Hello Zcash community!
We have submitted a grant application to Zcash Community Grants (ZCG) for Zynova, a six-day online programme organised by Cloud Junction, planned for 11-16 January 2027.
GitHub application: Grant Application - Zynova: Online Zcash Privacy Education and Adoption Programme · Issue #522 · ZcashCommunityGrants/zcashcommunitygrants · GitHub
Requested funding: $15,000 USD
Programme: Online
Organiser: Cloud Junction
We would appreciate the community’s feedback on the proposed programme, deliverables, budget, and approach to measuring meaningful Zcash adoption.
What is Zynova?
Zynova is an online education and ecosystem engagement initiative designed to introduce students, developers, and newcomers to Zcash, shielded transactions, and the importance of financial privacy.
The programme is built around a practical objective: helping participants move beyond awareness and develop a working understanding of how Zcash can be used, how shielded transactions work, and how they can contribute to the ecosystem.
Rather than treating registrations or attendance as the primary measure of success, we intend to track onboarding journeys, practical learning activities, developer participation, contributions, and participant feedback.
Programme Structure
The six-day programme will combine educational sessions, guided demonstrations, ecosystem exploration, and opportunities for practical contribution.
1. Financial Privacy Education
Beginner-friendly sessions introducing financial privacy, transparent and shielded transactions, and the role of Zcash in the broader digital payments ecosystem.
Content will be designed for participants with varying levels of technical knowledge, including students and people exploring Zcash for the first time.
2. Guided Wallet Onboarding
Participants will receive guidance on wallet setup, shielded addresses, transaction basics, and wallet security.
The onboarding process will prioritise informed participation and safe wallet practices. We will never ask participants to disclose seed phrases, private keys, or wallet passwords.
We will separately report onboarding activity and completed transactions so that the results reflect what participants actually accomplish.
3. Shielded Transaction Demonstrations
We plan to demonstrate how shielded transactions work and help participants understand the practical experience of using Zcash.
Any live transactions or starter ZEC allocation will depend on approved funding, technical readiness, and appropriate safeguards. Where a live transaction is not feasible, the activity will be clearly identified as a demonstration rather than a completed real transaction.
4. Zcash Ecosystem Exploration
Participants will be introduced to relevant ecosystem resources and tools, including ZecMap, alongside opportunities to learn about wallets, educational resources, and community contribution pathways.
The objective is to help newcomers understand not only how to get started, but also where to continue learning and participating after the programme.
5. Developer Buildathon
The programme will include a developer-focused buildathon encouraging participants to explore practical ideas related to Zcash, financial privacy, user experience, and ecosystem adoption.
Submissions will be documented, and outcomes will be reported based on actual participation and deliverables.
6. Open-Source and Research Bounties
We plan to offer structured opportunities for contributions such as documentation, educational content, research, design, translation, and software development.
Bounty criteria and acceptance requirements will be communicated clearly. Any payments will remain subject to the approved budget and published programme rules.
7. Educational Content and Community Outreach
We will develop educational posts, explainers, short videos, and other learning resources to extend the programme’s reach beyond live attendees.
Cloud Junction’s existing student and developer communities will support outreach and participant recruitment.
8. Feedback, Evaluation, and Public Reporting
We will collect participant feedback and usability observations, document programme outcomes, and publish a final report covering actual results, deliverables, lessons learned, and expenditure.
The report will distinguish registrations, attendance, wallet onboarding, completed transactions, submissions, and accepted contributions rather than combining them into a single adoption figure.
Proposed Success Metrics
Our initial targets are:
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400–600 guided shielded-wallet onboarding journeys
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8–12 educational sessions and demonstrations
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15–25 buildathon submissions
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30–50 open-source and research bounty submissions
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30+ educational and awareness content pieces
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Reporting on completed shielded transactions and total ZEC transaction volume, where applicable
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Reporting on accepted contributions, participant feedback, and ecosystem engagement
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Publication of a final outcomes and expenditure report within 15 days after the programme
These figures are proposed targets, not guaranteed outcomes. We will report actual results transparently and explain any differences between targets and outcomes.
Implementation and Risk Management
The programme is designed for online delivery, reducing geographical barriers for participants across India and beyond.
Key implementation considerations include participant recruitment, wallet compatibility, internet connectivity, developer participation, and the availability of funds for any live ZEC activities.
We will address these through advance preparation, clear participant instructions, alternative demonstration formats, documented bounty criteria, and transparent reporting. Activities dependent on external funding or technical readiness will not be represented as confirmed until those dependencies are resolved.
Participant safety and privacy will remain central throughout the programme. We will not collect private wallet credentials or require participants to disclose sensitive wallet information.
Budget
The total grant request is $15,000 USD.
| Budget category | Requested amount |
|---|---|
| Hardware and software | $0 |
| Service costs | $11,000 |
| Team compensation | $4,000 |
| Total | $15,000 |
Service costs will support programme delivery, educational media, community outreach, buildathon and research bounties, participant support, and evaluation and documentation.
Hardware and software costs are budgeted at zero because the programme is planned to use existing team equipment and available tools. The detailed application provides the proposed cost breakdown and compensation allocation.
The funding plan includes $4,000 in startup funding within the overall $15,000 request, with the remaining $11,000 allocated across subsequent milestones. Startup funding is not an additional request.
Why Cloud Junction?
Cloud Junction has experience organising online learning programmes, student-focused events, and developer community activities. Our previous initiatives include Cloud Quest 2026, Cloud Quest 2.0, IBM Qiskit Fall Fest, and Google Cloud Arcade programme sessions and many more events.
These activities have helped us build experience in participant outreach, programme coordination, educational content, and community engagement. Supporting event links and community channels are included in our project documentation.
We intend to apply this experience to Zynova while keeping the scope measurable and the results transparent.
Expected Outcomes
Through Zynova, we aim to create an accessible entry point into Zcash for students and newcomers, help participants understand shielded transactions, encourage developers to explore the ecosystem, and produce educational resources that remain useful after the programme ends.
We see onboarding as the beginning of participation, not the final outcome. The programme will therefore focus on practical learning, contribution opportunities, and honest reporting of what was achieved.
Community Feedback
We welcome feedback from the Zcash community and ZCG reviewers, particularly on:
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The proposed success metrics and how best to measure meaningful onboarding
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The balance between beginner education and developer-focused activities
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The proposed buildathon and bounty structure
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Opportunities to make the resulting educational resources more useful to the wider ecosystem
GitHub grant application: Grant Application - Zynova: Online Zcash Privacy Education and Adoption Programme · Issue #522 · ZcashCommunityGrants/zcashcommunitygrants · GitHub
Thank you for taking the time to review our proposal. We look forward to hearing the community’s feedback and improving the programme where appropriate.
Ritik Dhanotiya Cloud Junction Zynova | Cloud Junction