Shinobi

Problem Statement

Shinobi.vote revolutionizes decentralized governance by addressing the fundamental privacy paradox in current DAO systems. While transparency is valuable for accountability, permanent on-chain voting records create detailed behavioral profiles that enable voter intimidation, strategic manipulation, and privacy violations.Our platform leverages zero-knowledge proof technology through the Semaphore protocol to create a "voting booth for the blockchain age." Members join DAOs using cryptographic identity commitments rather than wallet addresses, generating mathematical proofs of membership without revealing personal information. When voting, users create zero-knowledge proofs that validate their eligibility and choice while maintaining complete anonymity—only a nullifier hash prevents double-voting.The system preserves all benefits of transparent governance (verifiable results, audit trails, democratic participation) while eliminating surveillance capitalism elements. Vote counts remain publicly verifiable, but individual choices stay private. This enables authentic decision-making where ideas win on merit rather than influence from whale watchers or social pressure.Built for real-world adoption, Shinobi.vote targets corporate DAOs requiring confidential board decisions, political organizations needing secret ballots, and DeFi protocols where governance shouldn't be influenced by visible voting patterns. The platform demonstrates that privacy and transparency aren't mutually exclusive—they're complementary forces that strengthen democratic processes.

Solution

Core Technologies & ArchitectureSemaphore Protocol IntegrationWe built on the battle-tested Semaphore v4 zero-knowledge proof system, which provides the cryptographic foundation for anonymous group membership and signaling. The integration required careful coordination between smart contracts and client-side proof generation:Identity Management: Users generate Semaphore identities locally using private keys, creating identity commitments that serve as anonymous membership proofsGroup Merkle Trees: We implemented lean incremental Merkle trees (lean-IMT) for efficient membership verification and proof generationZK Circuit Integration: Leveraged Semaphore's audited circuits for generating membership proofs that validate voting eligibility without identity revelationSmart Contract Architecture (Solidity)The core governance logic is implemented across modular contracts deployed on Base Sepolia:We implemented a custom event emission pattern that allows The Graph indexer to track governance analytics (vote counts, proposal states) while maintaining voter anonymity. The contracts emit nullifier hashes and vote counts without any identity correlation, enabling privacy-preserving analytics.The Graph Protocol IndexingReal-time governance data processing required custom GraphQL schema design:Privacy-First Schema: Designed entities that track proposals, votes, and DAO statistics without storing identity-revealing informationNullifier-Based Analytics: Implemented vote tracking using only nullifier hashes, enabling participation metrics while preserving anonymityEfficient Queries: Built optimized resolvers for common governance queries (active proposals, voting results, member counts)Frontend Architecture (React + Viem)The user interface prioritizes simplicity while handling complex cryptographic operations:Wallet Integration: Seamless connection via RainbowKit for transaction signing while maintaining identity separationZK Proof Generation: Client-side Semaphore proof creation using WebAssembly-compiled circuitsReal-time Updates: Integration with The Graph for live governance data without compromising privacyProgressive Enhancement: Graceful fallbacks for users without Web3 walletsTechnologies & BenefitsSemaphore ProtocolUsing Semaphore v4 was crucial for security and reliability:The GraphUsing The Graph for DAO event indexing.Development Stack & ToolsSmart Contracts: Solidity with Hardhat development environmentZero-Knowledge: Semaphore v4 with circom circuits and snarkjsBlockchain: Base Sepolia testnet with viem for contract interactionsIndexing: The Graph Protocol with custom GraphQL schemaFrontend: React with TypeScript, RainbowKit wallet integrationStyling: Tailwind CSS with Radix UI componentsPackage Management: Turborepo monorepo with workspace dependenciesSecurity ConsiderationsZero-Knowledge Proof IntegrityLeveraged audited Semaphore circuits to ensure proof soundnessImplemented proper nullifier verification to prevent double-votingAdded circuit parameter validation for proof generationSmart Contract SecurityComprehensive access controls for DAO management functionsReentrancy protection for all state-changing operationsInput validation for all user-provided dataPrivacy GuaranteesNo identity correlation stored on-chain or in indexerClient-side proof generation ensures private keys never leave user devicesNullifier hashes provide unlinkability while preventing replay attacksThis architecture demonstrates that sophisticated privacy technology can be made accessible through thoughtful UX design and careful integration of cutting-edge cryptographic protocols.