zkav.club

PeerTube for Zcash: Decision + Implementation Plan

Executive summary (for publication): Zcash needs its own video infrastructure because the current default requires users to trade privacy for access. Zk Av Club is deploying watchz.cash, a community-run PeerTube instance for the Zcash ecosystem where viewing and publishing do not depend on surveillance platforms.

This document defines the MVP scope, hosting approach, federation posture, moderation baseline, and sustainability model, and reflects live infrastructure progress.

Target: Invite-only alpha by April 30, 2026.

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Owner: Zk Av Club (Lead Organizer) Status: Active (alpha live, April 2026) Infrastructure execution began March 2026. Last updated: 2026-04-28

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Current status (quick view)

The project has moved from deployment into working alpha.

Last infrastructure action: upload + playback validated; backup + restore completed (April 2026)

• Public docs: Done
• Architecture decisions: Done (local-first storage)
• Object storage (Wasabi): Backups only
• Server provisioning (Njalla VPS): Complete
• Server hardening: Complete
• Core services (Postgres, Redis, Caddy): Complete
• PeerTube deployment: Complete (working)
• Backups: Complete (rclone + cron + restore tested)
• Monitoring: Not started
• Seed content prep: In progress
• Alpha onboarding: In progress (test uploaders)

Next milestone: Operate alpha → upload Zcon and ZecHub videos → validate workflows → refine moderation + scaling

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1) Goals, scope, and non-goals

Goals

1. Provide a stable video home for the Zcash ecosystem
2. Offer a privacy-respecting alternative to centralized platforms
3. Establish a repeatable publishing workflow
4. Define moderation and governance
5. Build a sustainable operating model

Scope (MVP)

• One PeerTube instance
• Trusted uploader model
• Approval-first publishing
• Backup baseline
• Initial curated content set

Non-goals

• Fully open publishing
• Large-scale migration
• Multi-node infrastructure

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2) Key decisions (MVP)

Hosting

• Njalla VPS (max tier)
• Debian 12
• ZFS

Storage (April 2026 update)

• Primary: Local storage (Njalla)
• Backup: Wasabi (rclone)

Object storage was tested for delivery and abandoned. System is now local-first due to complexity and poor fit for ingest-heavy workflows.

Deployment

• Docker Compose

Federation

• Curated allow/block model

Access model

• Public registration (interaction only)
• Trusted uploaders
• Approval-first workflow

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3) Requirements and assumptions

Usage assumptions will be validated through alpha usage rather than pre-estimated.

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4) Moderation policy (summary)

• Admin and moderator roles
• Approval-first publishing
• Curated federation posture

Workflows are being tested during alpha.

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5) Deployment plan (execution overview)

Phase 1 — Infrastructure (completed)

• Server provisioned and secured

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Phase 2 — Core services (completed)

• ZFS, PostgreSQL, Redis, Caddy configured

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Phase 3 — PeerTube deployment (completed)

• PeerTube running at watchz.cash
• Connected to DB + cache

Note: SMTP not yet configured

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Phase 4 — Storage integration (revised)

• Wasabi → backups only
• Local storage → playback

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Phase 5 — Validation (completed)

• Upload → transcode → playback working
• Resumable uploads configured
• 480p / 720p / 1080p outputs verified

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Phase 6 — Invite-only alpha (active)

• Backups active (rclone + cron)
• Restore tested
• Public accounts (interaction only)
• Upload restricted
• Test uploaders onboarded
• P2P/WebTorrent disabled

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6) MVP milestone (April 30, 2026)

watchz.cash is in invite-only alpha with:

Technical

• Domain + HTTPS
• PeerTube operational
• DB + cache running
• Backups active

Product

• Restricted uploads
• Public interaction enabled
• Moderation baseline (in testing)

Content

• Channels created
• Initial uploads in progress

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7) Timeline

March

• Infrastructure setup

April

• Deployment completed
• Storage model revised
• Validation completed
• Alpha launched

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8) Sustainability notes

Cost drivers

• Storage
• Bandwidth
• Transcoding

Approach

• Constrained scope
• Measure real usage
• Scale based on demand

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9) Notes and updates

April marks the transition to a working alpha system.

Key changes:

• Storage: object → local-first
• Backups implemented
• Pipeline validated
• Alpha usage began

Next focus:

• Upload Zcon + ZecHub content
• Observe performance and costs
• Refine moderation and workflows
• Plan scaling strategy

For questions or collaboration: contact Zk Av Club.

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