Zero-knowledge identity verification on Solana - Privacy-preserving authentication using Aadhaar infrastructure
Solstice Protocol transforms government-issued identity credentials into portable, privacy-preserving zero-knowledge proofs that can be verified across any Web3 application. By leveraging India's Aadhaar (1.4B users) and Solana's high-performance blockchain, Solstice achieves 5000x cost reduction compared to traditional on-chain identity systems while maintaining cryptographic security and regulatory compliance.
✨ Now Live on Devnet: Fully functional with camera QR scanning, automatic proof generation, and on-chain verification!
Solstice uses a challenge-response architecture to protect user privacy:
- Identity Registration (once): Users register in the main Solstice app by scanning their Aadhaar QR code
- Challenge Generation: Third-party apps create verification challenges (e.g., "prove you're 18+")
- User Response: Users scan challenges with the Solstice app, which generates ZK proofs
- Verification: Third-party apps verify proofs without ever seeing personal data
Key Insight: Users NEVER share their Aadhaar data with third-party apps. Only cryptographic proofs are exchanged.
- Deployed on Solana Devnet - Program ID:
8jrTVUyvHrL5WTWyDoa6PTJRhh3MwbvLZXeGT81YjJjz - Camera QR Scanning - Real-time detection at ~60fps
- Automatic Proof Generation - All 3 proofs in ~5 seconds
- IndexedDB Storage - Client-side proof caching with 7-day expiration
- Full Documentation - Testing guide, contributing guide, API docs
# 1. Clone and install
git clone <your-repo-url>
cd SolsticeProtocol
# 2. Install dependencies
cd backend && npm install
cd ../frontend && npm install
cd ../circuits && npm install
# 3. Setup database
createdb solstice_protocol
psql -d solstice_protocol -f backend/db/schema.sql
# 4. Configure environment
cp backend/.env.example backend/.env
# Edit backend/.env and frontend/.env with your settings
# 5. Start servers (2 terminals)
# Terminal 1:
cd backend && node src/index.js
# Terminal 2:
cd frontend && npm run dev
# 6. Open browser
open http://localhost:5173/Full Setup Guide: See TESTING_GUIDE.md for comprehensive instructions.
- TESTING_GUIDE.md - Complete setup and testing instructions
- CONTRIBUTING.md - Development guidelines and code standards
- PROJECT_COMPLETE.md - Completion status and architecture
- WHITEPAPER.md - Protocol design and cryptography details
Self-Sovereign Identity on Solana: Solstice brings browser-based, privacy-preserving identity verification to Solana's ecosystem. Users scan their mAadhaar QR code once, and the system automatically generates all necessary zero-knowledge proofs locally in their browser—no personal data ever leaves their device.
- All ZK proof generation occurs in-browser using snarkjs
- Personal identity data never transmitted to servers or blockchain
- Cryptographic commitments stored on-chain, not raw data
- Users maintain full control over their identity proofs
- Single QR scan generates three proofs: Age, Nationality, and Uniqueness
- Proofs cached locally for 7 days for instant verification
- Total generation time: ~5 seconds for all three proofs
- No manual proof generation required per dApp
- 5000x cost reduction through ZK compression
- Compressed Merkle trees for efficient state management
- Poseidon hashing optimized for zero-knowledge circuits
- Nullifier-based Sybil resistance
- Groth16 proof system with BN254 elliptic curves
- On-chain verification in Solana smart contracts
- 256-byte compressed proofs for minimal storage
- Sub-second verification times
- No complex wallet interactions required
- QR code scanning replaces traditional KYC flows
- One-time setup, perpetual verification
- Compatible with any Solana dApp
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Frontend (React + TypeScript) │
│ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────┐ │
│ │ QR Scanner │ │ Proof Gen │ │ Wallet Integration │ │
│ │ (jsQR) │ │ (snarkjs) │ │ (@solana/wallet) │ │
│ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────────────┘ │
└────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┘
│
↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Backend API (Node.js + Express) │
│ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────┐ │
│ │ QR Parser │ │ Commitment │ │ Database │ │
│ │ (@anon- │ │ Generator │ │ (PostgreSQL) │ │
│ │ aadhaar) │ │ │ │ │ │
│ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────────────┘ │
└────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┘
│
↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Solana Blockchain (Anchor Framework) │
│ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Identity │ │ Groth16 │ │ Light Protocol │ │
│ │ Registry │ │ Verifier │ │ Compression │ │
│ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────────────┘ │
└────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────────┘
│
↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ZK Circuits (Circom + snarkjs) │
│ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Age Proof │ │ Nationality │ │ Uniqueness Proof │ │
│ │ (~50K const) │ │ (~30K const) │ │ (~10K constraints) │ │
│ └──────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────────────┘ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
- User Scans QR Code: Upload mAadhaar QR code via web interface
- Data Extraction: Backend parses QR using @anon-aadhaar/core library
- Commitment Generation: Cryptographic commitment created from identity data
- Blockchain Storage: Commitment stored in compressed Solana account (Light Protocol)
- Automatic Proof Generation: Browser generates all three ZK proofs in parallel
- Local Storage: Proofs cached in localStorage for instant future use
- dApp Requests Proof: Application specifies required attribute (e.g., age > 18)
- Proof Retrieval: User's browser loads cached proof from localStorage
- Local Pre-verification: Proof integrity checked client-side before submission
- On-chain Submission: Proof submitted to Solana smart contract
- Groth16 Verification: Contract cryptographically verifies proof validity
- Access Granted: dApp authenticates user based on verification result
Proves user meets minimum age requirement without revealing exact date of birth.
- Public Inputs: Minimum age threshold, identity commitment
- Private Inputs: Actual age, identity secret nonce
- Circuit Constraints: ~50,000
- Proof Generation Time: 2-3 seconds
- Proof Size: 256 bytes
Verifies user's nationality without exposing other personal information.
- Public Inputs: Allowed country code, identity commitment
- Private Inputs: User's nationality, identity secret nonce
- Circuit Constraints: ~30,000
- Proof Generation Time: 1-2 seconds
- Proof Size: 256 bytes
Ensures one person creates only one identity, preventing Sybil attacks.
- Public Inputs: Global nullifier registry, identity commitment
- Private Inputs: Aadhaar number hash, identity secret nonce
- Circuit Constraints: ~10,000
- Proof Generation Time: <1 second
- Proof Size: 256 bytes
- KYC/AML compliance for regulated protocols
- Age-gated financial products (18+ verification)
- Sybil-resistant governance and airdrops
- Cross-chain identity portability
- Age verification for mature content
- Unique player identification
- Bot prevention in competitive games
- Fair reward distribution
- One-person-one-vote mechanisms
- Citizenship verification for nation DAOs
- Quadratic funding Sybil resistance
- Reputation systems
- Verified user badges
- Bot-free communities
- Age-appropriate content filtering
- Trust scores without doxxing
Blockchain Layer
- Solana (High-performance L1 blockchain)
- Anchor Framework (Smart contract development)
- Light Protocol (ZK compression primitives)
- @solana/web3.js (JavaScript SDK)
Zero-Knowledge Proof System
- Circom (Circuit compiler)
- snarkjs (Proof generation/verification)
- Groth16 (Proving system)
- circomlibjs (Cryptographic primitives)
Identity Integration
- @anon-aadhaar/core (QR parsing library)
- mAadhaar (Indian government identity app)
- RSA-2048 (Signature verification)
Frontend Stack
- React 18 + TypeScript
- Vite (Build tool)
- TailwindCSS (Styling)
- @solana/wallet-adapter (Wallet integration)
Backend Infrastructure
- Node.js + Express (API server)
- PostgreSQL (Identity registry database)
- Axios (HTTP client)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Identity Registration | ~5 seconds |
| Proof Generation (all 3) | ~5 seconds |
| On-chain Verification | <1 second |
| Storage Cost (compressed) | 0.00002 SOL |
| Storage Cost (traditional) | 0.1 SOL |
| Cost Reduction | 5000x |
| Concurrent Users Supported | 1.4+ billion |
- Groth16 provides 128-bit security level
- BN254 elliptic curve pairing-based cryptography
- Poseidon hash function resistant to algebraic attacks
- Trusted setup ceremony for circuit parameters
- Zero-knowledge: No information leaked beyond proof statement
- Unlinkability: Different proofs cannot be correlated
- Non-interactivity: Proofs verifiable without prover interaction
- Forward secrecy: Compromised proofs don't reveal past proofs
- Nullifier-based uniqueness enforcement
- Aadhaar number hashing prevents identity reuse
- On-chain nullifier registry tracks used identities
- Cryptographic guarantee of one-person-one-identity
Solstice Protocol is designed with regulatory compliance in mind:
- GDPR Compliant: Personal data never stored on-chain or servers
- KYC/AML Compatible: Verifiable government-issued credentials
- Right to be Forgotten: Users can delete local proofs anytime
- Data Minimization: Only necessary commitments stored on-chain
- Consent-Based: Users explicitly approve each verification request
For comprehensive technical details, cryptographic protocols, and economic analysis, please refer to our whitepaper:
Read the Solstice Protocol Whitepaper
The whitepaper covers:
- Detailed cryptographic protocols and security proofs
- Circuit design and constraint optimization
- Economic incentives and tokenomics
- Governance mechanisms
- Future roadmap and scaling strategies
- Formal verification and audit results
For developers interested in integrating Solstice Protocol or running a local instance:
- Clone Repository:
git clone https://github.com/Shaurya2k06/SolsticeProtocol.git - Install Dependencies:
npm installin root, frontend, backend, circuits directories - Compile Circuits:
cd circuits && npm run compile:all - Deploy Contracts:
cd contracts && anchor build && anchor deploy - Start Services: Run backend (
npm run dev) and frontend (npm run dev)
SolsticeProtocol/
├── frontend/ # React + TypeScript web application
│ ├── src/
│ │ ├── components/ # UI components (QRScanner, VerificationFlow)
│ │ ├── contexts/ # React contexts (SolsticeContext)
│ │ ├── lib/ # Proof generation, Aadhaar parsing
│ │ └── assets/ # Static assets
│ └── public/ # Public files, compiled circuits
├── backend/ # Node.js API server
│ ├── src/
│ │ ├── routes/ # API endpoints
│ │ ├── db/ # Database schema and queries
│ │ └── utils/ # Aadhaar parsing, proof verification
│ └── logs/ # Application logs
├── contracts/ # Solana smart contracts (Anchor)
│ ├── programs/ # Rust program code
│ ├── tests/ # Anchor tests
│ └── scripts/ # Deployment scripts
├── circuits/ # Zero-knowledge circuits (Circom)
│ ├── age_proof.circom
│ ├── nationality_proof.circom
│ ├── uniqueness_proof.circom
│ └── scripts/ # Circuit compilation scripts
└── docs/ # Additional documentation
We welcome contributions from the community! Please see our Contributing Guidelines for details on:
- Code of conduct
- Development workflow
- Pull request process
- Testing requirements
- Documentation standards
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
- Aadhaar: India's Unique Identification Authority for the identity infrastructure
- Light Protocol: For ZK compression primitives on Solana
- Self Protocol: Inspiration for privacy-preserving identity on blockchain
- @anon-aadhaar: For QR parsing libraries and cryptographic utilities
- Circom & snarkjs: For zero-knowledge proof tooling
- Website: [Coming Soon]
- GitHub: https://github.com/Solstice-Protocol
- Email: [Coming Soon]
- Twitter: [Coming Soon]
- Discord: [Coming Soon]
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