Develop & Publish Initial Proof-of-Location Claim Specification

[johnx25bd]

Summary

We are creating the foundational specification for a Location Proof Protocol that supports a variety of proof strategies while maintaining a standard data model. Once the initial spec is ready, we’ll share the documentation and repository publicly to gather feedback and encourage community adoption.

Purpose

• Establish a flexible yet standardized approach for location proofs on the decentralized web.
• Document core concepts, data model, deployment details, and architectural overviews.
• Provide clarity for external contributors—developers, researchers, and domain experts—so they can integrate or build upon our proof-of-location framework.

Requirements

1. Create the Specification Docs

   • Introduction & Architecture: Share the purpose and design requirements. Summarize the overarching v1.0 design (proof schema, extensions (recipes, media, location types), on-chain components, how various “recipes” or proof strategies fit).
   • Schema Definitions: Detail how location proofs are encoded, including field descriptions and how they map to real-world usage. The formal specification should not rely on EAS, though EAS is the best tool / infrastructure for us to create proofs on EVM-compatible chains.
   • Location Types & Media Handling: Outline examples of possible coordinate systems, data attachments, and the flexibility for new or future expansions.
   • Strategies & Recipes: Show how developers can contribute new proof strategies, referencing the existing “recipe” concept.
   • Digital Signatures: Include information on how digital signatures are incorporated to make location proofs cryptographically verifiable, and extensible to support zero knowledge location proofs. Note that while v0.1 uses EVM-compatible digital signature algorithms and EVM-based wallet software, this is not a requirement, and the formal specification should not prescribe this. (Instead the digital signature algorithms will be defined in the version, or possible in an additional field in the schema.)

2. Extend & Polish Existing Content

   • Integrate key portions of the docs (Location Types, Media Types, etc.) from your working drafts into a cohesive specification document.
   • Consider whether references to Arbitrum, Celo, Ethereum deployments are necessary, and if so, make sure they're accurate and up to date. To emphasize: location proofs are ecosystem agnostic, we don't want to lead prospective users to believe they need to use specific blockchains, or blockchains at all.
   • Clarify the difference between “core” schema fields vs. optional or extended fields. Consider defining how extended fields (working title: "subschemas" are defined and recorded).

3. Prepare Public Repository & Documentation Site

   • Host the spec in a centralized location. Either in the astralprotocol monorepo, or in a separate repo specifically for the Location Proof Protocol, plus on the relevant doc site.
   • Provide a simple “How to Contribute” section—explain how folks can propose new location types, media types, or strategies.

4. Onboarding & Usage Examples

   • Show at least one example of creating and verifying a location proof, using the Logbook or a minimal reference script.
   • Demonstrate how to attach media (photos, URLs, etc.) to a proof.
   • Suggest best practices for storing large media off-chain (IPFS, Filecoin).

5. Public Announcement & Feedback

   • After initial publication, announce on social media, GitHub Discussions, or blog.
   • Solicit feedback from early adopters—especially those with domain expertise in geospatial, zero-knowledge proofs, or hardware-based location strategies (Decentralized Geospatial Web Working Group).

Acceptance Criteria

• A readable, cohesive specification in the documentation (or dedicated folder) detailing the LPP’s architecture, EAS schema, location types, and recipe approach.
• Clear instructions for building and verifying a basic location proof, either via Logbook or a stand-alone script.
• A “How to Contribute” guide explaining how to propose new proof strategies, location types, or media attachments.
• Public visibility: specs and docs are viewable in the repo and a docs site), with an announcement directing community members to provide feedback.

Tasks

• Draft the initial proof-of-location spec (Introduction, EAS schema, strategies overview, architecture).
• Incorporate details from existing docs (Location Types, Media Types, recipe concept).
• Add an example flow (creating + verifying proofs) to illustrate usage.
• Create a “Contributing” or “Recipe” section for new strategies.
• Publish the docs in the astralprotocol monorepo (or dedicated docs platform).
• Announce the spec release on social media / blog post, requesting feedback.

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Questions, suggestions, or interest in creating new location proof strategies? Post in our dev channel or comment below.