Vote NAY - Pixelproof – A Decentralized Photo App for Everyone

Hello,

Thanks for the proposal, the project is relevant and well-structured. I have a few quick questions:

• Who exactly is on the project team? Backend, frontend, UX, infrastructure, etc.? Any profiles or past experience you can share?
• What is the specific role of Parity and R0gue in the project?
• Do you have a long-term business model in mind (freemium, commissions, etc.) or any concrete monetization plans?
• The name “Pixelproof” feels quite technical (my personal opinion), have you considered something more accessible for a mainstream audience?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

Could you share the full proposal in the link in Google Drive?

I think this a wonderful initiative and I truly appreciate the collaboration with different ecosystem teams. The idea of showcasing the technology via a mainstream product could really drive adoption.

I think that to be successful at this, the product needs to truly differentiate itself from other available mainstream options like Apple or Google Photos. Decentralization and ownership are already a great start, I would however focus as well on privacy (via end-to-end encryption). In my opinion this is a must, even iCloud Photos has opt-in E2EE[0].

Having used both Immich[1] and Ente[2], my personal experience is that Ente is ahead of Immich in UX and privacy. Like immich, Ente is also an open source project but they have already implemented E2E encryption, meaning your personal photos cannot be accessed by anyone, neither on their way to the storage solution nor on it.

[0] https://support.apple.com/en-us/102651

[1] https://github.com/immich-app

[2] https://github.com/ente-io

p.s. extra points for posting the proposal in PDF format :)

Spending so much funding on such a project, which you can find a lot in the market.

Spending so much funding on such a project, which you can find a lot in the market.

PolkaWorld votes NAY

We don’t believe decentralized photo management is a pressing or essential need for the Polkadot DAO at this time. Even if the product is successfully built, we’re skeptical about its ability to attract a large base of non-crypto users.

Additionally, the proposal lacks clear information about the team members and presents an overly vague and unstructured budget.

For these reasons, we don’t think it’s a wise use of $570,000 on something that isn’t a core priority — the cost-effectiveness simply isn’t there.

Read all feedback here.

Dear Proposer,

Thank you for your proposal. Our first vote on this proposal is NAY.

The Big Spender track requires 60% quorum according to our voting policy v0.2, and any referendum in which the majority of members vote abstain receives an abstain vote. This proposal has received zero aye and four nay votes from ten available members, with one member abstaining. Below is a summary of our members' comments:

The voters expressed skepticism about the initiative, citing concerns over its high pricing and lack of user adoption strategies. While some appreciated the vision and creativity, they felt that without a mobile component and clearer incentives, widespread usage would be unlikely. Many suggested that a lower initial investment tied to a viable use case would be more effective, emphasizing the need for a focus on adoption rather than merely showcasing technology. Overall, the sentiment leaned towards caution and a desire for more concrete plans before committing.

The full discussion can be found in our internal voting.

Please feel free to contact us through the links below for further discussion.

Kind regards,
Permanence DAO
Decentralized Voices Cohort IV Delegate

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OG Tracker Rating 3/3

Clear display of deliverables✅

• Planning & Web3 Backend Architecture
• Storage Integration
• Access Control Layer
• Wallet Integration
• Monetization Features
• Final QA & Docs

Clear display of a valid direct point of contact ✅

• Email: matjaz@apillon.io

Clear display of proposal’s duration✅

• The duration of this proposal is 6-8 months.

OGT Rating aims to help voters make better informed decisions and direct proposers towards certain common-good practices. We are providing feedback based on 3 simple yet crucial criteria which we believe should be included in every OpenGov referenda.

JAM Implementers DAO votes NAY on this proposal

The idea is compelling: a fully decentralized alternative to Google Photos, with clean UX, embedded wallet auth, AI moderation, and privacy-preserving infra. But the ask is steep: $575,000 for a first-time delivery, without a live MVP.

Multiple JAM DAO voters pushed for a leaner route. Why not request just enough to build and ship an MVP? Then let the product speak for itself, build momentum, and return for additional funding if it proves viable.

While the proposal claims Pixelproof will redirect all revenue to the Treasury, there was no concrete implementation plan, timeline, or projections to back that up.

Bottom line: a strong idea, but an oversized ask. Many JAM DAO voters want to see traction before handing over half a million dollars. A phased approach would likely receive broader support.

TruthDAO votes NAY.

As this proposal falls under the “big spender” category, it requires an 80% approval rate to pass. Within the DAO, two-thirds chose to abstain and one-third voted against — meaning the threshold was not met, and the final outcome is a rejection. In TruthDAO, we evaluate proposals based on the proportion of affirmative support, counting only explicit YES votes toward the required majority.

We believe the market demand for decentralized photo storage products is currently not strong.

Additionally, we would like to raise two further points:

1. Budget transparency: Please provide a more detailed breakdown of the budget, including estimated development time, number of developers involved, and their respective backgrounds and responsibilities.
2. Relationship with Parity: We would appreciate more clarity on this project’s connection to Parity. Can Parity publicly explain its rationale for supporting a decentralized photo storage application? Are there any direct or indirect interests involved?

We welcome further clarification on these issues so the community can more fairly assess this proposal.

You can read our full feedback here.

📖Truth DAO Governance Statement

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🗳️ Delegate

On behalf of the 🌶️ Hungarian Polkadot DAO 🌶️:

While the technical vision of Pixelproof is compelling, the proposal represents a high-risk investment of community funds without adequate justification for the treasury acting as a VC. The community should consider:

1. Requiring private funding first to demonstrate market validation
2. Establishing clear treasury investment guidelines before approving such proposals
3. Focusing on infrastructure and developer tools that benefit the broader ecosystem
4. Demanding comprehensive business plans including realistic total cost projections and exit strategies
   The Polkadot ecosystem would be better served by supporting initiatives that strengthen the foundation for future consumer applications rather than prematurely betting on specific consumer products.

You can view how the 🌶️ Hungarian Polkadot DAO 🌶️ evaluated this proposal on our public page here.