We present a design for a digital token in which privacy is an inseparable property of the asset itself — not a service layer that can be sanctioned, not an optional feature that users ignore, but a fundamental characteristic embedded in every transaction. The system uses zero-knowledge proofs (Groth16) to verify transaction validity without revealing sender identity, receiver identity, or transfer amount.
We extend this design with a novel transport layer using Reticulum, an open-source cryptographic mesh networking protocol, enabling transaction propagation over LoRa radio, WiFi, packet radio, or any combination thereof — without dependence on internet infrastructure, DNS, IP addresses, or Internet Service Providers.
We demonstrate a working proof of concept: three zero-knowledge privacy circuits — private transfer, selective disclosure, and compliance proof — each compiled, proven on consumer hardware, and verified on-chain on Ethereum Sepolia testnet. All proofs are under 810 bytes, small enough to transmit over low-bandwidth mesh radio in seconds.
This is the first demonstrated combination of zero-knowledge financial privacy with infrastructure-independent mesh transport.
Every major attempt at financial privacy in cryptocurrency has been neutralized:
Every existing privacy coin relies on the internet for transaction propagation. ISPs can be compelled to block connections. Deep packet inspection can identify traffic patterns. DNS-level blocking can prevent node discovery. The financial layer may be private, but the networking layer is fully surveilled.
Principle 1: Privacy is the default. Every transaction hides sender, receiver, and amount.
Principle 2: Disclosure is opt-in and scoped. The holder chooses what to reveal, to whom, and for what purpose.
Principle 3: Transport is a property of the network, not a dependency. No single transport medium is required.
The holder controls the information. Compliance is possible. Surveillance is not.
Every transfer hides sender, receiver, and amount. The network verifies the transaction is valid using zero-knowledge proofs without seeing any underlying data.
The wallet owner generates a ZK proof scoped to a specific verifier — proving funds came from a legitimate source, proving minimum balance, binding the proof to a specific identity — without revealing actual balances or transaction history.
A ZK proof that an entire transaction history complies with regulation — no sanctioned counterparties, all transactions under limits, totals match declared amounts — without revealing a single individual transaction.
Reticulum is an open-source cryptographic mesh networking protocol that constructs communication networks using any available physical transport — LoRa radio, WiFi, packet radio, serial connections, or internet.
| Proof System | Proof Size | Time over LoRa (1.2 kbps) | Time over WiFi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Groth16 (SNARK) | 808 bytes | ~5.4 seconds | Instant |
| PLONK | ~2 KB | ~13 seconds | Instant |
| zk-STARK | ~50 KB | ~5.5 minutes | Instant |
You can shut down a website. You can sanction a smart contract. You can pressure an ISP. You cannot stop radio waves propagating through air between two consenting parties.
| Mode | Circuit | Constraints | Proof Size | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mode 1 — Private Transfer | private_transfer.circom | 6 | 808 bytes | TRUE |
| Mode 2 — Selective Disclosure | selective_disclosure.circom | 551 | 804 bytes | TRUE |
| Mode 3 — Compliance Proof | compliance_proof.circom | 1,379 | 807 bytes | TRUE |
Tamper resistance tested: claiming incorrect balances — REJECTED. Attempting to create tokens from nothing — REJECTED.
Reticulum mesh established between desktop and NVIDIA Jetson Nano over TCP/WiFi transport. Bidirectional communication confirmed. LoRa radio transport pending hardware delivery.
| Phase | Milestone | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Concept document and prior art | Complete |
| 2 | ZK proof circuit — private transfer (Mode 1) | Complete — verified on-chain |
| 3 | Selective disclosure circuit (Mode 2) | Complete — verified on-chain |
| 4 | Compliance proof circuit (Mode 3) | Complete — verified on-chain |
| 5 | On-chain verification — all 3 modes | Complete — 3 contracts deployed |
| 6 | Reticulum mesh — WiFi transport | Complete |
| 7 | Reticulum mesh — LoRa radio transport | Hardware pending |
| 8 | End-to-end: ZK proof over LoRa to chain | Pending |
| 9 | White paper publication | This document |
| 10 | Open-source release | Planned |
Financial privacy and regulatory compliance are not inherently opposed. This paper demonstrates that a third path exists: a digital currency where privacy is the default, disclosure is voluntary and scoped, and the transport layer operates independently of centralized infrastructure.
We have demonstrated a working proof of concept across all three privacy modes — each verified on a public blockchain, with mesh transport established over a cryptographic network that requires no internet, no ISP, and no IP addresses.
The protocol is open. The research is published. The proof is on-chain.