### 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)
@qstnus
### Organization Name
QSTN
### How did you learn about Zcash Community Grants
Twitter
### Requested Grant Amount (USD)
$20,000
### Category
Non-Wallet Applications
### Project Lead
```project-lead.yaml
Orrin Campbell, CEO: A marketing graduate from NYU, Orrin is an influential figure in the entertainment industry with millions of streams on Spotify and over 250,000 Tik Tok followers. His media presence has been showcased on platforms like Dr. Phil, and his degree in marketing adds valuable insights to QSTN's growth strategy.
Twitter - https://twitter.com/realorrin
Instagram - https://instagram.com/realorrin
Linkedin - https://linkedin.com/in/realorrin
GitHub - https://github.com/qstnus
```
### Additional Team Members
```team-members.yaml
Artem Zaitsev, CTO: Artem Zaitsev is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of QSTN and the founder of Idealogic, a leading development agency. With over a decade of experience and expertise in more than 15 blockchain platforms, Artem has been a significant figure in the blockchain space since 2014.
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/artem-zaitsev-b65825137
GitHub - https://github.com/zaitsevartem91
Alexander Thompson, CMO: A 2024 graduate of Columbia University, Alexander brings Gen Z-native intuition and sharp digital instincts to QSTN’s marketing and growth strategy. With a background in entertainment and millions of online views under his belt, he now channels that experience into shaping QSTN’s social presence, community engagement, and brand narrative.
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexlvthompson/
Anibal Suriel, Chief Legal Officer: An NYU alum with a remarkable legal career, Anibal has worked for prestigious firms like KARM and R3. He possesses extensive legal expertise and is admitted to the bar in three states: New York, Florida, and Washington DC.
Linkedin - https://linkedin.com/in/anibal-suriel-esq
```
### Project Summary
QSTN V2 is a platform where users sign up with email, connect their social accounts, earn points from verified digital activity, and redeem those points for cryptocurrency payouts. This grant will integrate Zcash as a private payment option so users can receive shielded ZEC rewards, creating a real consumer use case for private digital cash while helping organizations access anonymized audience insights.
### Project Description
QSTN V2 is a Web2.5 data monetization platform designed to let users benefit from the value of their digital activity in a transparent and privacy-respecting way. Users create an account with email, connect social media accounts through secure APIs, and earn points based on their participation, engagement, and campaign activity. Once users reach reward thresholds, they can connect a wallet and redeem those points for cryptocurrency payouts.
The project originally began as a survey platform, but through running more than 130 campaigns and onboarding over 15,000 users, we learned that surveys create too much friction for users and only capture static snapshots of behavior. QSTN V2 was created to solve that problem by replacing one-time surveys with continuous, consent-based digital activity signals that can be anonymized, aggregated, and analyzed over time.
The purpose of this grant is to integrate Zcash into QSTN V2 as a private payout rail. Instead of only offering public-chain rewards, QSTN will allow users to redeem points for ZEC and, where technically appropriate, encourage shielded transactions so users can receive rewards with stronger privacy guarantees. This creates a powerful consumer-facing use case for Zcash: everyday users earning private digital cash from online participation. It also benefits the ecosystem by generating recurring on-chain activity tied to real user engagement rather than speculation alone.
In parallel, QSTN’s business model is based on selling anonymized audience insights through a dashboard that helps organizations understand trends, interests, and engagement patterns. This means the Zcash integration is not a one-off experiment; it becomes part of a sustainable system where organizations fund campaigns, users earn rewards, and Zcash becomes a practical payment option in a growing data economy.
### Proposed Problem
Zcash is one of the strongest privacy-preserving payment networks in crypto, but like many blockchain ecosystems, it still faces the challenge of creating everyday consumer use cases that bring in non-crypto-native users. Most users do not begin their journey with privacy-preserving payments, and most applications that integrate digital assets still assume wallet familiarity, crypto literacy, and comfort with on-chain interaction. This creates a barrier to adoption and limits usage to users who are already deeply inside the ecosystem.
At the same time, today’s internet economy is built on data extraction. People create value every day through social media activity, digital engagement, and participation in online communities, but they rarely share in the financial upside. Existing research systems rely on surveys or advertising-based tracking, both of which create friction, suffer from low-quality data, or ignore privacy concerns.
QSTN addresses both issues by creating a path where mainstream users can sign up with email, earn value from digital participation, and receive payouts in cryptocurrency without being forced to understand complex crypto infrastructure upfront. Integrating Zcash specifically addresses the need for a practical, consumer-facing use case for private digital cash. It allows users to receive rewards in a way that is better aligned with the principles of privacy, autonomy, and individual financial control.
### Proposed Solution
QSTN will integrate Zcash as a reward redemption and payout option within QSTN V2. Users will continue to sign up with email, connect social accounts, and earn points through participation in digital campaigns, referrals, and account connections. Once they reach a minimum threshold, they will be able to connect a Zcash wallet and redeem their points for ZEC. The goal is to make Zcash the private payment layer for a consumer product that already has clear incentive loops and existing traction.
The solution will be implemented in three phases. The first phase will focus on testnet integration, including wallet connectivity, reward redemption logic, and user experience improvements. The second phase will push the tested features to mainnet, introduce a leaderboard for Zcash point redemptions, and update legal and privacy documentation to reflect Zcash payouts. The final phase will focus on performance and adoption by driving at least 2,500 on-chain redemptions, publishing a case study, and demonstrating how private digital cash can be used in a real consumer-facing rewards system.
### Solution Format
The solution will be delivered as production software integrated directly into the QSTN V2 platform. Deliverables will include wallet connection flows, testnet and mainnet reward redemption logic, UI and UX updates for ZEC payouts, a public or semi-public redemption leaderboard, updated legal documentation, and a performance report with case study materials showing adoption and impact.
### Dependencies
This project depends on access to reliable Zcash wallet infrastructure and testnet/mainnet environments that support implementation and testing of the reward redemption flow. It also depends on engineering time from the QSTN core team, ongoing access to the existing QSTN platform codebase, and legal review for updated payout-related documents. No fork of core Zcash protocol software is required. The project may also depend on user testing and feedback from participants or ecosystem members to validate that the shielded payout flow is understandable and usable.
### Technical Approach
QSTN V2 uses a hybrid architecture that combines traditional web onboarding with on-chain reward settlement. Users sign up with email and connect social platforms through secure API flows. The backend verifies account connections and campaign actions, then assigns points according to predefined rules. These points are stored off-chain in the application database until redemption.
For the Zcash integration, a redemption module will be added that allows users to specify a Zcash address and claim rewards once they meet the threshold. The backend will validate the user’s point balance, lock the claim, and trigger the payout flow. The implementation will focus on creating a reliable, auditable bridge between off-chain earned points and on-chain ZEC payments. The front-end will be updated to clearly present point balances, reward thresholds, wallet connection instructions, and claim status.
Where technically practical within the grant scope, the project will be designed to support or encourage shielded payouts so that the integration reflects Zcash’s strongest differentiator: private digital cash. The engineering stack will use QSTN’s existing web application framework, backend services, API integrations, and payout logic, extended with Zcash-specific wallet and transaction handling.
### Upstream Merge Opportunities
This project does not currently require forking or modifying any upstream Zcash repositories. The intended work is at the application layer, integrating Zcash wallet support and payment functionality into QSTN V2. If during development we produce reusable open-source tooling, documentation, or wallet integration improvements that may benefit the wider Zcash ecosystem, we would be open to coordinating with maintainers and contributing upstream where appropriate.
### Hardware/Software Costs (USD)
$2,000
### Hardware/Software Justification
These costs cover development and testing environments, secure infrastructure for payout logic, wallet testing devices if needed, software subscriptions used in engineering and QA, and deployment-related tooling. Because this project involves both Web2 and blockchain infrastructure, stable development and testing environments are necessary to ensure that reward redemption flows work reliably and securely.
### Service Costs (USD)
$3,000
### Service Costs Justification
These costs cover infrastructure services such as hosting, monitoring, API usage for connected social platforms, testnet and deployment support, transaction observation, and any external services needed to verify and maintain the payout flow during testnet and mainnet rollout. The project also includes publication and reporting support for the final case study.
### Compensation Costs (USD)
$15,000
### Compensation Costs Justification
This amount covers engineering, product, design, legal, and coordination work across the team. The majority of the time will be spent by the CTO on technical implementation, the founder on product scope and integration oversight, the legal lead on required documentation updates, and supporting team members on UX improvements, campaign design, and launch coordination. This is the primary cost center because the work is largely custom integration and product development.
### Total Budget (USD)
$20,000
### Previous Funding
No
### Previous Funding Details
_No response_
### Other Funding Sources
Yes
### Other Funding Sources Details
QSTN is raising a seed round in Q3 2026 after closing our pre-seed with Outlier Ventures in 2024.
Below is a link:
https://outlierventures.io/article/near-foundation-and-outlier-ventures-announce-the-first-near-base-camp-accelerator-cohort/
### Implementation Risks
The primary implementation risk is ensuring that the Zcash payout flow is simple enough for non-crypto users while remaining reliable and privacy-aligned. Another risk is technical complexity around supporting wallet flows and payout confirmations in a way that fits within the existing QSTN platform architecture. There is also a risk that users may be less familiar with Zcash wallets than with more common EVM wallets, which could slow redemption rates. These risks will be mitigated through phased deployment, testnet-first validation, clear UX design, user education within the claim flow, and careful documentation.
### Potential Side Effects
One potential side effect is that users unfamiliar with privacy-preserving wallets may initially experience confusion about how to receive rewards. Another is that introducing a private payment option may require additional explanation in user-facing materials so participants understand the difference between off-chain points and on-chain ZEC rewards. There is also a possibility that some organizations using the platform may require education around privacy-preserving payments before they fully understand the value proposition. These side effects are manageable through onboarding improvements and clear educational copy.
### Success Metrics
One potential side effect is that users unfamiliar with privacy-preserving wallets may initially experience confusion about how to receive rewards. Another is that introducing a private payment option may require additional explanation in user-facing materials so participants understand the difference between off-chain points and on-chain ZEC rewards. There is also a possibility that some organizations using the platform may require education around privacy-preserving payments before they fully understand the value proposition. These side effects are manageable through onboarding improvements and clear educational copy.
### Startup Funding (USD)
$5,000
### Startup Funding Justification
Startup funding is needed to begin engineering work immediately on testnet integration, wallet connectivity, user experience updates, and initial payout logic. This first tranche enables the team to dedicate time to technical architecture, implementation, and testnet validation before moving to production deployment.
### Milestone Details
```milestones.yaml
Milestone: 1
Amount (USD): 5000
Expected Completion Date: 2026-04-01
User Stories:
1. "As a QSTN user, I want to connect a Zcash wallet when I reach my reward threshold, so that I can claim rewards in ZEC."
2. "As a non-crypto-native user, I want the reward redemption flow to be simple and understandable, so that I can receive Zcash without friction."
Deliverables:
- Testnet wallet connection flow for Zcash reward claims
- Testnet reward redemption logic that converts earned QSTN points into ZEC payouts
- User interface and user experience improvements for claiming ZEC rewards
- Internal testing and documentation of the complete testnet claim flow
Acceptance Criteria:
Test users can successfully move from earned points to a testnet ZEC claim, with a clear wallet connection process and visible claim confirmation. The team and representative users validate that the flow is understandable and functional.
Milestone: 2
Amount (USD): 5000
Expected Completion Date: 2026-04-15
User Stories:
1. "As a QSTN user, I want to redeem my points for real ZEC on mainnet, so that I can receive private digital cash from my digital participation."
2. "As a platform participant, I want to see my reward activity reflected in the product, so that I can track my progress and claims."
Deliverables:
- Mainnet deployment of all testnet reward redemption features
- ZEC reward payouts enabled in production
- Leaderboard for Zcash point redemptions and user participation
- Updated privacy policy, user agreement, and terms and conditions reflecting Zcash integration
- Production monitoring of redemption activity
Acceptance Criteria:
Users can successfully redeem QSTN points for ZEC on mainnet. The leaderboard is live, user-facing documentation is updated, and the production payout flow works as intended.
Milestone: 3
Amount (USD): 5000
Expected Completion Date: 2026-05-15
User Stories:
1. "As a QSTN user, I want a real reason to use Zcash, so that I can receive private rewards from my online participation."
2. "As an organization running a campaign on QSTN, I want to offer ZEC rewards, so that I can attract users while supporting private digital payments."
Deliverables:
- At least 2,500 on-chain ZEC reward redemptions
- Multiple live campaigns using ZEC incentives on the platform
- One public case study documenting adoption, user behavior, and integration outcomes
- Final performance report demonstrating how QSTN uses Zcash to empower non-crypto users to begin using private digital cash
Acceptance Criteria:
On-chain data confirms at least 2,500 reward redemptions, the case study is published, and the integration demonstrates real-world usage of Zcash as a private payout option in a consumer-facing application.
```
### Supporting Documents
```files.yaml
Website:
https://data-earn.qstn.us
Demo video:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yOf3_JQHn3s_RrLSijyIozHYwAzvA3Hd/view?usp=sharing
Pitch deck:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19xzrUKA5Ijr5Sb2_0eAcrHjlQskBSo2-/view?usp=sharing
Github:
https://github.com/qstn-us
```