geospatial

I’ve been trying to build location-based dapps since ETHDenver 2018. One recurring need: a way of showing where something is. 

Delving into the complexities of proving the “where” on the Internet has revealed deep  challenges and major trust assumptions.

To me, Web3 is our response to flaws we see in the way the Internet works. 

Web3 isn’t a collection of tools of platforms, but a set of design principles that reflect values such as privacy, user control and interoperability.

I've been trying to build location-based apps that align with these principles.

On the topic of location proofs, there’s significant prior art:

- @foamspace's dynamic proof of location
- zkMaps' work on zero-knowledge location proofs
- Witness Chain’s geolocation strategy using network latency (h/t @justindrake)
- EASIER group’s development of spatial data storage + access tools on @ipfs

These efforts recognize that without credible location proofs, dapps + protocols leveraging geospatial data face serious technical headwinds and security challenges.

There's value in solving the problem using different strategies. At the same time, it's unreasonable for everyone to solve it in one-off, ad hoc ways.

At Astral, we’ve been working towards a generalized location proof protocol — one that standardizes how we talk about location on the Internet, while flexibly supporting the range of innovative strategies that can be built.

We’ll share a post introducing a generalized Location Proof Protocol here soon. 

If you want an early look, join our community Telegram channel — we’ll be sharing drafts of our content there before it goes out here.

We’ll share a post introducing a generalized Location Proof Protocol here soon. 

If you want an early look, join our community Telegram channel — we’ll be sharing drafts of our content there before it goes out here. 

https://t.me/+UkTOSXnDcDM5ZTBk

The problem is worth working on — from cartography to compliance, the credibility of location data underpins countless aspects of the information age.