### 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)
@AlisaZakrevska
### Organization Name
Wizverse
### How did you learn about Zcash Community Grants
Website Zcash
### Requested Grant Amount (USD)
$30000
### Category
Integration
### Project Lead
```project-lead.yaml
Name: Margarita Khil
Role: Founder
Background: Margarita Khil is an experienced Web3 entrepreneur with a strong background in product management, marketing, and blockchain-based game development. She has over five years of experience working with Web3 products, where she transitioned from growth and marketing roles into full-cycle product leadership. Margarita has led multiple blockchain projects from concept to launch, coordinating cross-functional teams and aligning product vision with technical execution.
Responsibilities: As Founder of Wizverse, Margarita is responsible for defining the product vision and long-term strategy, overseeing game design and economic mechanics, coordinating development and operations, and ensuring alignment between gameplay, blockchain infrastructure, and community growth.
```
### Additional Team Members
```team-members.yaml
- Name: Denis Leschinsky
Role: Project Manager
Background: Game industry professional with over 10 years of experience and involvement in more than 200 game projects across multiple genres. He has deep knowledge of full-cycle game production, including design, development, asset creation, and quality assurance for live products.
Responsibilities: Oversees development timelines and milestones, coordinates cross-functional teams, manages production workflows, and ensures stable delivery and operational quality of the project.
- Name: Alisa Zakrevska
Role: BD manager
Background: Business development and Web3 marketing specialist with experience in partnership management, grant programs, and go-to-market strategy for blockchain games. She has worked on positioning live Web3 products across multiple ecosystems and managing external communications with partners and platforms.
Responsibilities: Leads partnerships and ecosystem relations, manages grant applications and strategic collaborations, supports go-to-market execution, and coordinates communication between the product, community, and external stakeholders.
```
### Project Summary
Wizverse is a live multiplayer Web3 battle game that integrates privacy-preserving blockchain mechanics to enable secure, transparent, and fair in-game economies for real-time competitive gameplay.
### Project Description
Wizverse is a skill-based multiplayer wizard battle game where players compete in real time using NFT characters, weapons, and battle platforms with on-chain reward distribution. The project combines fast-paced gameplay with blockchain infrastructure to give players true ownership of in-game assets and transparent prize mechanics.
Our goal is to expand Wizverse’s infrastructure with privacy-aware components, allowing sensitive gameplay and economic data to be handled securely while maintaining verifiability. By exploring integrations aligned with Zcash’s privacy principles, Wizverse aims to offer a more player-centric Web3 gaming experience without exposing unnecessary user or economic data.
### Proposed Problem
Most Web3 games expose sensitive player and economic data on public blockchains, which can undermine user privacy, enable data scraping, and discourage broader adoption. Wizverse addresses this challenge by designing an architecture that separates public verification from private game and economic data, aligning competitive gaming with stronger privacy guarantees while preserving transparency and fairness.
### Proposed Solution
Wizverse proposes a privacy-aware game infrastructure where sensitive gameplay and economic data is handled off-chain or through privacy-preserving mechanisms, while only essential verification data is exposed publicly. By aligning parts of the game economy and reward logic with privacy-focused blockchain principles, the project reduces unnecessary data exposure without compromising fairness, auditability, or player trust.
### Solution Format
The solution will be delivered as production-ready game infrastructure and open-source smart contract components, accompanied by technical documentation describing the privacy model and integration approach. The final deliverables include deployed contracts, backend integration, and public documentation suitable for other Web3 gaming teams exploring privacy-first designs.
### Dependencies
The project depends on existing Wizverse game infrastructure, smart contract tooling, and backend services. Additional dependencies include privacy-oriented blockchain tooling compatible with Zcash principles, engineering resources for smart contract and backend integration, and collaboration with ecosystem contributors for technical guidance and best practices.
### Technical Approach
We will integrate Zcash as an optional payment method in Wizverse for selected in-game actions (such as purchasing an entry pass). The implementation will include generating payment requests, monitoring the Zcash network for confirmed payments, and unlocking in-game access once payment is verified. Specific infrastructure choices will be finalized after technical validation and testing.
### Upstream Merge Opportunities
This project does not involve forking or modifying existing Zcash core software or upstream repositories. The planned work focuses on application-level integration of Zcash payments within Wizverse. As no changes to Zcash protocol, node, or wallet implementations are required, there are no upstream repositories to modify, no coordination with upstream maintainers needed, and no timelines associated with potential upstream merges.
### Hardware/Software Costs (USD)
$4,000
### Hardware/Software Justification
These costs cover cloud infrastructure, development environments, and basic tooling required to run backend services, test Zcash payment flows, and maintain staging and production environments during development and deployment.
### Service Costs (USD)
$6,000
### Service Costs Justification
Service costs include external infrastructure and services required to monitor and verify Zcash transactions, ensure backend availability, and support secure and reliable payment processing during development and early production use.
### Compensation Costs (USD)
$20,000
### Compensation Costs Justification
Compensation covers engineering and integration work by the core team, including backend development, Zcash payment flow integration, testing, deployment, and documentation. Costs are milestone-based and reflect part-time contributions over the project duration.
### Total Budget (USD)
$30,000
### Previous Funding
No
### Previous Funding Details
N/A
### Other Funding Sources
No
### Other Funding Sources Details
N/A
### Implementation Risks
The main implementation risk is the complexity of integrating a privacy-focused payment flow into a real-time multiplayer game without affecting user experience. Delays may also occur during testing if additional adjustments are required to ensure reliable transaction detection and confirmation. Another risk is limited internal familiarity with Zcash-specific tooling, which may extend integration timelines.
### Potential Side Effects
Introducing a new payment option could initially increase UX friction for some players unfamiliar with Zcash. There is also a risk of lower-than-expected adoption of the Zcash payment option if users prefer existing payment methods. These effects are mitigated by keeping Zcash optional and not changing core gameplay mechanics.
### Success Metrics
Success will be measured by a stable production deployment, reliable detection and confirmation of Zcash payments, and successful use of Zcash as a payment method within Wizverse. Additional indicators include the number of completed Zcash-based transactions, absence of payment-related incidents, and the ability to maintain normal gameplay performance after integration.
### Startup Funding (USD)
$0
### Startup Funding Justification
Startup funding is not required to begin this project. Wizverse is already operational, and the team has the infrastructure and resources needed to start development and deploy initial integrations on testnet without upfront grant funding.
The requested grant funding is fully allocated to milestone-based deliverables, covering engineering, integration, testing, and production deployment of Zcash-based payment functionality. This structure ensures that funding is directly tied to measurable outcomes and successful delivery.
### Milestone Details
```milestones.yaml
- Milestone: 1
Amount (USD): 10,000
Expected Completion Date: 2026-03-15
User Stories:
- "As a player, I want to use Zcash as a payment option, so that I can pay privately for in-game access."
- "As a developer, I want a clearly defined payment flow, so that integration does not affect gameplay stability."
Deliverables:
- Technical design of Zcash payment integration
- Defined backend flow for payment detection and validation
- Initial infrastructure setup for transaction monitoring
Acceptance Criteria:
- Payment flow is documented and reviewed
- Test environment successfully detects and validates Zcash payments
- Milestone: 2
Amount (USD): 12,000
Expected Completion Date: 2026-04-15
User Stories:
- "As a player, I want my payment to unlock game access automatically after confirmation."
- "As an operator, I want payments to be verified without manual intervention."
Deliverables:
- Backend implementation of Zcash payment verification
- Automatic unlocking of in-game access after confirmed payment
- End-to-end testing in a staging environment
Acceptance Criteria:
- Payments are detected and confirmed reliably
- In-game access is granted correctly after payment
- No negative impact on gameplay performance
- Milestone: 3
Amount (USD): 8,000
Expected Completion Date: 2026-05-15
User Stories:
- "As a player, I want a stable and easy-to-use payment experience in production."
- "As a team, we want clear documentation for maintenance and future improvements."
Deliverables:
- Production deployment of Zcash payment option
- Technical documentation and maintenance guidelines
- Post-deployment monitoring and fixes if required
Acceptance Criteria:
- Zcash payments are live in production
- Successful real-user transactions are completed
- Documentation is finalized and handed over to the team
```
### Supporting Documents
```files.yaml
- [Wizverse Project Overview PDF](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1yjWT3R3mIoNnEqQDaqOEmm4cS4GwGu6C/view?usp=sharing)
```