Astral
{"title": "Astral", "logoImg": "bafkreihnnduag3oujgbeudbijchg2hlqxbe7riuudf5z44cemlwcekuczy", "website": "https://astral.global", "bannerImg": "bafybeie3fbdw7t5pbpkph4ymxrp2xmplgg3oqjolvjc7k7wvcydng25sky", "createdAt": 1673545266638, "userGithub": "johnx25bd", "credentials": {"github": {"type": ["VerifiableCredential"], "proof": {"jws": "eyJhbGciOiJFZERTQSIsImNyaXQiOlsiYjY0Il0sImI2NCI6ZmFsc2V9..aRwbO80YDUXLbWdfgRN_0as2FgFJj-S5ozyx_Xv53KhgKadhEZvMCpokHMcjeLzeIIl6rC1GJ-S27t7ZFGy7Ag", "type": "Ed25519Signature2018", "created": "2024-04-15T16:53:39.342Z", "proofPurpose": "assertionMethod", "verificationMethod": "did:key:z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC#z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC"}, "issuer": "did:key:z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC", "@context": ["https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1"], "issuanceDate": "2024-04-15T16:53:39.342Z", "expirationDate": "2024-07-14T16:53:39.342Z", "credentialSubject": {"id": "did:pkh:eip155:1:0x25bdFF8dB8d80971935A7f38A0CF31DeC62f7696", "hash": "v0.0.0:zbmxAHABx3lEWi5bDsCGXltgs90dd3ENxVLlzdQHNkM=", "@context": [{"hash": "https://schema.org/Text", "provider": "https://schema.org/Text"}], "provider": "ClearTextGithubOrg#AstralProtocol#41551283"}}, "twitter": {"type": ["VerifiableCredential"], "proof": {"jws": "eyJhbGciOiJFZERTQSIsImNyaXQiOlsiYjY0Il0sImI2NCI6ZmFsc2V9.._WwEM1kIS3dm8boIwIh0LEWG6GZENr6yD7ZldcGOqhHIeBV9WWeDY7bn81BcSTEBxLTeKYNYaforXhi08SqLCw", "type": "Ed25519Signature2018", "created": "2024-04-15T16:53:29.876Z", "proofPurpose": "assertionMethod", "verificationMethod": "did:key:z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC#z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC"}, "issuer": "did:key:z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC", "@context": ["https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1"], "issuanceDate": "2024-04-15T16:53:29.875Z", "expirationDate": "2024-07-14T16:53:29.875Z", "credentialSubject": {"id": "did:pkh:eip155:1:0x25bdFF8dB8d80971935A7f38A0CF31DeC62f7696", "hash": "v0.0.0:CDg0RACRNgCnyXDI+InPe/uYELcDqRPXI0sGiDGDoFI=", "@context": [{"hash": "https://schema.org/Text", "provider": "https://schema.org/Text"}], "provider": "ClearTextTwitter#AstralProtocol"}}}, "description": "## What We Do\n\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\n## Core Technologies\n\nAstral has three main areas of work:\n\n- **Location 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- **Verifiable Geocomputation:** Systems that implement geospatial algorithms in smart contracts or cryptographic protocols, ensuring computations were done correctly.\n- **P2P 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\n## Why It Matters\n\nOur tools, standards and research unlocks new kinds of trustworthy, verifiable location-aware decentralized apps, including:\n\n- Environmental monitoring and climate action (digital MRV, sustainability-linked finance)\n- Transparent mobility and transportation systems (congestion zones, smart parking)\n- Governance and compliance tools (local DAOs, digital jurisdictions, fraud detection)\n- Interactive experiences (location-based gaming, metaverse applications, geotagged social posts)\n- Humanitarian and human rights applications (secure reporting, accountability)\n\n## Progress & Milestones\n\n**Recently completed:**\n\n- Published our first peer-reviewed paper with the University of Maryland Geographical Sciences Department\n- Built and deployed the Astral API, a unified gateway to the decentralized geospatial web\n- Deployed Location Proof Protocol on Arbitrum, Celo, Base, Ethereum Sepolia\n- Released Astral Logbook, consumer-facing location proof app\n- Integrated the Location Proof Protocol with TOUCHGRASS.CLUB, an accountability app to help people get outside\n- Integrated Location Proof Protocol with IPFS\n- Sponsored Funding the Commons x Earth Commons Hackathon — over ten builder submissions\n- Launched comprehensive developer resources ([docs.astral.global](https://docs.astral.global/))\n- Merged with EASIER Data Initiative to form the Decentralized Geospatial Collaborative to aligned decentralized GIS research and co-maintain open source repos\n- Co-chairing the Decentralized Geospatial Web Working Group\n\n**Next:**\n\n- Publish the Astral SDK as an npm package, giving Typescript developers an easy way to create, publish, fetch and verify location proofs\n- Design and build a block scanner-style UI — including map visualizations — to explore location proofs\n- Support pilot ecosystem developers (could this be you? Reach out!)\n- Present our first peer-reviewed paper at GISRUK 2025 in Bristol, UK\n- Research the landscape of proof-of-location systems, share our findings\n- Develop the first Location Proof Recipe Extensions\n- Refine the beta Location Proof Protocol into a technical specification to share with the geospatial community via the Open Geospatial Consortium\n- Submit for more extensive grant funding to support our open source ecosystem development\n- R+D on a smart contract library for geometric and topological algorithms (Spatial.sol)\n- Research privacy-preserving location proofs, including zero knowledge- and TEE-based methods\n- Deepening collaboration with UMD’s EASIER Data Initiative\n- Expanding open community of builders, researchers, ecosystem contributors\n\n## Selected Accomplishments\n\n- Ethereum Attestation Service Fellowship & Demo-Day Shortlist (2024)\n- Filecoin Development Grant (decentralized satellite imagery) (2020)\n- KERNEL Genesis Block Presenter (2020)\n- European Space Agency’s Living Planet Symposium Speaker (2022)\n- Arweave Prize Winner (Future of Blockchain 2020)\n- Presenter, Open Geospatial Consortium (2022)\n- Co-founded Decentralized Geospatial Web Working Group (2023)\n\n## How You Can Help\n\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.", "logoImgData": {}, "bannerImgData": {}, "projectGithub": "AstralProtocol", "projectTwitter": "AstralProtocol"}