zkFetch: Integrating zkTLS-Powered Oracle Solution for Cardano

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Rohit Goswami

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

6

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

No

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

zkFetch leverages zkTLS-infra for oracles, enabling secure fetching of any off-chain data from HTTP endpoints without exposing API keys. Enhances DApp security and expands data integration.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

Yes

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

Our project depends on the Reclaim Protocol, specifically its attestor network, to verify that data is received from the correct source. This dependency is essential because:

1. The Reclaim Protocol's attestor network is a core component of zkFetch's security model, ensuring the integrity and authenticity of fetched data
2. It provides the infrastructure for generating and verifying zero-knowledge proofs, which is crucial for zkFetch's privacy-preserving feature
3. The attestor network helps in maintaining the decentralized nature of the oracle system, enhancing its reliability and resistance to manipulation

The Reclaim Protocol's zkTLS infrastructure is integral to zkFetch's core functionality, providing a unique and irreplaceable foundation for secure data fetching. This established system offers unparalleled expertise in zero-knowledge proofs and decentralized attestation, making it essential for delivering a robust, tamper-resistant oracle solution on Cardano.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

Our zkFetch solution is open-source under AGPL License and the underlying zkTLS-infrastructure by Reclaim Protocol is also open-source.

[METADATA] Horizons

Oracles

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

zkFetch represents a unique approach to solving the critical challenge of secure and verified off-chain data integration in blockchain ecosystems.

We recognize that current oracle solutions often compromise between security, privacy, and flexibility. This trade-off exposes DApps to manipulation risks, limits the use of sensitive data sources, and restricts the types of off-chain data that can be reliably integrated.

zkFetch is a library that extends the functionality of a standard HTTP fetch operation by adding a ZKP component. It is built on top of the Reclaim Protocol, which provides the underlying infrastructure(Open-source) for generating and verifying zero-knowledge proofs. It can fetch data from any remote resources and generate a cryptographic proof of the fetch operation and its result, without revealing sensitive information like API keys or private headers.

Key Components -

Secure Data Retrieval:

• Initiates HTTPS requests to any specified endpoint
• Employs custom TLS implementation for secure communication
• Supports various HTTP methods and custom headers

Decentralized Proxy Witnessing:

• Routes requests through HTTP Proxies for additional security
• Mitigates man-in-the-middle attack risks

Zero-Knowledge Proof Generation:

• Utilizes Reclaim Protocol to create proofs of data integrity, source authenticity, and parameter correctness

On-chain Verification:

• Enables efficient verification of proofs directly on the Cardano blockchain

Our approach with zkFetch is driven by several key factors:

1. Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs): We chose to leverage ZKPs because they offer a unique combination of data integrity and privacy. This allows us to verify the authenticity of data without revealing sensitive information, addressing a critical gap in current oracle solutions.
2. HTTP Extension: By extending standard HTTP fetch operations, we ensure compatibility with existing web infrastructure while adding cryptographic guarantees. This approach allows for easy integration with a wide range of data sources without requiring significant changes to their existing systems.
3. Decentralized Proxy Witnessing: Routing requests through HTTP Proxies adds an extra layer of security and decentralization. This mitigates risks associated with centralized oracle systems and enhances resistance to manipulation attempts.
4. Flexibility in Data Sourcing: Our agnostic approach to data sources, supporting any HTTPS endpoint, maximizes the potential use cases for zkFetch. This flexibility is crucial for the diverse needs of the Cardano ecosystem.
5. Cross-Chain Compatibility: Designing zkFetch to work across various blockchains ensures that Cardano can easily interact with other ecosystems, promoting interoperability and expanding the potential for cross-chain applications.
6. Customizable Proof Parameters: This feature allows developers to tailor the security and compliance aspects of data fetching to their specific needs, enhancing the versatility of the solution.

Engagement:

1. Cardano DApp developers
2. Data providers and API services
3. Cardano Foundation
4. Cardano community

Impact Demonstration:

Quantitative Metrics:

• Number of DApps integrating zkFetch
• Transaction volumes using zkFetch-verified data
• Analyze the diversity of data types being fetched through zkFetch

Qualitative Assessments:

• Developer community calls to gauge satisfaction and identify new use cases
• Developers & Community feedbacks

Community Engagement:

• Participation in Community calls, AMA, Twitter Space and open-source contributions
• Feedback on Cardano forums

Ecosystem Growth:

• New projects attracted to Cardano due to zkFetch
• Increase in cross-chain applications

We'll share blogs, social media announcements, reports in Community forums/calls to ensure transparency and demonstrate zkFetch's impact on the ecosystem's security, growth, and capabilities.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

The integration of zkFetch into Cardano will significantly enhance the ecosystem's capabilities and security in handling off-chain data. This project will:

1. Improve DApp security by reducing oracle manipulation risks through zero-knowledge proofs.
2. Enable privacy-preserving data integration, opening new use cases for Cardano DApps.
3. Attract developers and projects to Cardano by offering advanced oracle technology.
4. Enable developers to build use cases like Prediction markets, RWA and many on Cardano.

We will measure impact by tracking:

• Number of DApps adopting zkFetch
• Volume of transactions using zkFetch-verified data
• The diversity of data types being fetched through zkFetch

To share our outputs, we will:

• Publish blogs, social media announcements
• Organize Community calls
• Maintain an open-source repository with examples

By providing a secure, privacy-focused oracle solution, zkFetch will contribute to Cardano's growth, innovation, and competitiveness in the blockchain space.

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Our team's expertise and Reclaim Protocol's proven track record uniquely position us to deliver zkFetch integration for Cardano with high trust and accountability:

Capabilities:

1. Unparalleled zkTLS Infrastructure: Reclaim is the only production-ready zkTLS infrastructure, capable of generating zk proofs and data attestations in under 4 seconds, even on low-compute devices.
2. Extensive Blockchain Experience: Our team has successfully deployed Reclaim on multiple chains including Arbitrum, Solana, Optimism, Base, BNB, and Polkadot, demonstrating cross-chain expertise.
3. Cardano-Specific Knowledge: Deep understanding of Cardano Blockchain and Plutus smart contract platform, essential for seamless integration.
4. Proven Scalability: Our devtool allows generation of data templates for any website within 30 minutes, ensuring zkFetch's adaptability to Cardano's diverse needs.
5. Wide-ranging Integrations: Reclaim powers major DID and attestation projects like PolygonID, EAS, BAS, and Gitcoin Passport, showcasing its versatility and reliability.
6. Web2 and Web3 Compatibility: Reclaim SDK seamlessly embeds in both Web2 and Web3 applications, broadening potential use cases for Cardano.

Feasibility Validation:

1. Existing Proof of Concept: We've already developed a Data DAO, testing zkFetch's capabilities with various data feed APIs.
2. Rapid Prototyping: We'll leverage our sub-4-second proof generation capability to quickly develop and iterate on Cardano-specific implementations.
3. Phased Testnet Deployment: Incremental deployments on Cardano testnets will allow for continuous validation and refinement.
4. Industry Partnerships: We're actively engaging with leading data providers to integrate them into our platform, ensuring robust real-world testing.
5. Community Engagement: Regular reviews with Cardano Foundation technical advisors and engagement with the Cardano developer community will provide crucial feedback.

Trust and Accountability:

1. Transparent Reporting: Regular updates on project milestones, including GitHub commits and technical blog posts.
2. Open Communication: Maintaining open channels with the Cardano community for continuous feedback and accountability.

we are also recipient of grant for Reclaim in F11

Our team's proven expertise in zkTLS infrastructure, cross-chain deployment experience, demonstrates our capability to successfully integrate zkFetch into Cardano. We're committed to a transparent, community-engaged development process that will deliver a secure, efficient, and transformative oracle solution for the Cardano ecosystem.

We built Questbook.app, an on-chain grants management tool and have been successfully running it for nearly 2 years managing grants for large L1/L2s including Polygon, Compound, Arbitrum, Ton etc. Questbook platform has disbursed more than $3 Mn to more than 250+ developers and engaged with more than 25000 developers.

Written more 100 tutorials for web2 developers to transition to web3 (http://openquest.xyz/). More than 20000

Built DAuth a decentralized OAuth alternative (https://github.com/madhavanmalolan/dauth)

Authored EIP 1361 (https://github.com/ethereum/EIPs/issues/1361)

Retroactive funding in education mechanism design research (https://ethresear.ch/t/retrofunding-dao-for-education/10821)

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Research & Development Phase

• Adapt zkFetch for Cardano’s architecture
• Develop and deploy specific smart contracts to handle data feed responses from various providers, ensuring they can publish proofs on-chain
• Effectively deploy Semaphore Contracts
• Optimize zkProof generation and verification
• Integrate with multiple data providers to demonstrate the capabilities of zkFetch.
• Estimated cost: $30,000
• Timeline: 6-8 Weeks

2.1 Testing & Documentation

• Comprehensive unit testing of core functions to ensure functionality and robustness
• Create detailed developer documentation and test guides
• Estimated cost: $10,000
• Timeline: 4-5 Weeks

2.2  Community Engagement and Marketing

• Publish a blog post and host a community call to detail zkFetch Oracle solution and its benefits to the Cardano ecosystem
• Initiate co-marketing efforts with Cardano to help onboard projects & Developers to integrate zkFetch in their applications.
• Estimated cost: $2,000
• Timeline: 2-4 Weeks

Integrate Diverse Data feeds

• Add APIs for data feeds like crypto prices, sport data, and others.
• Target to integrate at least 5-6 high-quality data providers initially.
• Estimated cost: $10,000
• Timeline: 6-7 Weeks

Mainnet Deployment and Support

• Conduct final testing and deploy to Cardano mainnet
• Integrate with 2 DApps from the Cardano ecosystem, focusing on use cases like Prediction Markets, RWA tokenization, and others
• Provide continuous development support post-integration, led by Integration Support Developer from Reclaim
• Estimated cost: $10,000
• Timeline: 5-6 Weeks

After successful integration and completion of all milestones, we will implement the following monthly budget to ensure the sustainability of the zkFetch oracle service:

• To keep the oracle service running after covering all the milestones, we will require funding of $10,000 per month for next 4 quarters, allowing for initial growth and development. This will give us the runway to fully develop, integrate, and refine zkFetch within the Cardano ecosystem. This fund will help us cover various data feed APIs subscriptions, zkFetch development, research and maintenance. We will be sharing monthly reports detailing how this budget is being used and the ongoing developments of zkFetch.

We request co-marketing support from Cardano to:

• Promote the zkFetch oracle solution to Cardano Ecosystem and developers
• Highlight the unique value proposition of cryptographically verified data feeds in joint marketing materials
• Facilitate introductions to key projects and data providers in the Cardano ecosystem

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

zkFetch leverages the zkTLS infrastructure developed by Reclaim Protocol, a project led by the team at CreatorOS Inc. We are a 35+ member engineering and web3 product development & research team including ZKP researchers and with previous affiliations to Stanford, Microsoft, Meta and Google . We have also built - Questbook.app, an industry leading on-chain grants management tool that is used by some of the major L1/L2s including Polygon, Solana, Compound, Arbitrum, Ton, among others. CreatorOS is a YC W21 company.

• Madhavan Malolan : CEO
• Building in crypto since 2016.
• Among first 5 contributors to Plasma (ethereum scaling solution) specifications.
• Open source contributor.
• ex-Microsoft, Computer Science IIIT-H.
• LinkedIn. Github
• Abhilash Inumella : Co-founder, Leads Product
• Building in Crypto since 2019.
• ex-CEO of Samosa Labs (10M users, funded by Sequoia, Xiaomi).
• Ex-Google, Ex-Facebook, Computer Science IIIT-H.
• LinkedIn.
• Max Allman, Mechanism Design Researcher
• PhD from Stanford in Mechanism Design and Game Theory
• Co- author of the Reclaim Whitepaper
• Kirill Kutsenok, Cryptography & Security Researcher
• Adhiraj Singh: Lead Developer
• Aleksai Ermishkin: Lead Blockchain Developer

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Total funding requested: $62,000 or ~163,000 ADA (assuming 1 ADA = $0.38) + $10,000 per month (recurring cost)

Breakdown:

• Development: $30,000
• Testing and Documentation: $10,000
• Marketing & Community Engagement: $2000
• Integrate Diverse Data feeds: $10000
• Mainnet Deployment and Support: $10,000
• Monthly budget after covering all the milestones: $10,000 per month

To accomplish the milestones outlined above, the entire project will require 1 Project Manager, 3 Developers, 1 BD manager, 1 Dev Relations Lead, and 1 Integration Support Developer.

[VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

The budget for integrating zkFetch into Cardano offers strong value, considering its potential to significantly enhance the ecosystem:

1. Cost Justification: Developer rates are aligned with industry standards, and leveraging Reclaim Protocol's existing zkTLS infrastructure reduces development time and cost.
2. Diverse data sources and enhanced security: zkFetch can retrieve data from any HTTP endpoint, providing access to a wider range of data sources and secure data fetching, offering long-term value that extends far beyond the initial investment.
3. Ecosystem Growth: This integration will unlock new use cases like Prediction markets and RWAs, attracting more projects and capital to the Cardano ecosystem.
4. Community Engagement: The investment in dev relations and documentation ensures community access and growth, while open-source contributions will sustain long-term innovation.
5. Interoperability: zkFetch's cross-chain compatibility boosts Cardano's potential for future expansion and market share.

Once Reclaim is integrated into Cardano, it will unlock a range of disruptive use cases and significantly boost the adoption of Cardano applications. Our milestones are strategically designed to support and accelerate this growth in user adoption.