Proof of Inspiration (PoI)

5.1 Formal Definition

Proof of Inspiration (PoI) is a zero-knowledge attestable cryptographic primitive that enables a creator to commit to and prove linkage between a newly minted creative asset and an existing work without disclosing sensitive relationships. It introduces programmable attribution guarantees at the protocol level while preserving creator privacy.

Formally:

Given:

• Original Work Identifier: H_o = keccak256(URI_o || metadata)

• New Work: W_n

• Commitment: C_poi = H(H_o || PK_creator || salt)

• zk-Proof: π ∈ ZK{ knows (H_o, salt) : C_poi = H(H_o || PK_creator || salt) }

where:

• PK_creator = Creator’s onchain public key

• H_o = Hash of the prior work (can be IPFS CID, ENS, or NFT ID)

• π = Zero-knowledge proof binding the new work to the original

The ZoraFactory deploy hook verifies π to activate attribution-dependent mechanisms.

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5.2 Protocol Components

5.2.1 Hash Commitment Scheme

• Hash Algorithm: keccak256

• Inputs: (originalWorkIdentifier, creatorPublicKey, salt)

• Purpose: Non-malleable binding of inspiration source to a specific creator, preventing substitution or replay attacks.

5.2.2 zk-SNARK Circuit

• Circuit: PoI_Circuit

• Inputs:

  • Public: C_poi

  • Private: (H_o, salt)

• Statement Proven:

  “I know an original work H_o such that C_poi = H(H_o || PK_creator || salt)”

• zk System: Groth16 or Plonk

• Proof Size: ~200 bytes (Groth16); Verification gas: ~200k–400k depending on optimization

5.2.3 Onchain Verifier Contract

• Verifies proof validity.

• Emits InspirationLinked(original, derived, commitment) event for graph construction.

• Interfaces with the PostDeployHook on ZoraFactory to activate downstream effects.

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5.3 Execution Flow

sequenceDiagram
  participant User
  participant ZoraFactory
  participant PoI_Verifier
  participant UniswapV4Pool

  User->>User: Generate inspiration hash H_o
  User->>User: Generate zkProof π for H_o
  User->>ZoraFactory: deployCoin(payout, owners, ..., C_poi, π)
  ZoraFactory->>PoI_Verifier: verifyProof(C_poi, π)
  PoI_Verifier-->>ZoraFactory: Valid
  ZoraFactory->>UniswapV4Pool: Create liquidity pool
  ZoraFactory-->>User: Coin deployed with Proof of Inspiration

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5.4 Economic Integration

• Royalty Splits: PoI_RoyaltyRouter enforces dynamic x% streaming to originalWorkOwner on every trade.

• Inspiration Weighting: w_i ∈ [0,1] → proportional attribution weight (configurable via postDeployHookData).

• Recursive Inspiration Graphs: Supports multi-hop inspiration lineage, traceable via event logs and onchain graph indexers.

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5.5 Security Properties

Property	Guarantee
Non-Repudiation	Binding commitment to creator key
Privacy Preservation	No disclosure of original work unless opted in
Resistance to Sybil	Verified with onchain PK + deterministic salt
Replay Protection	Unique commitment per work

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5.6 Potential Attacks & Mitigations

Attack Type	Mitigation
Fake Inspiration	Requires valid zk-Proof over actual H_o
False Attribution	No PoI → No enforced revenue sharing
Denial of Service	zk verifier optimized for low onchain cost

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5.7 Future Extensions

• Threshold PoI: zk-aggregated proofs for multi-inspiration works.

• Encrypted Inspirations: Homomorphic commitments for privacy-preserving discovery.

• Integration with Zora Rewards SDK: Enhanced for social graph-based reputation rewards.