It is a great pleasure that we present a new proposal for 2024: Zcash Global <> Zcash Brazil
I’m happy to be able to join the team in this proposal, I had published that in the 1st quarter of 2024, I wouldn’t be with them, but here I am, so thank you so much to the Zcash community for all your support to make this happen.
Applicant name:
Michae2xl
Team member name:
vito, iogy, mine, ezec, james katz, samara.
Pitch: A one-liner elevator pitch version of your proposal
This proposal seeks funding to expand Zcash’s presence in 2024.
Total Request (USD):
$16800.00
Have you previously received a grant from Zcash Community Grants (formerly called ZOMG) or ZF?
Yes
Please provide details:
Zcash Brazil 2023 - Period: Jan 2023 to December
January: Zcash Brazil 2023 - Proposal - #23 by Michae2xl
February: Zcash Brazil 2023 - Proposal - #26 by Michae2xl
March: Zcash Brazil 2023 - Proposal - #27 by Michae2xl
April: Zcash Brazil 2023 - Proposal - #33 by Michae2xl
May: Zcash Brazil 2023 - Proposal - #38 by Michae2xl
June: Zcash Brazil 2023 - Proposal - #39 by Michae2xl
July: Zcash Brazil 2023 - Proposal - #40 by Michae2xl
August: Zcash Brazil 2023 - Proposal - #43 by Michae2xl
September: Zcash Brazil 2023 - Proposal - #44 by Michae2xl
October: Zcash Brazil 2023 - Proposal - #49 by Michae2xl
November: Zcash Brazil 2023 - Proposal - #56 by Michae2xl
December: Zcash Brazil 2023 - Proposal - #67 by Michae2xl
Are you seeking or have you received funding from other sources for this proposed project?
No
Applicant background:
@Michae2xl (Profile - Michae2xl - Zcash Community Forum): Current Zcash Brazil ambassador, Software Engineer, and Product Owner, known as Michae2xl on social media, has been 7+ years in the crypto space, worked for a DAO as a Community Manager in Brazil & Canada for almost 4 years, and built an NFT index, good expertise as a leader to building communities.
@vito: Victor is a Community/Community Manager he started his journey in 2019, being one of the main ones responsible for the creation and the growth of LBRY/Odysee in Brazil, the biggest video share platform with built-in blockchain in the world. He has also worked on projects for other companies like ShapeShift DAO, Giveth.io 1, Hive, LBRY Nomics, and many others. He joined the Zcash Brasil Team in May of 2022, being responsible for the Discord creation and working with Michael to grow the Zcash Ecosystem in Brazil and educate the community about Privacy and Freedom.
@Iogy: is a 30-year-old, tattooer, designer, and artist, who studied Advertising at college until the seventh period, his hobbies are technology, skateboarding, blockchain, and urban art. He is working to create a visual identity for Zcash Brazil, helping to develop the server banners and logo for social media. Actions focusing on engagement inside and outside discord such as creating POAPS for events and rewards, memes, emojis, giveaways, marketing actions, and event monitoring aimed at opportunities in general. Looking for good narratives and the best positioning methods to promote Zcash in Brazil, create a good image, and generate trust in the project.
@Minevg: Graduated in graphic design in 2006 at Lozuca Produção Interativa as art director, created graphic pieces for companies such as Exxon Mobile, BG, and Flamengo. Besides that Developed a project material reuse program, that consisted of using leftover paper, adhesives, PS boards, and binding wires to develop new products. and Abbott, where she worked in the package development department. To Zcash have already created discord Brasil and Global banners, image compositions, and informative artworks, for Instagram and Twitter, POAPs, translated to Portuguese Oficial Zcash English materials to post on social media, created gifts to NFT Rio, Blockchain Rio, Bit in Rio events. New logo to Zcash Brazil and Zec Hub.
@e-zec: a community moderator who worked in many communities and now he is helping the Zcash Brazil Community.
@Samaraanni: Graduated in business administration from Humber College (Canada) - will be working on public relations, a person who will lead international interviews with the Zcash (ECC, ZF, ZG) teams and community.
@james_katz is an active member of the Brazilian community and in the Zcash forums, with many contributions. He was funded by the minor grants program from the Zcash Foundation and is scheduled to be added as a ZCAP member.
Examples of such tools are a few Discord bots we developed. Some of them are:
• Dizzy wallet, ZecQuiz, Zecstatus, zec halving, ZecGPT.
The work done isn’t limited to Discord, many other projects were done:
• Zcash RPC documentation (https://zcash-rpc.vercel.app/)
• This is a website James made to help developers read the Zcashd RPC documentation more easily.
• Zcash halving countdown API (GitHub - james-katz/zcash-halving-countdown: Simple zcash halving countdown)
• This is an API that can help developers and websites keep an accurate track of Zcash blockchain height next halving block and estimated date.
• ZecFaucet (https://zecfaucet.com)
• This was intended as a test, but was a huge success, it’s trendy to introduce Zcash to new people, and its main purpose is to onboard new Zcash users.
James also developed a zingolib wrapper (GitHub - james-katz/zingolib-wrapper) that developers can use to integrate zingolib functionality in their code using node.js / javascript.
Description of Problem or Opportunity:
Cryptocurrency is important in Brazil for several reasons. Firstly, it provides an alternative financial system for individuals who may be excluded from traditional banking services, offering financial inclusion to a significant portion of the population. Additionally, Brazil has faced economic instability and high inflation in the past, leading people to seek more stable and decentralized assets like cryptocurrencies as a store of value. The country also grapples with a complex banking infrastructure, and cryptocurrencies offer a more accessible and efficient means of transferring funds domestically and internationally. Moreover, the decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies aligns with the desire for greater financial autonomy and privacy. As Brazil navigates economic challenges and seeks innovative solutions, the growing importance of cryptocurrencies reflects a shift towards more inclusive and resilient financial systems.
Zcash could offer several advantages for individuals and businesses in Brazil. One key benefit is enhanced privacy and anonymity features. In a country where concerns about financial privacy are significant, Zcash’s technology, which allows for shielded transactions, could appeal to users seeking a more confidential and secure financial experience.
Moreover, Zcash’s privacy features can contribute to a more fungible and censorship-resistant financial system. In a country with a history of economic volatility and currency devaluation, accessing a cryptocurrency that prioritizes privacy can be valuable for individuals looking to protect their wealth.
Additionally, Zcash could serve as a useful tool for businesses engaged in international trade or remittances. The cryptocurrency’s borderless nature and relatively faster transaction times compared to traditional banking systems could streamline cross-border transactions, providing an alternative to the often cumbersome and costly international transfer processes.
However, it’s crucial to note that regulatory considerations, education on the responsible use of privacy-focused cryptocurrencies, and addressing any potential misuse concerns would be essential for the successful integration of Zcash or any privacy-centric cryptocurrency into the Brazilian financial landscape.
Proposed Solution: Describe the solution at a high level.
Who is contributing to this: The Zcash Brazil Team comprises 7 members: @Michae2xl, @Iogy, @Minevg, @vito, @E-zec, @james_katz, @Samaraanni
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Brazilian Development Fund: This fund is focused on supporting the development of Zcash-related projects and technology at Brazil/global community levels. It can finance initiatives that advance Zcash’s technical capabilities, scalability, and overall infrastructure.
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Brazilian Design Fund: The Design Fund aims to enhance the visual and user experience aspects of Zcash, including wallet interfaces, branding, and educational materials. It focuses on creating a compelling and user-friendly Zcash experience.
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Brazilian Operations Fund: The Operations Fund is designed to cover the operational needs of Zcash Brazil. It can support various activities, events, and functions necessary for the smooth operation of Zcash initiatives in the country.
Brazilian Development Fund:
Having a Zcash Brazilian Development Fund is an excellent opportunity to support the growth and development of the Zcash ecosystem in Brazil and globally.
We are interested in utilizing it to support initiatives related to Zcash or blockchain technology, there are several ways you can consider leveraging the fund.
Zcash Development Documentation in Portuguese: Creation and maintenance of comprehensive documentation for Zcash development. This resource can serve as a valuable reference for developers looking to work with Zcash.
Community Outreach and Awareness: Allocate funds to raise awareness about Zcash and blockchain technology, educating the public and businesses about the benefits and potential use cases.
Past Work:
During the year 2023, Zcash Brazil, with a contribution from the developer James Katz, created many tools for education and engagement for the Zcash community in Brazil and worldwide.
James Katz is an active member of the Brazilian community and in the Zcash forums, with many contributions. He was funded by the minor grants program from the Zcash Foundation and is scheduled to be added as a ZCAP member.
Examples of such tools are a few Discord bots we developed. Some of them are:
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ZecQuiz
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The trivia bot for Discord. It contains a database of questions about Zcash, curated by the Zcash Brasil Team.
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ZecGPT
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ZecGPT is a bot that integrates OpenAI’s get-4 model for helping all users on Zcash discord servers.
The work done isn’t limited to Discord, many other projects were done:
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Zcash RPC documentation (https://zcash-rpc.vercel.app/)
-
This is a website James made to help developers read the Zcashd RPC documentation more easily.
-
Zcash halving countdown API (GitHub - james-katz/zcash-halving-countdown: Simple zcash halving countdown)
-
This is an API that can help developers and websites keep an accurate track of the Zcash blockchain height next halving block and estimated date.
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ZecFaucet (https://zecfaucet.com)
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This was intended as a test, but was a huge success, it’s very popular to introduce Zcash to new people, its main purpose is to onboard new Zcash users.
James also received funding from the Zcash Foundation Minor Grants program, mainly to develop a Discord custodial wallet, jokingly called Dizzy (as in DZ – Discord Zcash). This bot was the first discord bot that allowed shielded transactions as deposits and withdrawals. Users can tip each other, play games like Hangman, and earn fractions of ZEC. This is a huge incentive for user engagement and is a huge success. James also developed a zingolib wrapper (GitHub - james-katz/zingolib-wrapper) that developers can use to integrate zingolib functionality in their code using node.js / javascript.
Future Plans:
For 2024 we have plans for the development of new ideas, support, and maintenance of the great work we have done so far.
All service tools will be supported and maintained during 2024. Some services are costly and require great care to keep running.
Also, new ideas are on the horizon, few examples:
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LiveZEC (temporary name)
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A plugin for OBS and Streamyard that will allow streamers on different platforms to accept $ZEC donations. The donations will accompanied by a message using the memo field. This message will be displayed on the streamer keep screen, and optionally, the plugin will speak the message out loud. We believe this will give ZEC a huge boost in popularity since any streamer will be able to use this tool.
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Zcash Vending Machine at events
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James’ minor grant also funded the creation of a proof of concept Vending machine that accepts ZEC as payment. We want to showcase this machine at events during 2024, demonstrating and explaining block times, and shielded payments, and introducing users to Zcash.
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Electronic games
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A popular gadget showcased in presential events is electronic games like a roulette game. We plan to build all sorts of interactive gadgets.
We’re also planning to have an independent Developers Fund, to fund and incentivize community members, as such:
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Translation
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This could be helpful in translating Zcash documentation, translating wallets, and so on…
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Documentation
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Write documentation about the Zcash libraries and ecosystem, helping new developers find out about Zcash development. Fund
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We plan to have a fund of 5000 USD to be available as a bounty developers fund.
As expected, developing, hosting, and maintaining these projects aren’t cheap. The main costs are cloud computing hosting and API keys:
All discord bots - Costs for hosting the bots roughly add up to $80 ~ USD 100 / month. But we plan to upgrade from Lightsail to a more robust AWS instance.
Brazilian Design Fund
Having a Zcash Design Development Fund provides a unique opportunity to support and enhance the design aspects of Zcash with visual experiences that facilitate interaction, engagement, and communication between community members. It involves applying design principles to make the community experience more enjoyable, functional, and effective.
Zcash Marketing Campaigns on Social Media: Create design materials including banners, posters, and graphics for social media (Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Odisee, Discord, Pod Cast) and marketing campaigns that highlight the advantages of Zcash in terms of privacy and security. Edit audio-visual material created at events.
Continuation of the educational campaign with Zoe, an AI-generated avatar chosen by the community.
Support international projects such as ZecHub and AFV Club - (report attached)
Support at events and meet-ups: Onboard, and network with other privacy-related projects, focused on welcoming new members to the community and new partnerships.
Gift Material for Events: Design giveaways to promote Zcash at events. Research new gifts, which would be most efficient for the type of event and price quotes.
The objective of the gift is to bring back memories of the brand and the event, build loyalty, engage, and satisfy the recipient.
Zcash User Onboarding Tutorials: Create videos, and step-by-step graphical guides for beginners to learn about Zcash addresses, how to set up and use wallets, send transactions, and protect your privacy.
Presentation tutorials to ZecHub, ZF AV Club, and the entire ecosystem.
Educational Visual Materials: Create educational materials such as infographics, videos, and interactive tutorials to help educate the public in Brazil about the benefits of Zcash and how to use it safely.
Privacy Awareness Campaigns: Fund projects to create campaigns that raise awareness about the importance of privacy in financial transactions and how Zcash’s privacy features can benefit users in Brazil.
Cryptocurrency Design Workshops: Organize design workshops and training programs in Brazil to empower local designers and developers to create innovative solutions for the cryptocurrency space.
Community Involvement: Create simple design tasks for community engagement and involvement with the educational material produced, based on the knowledge passed in the workshops, making it possible to explore the individual talent of each member.
Collaborate with designers to create graphics and visual content for community engagement efforts such as community forums, newsletters, and social media groups.
Support the community manager in activities that require design pieces.
Support the developer with design material for the developed products.
Designer Bags: Create design scholarships or grants that allow aspiring designers in Brazil to focus on cryptocurrency-related design projects and research.
Redesign of Zcash Global on Discord: Create new room banners to modernize and add those arts to the other language that joined the server.
Brazilian Operations Fund:
Opportunity to promote and support the growth of Zcash within the country!
Community Support and Engagement: Establish and maintain a support network for Zcash users and enthusiasts in Brazil, providing assistance and information about Zcash.
Partnerships and Collaborations: Seeking more partnerships as usual.
Social Media and Content Creation: Developing a strong online presence through social media channels and content creation. Regularly update websites, blogs, and social media profiles with Zcash-related content.
Research and Reports: Commission or fund research studies and reports that explore the potential use cases and impact of Zcash in the Brazilian economy and society.
Advocacy and Outreach: Advocate for Zcash within local and national forums, conferences, and discussions about blockchain technology, privacy, and financial innovation in Brazil.
Merchant Adoption Programs: Establish incentive programs to encourage businesses in Brazil to accept Zcash as a form of payment, providing them with training and resources for integration.
Awareness Campaigns: Launch marketing and awareness campaigns to inform the public about the benefits of Zcash and cryptocurrency usage, focusing on financial privacy and security. Vito is also committed to continuing his work in translation and article writing about Zcash in Portuguese, alongside his video editing tasks.
@Vito in particular is tasked with managing Zcash ecosystem relationships for the Brazil team. His duties include arranging meetings and community calls with both Zcash ecosystem participants as well as other outside protocols & teams, both in Portuguese and English, and maintaining collaboration with entities like ZCG, ZF, ECC, and others. Additionally, Vito is responsible for maintaining our Discord server, which involves adding new bots, organizing communities, and fostering growth in Zcash Global.
Moreover, Vito’s key objectives include close collaboration with entities such as ZecHub, ZF A/V (led by Ryan Taylor), and the Zcash Foundation (decentralistdan). He will contribute by running social media, producing/editing videos and newsletters, and providing content and workshops in both Portuguese and English.
@Vito is also committed to continuing his work in translation and article writing about Zcash in Portuguese, alongside his video editing tasks.
Community Involvement: The team will lead in organizing monthly activities and events within the community to ensure the continuous development and growth of Zcash protocol knowledge.
Monthly Educational Activities: The team will create a structured calendar of educational events focusing on privacy and the Zcash protocol. We will allocate a budget for community incentives, including competitions such as meme contests, monthly quizzes, poker, and logic games, possibly involving cryptography with James’ assistance.
We will also prioritize the production of translations for Zcash documents and content to cater to the Brazilian community.
Moderation Services: The team will provide daily monitoring of the server to maintain a respectful and educational atmosphere for all community members, daily onboarding for new community members, ensuring that their understanding and development within the community are clear and continuous, actively participate in the coordination of community calls with other community members.
Solution Format: What is the exact form of the final deliverable you’re creating?
• Expansion of Zcash in Brazil. Community management and moderation.
• Creation and Presence at face-to-face and online events. Interviewing partners, including in English.
• Creation of content about Zcash and new art made by our design team, in which it is referenced.
• Active translations of Zcash articles.
• Creation and participation in podcasts about privacy and Zcash.
• Presence in the main social media, always aiming to increase the media.
• AMA creation and participation in AMAs.
• Delivering items to the community like TIPs in ZEC, POAPs, and giveaways in general.
• Creation of Events to teach new people about Zcash
• Zcash Tutorials
Technical Approach: Dive into the how of your project. Describe your approaches, components, workflows, methodology, etc. Bullet points and diagrams are appreciated!
• Participation in local events and online calls, interviews, meetings, etc.
• Shorts videos on Youtube, Odysee, etc.
• Translation of official docs, e.g: ECC, Zcash Foundation, ZCG, Zechub and etc.
• Community management and moderation on Discord, Twitter, Youtube, Odysee, Telegram, and other channels.
• Support for newcomers.
• Continue to expand our education programs.
• Continue to expand our community in more regions of Brazil.
Dependencies: What external entities is your project dependent on? What involvement is required from ZF, ECC, and/or other external organizations? Who would have to incorporate your work in order for it to be usable?
Our community is not dependent on external entities.
Execution risks: What obstacles do you expect? What is most likely to go wrong? Which unknown factors could jeopardize success? Who would have to incorporate your work in order for it to be usable?
There are no execution risks because @michae2xl is the current ambassador and the team is already delivering high-quality work.
Unintended Consequences: What are the negative ramifications if your project is successful? Consider usability, stability, privacy, integrity, availability, decentralization, interoperability, maintainability, technical debt, requisite education, etc.
N/A
Evaluation plan: What metrics for success will you share with the community once you’re done? In addition to quantitative metrics, what qualitative metrics will you commit to report?
Zcash Brazil is growing with a presence in local events, the internet, and social media, see below the numbers of our current platforms that started from scratch.
• All our growth and work will be shared with the Zcash community.
• All our art, code, and work will be open-source and free to use.
Social Media:
• Discord (Zcash Global) → Zcash Global
• Twitter (@zcashbrazil) → https://twitter.com/zcashbrazil
• Instagram (@zcashbrazil) photos and videos → Zcash Brasil (@zcashbrazil) • Instagram photos and videos
• Youtube → https://www.youtube.com/@zcashbrasil
• Substack (Zcash Brazil) → Zcash Brasil | Substack
• Substack (ZecHub) → ZecHub Brasil | Substack
• Odysee → Zcash Brasil
Hardware/Software total budget:
$0.00 USD
Please provide justification for the total hardware/software budget:
N/A
Services total budget (cloud, hosting, etc.):
$490.00 USD
Please provide justification for the total services budget:
Support current programs Support current programs and new initiatives.
• Canva: $8 - month
• Discord: $41 - month
• Adobe: $24 - month
• ArtFlow: $12.83 month
• Pixel ML: $22 month
• MetaVoice: 10$ month
• RunWay: $12 month
Compensation total budget:
$16800.00 USD
Please provide justification for the total compensation budget:
The estimated budget for Zcash Global <> Brazil Q1 2024
Do you require startup funding?
No
Milestone 1 - estimated completion date:
01/31/2024
Milestone 1 - USD value of payout upon completion of deliverables:
$5600.00
Deliverable 1.1
Zcash Team Report
Milestone 2 - estimated completion date:
02/29/2024
Milestone 2 - USD value of payout upon completion of deliverables:
$5600.00
Deliverable 2.1
Zcash Team Report
Milestone 3 - USD value of payout upon completion of deliverables:
$5600.00
Milestone 3 - estimated completion date:
03/31/2024
Deliverable 3.1
Zcash Team Report
Total proposed USD value of grant:
$16800.00
How was the project timeline determined?
The work will be done and delivered during Q1 of 2024 - 3 months.
All payments will be monthly after the report with all deliveries.
Application submission date:
12/17/2023
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