Karma Proof - Onchain Proof for Offchain Good 🫶

ETHGlobal Prague 2025 Multi-Winner

• 🏆 ETHGlobal Prague 2025 Finalist
• 🥇 vlayer Labs - Best use of Email Proofs
• 🥇 Blockscout - Best Blockscout SDK Integration (1st place)

Overview

Karma Proof is a revolutionary privacy-preserving platform that transforms real-world public good actions into verifiable onchain proof and rewards. By combining zero-knowledge email verification, soulbound NFTs, and gamified social features, it creates a global system where good deeds become visible, verifiable, and valued.

The Problem

Real-world public good actions go largely unrecognized and unrewarded:

• Invisible Impact: Blood donations, volunteering, tree planting, and beach cleanups lack global recognition
• Limited Scope: Government and local organization reward programs are region-specific and funding-dependent
• Manual Overhead: Existing systems require extensive manual verification, making them hard to scale
• No Reputation Building: Good deeds don't contribute to portable, verifiable digital reputation
• Lack of Incentives: People perform altruistic acts without tangible recognition or rewards

The Solution

Karma Proof bridges the gap between offchain good and onchain proof by:

Core Innovation

• Zero-Knowledge Verification: Upload email confirmations (.eml files) to prove good deeds without exposing personal data
• Soulbound Reputation: Earn non-transferable Karma Points and NFTs that build permanent onchain reputation
• Global Rewards System: Redeem karma for real-world perks like discounts, transport, and event access
• Privacy-First: Only proof hashes and values reach the blockchain—no personal information exposed

Making Good Deeds "3V"

• Visible: Public onchain record of contributions
• Verifiable: Cryptographic proof of authenticity
• Valued: Tangible rewards and social recognition

Key Features

🔐 Privacy-Preserving Verification

• Email Proof Technology: Upload .eml files processed entirely client-side
• Zero-Knowledge Proofs: vlayer generates cryptographic proofs without exposing email content
• Regex Pattern Matching: Automatically extract donation amounts and action types
• No Data Leakage: Only proof hash and verified values stored onchain

🏆 Soulbound Reputation System

• Karma Points: Non-transferable ERC-20 tokens representing cumulative good deeds
• Six NFT Categories: Time, Care, Gift, Knowledge, Ecology, Access - covering all public good domains
• ERC-5484 Compliance: Full soulbound NFT standard implementation with custom burn mechanics
• Permanent Record: Immutable reputation that follows users across platforms

🎮 Gamified Social Features

• Streak Tracking: Maintain consecutive days of good deeds
• Leaderboards: Community rankings based on karma accumulation
• Campaigns: Themed challenges like "Blood Donation Week" or "Earth Day Cleanup"
• Social Sharing: Share Karma NFTs and achievements on Twitter
• Friend Challenges: Invite others to participate in public good activities

🛍️ Integrated Rewards Ecosystem

• Blockscout Merits Bridge: Exchange Karma Points for Merits to access Web3 perks and airdrops
• Global Reward Shop: Redeem karma for Web2 rewards worldwide
• Partner Integration: Discounts from participating businesses and organizations
• Event Access: VIP tickets and exclusive experiences for high-karma users

Technical Architecture

vlayer - Zero-Knowledge Email Verification

Core Innovation: Privacy-preserving proof generation from email confirmations

Implementation:

• Client-Side Processing: .eml files never leave user's device
• Custom EmailDomainProver: Extracts donation amounts from Wikipedia confirmation emails
• Regex Pattern Matching: Automated parsing of structured email content
• Off-Chain Proof Generation: vlayer's prover network creates cryptographic proofs
• On-Chain Verification: KarmaProofVerifier contract validates proofs and mints rewards

Privacy Guarantees:

• Email addresses never exposed
• Payment details remain private
• Only donation amount and proof hash reach blockchain
• Full compliance with data protection regulations

Flow Blockchain - Soulbound Infrastructure

Optimized for Social Impact: Low transaction costs enable micro-rewards and frequent interactions

Smart Contract Architecture:

• KarmaNFT.sol: ERC-5484 compliant soulbound NFTs with custom burn authorization
• KarmaToken.sol: Non-transferable ERC-20 tokens for rewards and scoring
• KarmaProofVerifier.sol: Connects vlayer proofs to NFT minting pipeline
• Gas Optimization: Bit-packing in ERC721 extraData field minimizes storage costs
• Role-Based Access Control: Secure minting operations with admin controls

Dual Token Economy:

• KarmaNFT: Collectible reputation tokens for social status
• KarmaToken: Redeemable utility tokens for rewards and partner benefits
• Proportional Minting: Token rewards scale with verified action value
• Burn Mechanisms: Controlled token removal for reward redemption

Blockscout Integration - UX & Rewards Bridge

Comprehensive Transaction Infrastructure: Real-time feedback and reward management

SDK Integration:

• Custom React Hooks: useTransactionStatus for real-time transaction monitoring
• Transaction Popups: Immediate explorer views via Blockscout App SDK
• Gas Tracking: Monitor confirmation status and revert reasons
• Custom Event Handling: TransactionPopupListener for seamless UX

Merits Rewards Bridge:

• SIWE Authentication: Complete Sign-In With Ethereum flow
• Karma-to-Merits Exchange: Custom shop interface for reward redemption
• Session Management: Secure nonce generation and message signing
• Airdrop Eligibility: Karma tokens serve as sybil-resistant scoring mechanism

Technical Innovation

Privacy-First Verification Pipeline

1. Email Upload: User selects .eml file from donation confirmation
2. Client-Side Parsing: Extract relevant data without server transmission
3. Proof Generation: vlayer creates zero-knowledge proof of email authenticity
4. On-Chain Verification: Smart contract validates proof and extracts values
5. Reward Minting: Automatic issuance of proportional Karma tokens and NFTs

Soulbound Token Architecture

• Transfer Restrictions: Implemented at contract level to prevent trading
• Burn Authorization: ERC-5484 compliant burn permissions stored efficiently
• Metadata Standards: Rich NFT metadata for different public good categories
• Upgrade Mechanisms: Future-proof contracts with controlled upgrade paths

Impact & Use Cases

Real-World Applications

• Charitable Donations: Wikipedia, Red Cross, local charities
• Volunteer Work: Community service, disaster relief, mentoring
• Environmental Action: Tree planting, beach cleanup, recycling programs
• Health Contributions: Blood donation, organ donation registration
• Knowledge Sharing: Open source contributions, educational content creation
• Accessibility Support: Helping elderly, disability assistance, community support

Target Users

• Individual Contributors: People performing regular acts of public good
• Non-Profit Organizations: Charities seeking to reward and track supporters
• Corporate CSR Programs: Companies wanting to gamify employee volunteer efforts
• Educational Institutions: Schools tracking student community service
• Government Agencies: Public sector organizations incentivizing civic participation

Awards & Recognition

Karma Proof achieved significant recognition at ETHGlobal Prague 2025:

• ETHGlobal Finalist: Selected among top projects from global competition
• vlayer Winner: Outstanding implementation of zero-knowledge email proof technology
• Blockscout Winner: Best integration of Blockscout SDK and infrastructure (1st place)

Social Impact

Global Public Good System

• Transparent: All contributions visible on public blockchain
• Scalable: No geographic or funding limitations
• Self-Sustaining: Reward system incentivizes continued participation
• Inclusive: Accessible to anyone with email confirmation of good deeds
• Measurable: Quantifiable impact tracking across all categories

Behavioral Incentives

• Positive Reinforcement: Immediate rewards for altruistic behavior
• Social Recognition: Public leaderboards and shareable achievements
• Habit Formation: Streak tracking encourages consistent good deeds
• Community Building: Connect like-minded individuals through shared values

Future Development

Technical Roadmap

• Multi-Chain Expansion: Support for additional blockchain networks
• Enhanced Email Parsing: Support for more organizations and email formats
• Mobile Application: Native iOS/Android apps for broader accessibility
• API Integration: Direct connections with major charitable platforms

Partnership Expansion

• Corporate Partners: Integrate with major brands for reward redemption
• NGO Collaborations: Direct partnerships with global non-profit organizations
• Government Programs: Integration with official civic participation initiatives
• Educational Institutions: University and school community service tracking

Advanced Features

• Impact Measurement: Quantify real-world outcomes of verified actions
• Prediction Markets: Forecast and incentivize future public good trends
• DAO Governance: Community-driven platform evolution and reward distribution
• Cross-Platform Reputation: Portable karma scores across Web3 applications

Links

• Live Application: karma-nine.vercel.app
• ETHGlobal Showcase: Karma Proof Project Page
• GitHub Repository: 0xAkuti/karma
• Documentation: Available in repository docs folder

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Karma Proof represents a paradigm shift toward recognizing and rewarding the countless acts of good that happen every day around the world, creating a more incentivized and interconnected global community.