Catalyst Explorer dRep module: Directory, Community, Draft Ballots

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

Additional applicants

n/a

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

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

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

[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.”

No dependencies.

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

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

Some data will be written to IPFS, this module and all data will be publicly available via a REST api and website and for free to the public.

[METADATA] Category of proposal

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

The current state of things

Lido Nation’s Catalyst Explorer has become synonymous with Catalyst voting & research, with 2-3 thousand monthly queries (outside of the spike seen during the voting cycle). Current and past proposals are included, and can be searched, sorted, and filtered, far beyond what is available in Ideascale. Dashboard charts and proposers “Report Cards” make it easier to understand the Catalyst landscape. Individual Proposers and Groups can claim their profile to make updates to their listings and contact information. Many people have already created accounts on the tool to “follow” funded proposals or managed their own listings. The Catalyst Explorer already has support to connect to Cardano wallets.

Teams already working on dRep developer tooling

dcSpark was funded in fund 9 to build a software development kit that aims to "update [the] existing Catalyst registration SDK to support dRep registration, add dRep indexing to Carp and implement dRep support inside Flint Wallet."

This sdk reduces the work required to fetch and index dRep data from the blockchain, significantly reducing overall cost of this project!

The Big Idea

We want to build on this foundation and create a module for dReps and their delegators.

Here’s what this includes:

dRep Profiles:

dRep will be able to connect their dRep supported wallet and create a dRep profile, add platform statements and track their delegation. 

Profiles will be published to IPFS for use outside of the Catalyst Explorer.

dRep Listings

The big idea is to build a system for the public to browse all active and inactive dRep registrations and dRep voting records.

Interactive dRep profiles will let you see dRep profile details, contact information, platform statements. Users will also see all the related catalyst objects their vote affects: proposals, community members and companies receiving funding as a result of their votes, that we know about.

Delegate to dRep

Once core dRep functionality being worked on by the core catalyst team is delivered, the public will be able to delegate to a dRep directly from the Catalyst Explorer.

dRep Draft Ballot

dRep will need a common canvas for themselves and their delegators that wish to discuss and communicate about the direction they are leaning during voting cycles.

This module will extend the Explorer’s current “Bookmark” feature to an improved tool we are calling a “Draft Ballot.” A Draft Ballot is a way for dReps to stage their votes and note their rationale. 

dRep will be able to control if their Draft Ballots are visible to the public, or only to their delegators.

dReps will also be able to decide whether the public can comment on their draft and rationale, or again, make this only available to their delegators.

IPFS storage & API

To encourage further decentralization, dReps platform statements and public draft ballots with rationales will be published to IPFS.

We will also be providing a JSON open-api spec API to allow other use cases for the data.

support for 30+ languages

The Catalyst Explorer already has support for multi-language. The dRep module will allow dReps to choose their primary language for communication. For non-English speaking dReps we will use AI assisted translation to English. Because we use a paid service for the translation, this feature will only be available to logged-in dReps and not the general public. Users will be able to choose whether to read dRep platform statements and Draft Ballot rationale in translated English, or in the original language.

The difference between this proposal and other dRep explorers on the ballot:

• This proposal serves both dReps AND the wider community

This proposal if funded will create a workplace for dRep to do their work. We've already spent a lot of time and energy not just indexing catalyst but also enriching it will off-chain real world data with much more enrichment coming over the next 6 months. Our proposal puts all this data at dReps' fingertips and give them tooling to do their research and build up the ballot in the process. We're the only proposal offering a space for dReps to build their ballot with 2-way communication between them their delegators. The wider community can use the tool to find dReps and interact with their dRep, or do their own research.

• We already have a working product

The catalyst explorer has become a core infrastructure of catalyst with adoption from many stakeholders in the community. We've implement over 50 direct feedbacks from the community in the last 6 months. Our dRep directory is the only proposal on the ballot intending to show more data beyond dRep votes.

• feature rich collaboration, research, communication

Our proposal is the only one on the ballot offering tooling for rich collaboration between dReps and delegators and public.

Our product will go beyond asking dRep questions and let dRep and delegators (or public if the dRep chooses) build their ballot together.

Our product is not just a dashboard but a engine for deep research and already have support for public account creation and bookmarking the things you're researching to share or reference later.

Our proposal is the only one on the ballot that will facility notes and communication:

• privately just for dReps to reference themselves later
• for dRep and just their delegators and not the public
• for dRep and the public.

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

The challenge asks us to think about:

1) Content and tooling to "make it easier for the public to consider dReps"

Our dRep listing page and ability to delegate to the dRep directly from the page will do this.

Being able to see dRep platforms, public draft ballots, and voting history (if any), will let the public make informed consideration of dReps.

2) “Tools to make it easier to consider proposals.”

The Catalyst Explorer already provides detailed listings, data and insights for proposals. With this project, we will be bringing that same functionality to the dRep module.

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

We will align our measurement to that of the challenge KPIs. Specifically:

(Diversity of dReps) Did it lead to the onboarding of diverse dReps with different languages, national origins, occupations, genders, ages, religions, etc.?

With 30+ native language support, we will be tracking how many non-english native dRep signs on and make use of that feature. 

(Number of dReps) How many dReps were onboarded?

We wil track how many dReps sign up using the explorer.

(Number of delegates) How much did it contribute to increasing the number of delegates to dReps?

We will track how many web traffic we get to dRep Profiles

• (Accuracy of delegate decisions) How well did we create content and tools to make it easier to consider dReps?
• We will track via web analytics how many visits we get to dRep listings and click through to voting records

All metrics will be reported in our monthly reports as they become available and final metrics will be included in our closeout report.

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

The result of the project will be a new module on the catalyst explorer for:

• dReps to create profiles
• dReps to create Draft Ballots
• voters to browser dReps and voting history (if any)
• voters to pick dReps

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

Lido Nation

The Lido Nation team has delivered 8 Project Catalyst projects, and is fully invested and involved in the community, at both virtual and in-person events.

Both project leads are Cardano Ambassadors.

Darlington is a full-stack Software and DevOps Engineer with experience running his own company.

Education in simple English, Kiswahil & Espanol, and more

Our website is a resource for anyone who wants to learn what Cardano is, why they should care, and how they can participate. We want to make these resources accessible to as many people as possible. We provide written, audio, and video content in multiple-languages and formats. We create practical, hands-on blockchain tools that help people learn by participating. For example, website visitors can earn $HOSKY tokens by taking our "Every Epoch" quiz and connecting their wallet. Sponsors get featured on the site by buying an NFT. Our Swahili Learn to Earn product allows Swahili-speakers to earn ADA as they learn about Cardano.

Our tool, the catalyst explorer

We built the v1 of the Catalyst Explorer on nights and weekends and successfully delivered v2 as a funded proposal in fund 9. The explorer is now a reliable critical infrastructure of Project Catalyst ~3k queries a month outside of the voting cycles.

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

The primary goal of this proposal is to build on the enriched data already gathered by the explorer to create intuitive tools for dReps and their delegators.

Another goal is to provide a resource for following dReps and viewing their voting decisions.

For the broader Cardano community, this tool will make engaging with Catalyst liquid democracy more accessible (as we have already done with proposals and other catalyst data already in the Explorer!)

[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: dREp Profiles (1 month) 

* Setup Cardano infrastructure

* Setup Carp

* Complete Ui/UX

* Get started on dRep registration module

Milestone 1 complete by month 2

Milestone 2: dRep Draft Ballot (2 months)

* Complete dRep Draft Ballot functionality

Milestone 3 complete by month 5 

Milestone 3: dRep Listing (2 months) 

* Complete dRep registration module

* Complete dRep Listing

Milestone 2 complete by month 4 - at this point dReps can register and update their contact details and platform statement!

Milestone 4: IPFS & apis (1 month)

* While all data will live in a traditional relational database, dRep profile and published draft ballot will be published to IPFS.

* The catalyst explorer api will be updated to include dRep profiles and public draft ballots

Milestone 4 complete by month 6

Milestone 5: Multi-language support (2 months)

* Update dRep interface to support the language of their choosing.

Milestone 5 complete by month 7

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

Milestone 1:

* dREp can create profile and add their platform statement in english

Milestone 2: dRep Draft Ballot 

* The current catalyst explorer and voter tool already let you create bookmarks as you're researching.

The big idea is to allow dReps to turn a bookmark into a dRep Draft Ballot. dRep Draft Ballot can be:

* private (while they're still editing and refining their thoughts)

* visible only to their delegators (this assumes that the catalyst stack with dRep support will be in testnet to facilitate development)

* Public, anyone can see

* commenting on draft ballots will be configurable to allow public or delegators restriction.

Milestone 3: dRep Listing 

* The public can view dReps

* If the catalyst testnet is live, the public will be able to delegate to a dRep in a test environment

* Public will be able to see dRep Draft Ballots

* If the catalyst testnet is live, public will be able to see dRep voting history

Milestone 4: IPFS & apis 

* saving data to IPFS is to facilitate how IPFS can be leveraged for greater decentralization. IPFS mirroring may be promoted to production at this stage of the module.

Milestone 5: Multi-language support 

* dRep will be able to create their candidate statement in their own language, and optionally push a button to leverage ai to translate to english)

* dRep will be able to write their rationales on the draft ballot in their native language, and optionally push a button to leverage ai to translate to english.

* When the testnet is promoted to mainnet, work with the catalyst team to allow the public to delegate to a dRep from the explorer.

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

Basic UI/UX work, planning, user interviews = $4,800

Developer Labor = $31,000

Server setup and hosting for a year = $2,400

Project Management = $3,000

dRep onboarding and go-live support: $3,200

Total: $44,400

Ada:158,000

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

dRep and catalyst liquid democracy will be a major upgrade to the Catalyst and Cardano innovation engine. We have learned from the past, when there were some massive missed opportunities in the realm of accessibility. This proposal will make liquid democracy participation in Catalyst accessible to the entire Cardano community. Being able to start iterating on a comprehensive tool like this, while the new Catalyst infrastructure is still in testnet, will mean the community can have an seamless, perhaps even enjoyable experience of engaging with dRep and Catalyst liquid democracy.

The bargain price tag is only possible because of all the work already put in the the Catalyst Explorer and the dcSpark's Catalyst dRep SDK (https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/9/f9-drep-improvement-and-onboarding/catalyst-sdk-drep-support).

[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.