General Grant: KEY Protocol

[lagomartin]

KEY Protocol - General Grant Application

• Project Name: KEY Protocol
• Team Name: KEY Protocol Team
• Payment Address: [USDC (Asset Hub) or DOT Address]
• Level: 2

Project Abstract

KEY Protocol is a confidential DePIN infrastructure for impact verification in disconnected rural environments. We turn offline-first mobile devices into secure edge nodes that capture, encrypt, and verify biometric data and field evidence using Fuzzy Extractors and TEEs, transforming intangible human activities into verifiable Real World Assets (RWAs) without compromising privacy.

Grant Level

• Level 1: Up to $10,000, 2 approvals
• Level 2: Up to $30,000, 3 approvals
• Level 3: Unlimited, 5 approvals

Application Checklist

• The application template has been copied and aptly renamed.
• I have read the application guidelines.
• Payment details have been provided.
• I understand that an agreed upon percentage of each milestone will be paid in vested DOT.
• I am aware that, in order to receive a grant, I have to successfully complete a KYC/KYB check.
• The software delivered for this grant will be released under an open-source license.
• The initial PR contains only one commit.
• The grant will only be announced once the first milestone has been accepted.
• I prefer the discussion of this application to take place in a private Element/Matrix channel.

1. Project Overview 📄

Overview

KEY Protocol is a DePIN infrastructure for confidential offline verification. We solve the "Privacy Paradox" in impact measurement: How to verify biometric and field data in disconnected areas without exposing sensitive user information on-chain.

We are applying to the Web3 Foundation to develop our core Privacy Engine (Rust/WASM). This module uses Fuzzy Extractors to convert noisy biometric data (face/voice) into stable cryptographic keys directly in the device's RAM, enabling a Zero-Trust flow compatible with Phala Network (TEEs) and the Polkadot ecosystem.

Project Details

We are building a bridge between physical reality in emerging markets (starting with Gran Chaco, Argentina) and the Polkadot ecosystem.

The Tech Stack:

• Client-Side: Rust compiled to WASM for offline biometric processing (Fuzzy Extractors).
• Compute: TEE integration (planning to use Phala Network) for confidential evidence validation.
• Settlement: ink! Smart Contracts (or EVM via peaq) for Identity and RWA minting.

Architecture:

1. Capture: Mobile device captures raw data (photo/audio).
2. Obfuscation: The Rust/WASM module generates a private key from the biometrics and encrypts the payload before it touches the disk.
3. Storage: Encrypted blobs sent to IPFS.
4. Verification: TEEs attest the validity of the data and sign the result on-chain.

Ecosystem Fit

KEY Protocol brings a high-impact Real World Asset (RWA) use case to Polkadot: Social Impact Verification. By building our privacy primitives in Rust, we allow any Substrate-based chain (like peaq, Phala, or Astar) to integrate "Offline Verification" into their pallets.

2. Team 👥

Team members

• Martín Lago (Project Lead & Strategy)
• Kevin Ruiz (CTO & Fullstack)
• Andrés Chanchi (Blockchain Architect)
• Mateo Rivera (Security Engineer)

Team's experience

• Martín Lago: Data Analyst for 60+ social impact projects in Gran Chaco.
• Kevin Ruiz: Experienced Fullstack dev for NGO platforms and e-commerce.
• Andrés Chanchi: Blockchain Architect at Colmena DAO, expert in DAO governance.
• Mateo Rivera: Infrastructure Security Engineer, specialized in distributed systems.

Team Code Repos

• https://github.com/key-protocol
• https://github.com/lagomartin

3. Development Status 📖

• Current State: We have a functional MVP for offline data capture (Android) and the theoretical architecture for Fuzzy Extractors.
• Documentation: We have drafted a Technical Whitepaper describing the offline-first consensus mechanism.

4. Development Roadmap 🔩

Milestone 1 — Privacy Engine (Rust/WASM Module)

• Estimated duration: 2 months
• FTE: 2
• Costs: $15,000 USD

Number	Deliverable	Specification
0a.	License	Apache 2.0 / GPLv3
0b.	Documentation	Inline documentation and a basic tutorial on how to integrate the WASM module.
0c.	Testing Guide	Core functions covered by unit tests to ensure cryptographic accuracy.
1.	Rust Crate	Rust library implementing the Fuzzy Extractor logic for WASM target.
2.	WASM Build	Compilation of the Rust crate into a .wasm file optimized for mobile.
3.	Demo App	A simple CLI/Web interface: Input Biometric -> Output Stable Key.

Milestone 2 — Phala Network / TEE Integration Design

• Estimated duration: 1 month
• FTE: 1
• Costs: $10,000 USD

Number	Deliverable	Specification
1.	Phat Contract	"Phat Contract" (Phala Network) blueprint to receive encrypted payloads.
2.	Integration Guide	Technical paper detailing the flow: Mobile -> IPFS -> Phala TEE -> Verification.

5. Future Plans

After completing this grant, we will deploy the full protocol on peaq mainnet, utilizing the developed Rust modules to secure the "Last Mile" verification for our pilot with 5 NGOs in Latin America.

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[semuelle]

Hi @lagomartin, thank you for the application and the effort you have put into it. However, the Web3 Foundation has decided to shut down the Grants Program. Therefore, we are not accepting any new applications.