Democratic countries: Vote to Earn? Georgia to launch ZK digital governance protocol, Taiwan's TAIVote following closely behind

In the Central Asian country of Georgia, parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 26. Opposition party member Giorgi Vashadze has introduced a blockchain identity authentication protocol called Rarimo, which utilizes zero-knowledge proofs to integrate national identification cards onto the blockchain. Similar issues, including personal proof of identity (PoP) and digital governance, have long been topics of discussion for Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin and others. Solutions to these issues, such as Worldcoin, zkPass, zkMe, and the recently mentioned zkKYC by OKX, all aim to address similar challenges.

To briefly explain zero-knowledge proofs, it is a cryptographic technology. For example, if I need to prove to a bank that I have a job without revealing the specifics of my employment, zero-knowledge proofs can demonstrate that a certain event occurred without disclosing personal information. Due to its privacy features, many PoP-related applications use zero-knowledge proofs to protect sensitive information.

Introduction to Personal Proof of Identity (PoP) | Challenges in the Development of Digital Identity

Opposition Party Introduces ZK Identity Verification, Proposes Liquid Democracy

According to a report, Georgia's opposition party United National Movement (UNM) alliance has partnered with Rarilabs to release a blockchain identity authentication protocol called Rarimo. Rarilabs, the developer of Rarimo, has established a privacy-centric blockchain protocol using zero-knowledge (ZK) technology, which powers United Space. United Space is part of UNM's digital administrative vision, aimed at simplifying government services and experimenting with universal basic income.

Due to increasing concerns about foreign interference in the country, United Space offers an unmonitored, tamper-proof voting mechanism to address these issues. The protocol allows citizens to participate in elections anonymously, ensuring their privacy is protected and reducing the risk of manipulating voters. This innovative approach enhances the security and transparency of the electoral process compared to traditional voting methods.

Giorgi Vashadze stated, "Verifying voters' eligibility and identity through zero-knowledge proofs allows for broader participation and brings more transparency and trust to the legislative process." Vashadze referred to it as digital democracy or Liquid Democracy, where "if you don’t like an official who makes a wrong decision, you will be able to withdraw your vote, your support, and give it to someone else."

Rewarding Active Citizens with Blockchain, Vote to Earn?

To address Georgia's low voter turnout, United Space has introduced a voter reward system where citizens not only receive rewards for voting but also for participating in civic activities. For example, voting on legislative referendums earns points that can be exchanged for the country's currency, Lari.

Giorgi Vashadze mentioned that if UNM wins the election and successfully forms a government, they plan to use the protocol as a way to engage people in governance. The platform will display laws or drafts and allow protocol users to vote on them. Vashadze envisions a system where a certain percentage of citizens' consent is required before a legislative draft is submitted to the parliament.

Will Georgia Be the First Country to Implement UBI Using Blockchain? Election Results Await at Month End

However, this system is not just about voting; UNM sees United Space as a potential platform for Universal Basic Income (UBI). This would involve redistributing the income generated by the protocol directly to Georgian citizens. If realized, this UBI experiment could provide financial support to many in the country and potentially reshape Georgia's economic landscape.

Whether this protocol will be implemented in the country depends on the October 26th election. While UNM has pledged to use the protocol for governance if elected, more detailed technical documentation is currently unavailable, leaving room for further developments and clarification.

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Taiwan Also Promotes Digital Rights, Pao Po Collaborates with World App to Launch TAIVote

In a similar vein, non-constituency legislator Grace T. J. Ge attended an event hosted by Worldcoin in San Francisco yesterday and announced that his office will work with Sam Altman and Alex Blania to promote a new citizen participation solution for AI-era digital rights, technology anti-fraud, and real-person privacy verification.

It is understood that the project will be developed by colleagues in the Pao Po office. Legislator Grace T. J. Ge stated that efforts will be made to promote international cooperation between the World ID real-person voting platform TAIVote and World App.