The problem ProofMesh solves

Core Challenges in Content Distribution

1. Privacy & Security Vulnerabilities

• Traditional CDNs expose sensitive metadata about content access patterns
• Server locations and routing information are visible to attackers
• VPN-based attacks can bypass geographic restrictions
• No cryptographic proof of content authenticity

2. Content Access Control

• Difficult to verify legitimate content access rights
• Transferable access tokens lead to unauthorized sharing
• No way to prove ownership without revealing identity
• Complex integration of verification systems

3. Geographic Optimization Issues

• Location spoofing undermines edge server selection
• No cryptographic proof of user location
• Inefficient content routing due to VPN usage
• Privacy-preserving geolocation is challenging

How ProofMesh Solves These Problems

1. Privacy-First Architecture

• Use DJB2 Hashing algorithm for content integrity
• Zkverify for proof generation and verification along with custom circom circuit
• Anonymous content transfers

2. Location-Aware Distribution

• Zero-knowledge proofs of location without revealing exact coordinates
• Proof of Internet Geometry for optimal server selection
• VPN detection without compromising user privacy
• Efficient content routing while maintaining anonymity

🔄 Technical Breakdown

1. User Uploads Content:
   • The content is hashed using the DJB2 algorithm
   • A ZK proof of ownership is generated via Circom & SnarkJS
   • Content is stored on-chain on L2 and L3.
   • An SBT is minted to represent access rights
2. User Requests Content:
   • Provides a unique integer (DJB2 hash output).
   • Generates a zkProof of location
   • Nearest node verification using Proof of Internet Geometry
   • The server is pinged to detect VPN-based attacks
3. Content Retrieval & Privacy Preservation:
   • Content is served from the nearest verified node
   • User is unaware of the exact content source

Challenges I ran into

• I faced challenges setting up the backend for zkverify server and registering the verification key
• The stylus based erc721.rs were throwing dependency errors during cargo stylus check command