DirectEd- Funding Progress Tracker, Dynamic NFTs for Impact and Editable Metadata

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Simon Sällström

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

simon.sallstrom@directed.dev

Additional applicants

Edmund Ebiyenrin.

John Ndigirigi.

[GENERAL] Please specify how many months you expect your project to last (from 2-12 months)

6

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

No

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

Yes

[GENERAL] If YES, please describe what the dependency is and why you believe it is essential for your project’s delivery. If NO, please write “No dependencies.”

NMKR Dev API

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

Yes

[GENERAL] If NO, please describe which outputs are not going to be open source. If YES, please write “Project will be fully open source.”

Project will be open source

[METADATA] Category of proposal

Dev Tools, API or Library

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

The problem being addressed is first the lack of a dynamically updating progress bar, which hinders the ability to display real-time progress, provide visual representation, and reflect current donation progress. This can result in a less engaging user experience and limited visibility into fundraising goals.

We will be retrieving transaction data, calculating progress, designing a progress bar, updating it dynamically, and continuously fetching and updating the progress. This approach utilizes the NMKR API, Next.js, TypeScript, Sass, and a combination of frontend technologies to ensure real-time updates, user-friendly visuals, and seamless integration within the existing technology stack.

Secondly, for the “minted for” field, we will use the NMKR API to fetch the relevant properties for the NFT purchased by the donor. This should include the current "minted for" field value in the metadata. Design the user interface and then implement the update functionality using Node.js to handle the backend logic. We will ensure to implement validation and security measures to ensure that only the original NFT owner or authorized users can update the "minted for" field by first checking the connected wallet address.

Lastly, we will implement an update mechanism where the organization can input and manage the impact information for each NFT using an API (Nodejs), connect the backend functionality with the NFT metadata (NMKR). Update the user interface of the donor's NFT details page to display the impact information retrieved from the NFT metadata. And then Implement authentication and authorization mechanisms to ensure that only the impact organization or authorized users can update the NFT metadata.

[IMPACT] How does your proposed solution address the challenge and what benefits will this bring to the Cardano ecosystem?

The proposed solution brings benefits to the Cardano ecosystem, including enhanced user experience, transparency and trust, improved fundraising efforts, and demonstration of Cardano's value and potential use cases.

[IMPACT] How do you intend to measure the success of your project?

We will look at number of uses of the plug-and-play open-source code that we develop for these uses. This includes

• Number of forks and project using the different components
• Progress bar
• Metadata field updating
• Dynamic NFT updating
• Number of end users interacting with these features (whenever possible)
• Estimated transaction number and volume generated by project that utilise these features.

[IMPACT] Please describe your plans to share the outputs and results of your project?

As with all DirectEd projects, we maintain monthly progress updates covering all aspects of the team progress and bimonthly newsletters.

The monthly progress updates and OKRs for DirectEd can be viewed for the past 2 years on this page:

https://directed.notion.site/Progress-Updates-OKRs-81f92ecebefb4f289e80e1703ff73d2a?pvs=4

When major milestones have been reached, we will also publish demos that are released on our Twitter page and Telegram Announcements group

• https://twitter.com/DirectEdDev
• Telegram: Contact @DirectEdDev

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability?

Proven track record of delivering

DirectEd has a long-standing history within the Cardano ecosystem and it was born out of a project proposal in Catalyst Fund 6 (proposal). It has since then received funding for two proposals in Fund 8 (dApp & SSI). Closeout video for the F8 dApp proposal here. To sign up for testnet Alpha testing, go to http://testnet.directed.dev/ (opens July 31st). We embrace radical transparency, as can be observed through our public Progress & OKR page and by inspection of our wallet transaction metadata ($directed, $simondirected). 

Our SSI proposal is still in progress after both technical and operational challenges alongside contingencies outside of our control. After undertaking feasibility study, several aspects of the original idea contained in the proposal was found to be intractable. More details on other factors can be found in this Change of Scope request that has been submitted to IOG. 

DirectEd has delivered in several ways. Utilization of the network, open-source code contributions and real-world impact & partnerships. The section below quantifies each of these:

Cardano use

• 120+ wallets created and estimated 250+ transactions (lower end). To illustrate, the Decentralised Tutorial Marketplace pilot has (at the time of writing) generated 130 transactions. You can see it being actively used by inspection of the policyID https://cardanoscan.io/tokentransactions?assetId=d365ad6a86fe81ed303eab00fc46031e88879166f7d26a271a553009445456 
• Salaries have been paid on-chain. Previous treasury address: https://cardanoscan.io/address/0158a6c035359d0c470f790c0eedc10b034bcbefeccf3573b979236358a6f473253923585a4137f57aa71ae386a96ca1f568ffec3c35320910. Current treasury (multi-sig): https://cardanoscan.io/address/31edbbf1a2258c28b4fe58fd29abd38d79cf8b2d576006343de5d83ff8edbbf1a2258c28b4fe58fd29abd38d79cf8b2d576006343de5d83ff8 

Open Source Contributions (repo)

• CIP-30 wallet connection for any NextJS/ReactJS website. Our wallet connect automatically detects which Cardano browser extension wallets are present in your browser and displays a dropdown upon hovering of the ones detected.. 
• NFT-gating. We have written code enabling simple NFT gating for a NextJS/ReactJS website. Users can either choose to gate content by policyID in an array (multiple policyIDs can be added) or by the unique asset ID. This gives website owners a novel method of access control that does not hinge on storing emails and passwords.
• Milestone-based smart contract. This smart contract enables accountability of approved granting of funds in a distributed manner wherein Examiners (human oracles) must issue tokens to grantees before they can redeem each tranche payout. 
• Voucher Redemption Contract. This smart contract enables education funders to restrict the use of stipends for specific uses, in our case students receive tutorial vouchers and only tutors can redeem those for stablecoin. 

Real-world impact and Partnerships 

• 100+ students trained in our 1-week-long Introductory Coding course in Python with some testimonies here. Students received basic blockchain education and testnet wallet onboarding, video recording of the workshop here. 
• 14 Access Scholarships funded through the DirectEd Lions NFT fundraiser. This financed purchase of laptops, WiFi devices and data bundles for students from needy backgrounds, enabling them to partake in the DirectEd Bootcamp. Images here. Sample on-chain transactions for data bundles and tutorial vouchers. Check out our Twitter for some of the testimonials from the students! 
• MOUs with 3 national high schools in Kenya, including most notably Mang’U High - one of the most famous schools in the country, with many eminent alumni including one former president, several vice presidents and a former governor of Central Bank of Kenya. Pictures from the MOU signing here. 
• MOU with Kotebe University of Education in Addis Ababa. This university is dedicated to research and development in education for Ethiopia. 
• In-person Bootcamp launch day at Young African Leaders Initiative East Africa regional center at Kenyatta University (USAID project).
• Sponsorships: [CLOVR] stake pool, [KIND] stake pool, COTI Group
• Internship partnerships with Snapbrillia and Tally 
• Other partnerships: Cardanowarriors, Web3 User Group

Traction 

• In the spring of 2022, DirectEd was admitted to the inaugural Ariob incubator for Catalyst-funded Africa projects. 
• During the Cardano summit, CEO Simon Sällström met with Shahaf Bar-Geffen (CEO of COTI) who generously agreed to provide a sponsorship for the first cohort of DirectEd students. 
• CEO Simon was invited to speak at NFT.NYC on a panel “Why NFTs will revolutionize charitable giving”.

Media and Twitter spaces

Spring 2023

• Learn Cardano - open source milestone based contact & updates from Ethiopia
• Subcritical - DirectEd programme
• Xeberus - transparency and corruption 

Fall/Winter 2022

• Cardano Hotel interview
• Vlog - my personal why
• Cardano over coffee 
• Fire in the whole
• Bullish Dumpling Twitter space

Financial Management and Transparency

We have implemented robust financial management processes, leveraging cardano blockchain technology for transparency, accountability, and responsible use of funds. All transactions contain metadata and can be tracked on the Cardano blockchain. We maintain accurate records, conduct regular audits, and provide transparent financial statements to relevant parties, promoting transparency and accountability in our financial management practices.

To this end, we have implemented the following policies for our treasury management. 

1. Catalyst funds received in the main multi-sig with 5 signatories, with 3/5 signatures required for any transaction. 
2. ADA funds received are immediately converted to stablecoins to avoid volatility
3. No more than ½ of on-chain assets will be held in any one given stablecoin in order to reduce risk. 
4. All transactions contain metadata regarding its intended use. 
5. All DirectEd-controlled wallets will contain ADAhandles indicating its purpose and controller. 

This means we have a multi-sig for the custodianship of received funds. We convert the majority of funds to one or several stablecoins upon receipt. We also extensively document each transaction with information about its use in the metadata. The multi-sig wallet can be explored here ($directeddev) and the payout wallet ($directedsimon) can be audited here.

Project Governance and Reporting

Building upon our previous project experience, we have established a robust project governance structure that emphasizes transparency and accountability. Regular reporting and monitoring mechanisms are in place to track progress and ensure adherence to project milestones and targets. You can inspect our public Progress reporting and OKR page here. 

As part of our commitment to transparency, we implemented a progress page for donors to track the performance of students, providing updates on their achievements, which can be observed by donors (NFT gated) here. This reporting framework enables stakeholders to stay informed about project status, outcomes, and financial performance, fostering transparency and accountability throughout the project lifecycle.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] What are the main goals for the project and how will you validate if your approach is feasible?

1. Improve user experience: The project aims to enhance the user experience by providing a dynamically updating progress bar. This feature allows users to visually track the real-time progress of the fundraising campaign, making it more engaging and interactive.
2. Increase transparency: By displaying the current donation progress, the project aims to improve transparency for donors. They can see how their contributions align with the overall fundraising goal and gain confidence in the impact of their donations.
3. Enhance visibility: The dynamically updating progress bar provides a visual representation of the donation progress, which increases the visibility of the fundraising campaign. This can attract more potential donors and generate awareness for the cause.
4. Facilitate impact information management: The project also focuses on enabling impact organizations to update and manage the impact information associated with each NFT. This allows organizations to provide timely and accurate information about the impact achieved through the fundraising campaign, further enhancing transparency and donor confidence.
5. Ensure security and authorization: Implementing security measures and authorization mechanisms ensures that only authorized individuals or impact organizations can update the relevant data. This helps maintain data integrity and prevents unauthorized modifications.

Feasibility

For the donor progress update module and updatable metadata field ('minted for' field in our case), we have already built out 3/4 of the necessary elements. Much of the remaining work pertains to documentation and polishing the solution to make it easy to reuse.

The dynamically updatable NFT is going to simply be an implementation of the new CIP-68. The first milestone will contain feasibility study, however, to ensure that our goals can be met.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please provide a detailed breakdown of your project’s milestones and each of the main tasks or activities to reach the milestone plus the expected timeline for the delivery.

Milestone 1: Initial Setup and API integration for the Progress Bar

• Task 1: Design the basic structure and components of the progress bar.
• Task 2:  Integrate the progress bar component into the Next.js page/component.
• Timeline: 2 weeks

Milestone 2: Dynamic Progress Bar Implementation

• Task 1: Implement a mechanism to periodically fetch the latest donation data, test it, and ensure the bar updates dynamically.
• Task 2: Refine the visual design and styles of the progress bar using Sass. Iterate on the design and functionality based on user feedback.
• Timeline: 2 weeks

Milestone 1: Setup and Designing the User Interface for “Minted for” Functionality

• Task 1: Design the user interface in Next.js to display NFT details and provide an input field for updating the "minted for" field.
• Task 2: Implement form validation to ensure data integrity.
• Timeline: 1-2 weeks

Milestone 2: Backend Implementation for Updating NFT Metadat

• Task 1: Create a Node.js server and define API endpoints for updating the "minted for" field.
• Task 2: Implement authentication and authorization mechanisms to ensure only authorized users can update the field. Refine the user interface based on user feedback and improve the overall user experience.
• Timeline: 2 weeks

Milestone 1: Metadata Schema Design, Backend Setup and Impact Organization Interface

• Task 1: Define the metadata schema for capturing impact information and set up the backend infrastructure, including server and database.
• Task 2: Develop an interface for the impact organization to input and manage impact information. Implement authentication and authorization mechanisms for secure access.
• Timeline: 2 weeks

Milestone 2: NFT Metadata Integration and Donor NFT Details Page Updates.

• Task 1: Integrate the backend system to update NFT metadata.
• Task 2: Enhance the user interface of the donor's NFT details page to display impact information.

Task 3: Design visual components and layouts to present the progress and impact in an easily understandable manner and do proper testing.

[CAPABILITY/ FEASIBILITY] Please describe the deliverables, outputs and intended outcomes of each milestone.

Milestone 1: Feasibility Study

Deliverables:

1. Feasibility study report: This report will summarize the findings of the research and analysis conducted during the feasibility stud

Outputs:

1. Research and analysis on the technology stack and integration possibilitie
2. Assessment of feasibility and technical requirement
3. Project plan and timelin

Intended Outcomes:

1. Clear understanding of the feasibility of integrating the NMKR API and implementing the desired feature
2. Identification of potential risks and challenge
3. Informed decision-making regarding the project's viability and next step

Milestone 2: Development and Implementation

Deliverables:

1. Dynamically updating progress bar component: This component will be integrated into the user interface to display the real-time progress of the fundraising campaig
2. Backend functionality for updating the "minted for" field and impact information: This includes the implementation of logic and API endpoints to enable authorized users or impact organizations to update the "minted for" field and impact information associated with each NF
3. Authentication and authorization mechanisms: Implement security measures to ensure that only authorized individuals can update the relevant dat

Outputs:

1. Fully functional dynamically updating progress bar componen
2. Backend functionality for updating the "minted for" field and impact informatio
3. Implemented authentication and authorization mechanism

Intended Outcomes:

1. Enhanced user experience with the dynamically updating progress ba
2. Empowered impact organizations to manage impact information and the "minted for" fiel
3. Improved security and data integrity through authentication and authorization measure

Milestone 3: Deployment and Optimization

Deliverables:

1. Deployed and optimized system: The updated system, including the progress bar and impact information updates, will be deployed to a production environmen
2. User feedback and improvement implementation report: This report will summarize the feedback gathered during user acceptance testin

Outputs:

1. Deployed and optimized system with real-time progress updates and impact information managemen
2. User feedback and improvement implementation repor

Intended Outcomes:

1. Operational system with the desired features available to user
2. Improved system performance and efficienc
3. Enhanced user interface and user experience based on user feedback, leading to increased user satisfactio

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] Please provide a detailed budget breakdown of the proposed work and resources.

Feature

• Progress bar update $1500
• Minted for field $1000
• Dynamically updatable NFT integration $3500

Management and Reporting

• $1000

Adminstrative and Legal

• $500

Marketing and outreach of results

• $500

Contingency

• $1000

Total USD = $9,000

Total ADA* = 36,000

* assuming 0.25 USD = 1 ADA exchange rate

[RESOURCES & VALUE FOR MONEY] How does the cost of the project represent value for money for the Cardano ecosystem?

We reduce the cost of building out dynamic features that make the user experience of NFTs much richer. With these integrations, you can "do" things with your NFTs!

Our costs are maintained quite low because we are a young team, but eager to build out. The key thing is that we have already delivered more than 50% of the product that we are asking for funding for. It should therefore be considered retroactive funding of open source contributions.

One of the greatest risks with funding in these environments is that you may see proposers who claim that they will be able to build things out but end up not doing it. With our proposal we remove that risk since we've already delivered!

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agreed to Fund10 rules and also that data in the Submission Form and other data provided by the project team during the course of the project will be publicly available.

I Accept