[Grant Application] ZK-LoRa: Zero-Knowledge Privacy Layer for AI-to-AI Mesh Networks

Community Grants Applications
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Hi Zcash Community & Zcash Community Grants Committee,

We are formally submitting our grant application for Project ZK-LoRa.

ZK-LoRa is an offline, privacy-preserving LoRa/IoT mesh communication prototype designed to bring Zcash shielded-payment incentives into physical DePIN infrastructure. The goal is to let low-power edge nodes authenticate and relay packets without exposing stable hardware identities, packet contents, or payment relationships.

Video Presentation & Whitepaper

The Problem: Physical Metadata Leakage

LoRa and other RF-based mesh systems are useful for long-range, off-grid communication, but radio transmissions are public. An eavesdropper with inexpensive SDR equipment can observe repeated packet patterns, track stable device identifiers, perform traffic analysis, and attempt physical triangulation.

This is a privacy problem for IoT devices, autonomous agents, disaster-response systems, and any off-grid network that needs to communicate without exposing its topology.

The Solution: ZK-LoRa

ZK-LoRa combines:

  1. Private packet authentication: Nodes use randomized proof material so gateways can authenticate packet authority without receiving a stable device UID.
  2. Encrypted LoRa packets: Payloads are transmitted as authenticated encrypted packets with replay protection and packet-hash references.
  3. Zcash shielded relay incentives: Gateways are designed to validate relay rewards using decrypted shielded payment events from a local wallet/light-client adapter, not public memo decryption.

The current Milestone 1 implementation is a reference prototype. Production proof hardening and full Zcash SDK integration are the funded next steps.

Why Zcash?

Zcash is the right settlement layer because shielded payments can support private relay incentives without exposing sender, receiver, or payment-reference metadata publicly.

The planned Zcash integration uses a wallet/light-client adapter that can locally decrypt authorized shielded payment events and match them to packet references. Public explorers cannot decrypt shielded memos, and ZK-LoRa does not depend on public memo inspection.

The proposal also includes a transparent 2% project maintenance/developer fee in the relay reward accounting model, to be validated during the Zcash SDK integration milestone.

What Is Public Now

We are making the main repo and Milestone 1 evidence public for review.

Milestone 1 evidence includes:

  • Native C++ verifier artifact.
  • WebAssembly verifier artifact.
  • verify_all_proofs.py proof-suite validation.
  • RAK/Raspberry Pi hardware layout documentation.
  • Real RAK Miner A-to-B LoRa RF packet transfer.
  • CRC OK receiver evidence.
  • Matching TX/RX SHA-256 payload validation.
  • Secure encrypted proof-referenced packet transfer over LoRa RF.
  • Decrypt pass, packet authentication pass, proof-reference verification pass.
  • Tamper rejection, wrong-key rejection, and replay rejection.

What The Grant Funds

The requested $24,500 funds the transition from our self-funded Milestone 1 proof package into production-grade Zcash integration and field deployment.

To show good faith, we self-funded and publicly completed the Milestone 1 baseline before approval: native/WASM verifier artifacts, proof-suite validation, RAK/Raspberry Pi hardware layout documentation, real A-to-B LoRa RF transfer, secure encrypted proof-referenced packet transfer, decrypt/auth/proof-reference validation, and tamper/wrong-key/replay rejection.

The startup funding and Milestone 1 payment allow us to recover and stabilize the already-completed hardware/proof foundation, keep the lab and devices online, and immediately continue into production hardening without losing momentum.

The remaining grant work funds:

  1. Zcash SDK wallet/light-client integration for shielded payment-reference validation.
  2. Production proof backend hardening using gnark, arkworks, halo2, or another suitable proving stack.
  3. Relay reward accounting, including the disclosed 2% project maintenance/developer fee.
  4. Expanded field deployment and SDK documentation.

Milestone 2 and Milestone 3 are proposed funded work. Their implementation will be opened and documented as deliverables progress.

Grant Application

The ZCG application is here:

Grant Application - ZK-LoRa: Shielded Micropayments & Privacy Layer #337

We welcome technical feedback, especially around the Zcash SDK integration path, shielded payment-reference validation, and the safest way to structure the production proof backend.

Thank you,
TheAiCollective.art