet credentials. Each scenario will contain a disclosure matrix, prediction question, explanation, source links, and automated consistency checks. Tests will verify that scenario claims match their fixtures and that the interface never requests a seed phrase, private key, real address, or real funds.
### Upstream Merge Opportunities
The project will not fork or modify Zcash protocol or wallet repositories. It will use maintained libraries as dependencies. Reusable documentation fixes, test fixtures, or integration findings will be proposed upstream through ordinary issues or pull requests only after discussing them with the relevant maintainers. The standalone learning module will remain in its own public repository.
### Hardware/Software Costs (USD)
$500
### Hardware/Software Justification
Build minutes, testnet or regtest infrastructure, archival hosting, automated accessibility tooling, and browser/device testing. No personal computer purchase is included.
### Service Costs (USD)
$6,500
### Service Costs Justification
$2,500 independent Zcash technical/privacy review; $2,000 independent Canadian regulatory review; $1,000 learner and accessibility-testing honoraria; and $1,000 professional French editing and final accessibility review.
### Compensation Costs (USD)
$8,000
### Compensation Costs Justification
200 hours of Daniel's specification, Rust and web development, source structuring, automated testing, documentation, user-session facilitation, corrections, and public reporting at $40 per hour.
### Total Budget (USD)
$15,000
### Previous Funding
No
### Previous Funding Details
No previous funding from Zcash Community Grants.
### Other Funding Sources
Yes
### Other Funding Sources Details
I have submitted or prepared applications for separate open-source and public-education projects, but no outside grant funding has been awarded. I will disclose any later award, keep this Zcash scope and budget separate, and will not charge two funders for the same deliverable or hour.
### Implementation Risks
- I am new to Zcash development. Mitigation: freeze the library choice only after technical review, keep the prototype narrow, use regtest/testnet, and publish tests and limits.
- Privacy explanations can become wrong as software changes. Mitigation: version every scenario, link the source used, and maintain a public correction log.
- Canadian source material may be misunderstood as advice. Mitigation: independent review, narrow factual language, primary-source links, and clear referrals for professional advice.
- A solo schedule can slip. Mitigation: four funded milestones, public progress reports, and no dependency on a second builder.
### Potential Side Effects
The main risk is false confidence. A learner could treat one successful shielded example as proof of total anonymity or assume the module answers personal legal or tax questions. Every scenario will name its threat model, show remaining metadata and trusted parties, use no real funds, and separate education from professional advice. The interface will never ask for wallet secrets or personal transaction details.
### Success Metrics
- Public MIT repository, setup guide, CONTRIBUTING.md, and automated test suite
- Twelve working scenarios and at least 30 dated Canadian official-source records
- Independent Zcash technical/privacy review and Canadian regulatory review, with published corrections
- At least 10 completed structured learner sessions
- At least 8 of 10 participants correctly identify the visible parties and limits in four core scenarios after using the lab
- No collection of learner identity, wallet keys, seed phrases, or real transaction data
- One public walkthrough and monthly progress updates through completion
### Startup Funding (USD)
$3,000
### Startup Funding Justification
$3,000 is the startup tranche used to begin Milestone 1. The four milestone payments total $12,000, so startup funding plus milestone payments equals the US$15,000 request.
### Milestone Details
```milestones.yaml
- Milestone: 1
Amount (USD): 2000
Expected Completion Date: 2026-10-16
User Stories:
- As a reviewer, I want a precise threat model and source inventory so I can check what the lab will and will not claim.
Deliverables:
- Public specification; library decision; data schema; CONTRIBUTING.md; at least 20 official sources; first regtest fixture; review notes.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Zcash technical/privacy reviewer and Canadian reviewer complete written checks; public repository runs the first fixture from documented instructions.
- Milestone: 2
Amount (USD): 3500
Expected Completion Date: 2026-11-13
User Stories:
- As a learner, I want to test concrete shielded and transparent scenarios without risking money or revealing wallet data.
Deliverables:
- Rust scenario generator; eight scenarios; sanitized JSON fixtures; automated tests; first web interface; threat-model display.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Independent reviewer reproduces the fixtures; CI passes; the interface requests no wallet secrets or real funds.
- Milestone: 3
Amount (USD): 3500
Expected Completion Date: 2026-12-11
User Stories:
- As a Canadian learner, I want to connect each explanation to a dated official source and know when I need professional help.
Deliverables:
- Twelve completed scenarios; at least 30 source records; glossary; prediction questions; correction log; structured tasks with at least 10 learners.
Acceptance Criteria:
- All scenarios pass tests; 10 sessions are documented without personal wallet data; at least 8 of 10 participants meet the four-scenario comprehension target or the misses and corrections are published.
- Milestone: 4
Amount (USD): 3000
Expected Completion Date: 2027-01-15
User Stories:
- As a Zcash educator, I want a reviewed, accessible module I can reuse and correct.
Deliverables:
- Published technical/privacy and Canadian review notes; fixes; French quick-start guide; accessibility pass; setup guide; public walkthrough; final report.
Acceptance Criteria:
- Reviewers confirm listed corrections are addressed or documented; automated accessibility checks pass with any manual limitations disclosed; all public links and reproduction steps work.
```
### Supporting Documents
```files.yaml
- Existing live learning product: https://investmentregulation.ca
- Existing public source: https://github.com/itsdanielsultan/Daniel-CIRE
- Background: https://danielsultan.ca
```