{"signature": "0xb623a06801cf224202510e6d85dcac28c3594a75b0ea9277202d698f120d1d575bd75a3813eb2a57546654216e1c511a4263ce014e465f98833d6c0269a73c451b", "application": {"round": "0x0C0412DDB846096Ea1e37de717921EBF4fEF9A39", "answers": [{"type": "email", "answer": "john@astral.global", "hidden": true, "question": "Email Address", "questionId": 0}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "350,000", "hidden": false, "question": "Funding Sources and Total prior funding for project in USD", "questionId": 1}, {"type": "number", "answer": "2", "hidden": false, "question": "Team Size", "questionId": 2}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "@johnx25bd, @dannygattas", "hidden": false, "question": "Profiles or socials of other main team members publicly associated with project", "questionId": 3}, {"type": "short-answer", "answer": "@johnx25bd", "hidden": true, "question": "Telegram username", "questionId": 4}, {"type": "short-answer", "answer": "60", "hidden": false, "question": "How old is the project? (Months)", "questionId": 5}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "Problem Statement\nIntegrating precise and verifiable geospatial data within blockchain applications remains a significant challenge. Traditional geospatial services are often centralized, lacking transparency and complete user control, which limits their application in scientific and decentralized environments.\n\nSolution:\nAstral addresses these challenges by developing open-source tools and protocols enabling secure, verifiable, and decentralized sharing of geospatial data. Our solutions include:\n \nAstral Location Proof Protocol: Enables applications to securely verify location data's authenticity.\n\nAstral SDK: This gives developers the tools needed to integrate geospatial capabilities into their decentralized applications effortlessly.\n\nRoadmap and Timeline for Implementation:\n\nQ2 2025: Enhance the Astral SDK for broader developer adoption and integrate additional geospatial data verification protocols.\n\nQ3 2025: Launch the next version of the Location Proof Protocol, which will include improved scalability and privacy features using zero-knowledge proofs.\n\nQ4 2025: Deploy the updated protocols on mainnet and expand our partnerships with academic and research institutions to test and validate our tools in real-world scientific studies.\n\nQ1 2026: Focus on community-driven development and conduct several hackathons and workshops to increase community engagement and feedback.", "hidden": false, "question": "Describe your project in a few paragraphs (ideally including a problem statement, solution, roadmap, and timeline for implementation)", "questionId": 6}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "Astral’s project supports and aligns with the mission of DeSci. Our focus is on conducting the necessary research, establishing standards, and building the core tooling necessary to foster decentralized geospatial discipline. We believe our work will enable geospatial data collection via geotagged measurements and verifiable climate modeling. Presently, we work directly with researchers at the University of Maryland and various NGOs as a chair for a Decentralized Geospatial Web Working Group (DGWWG).\nOur commitment is to advance the geospatial disciplines and work with an array of builders, researchers, and developers who share our vision and mission.", "hidden": false, "question": "How does your project support the mission or goals of DeSci?", "questionId": 7}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "Grant funding will be allocated to our primary researcher and developer, allowing them to conduct research and open-source software development. Their focus is outlined in our roadmap. The impact of that work is to establish decentralized data science, collection, and applications and develop the necessary tooling to enable location-based applications.", "hidden": false, "question": "Describe how funds from the grants program will be used for your project.", "questionId": 8}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "No", "hidden": false, "question": "If you participated in past grant rounds (i.e. DeSci GR15/ Beta/GG 20DeSci round/GG21 DeSci round) using a different project payout wallet address, please share it here.", "questionId": 9}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "N/A", "hidden": false, "question": "If this project participated in past DeSci grant rounds, please share any new updates or milestones since the last round.", "questionId": 10}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "- \n- Astral is affiliated as a direct member and charter organization for the following communities.\n    - Kernel: Fellows\n    - Ethereum Attestation Service (EAS): Fellow\n    - Co-founder of Decentralized Geospatial Web Working Group (DGWWG) with academic researchers\n    - Climate Collective: Founding member\n\nWe have no inherent conflicts of interest, refrain from issuing a token, or take capital for equity, as we’re committed to building public goods that are immune from extractive capitalism. We are agnostic to building in a specific ecosystem, but we have built solely in the Ethereum ecosystem and corresponding EVM. ", "hidden": true, "question": "Is there any other information you would like to share about your project, previous work, other project affiliations, or potential conflicts of interest? (or anything not covered elsewhere in this application that you feel is relevant to share)", "questionId": 11}, {"type": "dropdown", "answer": "Yes", "hidden": false, "question": "Does 50% of your team reflect the diversity of the community your project serves with a particular emphasis on including women, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC), individuals with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community?", "questionId": 12}], "project": {"id": "0xf12e32cfadf6ae81f997cc9e3d9fe8e435589e3003408f536034e682aae3dd88", "title": "Astral", "logoImg": "bafkreicn6nb5zjrp5qkplaaukgxuydeegpfajcfux2b7yjuqncnndxb2uq", "metaPtr": {"pointer": "bafkreiatifolxn4zty7scua576i3vdij7id3lc6nloc5nll2suautm3vim", "protocol": "undefined"}, "website": "https://astral.global", "bannerImg": "bafkreiebfd3szsxpzbrdrdpzyzborodtlctf7imsdovv2lwpkyclohsu3y", "createdAt": 1743120651578, "userGithub": "johnx25bd", "credentials": {"twitter": {"type": ["VerifiableCredential"], "proof": {"type": "EthereumEip712Signature2021", "created": "2025-03-28T00:13:22.742Z", "@context": "https://w3id.org/security/suites/eip712sig-2021/v1", "proofValue": "0x92551ab3269246a42464af323330598b3b343ea01fa429749cb606941c02bcd449bcc603ec5bc41fd8fd0cb801467af90e56d3ff995d93af331feb859ca24f601b", "eip712Domain": {"types": {"Proof": [{"name": "@context", "type": "string"}, {"name": "created", "type": "string"}, {"name": "proofPurpose", "type": "string"}, {"name": "type", "type": "string"}, {"name": "verificationMethod", "type": "string"}], "@context": [{"name": "nullifiers", "type": "NullifiersContext"}, {"name": "provider", "type": "string"}], "Document": [{"name": "@context", "type": "string[]"}, {"name": "credentialSubject", "type": "CredentialSubject"}, {"name": "expirationDate", "type": "string"}, {"name": "issuanceDate", "type": "string"}, {"name": "issuer", "type": "string"}, {"name": "proof", "type": "Proof"}, {"name": "type", "type": "string[]"}], "EIP712Domain": [{"name": "name", "type": "string"}], "CredentialSubject": [{"name": "@context", "type": "@context"}, {"name": "nullifiers", "type": "string[]"}, {"name": "id", "type": "string"}, {"name": "provider", "type": "string"}], "NullifiersContext": [{"name": "@container", "type": "string"}, {"name": "@type", "type": "string"}]}, "domain": {"name": "VerifiableCredential"}, "primaryType": "Document"}, "proofPurpose": "assertionMethod", "verificationMethod": "did:ethr:0xd6f8d6ca86aa01e551a311d670a0d1bd8577e5fb#controller"}, "issuer": "did:ethr:0xd6f8d6ca86aa01e551a311d670a0d1bd8577e5fb", "@context": ["https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1", "https://w3id.org/vc/status-list/2021/v1"], "issuanceDate": "2025-03-28T00:13:22.741Z", "expirationDate": "2025-06-26T00:13:22.741Z", "credentialSubject": {"id": "did:pkh:eip155:1:0x6c9770edc75b4D1e1F49d7ce7a65541CA67602bD", "@context": {"provider": "https://schema.org/Text", "nullifiers": {"@type": "https://schema.org/Text", "@container": "@list"}}, "provider": "ClearTextTwitter#AstralProtocol", "nullifiers": ["v0.0.0:NXADyHIhjyCeVIB6q3j7G5/D9JrOrPsrGxbe8hjhc74="]}}}, "description": "What We Do\nAstral provides open-source tools + infrastructure empowering developers to build user-centric, verifiable location-based apps on the decentralized web.\n\nWe create the tools, standards and protocols necessary for a decentralized geospatial web, simplifying how Web3 developers integrate spatial and location data into their apps.\n\nOur approach combines immediate usability with ongoing academic-grade research into the next wave of decentralized geospatial technologies.\n\nCore Technologies\nAstral has three main areas of work:\n\nLocation Proof Protocol: A framework for creating credible, verifiable, digitally-signed proofs of location and time. Already deployed and available on Arbitrum, Celo, Base, and Ethereum Sepolia — a Typescript SDK is in development.\n\nVerifiable Geocomputation: Systems that implement geospatial algorithms in smart contracts or cryptographic protocols, ensuring computations were done correctly.\n\nP2P Geospatial Data Infrastructure: Peer-to-peer protocols for storing, managing, and efficiently accessing geospatial data (sensor readings, drone scans, satellite imagery) on decentralized storage systems like IPFS and Arweave.\n\nWhy It Matters\nOur tools, standards and research unlocks new kinds of trustworthy, verifiable location-aware decentralized apps, including:\n\nEnvironmental monitoring and climate action (digital MRV, sustainability-linked finance)\n\nTransparent mobility and transportation systems (congestion zones, smart parking)\n\nGovernance and compliance tools (local DAOs, digital jurisdictions, fraud detection)\n\nInteractive experiences (location-based gaming, metaverse applications, geotagged social posts)\n\nHumanitarian and human rights applications (secure reporting, accountability)\n\nProgress & Milestones\nRecently completed:\n\nPublished our first peer-reviewed paper with the University of Maryland Geographical Sciences Department\n\nBuilt and deployed the Astral API, a unified gateway to the decentralized geospatial web\n\nDeployed Location Proof Protocol on Arbitrum, Celo, Base, Ethereum Sepolia\n\nReleased Astral Logbook, consumer-facing location proof app\n\nIntegrated the Location Proof Protocol with TOUCHGRASS.CLUB, an accountability app to help people get outside\n\nIntegrated Location Proof Protocol with IPFS\n\nSponsored Funding the Commons x Earth Commons Hackathon — over ten builder submissions\n\nLaunched comprehensive developer resources (docs.astral.global)\n\nMerged with EASIER Data Initiative to form the Decentralized Geospatial Collaborative to aligned decentralized GIS research and co-maintain open source repos\n\nCo-chairing the Decentralized Geospatial Web Working Group\n\nNext:\n\nPublish the Astral SDK as an npm package, giving Typescript developers an easy way to create, publish, fetch and verify location proofs\n\nDesign and build a block scanner-style UI — including map visualizations — to explore location proofs\n\nSupport pilot ecosystem developers (could this be you? Reach out!)\n\nPresent our first peer-reviewed paper at GISRUK 2025 in Bristol, UK\n\nResearch the landscape of proof-of-location systems, share our findings\n\nDevelop the first Location Proof Recipe Extensions\n\nRefine the beta Location Proof Protocol into a technical specification to share with the geospatial community via the Open Geospatial Consortium\n\nSubmit for more extensive grant funding to support our open source ecosystem development\n\nR+D on a smart contract library for geometric and topological algorithms (Spatial.sol)\n\nResearch privacy-preserving location proofs, including zero knowledge- and TEE-based methods\n\nDeepening collaboration with UMD’s EASIER Data Initiative\n\nExpanding open community of builders, researchers, ecosystem contributors\n\nSelected Accomplishments\nEthereum Attestation Service Fellowship & Demo-Day Shortlist (2024)\n\nFilecoin Development Grant (decentralized satellite imagery) (2020)\n\nKERNEL Genesis Block Presenter (2020)\n\nEuropean Space Agency’s Living Planet Symposium Speaker (2022)\n\nArweave Prize Winner (Future of Blockchain 2020)\n\nPresenter, Open Geospatial Consortium (2022)\n\nCo-founded Decentralized Geospatial Web Working Group (2023)\n\nHow You Can Help\nWe invite builders, researchers, and open-source contributors passionate about decentralized spatial computing to collaborate. Your Gitcoin contributions directly fund ongoing R&D, open-source software, and community-building—accelerating decentralized geospatial innovation.", "lastUpdated": 0, "projectGithub": "AstralProtocol", "projectTwitter": "AstralProtocol"}, "recipient": "0xAd86Bb16d1b74FfAbb9Fc668B83251F831763247"}}