Below please find the latest ZCG meeting minutes and Public Dashboard link.
Attendance:
- Amber
- Brian
- GGuy
- Jason
- Michael
- Alex (ZF resource)
- Dan (ZF resource)
- Deidra M (notetaker)
Key Takeaways:
- Open Grant Proposals
- Zcash Community Wallet Developer - Further inquiries are necessary, so this grant will remain open.
- Zcash Shielded Asset Swaps and Transaction Acceptance - Further inquiries are necessary, so this grant will remain open.
- Generation Z - Further inquiries are necessary, so this grant will remain open.
- Myaza: Enhancing Financial Access in Africa - This grant was too early to vote on officially, but later that week voted to reject this grant.
- Brainstorm Session Follow-Ups
- MetaMask Snap - MetaMask approved and matched the ChainSafe grant for $150,000.
- Submittable - The contract for the grants platform, Submittable, is up for renewal. Alternatives are being considered.
- Steptoe Document Distribution - Completed and will be distributed shortly.
Open Grant Proposals
- Zcash Community Wallet Developer- Jason provided background for this grant. This grant is from Pacu to serve as the Zcash Community Wallet Developer for the 3rd and 4th quarter in 2024. The grant amount is for $15,000 per month, which is consistent with the rate that he’s received for previous grants.
- ZCG is currently reviewing this role. GGuy is reviewing Pacu’s Github repository, and Jason reached out to Kit to get some feedback on how he’s utilized Pacu in the past and how Pacu can help going forward.
- This grant will remain open.
- Zcash Shielded Asset Swaps and Transaction Acceptance - Jason summarized this grant. This proposal is from the QEDIT team and replaces the stablecoin grant, which was canceled on July 17. QEDIT proposes a new grant to advance Zcash Shielded Assets (ZSAs) by implementing core features outlined in ZIP 228, focusing on Asset Swaps and transaction acceptance. They plan to develop protocols for users to approve or reject incoming ZSA transactions, which gives the community better control and spam prevention.
- Jonathan, from QEDIT, was on the last Arborist call to summarize this grant; however, in Josh’s weekly update for ECC, he noted that he had spoken to Jonathan and that the ECC team was still reviewing the grant.
- Jason will bring this grant up at the Arborist call and see if ECC has any additional comments.
- Although ZCG aims to ensure a thorough review of all protocol-type grants, the committee does not want to set a precedent of delaying votes due to delays from reviews outside ZCG. The committee agreed that the goal of including different parties is to identify any potential risks, whether likely or unlikely. GGuy suggested that the committee can establish and communicate expectations and timelines to all parties so that everyone is aware of the review period.
- Michael said he was not in favor of more research on an unproven/unused feature.
- This grant will remain open.
- Generation Z - Jason gave background on this proposal. The “Generation Z” proposal requests $10,000 to fund a week-long educational bootcamp in Venezuela, targeting 30 youth, ages 13-17, to teach them about blockchain technology and Zcash. The bootcamp will include interactive sessions on content creation, cryptocurrencies, and entrepreneurship, with the goal of onboarding new Zcash users and Free2Z participants. The funding will cover venue rental, meals, merchandise, and staff compensation, with progress measured by new Zcash wallets and Free2Z accounts created.
- The committee shared initial thoughts on the grant. Michael liked its humanistic and creative aspects but doubted its effectiveness and would vote to reject it. Brian agreed, noting the current treasury’s limitations and suggesting ZCG avoid community outreach grants for now. GGuy found the cost per person high and asked if there were ways to reduce it. Amber concurred with Brian that ZCG isn’t ready for community outreach initiatives and also found the cost too high. Jason understands the committee’s perspective and noted that he respects Roosevelt’s contributions to the community and wants to support him. Jason agrees that an informed decision on costs is necessary before deciding, and he suggested waiting for Roosevelt’s response before voting. Jason also said he sees this grant as a conference sponsorship and would be open to ZCG contributing partial funding for the conference. For example, if Roosevelt can get additional funding from ZecHub or Free2Z, then he would be open to funding the balance.
- Amber will reach out to Roosevelt to inquire about previous bootcamp funding and contributions from past participants.
- The committee will keep this grant open to wait for Roosevelt’s response and consider alternative options.
- Myaza: Enhancing Financial Access in Africa - Jason gave background on this grant. Myaza is seeking $35,244 to develop a digital banking platform aimed at improving financial access in Africa. The platform will offer multi-currency wallets and virtual debit cards, which they say will address barriers caused by traditional banking inefficiencies. The project will include mobile and web applications, API integrations, and robust compliance measures, with a planned launch and development completion by early September 2024.
- GGuy felt the grant was generic with no specific details and would vote to reject it. Amber agreed, expressing a desire to support Africa with Zcash, but noted that the proposal lacked Zcash-specific goals.
- The committee unanimously agreed later in the week to reject this proposal as it is out of scope.
- On Friday, August 9, ZCG voted unanimously to reject this grant.
- GGuy felt the grant was generic with no specific details and would vote to reject it. Amber agreed, expressing a desire to support Africa with Zcash, but noted that the proposal lacked Zcash-specific goals.
Brainstorm Session Follow-Ups
- MetaMask Snap (Zcash Browser Wallet Library) - This grant was conditionally approved by the committee on July 22nd, dependent on Chainsafe applying for and receiving a grant from MetaMask to develop a Snap that supports shielded ZEC. On August 5th, MetaMask approved and matched the ChainSafe grant for $150,000.
- This proposal is now officially approved by ZCG.
- The reporting frequency for this grant, and other larger projects like this, will be monthly. The category for this grant will be “Integration”.
- Submittable - The contract for the current grant platform, Submittable, is up for renewal in December, giving the committee the opportunity to evaluate other platforms and approaches. ZCG is discussing options.
- Steptoe Document Distribution - ZCG will conduct a final review and then discuss during Friday’s brainstorm session and get back to Alex with a distribution plan.