### 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)
@SergioBenaR
### Organization Name
BlockivIA
### How did you learn about Zcash Community Grants
Zcash Community Forum and ecosystem research.
### Requested Grant Amount (USD)
$1,500
### Category
Education
### Project Lead
```project-lead.yaml
Name: Sergio Benavides
Role: Founder and Project Lead of BlockivIA
Portfolio: https://v0-sergio-benavides-portfolio.vercel.app/
Background: Petroleum Engineer, UMSA. Winner of the first Ethereum Bolivia Hackathon (2023); finalist in the Colledge Web3 Startup Incubation Program (Chile-Mexico, 2023); Project Manager of Bolivia's first National AI-Powered Cinematic Teaser Competition (2024); LATAM Ambassador for SingularityNET (2024–2025); Project Manager of the Cardano Bolivia Summit 2025; and founder of BlockivIA (2026).
BlockivIA has established collaboration agreements with the International Trade Research Laboratory at UAGRM and with Scientific Societies at UMSA in Education Sciences, Business Administration, and Electronic Engineering.
Responsibilities: Project coordination, educational program design, institutional partnerships, workshop delivery, Zcash onboarding activities, participant follow-up, documentation, metrics, and final reporting.
```
### Additional Team Members
```team-members.yaml
- Name: N/A
Role:
Background:
Responsibilities:
- Name: N/A
Role:
Background:
Responsibilities:
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Role:
Background:
Responsibilities:
- Name: N/A
Role:
Background:
Responsibilities:
- Name: N/A
Role:
Background:
Responsibilities:
- Name: N/A
Role:
Background:
Responsibilities:
```
### Project Summary
**BlockivIA will deliver three Zcash education and adoption workshops across two Bolivian universities—two in-person at UMSA in La Paz and one virtual with UAGRM in Santa Cruz—targeting at least 100 participants.** The project is supported by existing collaboration agreements with university scientific societies. The program will focus on financial privacy, Zcash privacy technology, wallet onboarding, and practical use of ZEC through real transactions, payments, and participant activities.
### Project Description
**BlockivIA will implement a five-week Zcash education and adoption program across two Bolivian universities: UMSA in La Paz and UAGRM in Santa Cruz.**
The project will deliver:
- **3 workshops:** 2 in-person workshops at UMSA and 1 virtual workshop with UAGRM.
- **At least 100 participants** across the program.
- Education on **financial privacy, Zcash, and privacy-preserving technology.**
- **Hands-on use of real ZEC,** including wallet onboarding, transactions, payments, and other practical activities.
- **Collaboration with university scientific societies** to support outreach, organization, and student participation.
BlockivIA already has experience organizing university educational activities and has established communities connected to UMSA and UAGRM, providing an existing foundation for participant outreach and program execution.
The project will combine education with direct Zcash usage so participants not only learn about financial privacy, but also **experience how Zcash works in practice.**
The program will run for a maximum of five weeks, beginning once grant funding is approved and available. The proposed milestone completion dates are November 20 and November 27, 2026. If funding approval delays implementation, these dates will be adjusted accordingly before activities begin.
### Proposed Problem
Bolivian university students represent a **large and strategically important audience for Zcash adoption**, but there is currently no structured program connecting education about **financial privacy with hands-on use of Zcash** across major university communities.
BlockivIA’s previous educational activities at **UMSA and UAGRM** have already created university relationships, student communities, and initial engagement with Zcash. However, these efforts have not yet been developed into a coordinated program that combines:
- **Education about financial privacy**
- **Zcash wallet onboarding**
- **Real ZEC transactions**
- **Practical payment experiences**
- **Follow-up engagement with participants**
Without a structured initiative, students may learn about cryptocurrency or privacy only at a theoretical level without experiencing how Zcash can be used in practice.
This project addresses that gap by bringing **practical Zcash education directly into university communities in La Paz and Santa Cruz,** supported by collaboration with university scientific societies.
### Proposed Solution
BlockivIA will implement a **five-week Zcash education and adoption program across UMSA in La Paz and UAGRM in Santa Cruz**, combining education with direct, practical use of Zcash.
The program will deliver:
- **3 workshops:** 2 in-person at UMSA and 1 virtual with UAGRM.
- **At least 100 participants** across the program.
- Education focused on **financial privacy, Zcash, and privacy-preserving technology.**
- **Wallet onboarding** for participants.
- **Hands-on activities using real ZEC**, including transactions, payments, and other practical experiences.
- **Collaboration with university scientific societies** for outreach, organization, and student participation.
- Documentation of participation, activities, feedback, photographs, interviews, and results.
The objective is to move participants beyond theoretical knowledge by allowing them to use Zcash directly, understand its privacy features, and experience practical applications of ZEC within a university environment.
Participants demonstrating strong participation, performance, and commitment may subsequently be invited to join the BlockivIA Ambassadors program, creating a path for continued engagement after the workshops.
### Solution Format
Deliverables over a **maximum of five weeks:**
- **2 in-person workshops for UMSA students in La Paz.**
- **1 virtual workshop with UAGRM students in Santa Cruz.**
- **Practical Zcash activities using real ZEC during the workshops.**
- Participant registration, attendance tracking, and feedback collection.
- **Photographic and video documentation** of the in-person workshops, including participant interviews.
- **A final summary video** documenting the program and its results.
### Dependencies
- Coordination with university scientific societies for outreach, organization, and participant recruitment.
- Availability of suitable spaces in La Paz for the two in-person workshops and reliable connectivity for the virtual workshop with UAGRM participants.
- Participant access to compatible mobile devices and internet connectivity for wallet onboarding and practical Zcash activities.
- Availability of publicly accessible Zcash wallets, the Zcash network, and sufficient ZEC for planned transactions, payments, and incentives.
- If attendance exceeds projections, practical ZEC activities will remain within the fixed $400 allocation, with individual amounts adjusted as necessary without restricting access to the workshops.
- The project does not depend on new software development or modifications to existing Zcash software.
### Technical Approach
**This is an education and adoption program, not a software development project. The technical approach covers the tools and methodology used for practical Zcash onboarding:**
- **Wallet onboarding:** participants will install a compatible Zcash wallet on their own devices and receive guidance on wallet setup, backup, security, and safe usage.
- **Real ZEC transactions:** participants will receive small amounts of grant-funded ZEC and complete supervised exercises involving receiving and sending real transactions on the Zcash network.
- **Privacy education:** practical activities will connect wallet usage with concepts introduced during the workshops, including financial privacy, digital security, and Zcash privacy technology.
- **Workshop methodology:** sessions will combine instructor-led explanations, demonstrations, guided exercises, and participant questions, followed by practical completion and feedback.
- **Measurement:** BlockivIA will track attendance, completion of hands-on activities, and participant feedback. Public reporting will use aggregated results and will not disclose participants' personally identifiable information.
- **Replication:** educational materials and workshop methodology will be reusable by BlockivIA and by selected BlockivIA Ambassadors for future privacy and digital security activities.
- **Reporting:** project results, participation metrics, practical completion, feedback, lessons learned, and spending will be consolidated in the final public report.
### Upstream Merge Opportunities
N/A. This project does not involve forking or modifying existing Zcash software. It is an education and adoption initiative focused on university outreach, wallet onboarding, and practical Zcash usage.
### Open Source License
MIT
### Hardware/Software Costs (USD)
$0
### Hardware/Software Justification
No hardware or software purchases are required. The project will use participants’ existing devices, publicly available Zcash wallets, digital forms, and standard communication tools.
### Service Costs (USD)
$1,200
### Service Costs Justification
The $1,200 in service costs will support the direct execution and documentation of the three workshops:
- **$400 — Practical ZEC activities:** $125 for each of the two in-person UMSA workshops in La Paz and $150 for the virtual UAGRM workshop in Santa Cruz. These funds will provide participants with small amounts of real ZEC for supervised transactions, payments, and participation incentives. Individual allocations will be adjusted according to actual attendance without exceeding the fixed budget.
- **$200 — Logistics and coordination:** transportation, communications, coordination, and workshop preparation.
- **$150 — Materials, banner, and additional promotion:** physical materials and visibility needed for the in-person workshops and participant outreach.
- **$200 — Professional photography, video editing, and interviews:** documentation of the workshops, participant experiences, and project results.
- **$150 — Refreshments and beverages:** for participants attending the two in-person workshops.
- **$100 — Certificates:** production of participation certificates for workshop attendees.
These costs are directly tied to participant engagement, practical Zcash usage, workshop execution, and verifiable documentation of results.
### Compensation Costs (USD)
$300
### Compensation Costs Justification
This fixed project compensation covers:
- Program design and preparation
- Coordination with university scientific societies
- Workshop organization and delivery
- Participant onboarding and practical Zcash activities
- Coordination of logistics and external services
- Participant follow-up and feedback collection
- Documentation, measurement, grant administration, and final reporting
### Total Budget (USD)
$1,500
### Previous Funding
No
### Previous Funding Details
N/A
### Other Funding Sources
No
### Other Funding Sources Details
N/A
### Implementation Risks
- Participant attendance may vary: outreach will be coordinated with university scientific societies, and participation will be promoted through BlockivIA’s existing student networks.
- University schedules or venue availability may change: dates and locations for the in-person workshops will be coordinated in advance and adjusted if necessary.
- Connectivity issues may affect the virtual workshop or wallet onboarding: participants will be informed of technical requirements in advance, and activities will be adapted if connectivity is temporarily limited.
- Differences in participant devices or wallet compatibility: onboarding will rely on publicly available Zcash wallets compatible with participants’ devices.
- ZEC price volatility or higher-than-expected participation: the practical-activity budget is fixed at $400 in USD value, so individual amounts can be adjusted while keeping the activities within budget.
### Potential Side Effects
- Increased support requests after the workshops: participants may need additional help with wallets or Zcash usage. BlockivIA will provide follow-up guidance through its existing communication channels.
- Misinterpretation of incentives as investment promotion: all activities will be presented as educational and practical demonstrations of Zcash usage, not financial or investment advice.
- Privacy concerns related to documentation: photographs, interviews, and participant information will only be used with appropriate consent, and public reporting will avoid unnecessary personal data.
- Expectations of continued activities after the pilot: the project will be clearly presented as a five-week pilot, with any future expansion treated separately.
### Success Metrics
Project success will be measured through the following indicators:
- **3 workshops completed:** 2 in-person in La Paz and 1 virtual with UAGRM participants in Santa Cruz.
- **At least 100 participants** across the three workshops.
- **Wallet onboarding:** number of participants who successfully install and begin using a compatible Zcash wallet.
- **Practical Zcash usage:** number of participants who complete real activities with ZEC, including receiving, sending, or making payments.
- **Participant feedback:** responses collected after the workshops to evaluate understanding, usefulness, and interest in Zcash.
- **Documented execution:** attendance records, evidence of practical activities, photographs, interviews, and a final video summary.
- **Use of the $400 practical-activity allocation:** documented distribution and use of ZEC for transactions, payments, and participant incentives.
### Startup Funding (USD)
$750
### Startup Funding Justification
$750 in startup funding (50% of the total $1,500 grant) is requested to cover the upfront costs required to prepare and execute the initial phase of the five-week program, including the two in-person workshops in La Paz.
- $250 — Practical ZEC activities: $100 for each of the first two workshops, covering participant incentives and hands-on Zcash transactions.
- $150 — Materials, banner, and promotion: preparation of workshop materials, visual materials, and participant outreach.
- $100 — Logistics and coordination: transportation, communications, coordination, and preparation required for the in-person workshops.
- $100 — Refreshments and beverages: for participants attending the two in-person workshops.
- $150 — Professional documentation services: initial payment toward photography, video editing, and participant interviews.
This funding will allow BlockivIA to prepare and execute the two in-person workshops without depending on a milestone payment between closely scheduled activities.
### Milestone Details
```milestones.yaml
- Milestone: 1
Amount (USD): 375
Expected Completion Date: 2026-11-20
User Stories:
- "As a UMSA student, I want to learn about financial privacy and use Zcash in practice, so that I can understand how ZEC works beyond theory."
Deliverables:
- Two in-person workshops for UMSA students in La Paz completed, involving participants from different academic areas.
- Wallet onboarding and hands-on activities using real ZEC conducted.
- Attendance and participant feedback recorded.
- Evidence of workshop execution and practical Zcash activities collected.
Acceptance Criteria: Both in-person workshops are completed, with attendance records, participant feedback, and evidence of practical Zcash activities available for validation.
- Milestone: 2
Amount (USD): 375
Expected Completion Date: 2026-11-27
User Stories:
- "As a UAGRM student, I want to learn about financial privacy and use Zcash directly, so that I can understand its practical applications."
- "As a Zcash community member, I want documented results from the program, so that I can evaluate its reach and outcomes."
Deliverables:
- Virtual workshop with UAGRM participants in Santa Cruz completed.
- Wallet onboarding and hands-on activities using real ZEC conducted.
- At least 100 participants reached across the full three-workshop program.
- Attendance, participant feedback, practical Zcash activity, and overall program results consolidated.
- Final project documentation, including the video summary, completed.
Acceptance Criteria: All three workshops are completed, at least 100 participants are reached in total, practical Zcash activities are documented, and the final program results and supporting evidence are compiled.
```
### Supporting Documents
```files.yaml
- Supplementary Evidence: Workshops, Traction & On-Chain Metrics (2026): This document outlines the operational record, community traction, and impact metrics of educational initiatives executed during 2026 by BlockivIA.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JQleydRBWEXA_vdYjNf-4al3bnT2y6jTMx95TVTF2ko/edit?usp=sharing
```