ZK Bootcamp for Cardano by Eryx

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

ZK Bootcamp for Cardano by Eryx

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

60000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

4

[Proposal Summary] Translation Information

Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated

No

Original Language

en

[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement

What is the problem you want to solve?

Most developers lack the skills to understand and implement zero-knowledge protocols effectively.

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://www.zkcity.xyz/
,
• https://eryx.coop
,
• https://github.com/eryxcoop/zk-adventures

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

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

No

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

No dependencies

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

Yes

License and Additional Information

The code of the course materials will be open source and available on GitHub under the Apache 2.0 license. The course recordings will be publicly available for rewatching.

[Theme Selection] Theme

Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal

Training

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Who you’re targeting, how you’ll reach them, and why this matters for Cardano.

We are targeting Cardano and Web3 developers with little to no knowledge on ZK cryptography. We will reach them by promoting our course via social media, our network of connections in the ecosystem, and our alma mater, the University of Buenos Aires. This is important for the future of Cardano, where privacy is paramount, and ZK is at the forefront of privacy technology.

Provide a list of key activities of your project?

• Lectures given by teachers and industry experts
• Code exercises and challenges designed to practice the contents of the lectures
• Review and coding of Cardano-specific implementations
• Recording of video and sound for later publishing of thhe lectures

What are your success metrics?

• The course lectures were successfully given
• Amount of people that attended the course
• Positive feedback received from attendants
• Quality of the sound and image in the uploaded videos of the lectures

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

We will deliver a three-day, developer-focused course on zero-knowledge protocols and their application to Cardano, taught by industry experts from Eryx. Our course seeks to bridge the current knowledge gap in the Cardano development community by equipping non-ZK developers with both foundational concepts and practical skills in zero-knowledge cryptography. All sessions will be recorded and made publicly available on major video platforms to maximize community access. The course will cover the theoretical foundations of ZK protocols as well as practical implementation techniques, ensuring a gradual exploration of the subject:

• Day 1: Introduction to Cryptography
  • Provide a solid foundation in cryptography and its essential primitives, preparing participants to understand and apply advanced techniques in the following days.
  • Math review: groups, finite fields, polynomials and elliptic curves.
• Day 2: Concepts and Tools for Zero-Knowledge
  • Go over zero-knowledge tools and mechanisms.
  • Hash, Merkle tree, commitments, vector commitment schemes, Schwartz–Zippel lemma, and examples of zero-knowledge proofs.
• Day 3: Cardano Implementations and Coding
  • Complete the exploration of zero-knowledge systems with code examples, and integrate the cryptography concepts with Cardano.
  • Overview of existing commitment schemes: FRI, KZG, etc. Coding in Circom, coding a zero-knowledge proof example, and verifying proofs in Cardano using Aiken.

The course will be conducted by industry experts at Eryx and recorded for wider distribution on public video platforms such as YouTube. In addition, comprehensive course materials (slides, code samples, and supplementary reading) will be provided to the attendees.

Our aim is to democratize access to zero-knowledge cryptography, making it more accessible to developers in the Cardano community. With this course Eryx will contribute to expanding the pool of skilled developers capable of understanding and utilizing ZK protocols in real-world blockchain applications. This effort will not only enhance technical understanding but also foster innovation within the broader ecosystem.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

Zero-knowledge protocols are a key in the context of privacy-preserving technologies. By giving more developers the knowledge to understand and implement these protocols, we can help close the skill gap that limits the development of privacy-focused and scalable solutions in the Cardano ecosystem. Students will better understand how a ZK protocol works, its pros and cons, its use cases, and its constraints. This will empower them in the creation of decentralized applications that prioritize user privacy and data security, reinforcing Cardano's reputation as a secure blockchain. As developers become more familiar with ZK protocols, they will be better positioned to integrate these technologies into their projects, stimulating the development of the ecosystem.

The course recordings and materials will be publicly available, creating a long-lasting resource for the wider Cardano community. This not only benefits those who participate in the course but also future developers seeking to learn about zero-knowledge protocols. The collaborative nature of the course will also encourage networking and collaboration among Cardano developers, contributing to a stronger and more unified community.

In summary, our project will equip the Cardano community with essential knowledge about ZK, catalyzing security-focused innovation and broadening the use cases of the Cardano blockchain, while fostering ongoing education and collaboration.

[Your Project and Solution] Capabilities & 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?

Eryx has already successfully delivered a similar course on zero-knowledge cryptography in the past, which was well-received by more than 80 participants. For information and references see https://www.zkcity.xyz.

Our team is composed of math PhDs and computer scientists, both current and former lecturers at the best universities of Argentina. They have extensive experience in cryptography and blockchain technology.

Given our prior experience, we are confident in the feasibility of this project. The core structure of the course has been proven effective, and the improvements we plan to implement, such as updated materials, deeper dives into specific Cardano-related ZK applications, and enhanced interactive coding sessions, are designed to elevate the learning experience. The feasibility is clear, as we are building on a tested framework while incorporating feedback from past participants to refine the course.

Some of the feedback we received from past participants:

"They managed to bring difficult content closer to an inexperienced audience. They did it in an organized and comprehensive way, as in addition to presenting the knowledge in a didactic manner, they complemented it with talks featuring people from the industry and created opportunities for networking. I am grateful to them and congratulate them. You can tell they enjoy what they do. Thank you for everything." - Software engineer.

"Congratulations to the whole team. The classes were very useful for understanding the topic. It’s clear that you are very passionate about it." - Mathematician.

"The people at Eryx were great. It was a pleasure having them as instructors." - Computer science student.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Course Preparation

Milestone Outputs

Preparation for the course:

• Course materials: slides, exercises, and recommended readings
• Curriculum design
• Venue confirmation (for the on-site portion of the course)
• Video production services confirmed

Acceptance Criteria

Materials available and venue confirmed:

• Course materials publicly available on Github
• Curriculum publicly available on Github
• Venue confirmation made public on X
• Video production team confirmed

Evidence of Completion

• Course materials links in public GitHub repository
• Curriculum link in public GitHub repository
• Announce the Venue on X.
• Video production team confirmation vía email.

Delivery Month

2

Cost

27200

Progress

40 %

Milestone Title

Course Promotion & Delivery

Milestone Outputs

Course promotion, delivery and recording of all lectures:

• Static webpage promoting the course to the wider Cardano community
• Social media posts promoting on X.
• Course delivered
• Sessions recorded

Acceptance Criteria

• Registration Luma event showing that people could (and did) sign up for the course
• Social media promoting the event were made
• Social media posts on X Eryx official account celebrating the event and showing what happened were made

Evidence of Completion

• Link to Luma event
• Static webpage
• Social media promoting the event
• Social media posts celebrating the event and showing what happened

Delivery Month

3

Cost

26800

Progress

40 %

Milestone Title

Post-Course Activities

Milestone Outputs

Publishing of materials, collecting feedback and closing the project:

• Publish recorded course videos on public platforms
• Distribute course materials (slides, exercises and code samples)
• Feedback collection
• Close-out report
• Close-out video

Acceptance Criteria

• Course videos published on public platforms
• Course materials published on public GitHub repository
• Collected feedback of at least a few students
• Close-out report complies with Catalyst requirements
• Close-out video complies with Catalyst requirements

Evidence of Completion

Materials and feedback are available:

• Course videos
• Course materials
• Collected feedback
• Close-out report
• Close-out video

Delivery Month

4

Cost

6000

Progress

20 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

• Lecture and workshop preparation and teaching - ₳24,000
• Course Promotion, Marketing, filming, editing, recording - ₳10,000
• Logistics (venue, food, merch, etc) - ₳15,000
• Project Management - ₳6,000
• Contingency ₳5,000

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?

The budget is designed to provide maximum value to the Cardano ecosystem while remaining proportional to typical costs in the region. All expenses have been carefully calculated to ensure high-quality education and participant experience, while keeping costs efficient and impactful.

Preparation and Instructor Fees: The compensation for expert instructors reflects standard rates in the blockchain and cryptography industry. These are highly skilled professionals delivering a three-day-long intensive course, which requires extensive preparation and hands-on support.

If we estimate preparation hours based on the standard “1 hour of preparation for 1 hour of lecture” the full course will require at least 40 hours in total. With four professors assigned to the course, this results in a cost of ₳225 per hour, which, at the exchange rate of approximately 0.5 USD, equates to USD 112.5 per hour.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

Terms and Conditions:

Yes