Mind Vault

Mind Vault is a private journaling app on Midnight blockchain. Using zero-knowledge proofs, it ensures your mental health data stays secure, addressing breaches in apps & empowering user control.

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Mind Vault: Empowering Men’s Mental Health with Privacy

Inspiration

As a Nigerian developer in Abuja, I’m driven by the silent struggles of brothers and friends. Men face intense stigma here, 79% of Nigeria’s 12.9/100k suicides are male, surpassing the global 9.0. Across Africa, men’s suicide rate hits 18/100k, and globally, men account for 75–80% of 720,000 annual suicides due to stereotypes shaming vulnerability.

In Nigeria, mental health is often dismissed as spiritual, and app breaches (e.g., Daylio) deter use, I don't want my thoughts which were hard to write out there with someone else. Mind Vault is my mission to give Nigerian, African, and global men a secure, private journaling app using Midnight’s blockchain to break this silence.

What it does

Mind Vault is a web-first app on Midnight’s testnet, leveraging zkSNARKs for privacy. Users log encrypted journal entries and moods (1–10 scale or tags like “anxious”), view private summaries, and share ZK proofs without revealing content. Streak badges as NFTs, tied to NIGHT tokens, motivate men wary of mental health tools due to stigma or data risks.

How we built it

Built solo:

  • Frontend: React.js with Next.js; Tailwind/vite CSS for mobile-responsive UI, optimized for patchy networks (touch-friendly inputs, fluid layouts).
  • Blockchain: Midnight SDK for client-side ZK proofs; Compact smart contracts for encrypted storage.
  • Deployment: Vercel with PWA for offline access.
  • Features: Encrypted journaling (1,000-char limit), ZK-proof sharing, mood tracking, NFT badges.
  • Workflow: Agile sprints, GitHub, Midnight & Discord forums for SDK help.

Challenges we ran into

  • Docs Confusion: TypeScript setup guides clashed; no sample projects for new installation process caused “Compact compilation failed” errors, losing a day.
  • Faucet Issues: Testnet faucet failed during peak hours, delaying DUST transactions.
  • Time Constraints: Solo dev with a day job and NEPA outages forced cutting AI prompts to prioritize privacy.
  • ZK Complexity: Learning ZK was tough but eye-opening.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

  • With the help of the bulletin board contract, I built on that and made my own contract.
  • I wrote my own test suite cases for the contract.
  • I built my own frontend and userflow which was also mobile responsive.

What we learned

  • Midnight’s SDK and TypeScript Compact contracts enable rapid prototyping.
  • ZK proofs (Halo2 zkSNARKs) balance privacy and usability.
  • Tailwind CSS excels for responsive design on unstable networks.
  • Prioritizing under pressure is key for solo devs like me.

What's next for Mind Vault

By 2026, I want to add mobile native apps & also add client-side AI prompts (e.g., “Low mood? Try a walk”), anonymous peer circles for men’s support, and partner with wearable syncs (e.g., Fitbit).

Also, therapist links, a global mood map for male trends, and crisis hotlines—all lean and privacy-first to fight stigma for Nigerian, African, and global men.

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