Aleo x Icebreaker: Get your zkCat NFT at zkHouse Devconnect Istanbul

What do dynamic NFTs, self-sovereign identity (SSI), zero-knowledge (ZK) cryptography — and cats — have in common? 

They’re all part of Aleo and Icebreaker’s interactive dynamic passport experience at Aleo zkHouse, Devconnect, kicking off next week in Istanbul. With a shared passion for ZK technology, Aleo and Icebreaker teamed up to offer Devconnect attendees a single evolving dynamic and gamified zkNFT — that’s very on-brand for Istanbul.

If you’ll be at Devconnect, head on over to Aleo zkHouse to claim your free collectible zkCat and realize its full potential as you engage. By attending seven or more zkHouse events and completing six workshops, you can fully upgrade your zkCat, all while unlocking access to exclusive perks and swag.

As you participate in zkHouse workshops and events, you might come across these cool zkCats:

^{Aleo x Icebreaker zkCat NFTs}

Start by activating your Icebreaker wristband 

You’ll receive a colored wristband at the beginning of your Aleo zkHouse-Icebreaker journey. You can tap to claim your wristband on Icebreaker using an NFC or QR code. After completing your onboarding with Icebreaker (you can log in with a Web3 address or Web2 method), your wristband will confer you with an exclusive Aleo verifiable credential and your very own zkCat. 

You can tap other attendees' wristbands and vice versa to make self-sovereign connections through Icebreaker; plus, your wristband is yours to keep after the event. 

The more you participate, the more your zkCat evolves 

As you engage in Aleo workshops and events, you’ll find check-in discs encoded with secret keys that will level up your zkCat. Each time you get a new code, you’ll be prompted to “evolve” your zkCat, potentially changing its appearance and metadata.

^{Icebreaker NFC check-in disc}

Fully leveling up your zkCat requires you to code (we are at Devconnect, after all) — so show off your technical skills by building and deploying ZK apps at Aleo workshops and events like Learn & Earn and Hacker House. As you complete events, Aleo team members will reveal secret cards to unlock zkCat upgrades.

Zero-knowledge drives the zkCat experience  

How does ZK come into play? Well, that’s partly a secret. If you look closely at your zkCat’s metadata, you’ll notice a special field for “Powers of Tau Contributor.” If that rings a bell, it’s because it’s a nod to the early contributors and supporters who participated in the 2021 Aleo Setup Ceremony. Unlike other zkCat metadata, which is based on verifiable behaviors at zkHouse Devconnect, this optional metadata indicates your past (and special) Powers of Tau Contributor activities. 

We don’t expect (or recommend!) that you carry your 2021 wallet, so we built a special zero-knowledge proving flow into Icebreaker. This allows you to privately generate a proof from your original Powers of Tau wallet, which results in a ZK verifiable credential on Icebreaker. Once the credential is generated, your zkCat will upgrade to its secret level and may reveal future surprises.

Future applications of self-sovereign identity

Aleo and Icebreaker see self-sovereign identity (SSI) as a core pillar of mainstream Web3 adoption. As Aleo prepares to launch mainnet, it envisions integrating Icebreaker’s innovative SSI solution with the Aleo blockchain. This integration will enable additional privacy-preserving use cases made possible by Aleo’s ZK execution environment.

Moreover, we’re exploring coupling Icebreaker’s unique SSIs with zPass, Aleo’s identity verification product. This bi-directional integration would allow Web3 users to have unique credentials generated on Icebreaker and verified via zPass as part of their decentralized identity (or vice versa). 

Also, during this initial phase, zkCats are on Polygon; in future phases, they may be found on other EVM chains or Aleo itself, a testament to the composability of crypto ecosystems and how Aleo channels crypto’s composability ethos. 

These are merely ideas at the moment — Aleo and Icebreaker look to collaborate with builders at Devconnect who might be interested in exploring this topic with us. You can join any of Aleo’s zkHouse workshops or events to connect with our team directly (or you can chat with Aleo on Discord or Icebreaker on Telegram). 

Aleo and Icebreaker are excited to put the latest innovations in decentralized identity, ZK technology, and fun, useful blockchain applications like dynamic NFTs in your hands.

We hope to see you — and your zkCat — at Aleo zkHouse!

Just like this collaboration, this blog post was co-authored by Aleo and Icebreaker.

About Icebreaker

Icebreaker is on a mission to promote self-sovereign identity by helping people connect and verifiably share things about themselves privately, while giving brands marketing superpowers. If you’d like to prove something privately about yourself or power a dynamic experience for your brand, we’d love to hear from you!

About Aleo

Aleo is zero-knowledge by design— the only full-stack Layer 1 blockchain integrating ZK at every level to build an actually secure internet. Aleo provides a zero-knowledge technology platform with uncompromising speed and privacy, allowing developers to build full-stack, private applications with the power of ZK on L1.