What Neighbors Know, Let the World Know
Same business. Two ratings. Neighbors and visitors can experience the same business differently. ZIQOO never blends the two. You see a Neighbor Rating and a Visitor Rating, side by side.
Read Technical Paper (PDF)- 6ZIQOO-related registered patents
- 4ZIQOO-related pending applications
- 2015First patent filing
- Ledger 2021Founder's blockchain paper
The core features are already built into the app: Neighbor and Visitor Reviews, the Neighborhood Community, encrypted messaging, and a self-custodial wallet. ZIQOO Token rewards will be enabled in stages according to the official launch schedule.
Sample review feedback
- ProsTastes the same every time
- ConsThere's a wait at lunch
Three steps. That's it.
- 1
Register My Places
Add your home, workplace, and other places you know well, then create a wallet. Exact addresses are encrypted on your device and never stored on the server.
- 2
Review and join in
Inside your Neighbor Review Range (1–3 km), choose a Neighbor Review or a Visitor Review; outside it, write a Visitor Review. Talk with neighbors in Neighborhood News, Neighborhood Groups, and chats.
- 3
Get rewarded (planned)
Regardless of star ratings or positive or negative tone, ZIQOO Token rewards are planned to be paid straight to your wallet for reviews and Weekly Missions.
It's not just the stars. It's whose experience they reflect.
People who use businesses near their My Places and people passing through on a trip can see the same business differently. ZIQOO doesn't hide that difference in a single average.
Neighbor Reviews
Register your home, workplace, or another place you know well as My Places, and write Neighbor Reviews for businesses within 1–3 km. They can capture what you learn through repeated use, such as whether service stays consistent or prices change.
Visitor Reviews
For businesses in areas you visit briefly, such as on a trip or for work. They capture what stands out on a first visit: first impressions, accessibility, on-site guidance. You can also choose a Visitor Review inside your Neighbor Review Range.
The two ratings are never combined. See the Neighbor Rating and the Visitor Rating separately and compare them directly. Review restaurants, and also everyday services like clinics, cafés, and beauty salons.
From a 2015 patent drawing to today's app
The 2015 drawing already shows residents' and non-residents' evaluations of each business in the search results list separately. Compare the Neighbor Rating, Visitor Rating, and wait times side by side right in the search results list.
Easier to write. More specific to read.
Pros & Cons
Just tap phrases other users have left, so writing a review takes only a moment. Can't find the one you want? Add your own.
Recommended menu items · Wait times
See the most recommended menu items and average wait times for lunch, dinner, and other hours. Decide what to order and when to go before you leave.
Age groups
See review counts by age group, so you know which age groups review a business most.
No separate visit verification is required. Instead, review volume is limited: up to 50 Neighbor Reviews in total in your first year, with the limit rising by 10 each year, and up to 100 Visitor Reviews in any rolling 365-day period. You can keep only one review per business. These limits do not fully guarantee that reviews are truthful.
Beyond reviews: connect with your neighbors
Set your home or workplace as My Neighborhood to open the Neighborhood tab. Share news in Neighborhood News and get together in Neighborhood Groups with people in the same Neighborhood Area.
Neighborhood News
All your neighbors' posts in one place. Browse by tags like Questions, Giveaways, Local News, Restaurants, and Hobbies, and check Trending to see what your neighborhood is talking about now.
Neighborhood Groups
Any neighbor can start or join a group. The group owner sets how people join: instant join, a question before joining, or owner approval.
International tab
Regional News and Groups where neighbors who share a nationality or spoken language get together. Choose one, nationality or spoken language, and only neighbors in your Neighborhood Area who make the same choice can join. The current service country and its language are not among the options.
You set your Neighborhood Radius
Choose 3 km, 5 km, or 7 km, and extend to 10 km or 20 km if you need to. This is set separately from the 1–3 km Neighbor Review Range.
One global 1 km grid
Neighborhoods are drawn on a global grid of 1 km cells, not on administrative districts that differ by country. So it works the same way wherever you are.
Your address and location stay private
Your home and workplace addresses and your current location are not shown to other users. Location data is removed from photos before upload. Your nationality and spoken language are private by default.
From a 2015 patent drawing to today's International tab
The 2015 drawing already shows a screen for finding people in the same area, with location tabs (current location, place of interest, home, workplace) and nationality, hometown, and foreigner tabs. In today's International tab, you pick a basis (nationality or spoken language) and a specific option with the two dropdown buttons outlined in gold. Unlike the drawing, it does not show addresses or current locations.
Neighborhood News, Neighborhood Groups, International News, and International Groups are communities many people read together, so unlike ZChat conversations they are not encrypted.
Encrypted conversations. New ways to express yourself.
1:1 Chat
End-to-end encryption (E2EE: locked on the sender's device and opened only on the recipient's) is applied by default.
Private Group Chat
Protected with Messaging Layer Security (MLS), an IETF standard for encrypting group chats.
Photos, videos, and attachments are encrypted on your device before they're stored, and the system is designed so servers can't read your conversations. Automatic recovery lets you pick up where you left off after a long break or a switch to a new device.
ZChat's five message formats
- Fog Message
- The text starts fully hidden and clears a little with every tap.
- Open Together
- 1:1 Chats only. Opens when both of you press at the same time, within a set time.
- Hidden Message
- Reveals the hidden text one line at a time, in the order you tap.
- Text Art
- Lays out a sentence in a shape, like a heart or a wave.
- Free-Grid Text Art
- Place characters anywhere on an empty grid to draw your own shape.
Try Fog Message
D●●●●●●●●●●●●●?
Open Together
Touch together now (within 20 sec)
* Illustrations of how the features work, not actual app screenshots.
From a 2015 patent drawing to today's Text Art
The special text alignment lines in the 2015 drawing led to today's Text Art.
AI Emojis from your own photo
Pick a photo and a desired vibe (Chibi character, Toon film, Semi-realistic, Anime style, Painted anime, and more) to turn your face into an emoji you can use right in your chats. Currently connected to Google Gemini's image generation AI (Nano Banana 2 Lite); the connected model and version may be updated over time.
- AI Emojis are currently generated through a connection to Google Gemini's image generation AI (Nano Banana 2 Lite; the connected version may change over time), and your photo is sent to that service when you create one.
- Public Channels are open to everyone, so they are not encrypted. Encryption does not protect against every security risk, such as a compromised device or screen captures.
Launching first in Korea, California, and Washington
Business search and reviews come first to regions where business data is ready. The service starts in Korea and the U.S. states of California and Washington, expands across the United States, and then moves to regions chosen by comparing actual usage data. A large-scale business dataset for Korea is already built on the server.
Community works in any country
Even where business search isn't supported yet, you can use chats, Public Channels, Neighborhood News, Neighborhood Groups, International News, and International Groups.
14 languages from day one
15 App Language (Locale) options if Simplified and Traditional Chinese are counted separately.
한국어 · English · 日本語 · 中文(简体·繁體) · Español · Français · Deutsch · Português · Русский · العربية · हिन्दी · ไทย · Tiếng Việt · Bahasa Indonesia
Owners manage their own business page
Once verified, business owners can manage their business information and menus.
The order and timing of expansion may change depending on business data availability, actual usage data, and legal review.
More than a decade of technology, brought together in ZIQOO
ZIQOO isn't just reviews, blockchain, and messaging packed into one app. It grew out of the founder's patents and research: location-based information and messaging since 2015, and blockchain since 2017.
- 1Since 20153 registered patents · 1 pending application
Location-based informationNeighbor & Visitor Reviews
Location-based information patents, first filed in 2015, led to today's review structure, which shows neighbor and visitor ratings separately.
- 2Since 20151 registered patent
Area + origin informationInternational Community
Technology for connecting people in the same area by origin information was part of the first 2015 filing and was later registered through a divisional application. It led to the International tab, which connects neighbors in the same Neighborhood Area by nationality or spoken language.
- 3Since 20152 registered patents · 1 pending application
Messaging patentsZChat
Registered patents on text display and message control, plus a 2026 application on message processing, led to Fog Message, Open Together, Hidden Message, Text Art, and Free-Grid Text Art.
- 4Since 20242 pending applications
Recommendation & reward applicationsBusiness information & rewards
Applications on cryptocurrency issuance control linked to recommendation rewards, and on location-based recommendation information by age group, led to ZIQOO's business information and reward design.
- 5Since 2017Founder's research and papers
Blockchain researchWallet & token design
The founder's research and business experience in blockchain and crypto assets are the technical background for ZIQOO's wallet and token structure.
6 registered patents and 4 pending applications relate to ZIQOO's core features. Separately, technology related to the two-way collateral structure proposed in the 2021 Ledger paper was registered as a Korean patent in 2024. Patent registration and paper publication do not prove ZIQOO's product effects; actual effects will be validated with service operating data.
The person behind ZIQOO
Sungil Kim, Ph.D.
Sole founder of ZIQOO and developer of the app. Co-founder of eosnodeone, an EOS blockchain node operator (block producer), and ALFA DLTA Inc., a crypto-backed lending company. He has published an academic paper in the blockchain field and registered related technology as a patent.
New Crypto-Secured Lending System with a Two-Way Collateral Function
Ledger, Vol. 6 (2021), pp. 1–16 · DOI 10.5915/LEDGER.2021.215
Identifies the limits of one-way deposit schemes and proposes a crypto-backed lending system based on two-way deposits.
Computing System Enabling Investment Through Two-Way Deposit of Collateral and Control Method Thereof
KR Patent 10-2672503 (filed Jun 4, 2020; registered May 31, 2024)
Technology related to the two-way collateral structure proposed in the paper was registered as a Korean patent in 2024.
New Network Security Method in Turing-Complete Cryptocurrency: User Accountability System
Written in 2017 · Unpublished
Examines the spam vulnerability and fee problems of Ethereum's gas system and proposes a "User Accountability System."
Rewards, straight to your own wallet
You manage the wallet you create in the app yourself. It's a self-custodial HD wallet for SOL and SPL tokens on the Solana network, so the ZIQOO operator never holds your assets for you.
Keep your recovery phrase yourself
Your recovery phrase is not stored on ZIQOO servers. If you lose or expose it, even ZIQOO can't recover your assets. Keep it somewhere safe.
Technical background
The wallet and token design grew out of the founder's blockchain research.
Founder & researchRewards for activity. Operations in the open.
ZIQOO Token is planned to be issued as an SPL Token on the Solana network, with rewards paid straight to your own wallet, not as points managed by the ZIQOO operator. After launch, anyone will be able to verify issuance and transfer records on-chain. Star ratings and the positive or negative tone of a review do not affect rewards.
ZIQOO Token rewards are not yet active. They will be enabled in stages according to the official launch schedule.
Higher-Tier Reward
For Neighbor Reviews. Year 1 example weight: 3.
Standard Reward
For Visitor Reviews, Weekly Missions, and Basic Settings. Year 1 example weight: 1.
- Weekly Missions: Rewards are planned once a week per activity for 1:1 Chats, Private Group Chats, Neighborhood News, Neighborhood Groups, International News, and International Groups.
The 3:1 ratio is an example used for Year 1 budgeting, not a fixed ratio.
Unlike the technology in the application, actual rewards will not be newly issued for each review. They are planned to be paid from the initial Reward Reserve and the annual issuance of 30 million ZIQOO during the 10-year plan.
See details: Year 1 reward budgetHide
Year 1 (230,000 eligible users assumed)
ExampleThe first year after launch. All eligible users are assumed to be new users, and the Annual Reward Cap for Years 1–3 (120 million ZIQOO) applies.
230,000 new users + 0 existing users = 230,000 users in total
The figures below assume 230,000 users, Weekly Missions rewarded once a week per activity (52 per year), and a reward weight of 1 equal to 1 ZIQOO per activity.
- Neighbor Reviews34.5M
Per user 50 reviews × weight 3
- Visitor Reviews11.5M
Per user 50 reviews × weight 1
- 1:1 Chat Weekly Mission11.96M
Per user Once a week × 52
- Private Group Chat Weekly Mission11.96M
Per user Once a week × 52
- Neighborhood News11.96M
Per user Once a week × 52
- Neighborhood Groups11.96M
Per user Once a week × 52
- International News11.96M
Per user Once a week × 52
- International Groups11.96M
Per user Once a week × 52
- Basic Settings0.92M
Per user 4 items, one-time
- Total118,680,000 ZIQOO
98.9% of the 120,000,000 ZIQOO Annual Reward Cap
- What is fixed in this table is the Annual Reward Cap (120 million ZIQOO); the activity counts are budget assumptions. The 3:1 reward weight is a Year 1 example, and tokens per activity and payouts by activity may be adjusted about every three months depending on actual payouts.
- Users may write up to 100 Visitor Reviews in any rolling 365-day period. Once the limit is reached, no more can be written until older reviews pass the 365-day mark. The payout is a budget that assumes 50 reviews per user per year; even if actual counts are higher, it increases only up to the limit.
- Basic Settings can be completed only once at sign-up, so the payout is zero when there are no new users.
This table shows planned payouts under the Year 1 assumption (230,000 new users). The actual number of tokens paid per activity will be announced when rewards are activated.
Supply and release schedule
1 billion ZIQOO is the Initial Supply, not the maximum supply. The post-Year-10 issuance policy has not yet been determined; once decided, it will be disclosed before it takes effect. No portion of the Initial Supply is allocated to investors. Allocations to the team, the Operations & Development Reserve, and the Emergency Reserve are released monthly over 36 months after a 12-month cliff (a waiting period with no release), and tokens subject to this gradual release (vesting) are planned to be held under an on-chain lockup.
- Initial Supply
- 1B
- Reward Reserve
- 65%
- Annual issuance (10-year plan)
- 30M / year
- Rewards over 10 years
- Up to 850M
- Maximum Initial Circulating Supply
- 80M
See details: annual caps · full allocationHide
Initial Supply of 1 billion ZIQOO; 3% of the Initial Supply (30 million ZIQOO) issued each year during the 10-year plan
Total rewards over 10 years
550,000,000 (Reward Reserve) + 300,000,000 (3% annual issuance) = up to 850,000,000 ZIQOO
85.0% of the Initial Supply, more than the 65% Reward Reserve
Annual Reward Cap and Reward Reserve use by year (Years 1–10)
- 1Assumed users 230,000
- Avg. reward budget per user (ZIQOO)
- 522
- Annual Reward Cap (ZIQOO)
- 120M
- Cumulative Reward Reserve used (ZIQOO)
- 90M
- 2Assumed users 591,000
- Avg. reward budget per user (ZIQOO)
- 203
- Annual Reward Cap (ZIQOO)
- 120M
- Cumulative Reward Reserve used (ZIQOO)
- 180M
- 3Assumed users 1.517M
- Avg. reward budget per user (ZIQOO)
- 79
- Annual Reward Cap (ZIQOO)
- 120M
- Cumulative Reward Reserve used (ZIQOO)
- 270M
- 4Assumed users 3.894M
- Avg. reward budget per user (ZIQOO)
- 28
- Annual Reward Cap (ZIQOO)
- 110M
- Cumulative Reward Reserve used (ZIQOO)
- 350M
- 5Assumed users 10M
- Avg. reward budget per user (ZIQOO)
- 9.7
- Annual Reward Cap (ZIQOO)
- 97M
- Cumulative Reward Reserve used (ZIQOO)
- 417M
- 6Assumed users 10M
- Avg. reward budget per user (ZIQOO)
- 8.3
- Annual Reward Cap (ZIQOO)
- 83M
- Cumulative Reward Reserve used (ZIQOO)
- 470M
- 7Assumed users 10M
- Avg. reward budget per user (ZIQOO)
- 7.0
- Annual Reward Cap (ZIQOO)
- 70M
- Cumulative Reward Reserve used (ZIQOO)
- 510M
- 8Assumed users 10M
- Avg. reward budget per user (ZIQOO)
- 5.7
- Annual Reward Cap (ZIQOO)
- 57M
- Cumulative Reward Reserve used (ZIQOO)
- 537M
- 9Assumed users 10M
- Avg. reward budget per user (ZIQOO)
- 4.3
- Annual Reward Cap (ZIQOO)
- 43M
- Cumulative Reward Reserve used (ZIQOO)
- 550M
- 10Assumed users 10M
- Avg. reward budget per user (ZIQOO)
- 3.0
- Annual Reward Cap (ZIQOO)
- 30M
- Cumulative Reward Reserve used (ZIQOO)
- 550M
- The average reward budget per user declines gradually from about 522 ZIQOO in Year 1 to 3 ZIQOO in Year 10.
- The average reward budget per user is that year's Annual Reward Cap divided by the assumed number of users. It is not the maximum reward per user.
- Users are assumed to grow from 230,000 in Year 1 to 10 million in Year 5 and to remain at 10 million in Years 6–10. These are planning assumptions, not forecasts of actual user growth.
- The Annual Reward Cap stays at 120 million ZIQOO in Years 1–3 and decreases gradually in Years 4–10. In Year 10, only the 30 million ZIQOO issued that year is used for rewards.
- Of the 650 million ZIQOO Reward Reserve, 550 million is used in Years 1–9 and the remaining 100 million is held as the Reward Buffer. The Reward Buffer may be used from Year 10 and, in special circumstances, also in Years 1–9 after the increased Annual Reward Cap and the reason are disclosed before the year begins.
- Cumulative Reward Reserve used = Σ (Annual Reward Cap − 30M ZIQOO)
- Figures in millions are rounded.
Don't take our word for it. Verify it on-chain.
These three commitments are planned to take effect when ZIQOO Token launches.
Published every three months
Actual issuance, reward payouts, and circulating supply will be published on the ZIQOO website every three months.
Addresses published
The mint address and the wallet addresses for each allocation will be published so that anyone can verify issuance and wallet balances.
No freeze authority
No freeze authority will be set, so the ZIQOO operator will be unable to freeze users' token accounts.
The mint authority and treasury will be controlled by a 2-of-3 multisig (at least two of three signing keys must sign before anything executes). In the early stage the founder manages all three signing keys, so this structure protects against the leak or loss of a single key. Key management after the transfer to a corporate entity will be disclosed once it is decided.
Coming after launchActual issuance figures and wallet addresses will be posted here once ZIQOO Token launches.
6 registered patents · 4 pending applications
Neighbor & Visitor Reviews
See the feature- Registered10-2335287PDF
Method For Providing Location-Based Information
Filed Jan 16, 2015 · Registered Dec 1, 2021 · Separate ratings
- Registered10-2364672PDF
Method For Providing Location-Based Information
Divisional filed May 31, 2021 · Registered Feb 15, 2022 · Separate ratings
- Registered10-2437865PDF
Method For Providing Location-Based Information
Divisional filed Nov 30, 2021 · Registered Aug 25, 2022 · Separate ratings
- Pending10-2025-0072286(not yet published)
Control Method For Displaying Recommended Store Information
Filed Jun 2, 2025 · Resident/non-resident classification
Writing & reading reviews
See the feature- Pending10-2024-0128539PDF
Method For Providing Location-Based Information
Filed Sep 23, 2024 · Information by age group
Neighborhood Community · International tab
See the feature- Registered10-2409016PDF
Method For Providing Location-Based Information
Divisional filed Mar 17, 2022 · Registered Jun 10, 2022 · International tab
ZChat
See the feature- Registered10-2581539PDF
Message Control Method And Service Computing Device Thereof
Filed Feb 8, 2023 · Registered Sep 19, 2023 · Hidden Message
- Registered10-1755807PDF
Method And Storage Medium For Displaying Character In Portable Terminal Screen
Filed Jul 10, 2015 · Registered Jul 3, 2017 · Text Art
- Pending10-2026-0125046(not yet published)
Method For Processing Messages In A Messenger System
Filed Jul 7, 2026 · Five message formats
Rewards & token
See the feature- Pending10-2025-0003719PDF
Method For Issuing New Cryptocurrencies As A Reward For Providing Store Recommendation Information
Filed Jan 9, 2025 · Recommendation rewards
- · Click a number with a published gazette to view the registered patent publication or the application publication (PDF, in Korean). The 2 applications that have not yet been published have no gazette.
- · Two separate-rating patents (10-2364672 and 10-2437865) and the International tab patent (10-2409016) are divisional applications that stem from the patent first filed on Jan 16, 2015 (Application No. 10-2015-0008314, registered as 10-2335287).
All 6 registered patents and 4 pending applications are held in the name of the founder, Sungil Kim, and are planned to be transferred to a ZIQOO corporate entity.
Whether the pending applications are granted depends on the outcome of examination.
Frequently asked questions
ZIQOO is a local business review app that shows a Neighbor Rating and a Visitor Rating separately instead of blending neighbors' and visitors' evaluations of the same business. You can also see Pros and Cons, recommended menu items, wait times, and age-group information.
It also offers the Neighborhood and International Communities, the encrypted messenger ZChat, and a self-custodial Solana wallet. ZIQOO Token rewards will be enabled in stages according to the official launch schedule.
More questionsHide
No. The Neighbor Review Range sets which businesses you can write Neighbor Reviews for. You choose 1–3 km for each of your My Places.
The Neighborhood Area sets which users take part in your Neighborhood and International Communities. It is made up of the 1 km grid cells within the Neighborhood Radius you choose: 3 km, 5 km, or 7 km, extendable to 10 km or 20 km.
The two are set separately. Changing your Neighborhood Radius doesn't change your Neighbor Review Range.
See your neighborhood through your neighbors' eyes
Be the first to know when the app launches.
한국어 (PDF)