Privacy in Japan: zkBob ETHGlobal Tokyo Hackathon

The zkBob team recently traveled to Tokyo to promote their vision of a stablecoin future with enhanced personal financial privacy. The local community was very receptive, and they had the opportunity to meet some talented developers who were working on the next generation of Ethereum applications.

During their visit, 18 projects in Tokyo expressed interest in integrating zkBob into their dapps. After careful consideration, the team selected five teams that demonstrated creative use cases and effectively incorporated privacy using zkBob into their projects.

🇯🇵 Community

We appreciate the support of our community members across the world! Our friend @zuckzuckland in Japan was a valuable asset at our booth, helping us to promote the BOB stablecoin, the option for privacy, and the importance of compliance best practices.

And a zkBob walkthrough in Japanese

Vloggers visited the booth to learn more about zkBob (Starts at 10:37)

zkBob Tokyo designs included stickers, shirts, and bags. The swag didn't last long!

We met new friends, and reconnected with others we first met at ETHDenver!

Workshop

Kirill led a demonstration of the zkBob app and its direct deposit feature. The event was well-attended, and he received a lot of interest and feedback from the audience. If you want to learn more about how to integrate privacy into your daily blockchain activities, check out the recording of the workshop, which starts at 39:26.

ETHGlobal Tokyo zkBob Winners

We received an impressive 18 project applications for the zkBob bounties! This is almost twice as many as we had at ETHDenver, and it's great to see that zkBob is gaining momentum as a privacy solution for stablecoin users. After careful consideration, we selected the following projects based on their code implementation, the strength of their use-case, creativity, and effort.

1st Place: HyperBob - $5000 BOB

HyperBob is a wallet that simplifies private transfers with just one click. By utilizing account abstraction and bridging, HyperBob enables private transfers on the Ethereum network, and integrates the direct deposit feature to communicate with zkBob accounts. Discover more about HyperBob and its functionalities.

2nd Place: ZKChat&Pay - $2000 BOB

ZKChat&Pay provides a way for users to fund public goods proposals anonymously using zkBob. This feature allows users to contribute to projects globally without compromising their privacy. Learn More

3rd Place: 3 way tie - $1000 BOB each

Each of these 3 projects were awarded $1000 in BOB.

DeFi Struct

DeFi Struct is an infrastructure for DeFi strategies that incorporates private withdrawal functionality powered by zkBob. Learn More

Splash X

Splash X is a video incentive platform that incentivizes early and loyal viewers by giving them a stake in the content they love. With the use of zkBob, rewards can be collected privately if desired. Learn More

AniMATE

AniMATE is an application that uses zk-based age verification to ensure access to appropriate anime video content. Users can verify their age as over 18 without revealing any other identity-compromising information. During the KYC process, AniMATE utilizes zkBob for deposits, preserving user anonymity. Learn more.

Conclusion

We had an amazing time at the Tokyo event meeting with the zkBob community and supporters, Thank you to everyone who visited our booth and engaged in conversation, and to all the brilliant hackers who chose to build with zkBob. Personal privacy is essential for various applications, and we are thrilled to see zkBob integrated into new use cases at every hackathon we participate in.

We can't wait to see you at the next event!

💜 The zkBob Team