# Voterax (Extending Zcash Privacy into Coordination, Governance & Rewards) **URL:** \ **Category:** Applications\ **Created:** [April 22, 2026, 3:17pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/voterax-extending-zcash-privacy-into-coordination-governance-rewards/55446 "2026-04-22T15:17:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DrDammy32](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@DrDammy32](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/DrDammy32)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2026, 3:17pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/voterax-extending-zcash-privacy-into-coordination-governance-rewards/55446/1 "2026-04-22T15:17:43Z")
Hello Zcash community 👋 We’re excited to share our grant proposal for Voterax, a privacy-preserving coordination infrastructure designed to bring Zcash-level privacy guarantees into how decisions are made, contributions are evaluated, and rewards are distributed. 👉 Full application: > > > \### 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 Owner > > Damboy22 > > \### Organization Name > > The Mirror Hub (Voterax) > > \### How did you learn about Zcash Community Grants > > Through the broader zero-knowledge ecosystem and research into privacy-preserving infrastructure, particularly Zcash’s pioneering work in zk-SNARKs. > > \### Requested Grant Amount (USD) > > $35,000 > > \### Category > > Infrastructure > > \### Project Lead > > \`\`\`project-lead.yaml > Name: Dr. Damilola Oguntola > Role: Founder & Project Lead > Background: > Dr. Damilola Oguntola is the founder of Voterax and leads the vision of building scalable, privacy-preserving coordination systems for Web2 and Web3. He has over 7yrs experience in community building, project management, ecosystem development, and designing infrastructure for decentralized participation and governance. > Responsibilities: > Overall product direction and strategy > Ecosystem partnerships and integrations > Project execution and team coordination > Alignment with zero-knowledge and privacy-focused infrastructure > Oversight of growth and adoption strategy > \`\`\` > > \### Additional Team Members > > \`\`\`team-members.yaml > 1) Name: Mrs. Evelyn Ayawari Sample > Role: Co-founder & Creative Lead > Background: > Evelyn brings strong expertise in brand development, creative direction, and user experience design, ensuring Voterax maintains a clear and engaging identity across all touchpoints. > Responsibilities: > Brand and design direction > Creative strategy and visual identity > UX consistency across the platform > Supporting user engagement through design > > 2) Name: Ibimendi Grace > Role: Community Growth Manager > Background: > Ibimendi specializes in community building and user engagement within Web3 ecosystems, with experience in managing online communities and driving adoption. > Responsibilities: > Community building and management > User onboarding and engagement > Coordinating pilot campaigns and early adopters > Managing social channels and feedback loops > > 3) Name: Akinyemi Saheed > Role: Backend / Smart Contract Developer > Background: > Akinyemi is a backend and blockchain developer with experience in smart contract development and decentralized systems. > Responsibilities: > Smart contract development (campaign logic, CP/RP systems) > Backend architecture and data handling > Reward distribution mechanisms > Ensuring system security and reliability > > 4) Name: Azeez Lawal > Role: Frontend Developer > Background: > Azeez is a frontend developer focused on building responsive and user-friendly web applications. > Responsibilities: > Frontend application development > Implementation of dashboards and interfaces > Integration with backend and smart contracts > Ensuring seamless user experience > > 5) Name: Joel Pillar > Role: Product Designer > Background: > Joel is a product designer with expertise in user flows, interface design, and usability optimization across digital platforms. > Responsibilities: > Designing user flows and wireframes > Creating intuitive interfaces > Ensuring accessibility and usability > Supporting product iteration through design feedback > \`\`\` > > \### Project Summary > > Voterax is a privacy-preserving coordination infrastructure that extends Zcash’s zero-knowledge model beyond payments into governance, decision-making, reward distribution, and talent discovery. > > \### Project Description > > Voterax is building infrastructure for running campaigns such as hackathons, grants, bounties, and governance processes. > > Voterax builds a system where: > \>contributions are tracked > \>decisions are made privately > \>outcomes are verifiable > \>rewards are distributed confidentially > \>and contributor reputation persists over time > > Inspired by Zcash’s shielded transactions, Voterax applies zero-knowledge proofs to coordination systems, enabling: > \>private voting > \>private eligibility verification > \>private reward distribution > > This transforms how communities: > \>allocate resources > \>make decisions > \>and discover talent > > Zcash Ecosystem Value > Zcash pioneered privacy in financial transactions. > Voterax extends this innovation into: > Private governance > Confidential decision-making > Privacy-preserving reward systems > > By doing so, Voterax increases demand for: > 👉 zero-knowledge proof usage > 👉 privacy-preserving infrastructure > 👉 real-world applications of zk-SNARKs > > \### Proposed Problem > > Current coordination systems across Web2 and Web3 suffer from: > > ✅opaque decision-making > ✅token-based governance dominated by whales > ✅lack of verifiable reputation systems > ✅exposure of participants in public voting > ✅lack of privacy in reward distribution > > Additionally: > 👉 Talent is not tracked or discovered over time > 👉 Contributors lose visibility after each campaign > > \### Proposed Solution > > Voterax introduces a system where: > > ✅influence is derived from contribution, not capital > ✅voting eligibility is verified using zero-knowledge proofs > ✅voting remains private while outcomes are verifiable > ✅rewards are distributed privately > ✅contributor activity builds persistent reputation > This creates: > 👉 fair decision-making > 👉 privacy-preserving participation > 👉 continuous talent discovery > > \### Solution Format > > ● Web application (Next.js frontend) > ● Smart contracts (EVM-compatible) > ● ZK-based verification layer > ● Campaign coordination engine > > \### Dependencies > > ZK proof systems (zk-SNARKs inspired by Zcash) > > Smart contract frameworks (Solidity) > > Frontend frameworks (Next.js) > > Optional ZK verification layers > > \### Technical Approach > > Voterax leverages: > 1) Zero-knowledge proofs to validate: > voting eligibility > contribution thresholds > correctness of votes > > 2) Reputation system: > CP (Contribution Points) > RP (Reputation Points) > > 3) Smart contracts for: > campaign configuration > voting execution > reward settlement > > 4) Privacy layer inspired by Zcash: > private inputs (votes, identities) > verifiable outputs (results, payouts) > > > Voterax will integrate zero-knowledge proofs inspired by Zcash’s zk-SNARK architecture to enable: > Proof of eligibility (without revealing identity) > Proof of participation thresholds > Proof of valid vote casting > Confidential reward distribution validation > > We will explore: > zk-SNARK-based circuits (Circom/snarkjs) > Proof verification layers > Modular integration with smart contract logic > > \### Upstream Merge Opportunities > > This project does not directly modify Zcash core repositories but aligns with Zcash’s broader ecosystem by: > > 1) extending zk-SNARK applications beyond payments > 2) exploring new use cases for privacy-preserving coordination > 3) potentially contributing research or tooling for ZK-based verification in governance systems > > \### Hardware/Software Costs (USD) > > 5,000 > > \### Hardware/Software Justification > > This budget covers essential tools and infrastructure required to design, build, and test a privacy-preserving coordination system. > > Key components include: > > Development environments and tooling (IDE licenses, testing frameworks) > Cloud hosting and compute resources for staging and testing environments > Database and indexing infrastructure for tracking contributions and campaign data > Design tools for UI/UX development (e.g., Figma or equivalent) > Version control and collaboration tools > > Given the need to handle zero-knowledge proof generation and verification workflows, reliable compute and testing infrastructure is necessary to ensure performance and scalability during development. > > \### Service Costs (USD) > > $10,000 > > \### Service Costs Justification > > This covers third-party services and integrations required to support development and deployment. > > Includes: > > ZK tooling and libraries integration (e.g., proof generation and verification services) > RPC providers and node infrastructure > API services for indexing, analytics, and monitoring > Deployment and DevOps services > Security and testing tools (including basic audit support or automated testing tools) > > These services are critical for ensuring that the system is functional, scalable, and aligned with best practices in privacy-preserving application development. > > \### Compensation Costs (USD) > > $20,000 > > \### Compensation Costs Justification > > This allocation covers a lean, execution-focused team responsible for designing, building, testing, launching, and driving early adoption of Voterax over a 5–6 month period. > > Breakdown: > > Frontend Developer — $2,500 > Responsible for building the user interface, campaign dashboards, and delivering a seamless, privacy-first user experience that abstracts technical complexity for end users. > > Smart Contract Engineer — $3,500 > Responsible for implementing campaign logic, contribution and reputation systems (CP/RP), and reward distribution mechanisms, ensuring secure and reliable execution of coordination flows. > > ZK/Backend Engineer — $2,500 > Responsible for integrating zero-knowledge proof systems, including proof generation, verification, and privacy-preserving workflows for voting, eligibility, and reward validation. > > Product, Coordination & Growth (Project Lead) — $2,500 > Responsible for product direction, technical coordination, documentation, ecosystem alignment, and overseeing early growth and adoption strategies. Execution, Testing & Growth (Embedded Across Roles) > > In addition to core development, team responsibilities will include: > > Community Building & Early Adoption > Onboarding early users, engaging contributors, and working with pilot communities to run initial campaigns on Voterax. > > Testing & Iteration > Conducting internal testing, user testing, and iterative improvements to ensure usability, reliability, and smooth privacy workflows before mainnet deployment. > > Mainnet Launch Campaigns > Coordinating and executing initial live campaigns (e.g., hackathons, bounties, or grant pilots) to validate real-world usage and demonstrate the system in action. > > Growth & Ecosystem Development > Creating onboarding materials, documentation, and lightweight growth initiatives to drive awareness and adoption within privacy-focused and Web3 communities. > > This lean structure ensures that all critical areas frontend, backend, smart contracts, zero-knowledge integration, as well as testing, launch, and early ecosystem growth are effectively covered, enabling both successful delivery and real-world adoption of Voterax. > > \### Total Budget (USD) > > $35,000 > > \### Previous Funding > > No > > \### Previous Funding Details > > \_No response\_ > > \### Other Funding Sources > > No > > \### Other Funding Sources Details > > \_No response\_ > > \### Implementation Risks > > Complexity of integrating ZK proofs efficiently > > UX challenges in abstracting privacy features > > balancing performance with privacy > > \### Potential Side Effects > > Increased computation cost for ZK operations > > onboarding friction if UX is not simplified > > \### Success Metrics > > Number of campaigns created > Number of participants > Number of ZK proofs generated > Successful private reward distributions > contributor retention across campaigns > > \### Startup Funding (USD) > > $8,000 > > \### Startup Funding Justification > > Startup funding is required to initiate development and cover the critical early-stage work needed to establish the foundation of Voterax. > > This includes: > Initial UI/UX design and product architecture > > Development environment setup and infrastructure configuration > > Early frontend and backend prototyping > > Initial zero-knowledge proof research and integration planning > > Coordination of the core development team > > This phase is essential to move from concept to a working prototype, enabling faster iteration and reducing risk in later development stages. > > \### Milestone Details > > \`\`\`milestones.yaml > \- Milestone: 1. > Amount (USD): 6,000 > Expected Completion Date: 2026-06-15 > User Stories: > - As a contributor, I want to join a campaign so that I can participate and earn contribution points > - As a project admin (organizers) , I want to create a campaign so that I can coordinate participants > Deliverables: > - UI/UX designs (campaign dashboard, user flows) > - Basic frontend prototype (campaign creation & participation) > - Initial CP (Contribution Points) system > Acceptance Criteria > - Users can create and join campaigns > - Contribution tracking is functional > - UI flows are tested with early users > > \- Milestone: 2 > Amount (USD): 7000 > Expected Completion Date: 2026-07-15 > User Stories: > - As a contributor, I want my activity tracked so that my influence reflects my work > - As a system, I want to calculate reputation so that decisions are based on contribution > Deliverables: > - Reputation Points (RP) system > - Backend logic for contribution tracking > - Campaign lifecycle (start → participate → complete) > Acceptance Criteria: > - CP and RP are correctly assigned > - Campaign lifecycle works end-to-end > - Data is persisted and verifiable > > \- Milestone: 3 > Amount (USD): 8000 > Expected Completion Date: 2026-08-15 > User Stories: > - As a participant, I want to vote privately so that my choices are not exposed > - As a system, I want to verify votes without revealing user identity > Deliverables: > - ZK-based voting mechanism > - Proof of eligibility (based on CP/RP) > - Private voting flow implementation > Acceptance Criteria: > - Votes are submitted privately > - Proof verification works correctly > - Results can be aggregated without > exposing inputs > > \- Milestone: 4 > Amount (USD): 7000 > Expected Completion Date: 2026-09-15 > User Stories: > - As a winner, I want to receive rewards so that my contribution is recognized > - As a system, I want to distribute rewards privately and verifiably > Deliverables: > - Reward allocation system > - Private payout mechanism > - Integration with payment/settlement layer > Acceptance Criteria: > - Rewards are distributed successfully > - Transactions are validated without exposing sensitive data > - End-to-end flow (participation → decision → reward) works > \- Milestone: 5 > Amount (USD): 7000 > Expected Completion Date: 2026-10-15 > User Stories: > - As a community, I want to run real campaigns so that I can use the system in practice > - As an ecosystem partner, I want to identify top contributors so that I can discover talent > Deliverables: > - Mainnet deployment > - 2–3 live pilot campaigns > (hackathon, bounty, or grants) > - Documentation and onboarding materials > - Community onboarding and growth activities > Acceptance Criteria: > - At least 2 live campaigns completed > - Real users participate and receive rewards > - System is stable and usable in real-world scenarios > \`\`\` > > \### Supporting Documents > > \`\`\`files.yaml > \- File Name 1: VOTERAX Whitepaper > https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Gj3mOv4RX9omPQxZOVPezs1IunCz7AiL/edit?usp=drivesdk&ouid=102612312113513081282&rtpof=true&sd=true > \`\`\` The Problem Today’s coordination systems both Web2 and Web3 are fundamentally broken: **In Web3 governance:** - Token-weighted voting = plutocracy - Whales dominate decisions - Contributors lose influence **In Web2 systems** : - Decisions are opaque - Reputation is fragmented - Talent discovery is inefficient The result: 👉 Low trust 👉 Low participation 👉 Misaligned incentives **What is Voterax?** **Voterax is a privacy-preserving, reputation-powered coordination layer for fair decision-making and talent discovery across Web2 & Web3**. We combine: - Reputation (CP/RP systems) → influence earned through contribution - Zero-knowledge proofs → privacy for voting, identity, and rewards - Verifiable outcomes → trust without exposing sensitive data Why Zcash? Zcash pioneered private money. We believe the next frontier is: **👉 Private coordination** Voterax extends Zcash’s philosophy into: - Private voting systems - Confidential contributor evaluation - Privacy-preserving reward distribution Instead of exposing: - who voted - how they voted - how much they earned We prove: ✔ valid participation ✔ fair outcomes ✔ correct rewards without revealing sensitive data. **What We’re Building** With support from Zcash, we will deliver: 1. Reputation-Based Coordination Engine - Contribution Points (CP) - Reputation Points (RP) - Eligibility-based participation 2. ZK-Powered Voting - Private voting - Proof of eligibility - Verifiable outcomes without identity exposure 3. Confidential Reward Distribution - Winners are determined transparently - Rewards are distributed privately - No public exposure of earnings or identities 4. Real-World Campaigns Use cases include: Hackathons Grants Bounties DAO governance Talent discovery pipelines **Why This Matters** We’re not just building a product. We’re solving a fundamental gap: **Privacy exists for money but not for coordination.** Yet coordination determines: - who gets funded - who gets opportunities - who builds the future Voterax ensures that: 👉 fairness is verifiable 👉 privacy is preserved 👉 contribution matters more than capital **Traction So Far** ✅ Full UI/UX system completed ✅ Live prototype 80% ready ✅ ZK-first architecture ongoing ✅ Smart contract development will commence soon ✅ Early conversations with DAOs & organizers ✅ Business model validated (5% campaign fee) ✅ Community growth significant We are currently transitioning from idea ⇒prototype (80%)→ MVP → live campaigns The Team Voterax is built by a multidisciplinary team across product, engineering, and community growth, led by: Dr. Damilola Oguntola (Founder & Project Lead) Backed by The Mirror Hub, a growing community focused on: Web3 education ecosystem building onboarding contributors across emerging markets The rest of the team can be found here > **[The voterax team as been up and doing, a working Prototype is almost...](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/voterax_the-voterax-team-as-been-up-and-doing-a-activity-7436650481826869248-NA1X?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAACXFV_wBLzjaQtEluvDQothgGCQ4cCF_SXA)** > > The voterax team as been up and doing, a working Prototype is almost complete. > Special Shoutout to all team members > > 1) Founder Dr Damilola Oguntola > 2) Co-founder & Creative Lead Evelyn Sample > 3) Backend/Smart contract developer Akinyemi Saheed... We are not just building tech we are building usage and adoption from day one. **Ecosystem Value for Zcash** Voterax directly contributes to Zcash by: - Expanding ZK usage beyond payments - Introducing new demand for privacy infrastructure - Driving real-world applications of zk-SNARKs - Onboarding new users into privacy-first systems This is how Zcash evolves from: 👉 private money → private digital society layer **We Want Your Feedback** We’re sharing this early because we want: 1. Technical feedback on our ZK approach 2. Thoughts on privacy in governance 3. Input on potential integrations with Zcash tooling 4. Ideas for pilot use cases within the ecosystem **Closing** We believe Voterax represents a natural extension of what Zcash started. Not just protecting how we transact but also how we decide, collaborate, and allocate value. We’d love your thoughts, critiques, and ideas Let’s build this together. Team Voterax (by The Mirror Hub) Ongoing prototype voterax.xyz ---
**Author:** ![DrDammy32](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@DrDammy32](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/DrDammy32)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2026, 1:58pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/voterax-extending-zcash-privacy-into-coordination-governance-rewards/55446/3 "2026-04-23T13:58:40Z")
Thanks for this and fully agree, separating influence from capital is long overdue, especially in governance systems. On the ZK side, we’re taking a **modular approach rather than locking into a single proving system too early** , but here’s how we’re currently thinking about it: **ZK Approach (Current Plan)** For private ballot verification, we plan to use **zk-SNARK-based systems** , aligned with the broader cryptographic direction pioneered by Zcash. Specifically: - **Proof Type:** zk-SNARKs for succinct verification - **Use Cases:** Proof of eligibility (based on CP/RP thresholds) - Verifiable tallying without revealing individual votes - Private vote submission * * * ### **System Design** We are separating the flow into 3 layers: 1. **Eligibility Proofs** 2. **Private Voting** 3. **Result Verification** * * * ### **Tooling Direction** We are currently evaluating: - **Circuits:** Circom for custom circuit design - **Proving systems:** Groth16 initially (due to efficiency), with flexibility to evolve - Potential exploration of PLONK-style systems depending on scalability and dev overhead * * * ### **Why This Approach** Given our current stage (prototype → MVP), the priority is: - Fast iteration - Low verification costs - Compatibility with existing ZK tooling Rather than over-engineering early, we’re designing the system to be **upgradeable at the proving layer** as usage scales. * * * ### **On Timeline** You’re right May to October is tight. We’ve structured milestones to: - Ship a **working MVP early** - Introduce **ZK components incrementally (not all at once)** - Validate with **real campaigns before full optimization** So the goal isn’t “perfect ZK from day one” it’s: **usable system → validated → progressively hardened** * * * Happy to go deeper here, especially if there are specific Zcash-native primitives or tooling you think we should be aligning with early. ---
**Author:** ![ZCG](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/zcg/32/33712_2.png) [@ZCG](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/ZCG)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2026, 1:50pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/voterax-extending-zcash-privacy-into-coordination-governance-rewards/55446/4 "2026-04-27T13:50:48Z")
Thank you for your submission. After consideration from ZCG[](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/groups/zcashgrants)and sufficient time for the community to provide feedback on the forum, the committee has decided to reject this proposal. The committee appreciates your grant submission efforts and encourages you to continue as an active member of the Zcash community going forward! ---
**Author:** ![CryptographyBloke](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/zcash/user_avatar/forum.zcashcommunity.com/cryptographybloke/32/47219_2.png) [@CryptographyBloke](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/u/CryptographyBloke)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2026, 8:21pm UTC](https://forum.zcashcommunity.com/t/voterax-extending-zcash-privacy-into-coordination-governance-rewards/55446/5 "2026-08-17T20:21:14Z")
Seeking feedback: winner-only tally hiding for weighted private governance The existing prototype is chain-agnostic/EVM-oriented. I do not want to claim Zcash relevance where there is none; I’m first trying to understand whether this research direction could have a useful Zcash governance/coordination application.