ARCHITECTURE

How Privora works under the hood.

We separate money flow, coordination, and identity into distinct layers, each with its own threat model and guarantees.

L1System architecture

1 · Zcash payment layer

All donations flow through Zcash shielded addresses (Z-addresses), ensuring complete privacy for both sender and recipient. Transaction amounts and parties remain encrypted on-chain using zk-SNARKs.

2 · NEAR coordination layer

NEAR smart contracts handle donor intents, recipient attestations, and impact Soulbound Tokens (SBTs). No sensitive information is stored on-chain—only encrypted hashes and boolean flags.

3 · Zero-knowledge proofs

Builders prove credentials (humanness, location, affiliations) without revealing their identity. Using Semaphore-style circuits, they can demonstrate "I am a verified member of group X" without revealing which member.

4 · Off-chain matching service

Encrypted profiles are stored off-chain with searchable attributes (skills, topics, coarse location). Matching uses tag intersection without accessing raw identity data.

L2Privacy guarantees

For Patrons

  • Donations are completely anonymous via Zcash shielded transactions
  • No link between donor identity and recipient
  • Receive non-transferable SBT proving impact without revealing details

For Builders

  • Pseudonymous profiles with encrypted sensitive data
  • zk-proofs verify credentials without revealing identity
  • Receive funds safely via shielded addresses

L3Use cases

Network School Scholarships

Anonymous donors fund verified NS participants without knowing their identity

High-Risk Region Support

Support activists and builders in authoritarian regions with complete privacy

Privacy Tech Development

Fund open-source privacy tools and infrastructure development

Research Grants

Support academic research in cryptography and zero-knowledge proofs