In November 2024, we launched our Proof of Github application, letting developers create verifiable proofs of their Github accounts and open-source contributions using zkemail. While we were excited about the technical implementation, we came to realize that privacy-preserving Github credentials, though innovative, were solving a problem that already had practical solutions. Most platforms, like Gitcoin Passport, use OAuth for verification - and while this approach requires trusting Github and doesn't preserve privacy, its straightforward user experience beats asking users to dig through their emails. This insight drove our decision to pivot toward income verification using zkTLS and zkemail, a problem where privacy-preserving solutions fill a genuine market gap.

Proof of Github

The market for verifiable Github contributions is primarily concentrated in Web3, specifically targeting developers. Our potential customers were protocols looking to distribute grants and companies hiring developers. After extensive discussions with several protocols, we faced two key realizations: our email-based verification flow couldn't compete with OAuth's simplicity, and the privacy benefits, while important, weren't compelling enough to justify the added friction. This highlighted a fundamental challenge in privacy technology, its value often isn't apparent until after a breach or misuse has occurred, making it a difficult selling point for products that have simpler, streamlined alternatives. We explored using JWTs (JSON Web Tokens) to streamline Github authentication, which could potentially match OAuth's simplicity. However, we hit another roadblock: while JWTs work well for basic Github authentication, they don't sign contribution data. This meant we still couldn't verify a developer's actual Github activity without falling back to more complex flows.

The Transition to Income Verification

As we explored zkTLS and zkemail technologies, we faced an interesting challenge, there were almost too many opportunities. These protocols could verify everything from employment status to university credentials to developer contributions. But among all these possibilities, income verification stood out as the most compelling problem to solve. It's a fundamental requirement that impacts millions of people in high-stakes situations: getting approved for an apartment, buying a house, taking out a loan, or applying for visas.

The current solutions are painfully manual. People have to collect bank statements, paystubs, and W2s, documents that are both time-consuming to gather and susceptible to fraud. Additionally, users must expose excessive personal information to verifiers. This is where Cr3dentials shines: we've simplified the entire process down to a few clicks. Users just need to install our extension and log into their bank account. Within seconds, we can verify their monthly income for the past year, all while preserving their privacy and ensuring the authenticity of their data.

Our New Target: Real Estate

The real estate market has emerged as our primary focus due to its massive scale, outdated verification processes, and clear pain points for all stakeholders. Property managers and landlords process millions of rental applications annually, with each application requiring thorough income verification to assess tenant reliability.

Current verification processes in real estate are notably inefficient:

• Property managers spend hours manually reviewing bank statements, pay stubs, and W2s

• Prospective tenants must gather and submit sensitive financial documents, often exposing more information than necessary

• The manual nature of verification creates opportunities for document fraud, putting landlords at risk

• Processing delays can cause properties to remain vacant longer, resulting in lost revenue

Our solution addresses these pain points by:

• Reducing verification time from days to minutes through automated bank connectivity

• Protecting tenant privacy by sharing only the necessary income proof without exposing detailed transaction data

• Ensuring document authenticity through our zkTLS and zkemail protocols

• Providing a standardized verification format that property managers can trust

• Enabling instant verification during the application process, reducing property vacancy periods

We've already initiated conversations with several property management companies who have expressed strong interest in piloting our solution. Their feedback has been instrumental in refining our product to meet industry-specific needs while maintaining our core value proposition of privacy and efficiency.

Key Learnings

Our journey from Proof of Github to Proof of Income revealed several insights that fundamentally shaped our approach and strategy. Here are some of the key learnings we've discovered:

Product-Market Fit > Technical Innovation Initially drawn to the technical elegance of privacy-preserving Github verification, we learned that solving a real, pressing market need is far more important. We found ourselves caught in the Web3 echo chamber, where innovative technology often takes precedence over practical utility. The shift to income verification was eye-opening as it showed us how powerful zero-knowledge technology could be when applied to real-world problems people face daily. While our technology is sophisticated, its true value lies in solving the painful, manual process of income verification while maintaining privacy. This pivot taught us to always start with the problem, not the solution - ask "what hurts?" before asking "what can we build?"

Simplicity Wins Over Complexity The Github verification experience taught us a valuable lesson: additional friction, no matter how well-intentioned, must justify its existence. Privacy features should feel seamless and natural, not burdensome. This insight drove us to design our income verification solution with simplicity at its core, transforming a traditionally complex process into a few simple clicks.

Market Timing Is Everything Privacy-preserving solutions gain the most traction when existing alternatives are clearly inadequate. The real estate market's continued reliance on manual verification processes, combined with growing privacy concerns, creates the perfect environment for our solution. The pain is acute, the market is massive, and stakeholders are actively seeking better solutions.

Build for Scale from Day One Starting with Chase gives us a strong foundation, but our infrastructure is designed with much broader ambitions. Supporting multiple income sources, from traditional employment to gig economy earnings, will be crucial for providing comprehensive verification. Modern income is increasingly diverse, with many people earning from multiple sources, and our platform needs to reflect this reality. By building a flexible system that can adapt to various income streams, we're not just solving today's verification challenges, but preparing for tomorrow's opportunities.

Roadmap

Q1 2025: Chase Integration Launch

• Launch initial income verification tool with Chase banking platform

• Core features: bank login via extension, automated verification, privacy-preserving proofs

• Deploy user dashboard for property managers and real-time tracking

Q2-Q3 2025: Banking Expansion

• Integrate additional major banks (Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citibank)

• Expand to regional banks and credit unions

Q4 2025: Alternative Income Sources

• Support freelance platforms (Upwork, Fiverr)

• Add social media earnings verification (YouTube, Instagram, TikTok)

• Enable e-commerce income verification (Shopify, Amazon, Etsy)

• Include gig economy platforms (Uber, DoorDash)

We are currently working to complete all of our goals regarding the roadmap and we are excited for whats to come in 2025.

Closing Thoughts

Our journey from Proof of Github to Proof of Income has been a testament to the importance of solving real-world problems with technology that seamlessly integrates into existing workflows. While privacy-preserving credentials for developers were an exciting technical challenge, the true value of our work became evident when applied to income verification, a problem where existing solutions are slow, inefficient, and invasive.

With a clear market fit in real estate and financial services, our pivot to income verification marks a significant step forward in bringing zero-knowledge technology to industries that need it most. As we move into 2025, our focus remains on execution: launching our Chase integration, expanding banking coverage, and supporting diverse income sources to ensure our solution is accessible to as many people as possible.

We’re grateful for the insights gained through this transition and the support from our early partners. The road ahead is ambitious, but the opportunity to redefine trust and privacy in financial verification is more exciting than ever. Here’s to making 2025 the year privacy-first income verification becomes the standard.