Integrated Wallet Media Player: Enhancing Accessibility and Convenience

[GENERAL] Name and Surname of Main Applicant

Shawn Roller

[GENERAL] Email address of Main Applicant

shawn@gerowallet.io

Additional Applicants

chris@gerowallet.io, kostas@gerowallet.io

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

5

[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?

No

[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.” in this field.

No dependencies.

[GENERAL] Will your project outputs be fully Open Source?

No

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

Any libraries directly funded by Catalyst will be open source but some parts of GeroWallet may not be.

[METADATA] Category of Proposal

Wallet

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

Our proposed solution is to develop a customizable BPM library specifically designed for handling multimedia NFTs within the Cardano ecosystem. The SDs will include functionality that allows developers to manipulate and interact with audio and video NFTs in ways that are currently not feasible due to the lack of specialized tools. 

Our main deliverable are the libraries, which will be tailored to the needs of the Cardano community. These libraries will facilitate the integration of multimedia NFTs into new or existing projects on the Cardano network, thereby empowering developers to create immersive multimedia experiences.

To ensure user-friendly interaction with these multimedia NFTs, we are also proposing the development of a full-fledged media player with a range of features. These features will include, but are not limited to audio NFT support, Video NFT support, organization, playlists, podcasts, audio equalizer, track management, and more quality of life improvements to match or surpass the quality of modern media players. This media player will be designed to support and promote usage of multimedia NFTs within the Cardano ecosystem.

In essence, our solution aims to fill the current gap in the market by providing developers with the tools necessary to readily adopt and incorporate multimedia NFTs in their applications, thereby broadening the horizons of NFT usage within the Cardano ecosystem.

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

Our proposed solution directly addresses the challenge by delivering a practical set of tools, in the form libraries, that developers can leverage to handle multimedia NFTs on the Cardano ecosystem. Currently, the absence of such specialized libraries presents a significant hurdle for developers wanting to integrate audio and video NFTs into their projects.

By providing the libraries we are effectively lowering the barriers of entry for developers. This reduction in technical barriers will enable them to focus more on the creative aspects of their applications, rather than the technical intricacies of dealing with multimedia NFTs.

Moreover, the addition of a full-fledged media player designed to handle audio and video NFTs will serve to enrich the user experience and interaction with NFTs within the Cardano ecosystem. It will enable users to manipulate and interact with multimedia NFTs in ways that are currently not supported, promoting the usage and appreciation of multimedia NFTs.

Overall, these tools are anticipated to stimulate growth in the development and use of multimedia NFTs within the Cardano ecosystem, leading to a richer, more vibrant, and diverse NFT landscape. They will also encourage more creators and developers to adopt Cardano as their blockchain of choice for NFT-related projects, driving innovation and further adoption of the Cardano blockchain.

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

The success of our project will be measured using a combination of qualitative and quantitative metrics.

Media Player Downloads and Usage: A key metric will be the number of times our media player has been downloaded and used in projects. High adoption rates among developers would indicate that our solution is effective and addresses a need in the Cardano ecosystem.

Feedback from Developers and Users: Receiving positive feedback from developers about the ease of use and functionality of our libraries will be another crucial measure. Similarly, user feedback on the experience of interacting with multimedia NFTs via our libraries will also inform us about the impact of our project.

Growth in Multimedia NFTs: An increase in the creation and interaction with audio and video NFTs on the Cardano blockchain after the launch of our project would signify that our tools have made a difference.

Social Media Engagement: Increased mentions, discussions, and overall engagement on social media platforms about multimedia NFTs on Cardano will serve as an indicator of the wider awareness and interest generated by our project.

Integration in High-Profile Projects: The integration of our libraries in notable Cardano projects or platforms would demonstrate the value and utility of our solution.

All these metrics together will provide a comprehensive picture of the success and impact of our project on the Cardano ecosystem.

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

Our primary goal is to ensure transparency and active communication with the Cardano community throughout the project. Here are the ways we intend to share the project's outputs and results:

Project Blog Posts and Updates: Regularly posting updates on the project's progress on popular platforms such as Medium, our project website’s blog, and Twitter. These posts can detail recent accomplishments, hurdles overcome, and next steps. We'll also share behind-the-scenes insights into the translation process, giving the community a better understanding of our work.

Community Engagement: We will actively engage with the Cardano community on social platforms and forums such as Discord, Cardano's official forum, and Telegram. We aim to create an open dialogue where we can address any questions or concerns, gather feedback, and understand our users' needs better.

Codebase and Documentation: Since the libraries will be open source, the codebase will be available on our GitLab repository. We will update the README file with the project's latest progress and features, making it easy for anyone to follow along with the project.

Usage Analytics: Once the translations are deployed, we will share usage analytics publicly. These reports can include the number of users per language, user retention, and other relevant data to measure the project's impact.

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

Our team has a proven track record in the blockchain industry, particularly within the Cardano ecosystem. We have successfully developed and launched GeroWallet, which currently serves over 20,000 users worldwide across various platforms such as Chrome, Brave, iOS, and Android. This demonstrates our ability to deliver high-quality projects with complex requirements.

Our team’s expertise ranges from blockchain development to UX/UI design, and security, ensuring that we have all the necessary skills to undertake and successfully complete this project. Our members are highly proficient in their respective fields, bringing in a wealth of experience from working on similar projects.

We have always prioritized transparency and accountability in our work. Throughout this project, we intend to maintain a high level of communication with the Cardano community. We plan to regularly share our progress, challenges, and victories through blog posts, updates on our website, and social media channels. We also intend to actively seek feedback from the community to ensure our work aligns with their expectations and needs.

We are one of the few Cardano wallets that present a public audit from third parties. We have an active bug bounty on all of our applications, further indicating our commitment to security and transparency.

We have successfully launched many milestones into production over the course of the last 2 years.

Notable but Non-exhaustive list of successful milestones

• Founding member of the Cardano DeFi Alliance
• Emurgo DeFi Course first cohort Instructor
• Non-custodial Cardano wallet web extension
• Non-custodial Cardano wallet android application
• Non-custodial Cardano wallet Apple application
• Gero Media Player- Play audio NFTs directly in your wallet
• The first mobile Cardano DEX aggregator functionality
• ADA wallet staking functionality
• ADA wallet Hardware wallet support (Ledger, Trezor)
• ADA wallet multi-asset sending functionality
• Store, send, view, Cardano NFTs and CNTs directly in the wallet
• GERO Cardano node stake pool operations
• 2 successfully sold out NFT policies
• Fiat on-ramp integration

In conclusion, our proven expertise, past experiences, commitment to transparency, and active engagement with the Cardano community make us highly capable of delivering this project with a high level of trust and accountability.

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

Main Goals of the Project:

Development of a Multimedia player NPM Library: The primary goal of our project is to create a comprehensive media player, which will enable seamless handling of audio and video NFTs on the Cardano blockchain. This will equip developers with the necessary tools to incorporate these NFTs into their applications with ease, thereby fostering the growth of multimedia NFTs on Cardano.

Fostering Developer Adoption: Another crucial goal is to drive widespread adoption of our libraries among the Cardano development community. By making these libraries open-source and easily accessible, we aim to significantly reduce the development barriers associated with handling multimedia NFTs on Cardano.

Promoting Growth of Multimedia NFTs on Cardano: Ultimately, by providing the necessary development tools, we aim to stimulate the growth and popularity of audio and video NFTs on Cardano. This will contribute to a more vibrant and diverse NFT ecosystem on the blockchain.

Validation of Approach Feasibility:

Our team at GeroWallet has extensive experience with Cardano and its technological infrastructure. We've previously developed and released a music NFT player for Cardano, which provides us with valuable insights and understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with handling multimedia NFTs on this blockchain.

Additionally, we will validate the feasibility of our approach through:

Staged Development and Testing: Our development process will be iterative, starting with creating a minimum viable product (MVP) and then progressively adding features and capabilities based on feedback and testing. This approach will allow us to test the feasibility of our solution at each stage of the development process.

Community Feedback: By making our project open-source, we will be inviting contributions and feedback from the wider developer community. This will help us validate our approach and ensure that it is tailored to meet the needs of the developers who will be using our libraries.

Integration Testing with Other Projects: We plan to work closely with a few Cardano projects to test the integration of our libraries. These early adopters will serve as case studies to validate our approach and provide real-world testing scenarios.

Performance Metrics: We will monitor the performance of the media player in terms of load handling, transaction speed, and other technical parameters. Successful performance under varying conditions will validate the robustness of our approach.

[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: Project Kickoff (1 week)

Tasks:

Finalize project scope, requirements, and timelines

Set up project management and communication tools

Align the team on the project objectives and milestones

Establish metrics and tools for tracking project success

Milestone 2: Requirements Gathering and Design (3 weeks)

Tasks:

Identify and document specific requirements for the libraries

Create a design document outlining the architecture of the media palyer

Finalize media player features and specifications

Develop a prototype design for user interfaces

Complete foundational research

Develop happy path user journeys

UX Research for community testing + feedback

Milestone 3: Media Player Development (9 weeks)

Tasks:

Setup development environment

Begin coding the respective libraries

Regular progress updates and status checks

Iterative testing and refinement during the development phase

Maintain an up-to-date GitLab repository

Direction alignment with design, research, and community

Milestone 4: Testing & Quality Assurance (3 weeks)

Tasks:

Carry out comprehensive testing (unit tests, integration tests, system tests)

Bug fixing and refinement

Ensure media player is robust, secure and meet design specifications

Prepare documentation including user manuals and technical guides

Closed beta testing with community members

Milestone 5: Release and Maintenance (2 weeks)

Tasks:

Prepare rodust media player for release

Publish libraries on respective package managing platforms

Promote the release on various platforms (project blog, social media, developer forums)

Introduce feedback and improvements from the community

Set up a system for monitoring and addressing bug reports or issues from users

Regular maintenance and updates as required

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

Milestone 1: Project Kickoff (1 week)

Deliverables: A finalized project plan, clear roles and responsibilities, and an established project management structure.

Outputs: Project charter, communication plan, risk management plan.

Outcomes: A ready and prepared team, set to start project development with a clear understanding of project scope, objectives and expected deliverables.

Milestone 2: Requirements Gathering and Design (3 weeks)

Deliverables: A requirements specification document and a design document for the media player.

Outputs: Identified requirements, finalized media player features, design prototypes.

Outcomes: A blueprint for the development of the media player, providing a clear view of what needs to be developed and how it will function.

Milestone 3: Media Player Development (9 weeks)

Deliverables: Completed code for the media player.

Outputs: Code repositories, test results, update reports.

Outcomes: Fully developed media player ready for testing and evaluation, and progress reports detailing the development process and any challenges encountered.

Milestone 4: Testing & Quality Assurance (3 weeks)

Deliverables: Comprehensive test reports, documented bugs and fixes, final version of the media player.

Outputs: Test plans, bug reports, updated libraries.

Outcomes: Robust, secure, and reliable media player that is validated against requirements and design documents and are ready for release.

Milestone 5: Release and Maintenance (3 weeks)

Deliverables: Released media player, complete documentation including user manuals and technical guides, a maintenance plan.

Outputs: Release notes, maintenance reports, user feedback, bug fix updates.

Outcomes: Publicly available, easy-to-use media player for the Cardano community with continuous support and maintenance ensuring their long-term effectiveness.

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

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

The value for money in this project is realized in multiple ways:

Scalable Solution: By building the media player libraries, we provide a scalable solution that allows multiple projects within the Cardano ecosystem to leverage the functionality of media-based NFTs. This not only saves the time and effort for each of these projects but also ensures a uniform and high-quality experience for all users across different platforms.

Developer Resources: The libraries created through this project enable developers to utilize pre-built solutions, saving time and resources that can be better used for their unique application features. This results in faster time-to-market and lower development costs for projects that will utilize our libraries.

Longevity: The investment in this project ensures the future-proofing of the Cardano ecosystem to keep pace with the growing demand for rich media NFTs. It's a forward-thinking initiative that caters to future trends in the digital assets space.

Community Growth: The availability of audio and video NFT support could attract more artists and creators to the Cardano ecosystem, leading to increased user adoption and community growth. This increased network activity may contribute to the value of ADA in the long term.

Open-source Contribution: As our work will be fully open-source, we provide value back to the Cardano ecosystem and the broader blockchain community, promoting collaboration and transparency.

We believe this project offers excellent value for money when you consider the potential reach, increased functionality for future projects, and overall enhancement to the Cardano ecosystem.

[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