Zekret delivers a modular compliance and identity layer for Web3 — enabling the deployment of regulated DeFi, stablecoins, and tokenized assets within MiCA-aligned, privacy-first architectures.

This proposal will bring Zekret’s infrastructure stack to the Cardano ecosystem through selective integration of core modules and delivering custom SDKs, node APIs, and deployment guides for developers and institutional partners. Zekret provides licensed access and partnership-driven deployment of its core tooling — ensuring compliance, privacy, and security are maintained at the highest level.

Zekret is a modular Layer 3 compliance framework. Offering real-time enforcement of programmable compliance, jurisdiction-aware asset controls, and institutional-grade identity tooling — all without sacrificing decentralization or user privacy. The stack is built to align with MiCA, GDPR, FATF, and local regulatory frameworks while maintaining flexibility for permissionless environments.

This proposal focuses on delivering the following key components:

• zk-ID SDK — A privacy-preserving, off-chain identity module with jurisdiction detection

• Watchtower-as-a-Service — Licensed transaction monitoring and compliance scoring APIs

• Permissioning SDK — Smart contract tools to enforce regulatory rules (e.g., cross-border access logic)

In addition, Zekret will provide:

• Documentation and dev onboarding materials via GitBook and private portal access

• Technical support for early adopters and regulated dApps in the Cardano ecosystem

• Participation in Intersect-led workshops and discussions around MiCA and compliance tooling

• A pilot deployment path for institutional node partners and regulated builders

The goal is to unlock Cardano-native adoption of compliant infrastructure — allowing dApps, wallets, bridges, and asset issuers to build with legal certainty and jurisdictional logic already embedded. Zekret’s approach enables institutional trust without undermining the values of decentralization and user privacy.

The Zekret team includes former UK FCA executives, CBDC sandbox contributors, legal architects, and protocol engineers — with active deployments planned in Europe, LATAM, and APAC. Through this proposal, Zekret seeks to establish Cardano as a preferred ecosystem for regulated Web3 innovation.

Despite the increasing maturity of the Cardano ecosystem, regulatory uncertainty remains one of the biggest barriers to real-world adoption of decentralized finance, tokenized assets, and identity-based applications. Builders, institutions, and even governments are seeking to launch solutions on-chain — but cannot proceed without a framework for compliance, identity verification, and transaction-level governance. Current tools either compromise privacy or require centralization, undermining the foundational principles of Cardano. Without modular, jurisdiction-aware infrastructure that supports programmable enforcement (e.g., MiCA compliance, KYC/AML scoring, travel rules, and auditability), the ecosystem risks becoming inaccessible to regulated entities — and unable to capitalize on the next wave of institutional and civic adoption. Zekret addresses this gap by providing a Layer 3 compliance and privacy infrastructure — interoperable with Cardano — that enables builders to deploy legally operable and privacy-preserving systems while preserving decentralization. The lack of such tooling is a critical bottleneck for builders, stablecoin issuers, public pilots, and DeFi protocols looking to scale within or beyond Cardano.

If implemented, this proposal will unlock regulatory operability and institutional adoption pathways for the Cardano ecosystem, without compromising decentralization or user privacy.

Zekret introduces a modular Layer 3 compliance and identity infrastructure that can be integrated into existing Cardano-based applications, wallets, dApps, and chains. By providing builders with access to tools like zk-ID onboarding, risk-based permissioning, and jurisdiction-aware audit scoring, this solution removes one of the most persistent roadblocks to real-world, large-scale adoption: regulatory readiness. Benefits to Specific Community Segments:

1. Protocol Developers and Builders

• Can integrate compliance tooling (e.g. travel-rule enforcement, MiCA alignment) into existing DeFi, dApp, or wallet stacks
• Gain access to SDKs and APIs that allow permissioned asset flow or onboarding logic
• Shorter go-to-market cycles and fewer legal uncertainties

2. Stablecoin & RWA Projects

• Ability to issue assets aligned with MiCA, FATF, and GDPR standards
• Interoperability with identity systems and regulated custody infrastructure
• Support for institutional onramps and offramps

3. Institutions, Custodians, and Gateways Infrastructure to operate compliance-focused nodes (Institutional, Watchtower Nodes) Deployment of fiat ramps, token bridges, and scoring engines within a decentralized framework Revenue-sharing opportunities via node license or compliance-as-a-service

Zekret proposes a multi-phase deployment strategy for bringing its compliance infrastructure to the Cardano ecosystem. Each phase is focused on delivering high-impact modules, integrations, and ecosystem value — ensuring Cardano becomes a reference implementation for regulated DeFi and identity-centric dApps. Phase 1 – Specification & Infrastructure Setup

• Finalize Cardano-specific compliance architecture
• Establish Cardano GitBook, documentation portal, and partner onboarding structure
• Deploy staging environments for zk-ID and Watchtower modules
• Begin legal harmonization for MiCA, GDPR, and other compliance standards

Deliverables: ✔ Full integration plan ✔ Developer support environment ✔ Internal compliance documentation ✔ GitBook skeleton + access structure

Phase 2 – SDK & API Development

• Build Cardano-compatible zk-ID SDK for off-chain identity management and jurisdiction scoring
• Implement Watchtower-as-a-Service API for transaction scoring, flagging, and audit-trail generation
• Develop Permissioning SDK for contract-level access control (e.g., region-blocked assets)

Deliverables: ✔ Working SDKs and APIs ✔ Test suite and validator support logic ✔ Integration support plan for dApps and partners

Phase 3 – Developer Pilots & Node Deployment

• Launch pilot integrations with few ecosystem dApps (wallets, stablecoins, RWA bridges)
• Deploy Institutional Node and Watchtower Node architecture on testnet
• Train and onboard node partners under licensing framework
• Begin scoring, compliance flagging, and ID resolution in test environment

Deliverables: ✔ Live pilot environments ✔ At least 3 nodes (Institutional, Watchtower, Developer) connected to testnet ✔ Feedback loops and refinement from pilot partners ✔ Intersect workshop or partner showcase

Phase 4 – Governance, Expansion, & Enterprise Onboarding

• Work with Intersect Product and Technical Steering Committees on roadmap alignment
• Provide licensing paths for more Cardano-based custodians, issuers, and fintechs
• Explore inclusion in national sandbox programs and public-private pilots

Deliverables: ✔ Committee alignment proposals ✔ Roadmap to mainnet integration ✔ Node and compliance-as-a-service business model formalized ✔ Case studies with institutional partners

• Phase 5 – Commercial Readiness & Global Promotion Rollout of commercial SDK access portal

• Creation of sandbox licensing for builders, banks, and regulators

• Publication of the full Cardano Compliance Integration Report

• Co-marketing efforts with Intersect and ecosystem stakeholders

Deliverables: ✔ Licensing & SDK platform online ✔ Full GitBook with use cases, deployment paths, FAQs ✔ Legal and compliance checklist for MiCA/EMEA launches ✔ Public PR and knowledge-sharing campaigns

Engineering & Development (4 FTEs) – $420,000 zk-ID tooling, permissioning logic, Watchtower infrastructure, node deployments

Legal & Regulatory Architecture (2 FTEs) – $180,000 MiCA alignment, privacy-by-design audits, jurisdictional compliance mapping

Product, Documentation & Design – $100,000 SDK UX/UI, developer guides, integration blueprints

Project Management & Partner Coordination – $80,000 Ecosystem communication, stakeholder alignment, regulatory engagement

External Audits, Reviews & Technical Consulting – $100,000 Code audits, legal peer review, infrastructure penetration testing

Contingency & Regional Legal Support – $50,000 For additional jurisdictional inputs (e.g., APAC, LATAM, EU-specific laws)

Operational Overhead – $70,000 Admin, tools, cloud infra, documentation platforms

This breakdown reflects a 9-month timeline with a mix of in-house and contracted specialists. We aim to deliver significant protocol and compliance tooling value within this budget envelope.

To deliver the full scope of this proposal, the estimated team size will be 8–10 contributors, primarily composed of existing Zekret team members. The estimated duration for completion is 9 months.

Team Composition: 3–4 engineers – responsible for backend infrastructure, smart contract tooling, and SDK/API integrations

2 legal, regulatory, and privacy experts – ensuring MiCA, GDPR, FATF alignment and compliance logic

1 technical writer & documentation lead – producing developer materials and integration support content

1 UI/UX & product designer – responsible for developer-facing interfaces, sandbox tools, and visual clarity

1 project lead / ecosystem coordinator – overseeing timelines, partner engagement, and committee alignment

The core development and compliance contributors are already active within Zekret’s roadmap. We expect to outsource or contract specific tasks (e.g., UI design or regional legal review) as needed to ensure timely and high-quality delivery.

This team structure enables us to deliver a focused, secure, and regulatorily-aligned compliance framework tailored to the Cardano ecosystem.

The Zekret team brings together deep expertise across blockchain infrastructure, regulatory engineering, and privacy technology — all directly relevant to this proposal.

Dmitrij Radin (CEO & Technical Lead) is a serial tech entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience in fintech and infrastructure systems. He has led R&D teams at Microsoft and BASF and previously built regulated platforms in crypto and banking. Dmitrij oversees Zekret’s technical vision, including compliance primitives, zk-identity architecture, and node infrastructure.

Vytautas Kaseta (CTO) is a trailblazing voice in tokenized finance and blockchain regulation. As a founding member of the Lithuanian Crypto Economy Organisation (CEO), he has collaborated with ministries and central banks to develop legal frameworks for digital assets. Vytautas has authored regulatory playbooks and brings first-hand experience in aligning technology with legal mandates.

Tiana Whitehouse (CLO) is a former New Zealand regulator and legal strategist with the Big Four. She specializes in cross-border compliance, licensing regimes, and investor protection — and will guide all legal modeling under MiCA, GDPR, and FATF.

Binu Paul (Head of Regulatory Affairs) previously served as Head of Digital Assets at the UK FCA. He now leads go-to-market and regulatory coordination at Zekret, helping the team bridge public-private use cases in identity, stablecoins, and digital asset issuance.

Rodney Prescott (Head of Industry Relations) brings over 30 years of experience from EY, PwC, and the Commonwealth Bank. He was directly involved in Cardano’s regulatory strategy and specializes in bridging TradFi systems with blockchain infrastructure — including central bank engagement.

Our core engineering, legal, and compliance teams have extensive experience delivering infrastructure for regulated digital assets, public-private pilots, and privacy-first SDKs. We are fully equipped to deliver this project to the highest technical and legal standards.

All components developed under this proposal will be maintained by the Zekret technical team under an active node-based infrastructure and service model. The SDKs, APIs, and permissioning logic will be kept updated as regulatory frameworks evolve (e.g. MiCA implementation phases, FATF guidance, national licensing schemes).

Zekret commits to:

Continuing SDK development as part of its commercial roadmap

Offering integration support to early Cardano-based adopters

Maintaining documentation and developer resources via GitBook and gated partner tools

Participating in relevant Intersect committees and Cardano governance discussions

This work is part of Zekret’s larger infrastructure stack rollout and will be maintained accordingly.

Zekret has engaged in preliminary outreach and received encouraging signals from ecosystem contributors across the compliance, RWA, and infrastructure segments of the Cardano and broader Web3 community. While formal CIP/CPS discussion is not yet initiated, the following touchpoints illustrate growing interest:

Intersect Committees: Early-stage discussions with members from the Product Committee and Technical Steering Committee (via community calls and breakout forums) have shown strong alignment between Zekret’s modular compliance stack and Cardano’s regulatory roadmap, particularly around MiCA, identity frameworks, and tokenized assets.

Regulatory-Aligned Builders: Zekret’s proposed infrastructure has been well received by Cardano-native and adjacent ecosystem teams working on stablecoins, KYC wallets, and CBDC pilots — many of whom seek permissioning SDKs and off-chain AML tooling.

Advisory Ecosystem: Our advisory team includes former regulatory executives from the UK FCA, central bank collaborators, and MiCA contributors who see value in Zekret’s chain-agnostic enforcement architecture being demonstrated within Cardano.

Workshop & Integration Interest: We have been invited to explore joint sessions with compliance-focused dApps and open integration discussions with identity-anchored platforms within Cardano. These will form part of the delivery milestones if funded.

We are committed to hosting technical AMAs and initiating formal committee discussions post-approval

This proposal does not rely on any external approvals or third-party technical components to begin. However, successful implementation will benefit from:

Coordination with Intersect Committees, particularly around integration touchpoints and regulatory discussions

Access to a Cardano testnet environment for SDK and Watchtower module deployment

Optional partnership discussions with existing dApps or ecosystem teams to identify ideal pilot users

All core modules are internally owned by the Zekret team, and delivery can proceed independently once funded.