Last updated 2 months ago
There are very few Cardano developers with ZK expertise, which limits the ecosystem’s ability to build privacy-preserving and scalable applications.
Delivering and recording a Zero Knowledge Bootcamp taught by Eryx experts to train developers in foundational cryptography, ZK tools, and Cardano implementations.
Please provide your proposal title
Eryx ZK Bootcamp: Training a New Generation of Cardano Devs
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
59900
Please specify how many months you expect your project to last
4
Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated
No
Original Language
en
What is the problem you want to solve?
There are very few Cardano developers with ZK expertise, which limits the ecosystem’s ability to build privacy-preserving and scalable applications.
Supporting links
Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?
No
Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'
No dependencies
Will your project's outputs be fully open source?
Yes
Please provide details on the intellectual property (IP) status of your project outputs, including whether they will be released as open source or retained under another licence.
All course materials, including slides, code samples, exercises, and supporting documentation, will be released as fully open source under the Apache 2.0 license. The recorded lectures will also be publicly available for free rewatching, ensuring open access for the entire Cardano community.
Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal
Training
Who you’re targeting, how you’ll reach them, and why this matters for Cardano?
We are targeting Cardano developers, Computer Scientists and Mathematicians. We will reach them through social media announcements, our network within the Cardano ecosystem, previous zkCity participants (Eryx already organized two zkCity events, with hundreds of participants), and outreach to local universities such as the University of Buenos Aires, where, with the support of Charles Hoskinson, a new blockchain research laboratory has recently been created.
All members of Eryx are graduates (both undergraduate and postgraduate), lecturers, and researchers from the University of Buenos Aires, which strengthens our ability to deliver high-quality academic instruction.
This matters for Cardano because very few developers in the ecosystem currently understand ZK, and the lack of ZK-skilled talent limits the development of privacy-preserving and scalable applications. Expanding the pool of developers with ZK capabilities directly supports Cardano’s long-term technological growth.
Provide a list of key activities of your project:
What are your success metrics?
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
We will deliver a three-day, developer-focused Zero-Knowledge Bootcamp taught by Eryx experts, designed to close the existing skills gap in the Cardano ecosystem, where very few developers have experience with ZK cryptography. The program combines foundational theory, hands-on exercises, and Cardano-specific implementations to make ZK both accessible and practical.
The course is divided into three structured modules:
Day 1 – Introduction to Cryptography:
Foundations of modern cryptography, including groups, finite fields, polynomials, elliptic curves, and the core primitives required to understand ZK systems.
Day 2 – Concepts and Tools for Zero-Knowledge:
An in-depth overview of hashing, Merkle trees, commitments, vector commitment schemes, the Schwartz–Zippel lemma, and examples of zero-knowledge proofs.
Day 3 – Cardano Implementations and Coding:
Exploration of commitment schemes such as FRI and KZG, coding practical examples in Circom, generating a simple ZK proof, and verifying proofs in Cardano using Aiken.
All sessions will be recorded, and the full set of materials, including slides, exercises, and code samples, will be released as open source. The recordings will be freely accessible to the public, enabling long-term community benefit and continued learning.
This solution directly addresses the problem by offering structured, accessible, high-level ZK education that the Cardano ecosystem currently lacks. By equipping developers with practical ZK knowledge, we strengthen Cardano’s capacity to build privacy-preserving and scalable applications.
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
This project will significantly strengthen the Cardano ecosystem by expanding the very limited pool of developers who understand and can apply zero-knowledge cryptography. Today, ZK expertise is scarce in Cardano, and this gap limits the community’s ability to build privacy-preserving, scalable, and advanced applications. By training new developers in ZK fundamentals and Cardano-specific implementations, the Bootcamp directly increases the ecosystem’s technical capacity.
The impact will be both immediate and long-term. Attendees gain practical and applicable ZK knowledge, while the recorded sessions and open-source materials become permanent, publicly accessible resources for any developer in the ecosystem. This ensures ongoing educational value far beyond the event itself.
The Bootcamp also strengthens academic and technical collaboration. All members of Eryx are graduates, lecturers, or researchers from the University of Buenos Aires, where a new blockchain research laboratory has been launched with the support of Charles Hoskinson. This connection helps build a long-term pipeline of highly skilled developers into Cardano.
By making ZK education accessible, structured, and open, this project empowers more developers to build secure, privacy-focused solutions, enhances innovation, and reinforces Cardano’s position as a leading platform for advanced cryptography.
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 delivered a successful Zero-Knowledge educational program, zkCity, which was attended by more than 100 participants. This demonstrates both strong demand for ZK education and our proven ability to execute high-impact technical training. The event received excellent feedback for making complex concepts accessible and practical for developers.
Our team is composed of math PhDs, cryptographers, senior software engineers, and university lecturers with extensive experience teaching cryptography, computer science, and applied zero-knowledge proofs. All members of Eryx are graduates of undergraduate and postgraduate programs at the University of Buenos Aires, and many serve as lecturers or researchers at the same institution. This academic foundation ensures rigor, high-quality instruction, and accountability.
The creation of a blockchain research laboratory at the University of Buenos Aires, supported by Charles Hoskinson, reinforces our institutional ties and long-term commitment to advancing cryptographic research and education in Argentina.
Eryx also maintains a transparent public profile showcasing the depth and expertise of its members. Our team’s credentials and professional background can be verified openly through our LinkedIn organization page:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/eryxcoop/people/
Feasibility is validated by:
We are fully confident in our ability to deliver this project successfully, transparently, and with measurable long-term impact for the Cardano ecosystem.
Milestone Title
Course Preparation
Milestone Outputs
Preparation for the course:
Acceptance Criteria
Materials available and venue confirmed:
Evidence of Completion
Delivery Month
2
Cost
27200
Progress
40 %
Milestone Title
Course Promotion & Delivery
Milestone Outputs
Course promotion, delivery, and recording of all lectures:
Acceptance Criteria
Evidence of Completion
Delivery Month
3
Cost
26800
Progress
80 %
Milestone Title
Post-Course Activities
Milestone Outputs
Publishing of materials, collecting feedback, and closing the project:
Acceptance Criteria
Evidence of Completion
Materials and feedback are available:
Delivery Month
4
Cost
5900
Progress
100 %
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
Total Budget: ₳59,900
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
This project provides exceptional value to the Cardano ecosystem by producing long-term, open, high-quality educational infrastructure at an efficient cost. All course materials — including slides, exercises, code samples, and full lecture recordings — will be freely accessible to the entire community, creating lasting public goods far beyond the initial cohort of students.
Instructor compensation is modest relative to industry standards for cryptographers and university lecturers. Delivering a three-day intensive technical program requires significant preparation time; using the standard ratio of “one hour of preparation per hour of lecture,” the Bootcamp requires at least 40 preparation hours. With four instructors involved, this results in a cost of approximately ₳225 per hour, which — at an ADA price of $0.40 — equals $90 USD per hour. This is highly efficient for advanced cryptographic education delivered by experienced ZK practitioners.
Logistics, production, and recording expenses are minimized while still ensuring professional quality. The resulting video library and open-source repository will serve as permanent educational resources for Cardano developers worldwide.
By expanding the pool of ZK-capable developers — one of the ecosystem’s most critical talent gaps — and creating openly accessible learning assets, this project delivers strong, lasting value for the Cardano community while maintaining responsible, transparent, and proportionate costs.
I confirm that the proposal is a non-technical initiative, with ≤20% of the budget for tech support.
Yes
I confirm that the proposal provides verifiable evidence (portfolio, links, reports) of the team's ability to deliver the project.
Yes
I confirm that the proposer and all team members are in good standing with prior Catalyst projects.
Yes
I confirm that the proposal includes clear objectives with both Output Metrics (what proposal did) and Adoption-Focused Metrics (what effect proposal had).
Yes
I confirm that the proposal clearly explains the user journey and provides a credible plan for how the project will equip and motivate users for future on-chain activity.
Yes
I confirm that the initiative clearly demonstrates how it will grow the Cardano ecosystem or onboard users.
Yes
I confirm that the project plan and timeline (≤ 12 months) are realistic and well-defined.
Yes
I confirm that the proposal commits to public outputs and justifies any exceptions.
Yes
I confirm that the budget adheres to all policies: it is for future work, follows the merchandise rule, and excludes establishing local treasuries, incentives/giveaways, re-grants.
Yes
I Agree
Yes
Agustín Garassino
Role: ZK Cryptographer
Github: https://github.com/ajgara
Agustín is a computer scientist, professor at the University Torcuato Di Tella, and a senior applied ZK cryptographer at Eryx. He has extensive experience implementing zero-knowledge protocols across multiple ecosystems.
Carlo Giambiagi Ferrari
Role: ZK Cryptographer
Github: https://github.com/carlogf
Carlo holds a PhD in Mathematics and works as an applied ZK cryptographer at Eryx. He specializes in implementing and optimizing ZK protocols in a variety of programming languages.
Caro Lang
Role: Lecturer & ZK Developer
Github: https://github.com/carolang
Caro is a computer scientist, ZK cryptographer at Eryx, and lecturer at the University of Quilmes. He has many years of software development experience and completed the Cardano course by IOHK.
Additional Contributors
The broader Eryx team will be available to support and advise as needed, particularly in cryptography, software development, and educational content creation.