Open Source Smart Contract Library

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Dominik Tilman

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

dominik@conu21.com

Additional applicants

Thomas Zuchtriegel

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

4

[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.” .

No dependencies.

[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 fully open source.

[METADATA] Category of Proposal

Dev Tools, API or Library

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

Extended Problem Statement:

When there is no open-source smart contract library available, new developers can face several challenges:

1. Lack of Code Examples and Best Practices: Without an open-source library, new developers may struggle to find code examples and best practices to guide them in developing smart contracts. This lack of reference material makes it difficult to learn and understand the conventions, patterns, and techniques used in smart contract development.
2. Increased Development Time: Building a smart contract from scratch requires significant time and effort. New developers may have to spend a considerable amount of time researching, designing, and implementing basic functionalities, which can slow down their development process. This additional overhead may also increase the likelihood of introducing errors or vulnerabilities.
3. Security Risks: Developing smart contracts without the guidance of an open-source library can increase the risk of security vulnerabilities. Without the collective wisdom of the community, developers may overlook potential attack vectors or make coding mistakes that could lead to security breaches, loss of funds, or unintended behaviors.
4. Reinventing the Wheel: Without an open-source library, developers may end up duplicating efforts by writing similar code for common functionalities. This redundancy can hinder the progress of the ecosystem as a whole and result in a fragmentation of development efforts. It can also lead to inconsistencies and compatibility issues when different projects attempt to interact with each other.
5. Limited Community Support: In the absence of an open-source library, developers may find it challenging to seek support and guidance from the community. Collaboration and knowledge-sharing become more difficult, as there is no central repository of code and discussions to refer to. This lack of community support can hinder the learning process and the overall growth of the developer community.
6. Slower Adoption and Innovation: The absence of an open-source smart contract library may deter developers from joining the Cardano ecosystem or slow down their adoption. The availability of open-source libraries accelerates development, promotes innovation, and attracts a larger developer community. Without these catalysts, the growth and progress of the ecosystem may be limited.

Therefore, we propose an open-source smart contract library for Cardano.

The library offers several benefits for developers:

1. Increased Productivity: Developers can leverage ready-made components, templates, and best practices, accelerating the development process and reducing time spent on repetitive tasks.
2. Simplified Development: The library provides a higher-level abstraction, making it easier to write complex smart contracts by abstracting away low-level details and providing intuitive interfaces.
3. Enhanced Security: The library undergoes rigorous security reviews, reducing the risk of vulnerabilities and exploits. Developers can leverage the audited codebase, reducing potential security risks in their own smart contracts.
4. Standardization and Consistency: Developers can follow established patterns, coding conventions, and architectural guidelines, promoting consistency and interoperability among smart contracts within the ecosystem.
5. Community Support: The library fosters a supportive community where developers can seek guidance, share knowledge, and collaborate on improvements, increasing the chances of success and reducing the learning curve.
6. Innovation and Customization: By building upon the library, developers can focus on adding unique value and exploring innovative use cases, rather than reinventing the basic functionalities from scratch.

The technical aspects of the library can be summarized as follows:

1. Codebase and Repository: The library is a collection of open-source code hosted in GitHub, allowing developers to access and contribute to the codebase.
2. Programming Language: The library is written in a specific programming language compatible with the Cardano platform, such as Plutus or Marlowe.
3. Functions and Classes: The library provides a set of functions, classes, and modules that encapsulate common smart contract functionalities. These include transaction handling, state management, cryptographic operations, and interaction with the Cardano blockchain.
4. APIs and Interfaces: The library exposes APIs and interfaces that allow developers to interact with the Cardano network and utilize the library's features. This includes accessing blockchain data, submitting transactions, and managing contract-specific information.
5. Templates and Examples: The library will include pre-built templates and code examples to help developers understand the library's usage and quickly bootstrap their smart contract development.
6. Documentation: The library provides comprehensive documentation that explains its features, usage instructions, and best practices. It includes detailed explanations, tutorials, and guides to assist developers in effectively utilizing the library.
7. Security Measures: The library incorporates security measures to mitigate common risks in smart contract development. This includes input validation, protection against common vulnerabilities, and adherence to security best practices.
8. Compatibility and Interoperability: The library follows Cardano's standards and protocols, ensuring compatibility with other Cardano applications and promoting interoperability within the Cardano ecosystem.

How to use this library?

• Installation: The developer installs the library by including it as a dependency in their project. They can either download the library from our website or clone the repository from GitHub.
• Importing the Library: In their smart contract project, the developer can import the necessary modules or classes from the library. This allows them to access the library's functionalities and leverage its features in their smart contract code.
• Utilizing Core Functionalities: The developer can leverage the library's core functionalities to simplify and accelerate smart contract development. For example, they can use functions provided by the library for transaction handling, state management, input validation, or interaction with the Cardano blockchain.
• Customizing and Extending: The library provides hooks, event mechanisms and interfaces that allow developers to customize or extend its functionalities based on their specific requirements. Developers can modify and build upon the library's code to suit their needs, enhancing the flexibility and adaptability of the library.
• Code Examples and Documentation: The library provides code examples and comprehensive documentation to guide developers in using its functionalities effectively. Developers can refer to the documentation for explanations of features, usage instructions, best practices, and security considerations.

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

This challenge is asking for projects to enhance the community-owned open-source ecosystem. Our proposed library will benefit the ecosystem in several ways:

1. A good open-source smart contract library simplifies development, attracting more developers and fostering ecosystem growth.
2. It promotes standardization and consistency in smart contract development, enabling interoperability and integration.
3. The library's security and auditing enhance the overall security and reliability of the Cardano ecosystem.
4. It fosters collaboration and community engagement, driving collective ownership and participation.
5. The library accelerates innovation by providing a solid foundation for developers to build upon.
6. It expands the ecosystem by enabling the development of diverse applications and attracting more users and businesses.

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

We use the following KPIs to measure the success of this proposal:

Adoption Rate:

• Number of projects or applications utilizing the library.
• Growth in the number of developers using the library.
• Community engagement metrics on GitHub, such as pull requests, issues, and code review
• GitHub metrics like stars, forks, and watchers.

Developer Satisfaction:

• Developer surveys or feedback indicating satisfaction with the library's features, documentation, and ease of use.
• Ratings or reviews from developers using the library.

Code Quality and Security:

• Results of security audits or assessments conducted on the library.
• Adoption of coding best practices and adherence to industry standards.

Ecosystem Integration:

• Number of integrations with other Cardano applications, wallets, or services.
• Compatibility with Cardano Improvement Proposals (CIPs) and blockchain upgrades.
• Successful interoperability with other smart contracts and dApps in the Cardano ecosystem.

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

Our approach is to operate as transparently as possible, so that the community has the maximum possible insight into the project on the one hand and can also participate in the project development on the other. 

To measure and track the process of the proposal, we will document any step and output in our dedicated GitHub repository. All outcomes are open-source and free to use for the community.

Furthermore, we will offer monthly feedback opportunities for the community (communicated via GitHub and on Catalyst Telegram Channels).

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

Our project team consists of experienced professionals with a track record of developing and implementing various product and software developments. Furthermore, parts of the core team have been active members of the community since Fund 3 in Project Catalyst. They have actively participated in the community and have been voted and funded for their projects by the community multiple times. Importantly, all previous projects have been successfully completed.

Our capabilities to deliver this project:

• Cardano Ecosystem: We have a deep understanding of the Cardano ecosystem and Project Catalyst, including its protocols, standards, and development tools. 
• Security and Auditing: We have knowledge of security best practices and experience in conducting security audits to ensure the library's reliability.
• Documentation and Technical Writing: We have experience in documenting software libraries, writing technical documentation, and creating code examples and tutorials to facilitate user understanding and adoption.
• Project Management: We have strong project management skills to ensure efficient planning, coordination, and execution of the project. 
• Collaboration and Community Engagement: We are willing to enhance the collaboration within the Cardano community by engaging with developers, gathering feedback with the goal to incorporate the community input into the library's development. 

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

The main goals of the project for creating a smart contract library for Cardano include:

1. Providing a comprehensive set of reusable components and functionalities that simplify smart contract development on the Cardano blockchain.
2. Enhancing the security, reliability, and efficiency of smart contract development by incorporating best practices and security measures.
3. Fostering community collaboration, engagement, and knowledge sharing within the Cardano developer community.
4. Accelerating the adoption of Cardano by attracting developers and enabling them to build innovative and robust applications.
5. Contributing to the growth and success of the Cardano ecosystem by providing a valuable resource for developers.

To validate the feasibility of our approach, we consider the following steps:

1. Conduct a Feasibility Study: Assessing the technical feasibility of developing the library by evaluating the compatibility of the chosen programming language, availability of necessary tools and libraries, and alignment with Cardano's development infrastructure.
2. Prototype Development: Build a prototype (proof-of-concept version) of the library to test its core functionalities and validate the approach. This helps identify any technical challenges or limitations early in the development process.
3. Peer Review and Expert Feedback: Engage with experts and community members in the Cardano ecosystem to gather feedback on the library's design, proposed features, and feasibility. Incorporate their suggestions and recommendations to refine the approach.
4. External Validation: Seek external validation from experienced smart contract developers, auditors, or contributors in the Cardano ecosystem.
5. Collaborative Iteration: Iterate on the library's development in an agile manner, continuously evaluating and refining the approach based on feedback from the community, developers, and stakeholders.

[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: Core Functionality Implementation (Timeline Week 1-4)

• Implement the core functionalities of the library, such as transaction handling, state management, and interaction with the Cardano blockchain.
• Write unit tests to ensure the correctness and reliability of the implemented functionalities.
• Develop a basic documentation structure.
• Writing comprehensive documentation for the library, including explanations of features, usage instructions, and best practices.
• Creating code examples and tutorials to demonstrate the library's usage.

Milestone 2: Security and Auditing (Timeline Week 5-8)

• Conduct a security audit of the software that runs the library.
• Address any identified vulnerabilities or security risks.
• Enhance the codebase and implement secure coding practices.

Milestone 3: Beta Release and Community Engagement (Timeline Week 9-12)

• Release a beta version of the library to the Cardano developer community.
• Encourage developers to test and provide feedback on the library's usability and functionality.
• Analyze the feedback received from developers and community members.
• Incorporate suggested improvements, bug fixes, and feature enhancements into subsequent library versions.

Milestone 4: Stable Release and ongoing Maintenance (Timeline Week 13-16)

• Release a stable version of the library, addressing issues and incorporating community feedback.
• Ensure compatibility and interoperability with other Cardano applications, wallets, and services.
• Promote the library within the Cardano ecosystem and attract developers to adopt and utilize it.
• Provide ongoing maintenance and support for the library, addressing bug reports and feature requests.
• Stay updated with Cardano protocol upgrades and implement necessary adjustments.

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

Milestone 1: Core Functionality Implementation

• Deliverables: Implementation of core functionalities (transaction handling, state management, Cardano blockchain interaction), unit tests for functionality validation, basic documentation structure.
• Outputs: Functional library with core features, reliable unit tests, initial documentation structure.
• Intended Outcomes: Lay the foundation of the library with essential functionalities, ensure correctness through testing, and establish a basic documentation framework.

Milestone 2: Security and Auditing

• Deliverables: Security audit report highlighting identified vulnerabilities, fixes for security issues, enhanced codebase of the library with secure coding practices.
• Outputs: Security audited library with addressed vulnerabilities, improved codebase with enhanced security measures.
• Intended Outcomes: Improve the security and reliability of the library, mitigate potential risks, and establish a solid foundation for secure smart contract development.

Milestone 3: Beta Release and Community Engagement

• Deliverables: Beta version of the library, feedback from developers, incorporated improvements and bug fixes based on community feedback.
• Outputs: Beta release of the library, feedback analysis report, updated library version with enhancements.
• Intended Outcomes: Engage the Cardano developer community, gather feedback on usability and functionality, refine the library based on community input, and establish a collaborative relationship with developers.

Milestone 4: Stable Release and ongoing Maintenance

• Deliverables: Stable version of the library, compatibility and interoperability with other Cardano applications, ongoing bug fixes, and feature support.
• Outputs: Stable release of the library, documentation updates, compatibility testing results, ongoing support mechanism.
• Intended Outcomes: Establish a widely adopted and stable library, ensure compatibility with the Cardano ecosystem, attract developers to utilize the library, provide ongoing maintenance and support to maintain the library's quality and relevance.

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

Milestones-based budget breakdown:

We have calculated the estimated time to the best of our knowledge. The hourly rates represent a fair payment for our team. We have calculated an average hourly rate, since both senior and junior developers are used.

Total hours of the project: 438

Total requested amount in ADA: 98,000

Milestone 1: 30,800

Milestone 2: 25,000

Milestone 3: 16,800

Milestone 4: 25,400

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

• Enhanced Developer Experience:

By investing in the development of a smart contract library, the Cardano ecosystem provides developers with a valuable resource that simplifies smart contract development, reduces development time, and promotes best practices. This enhanced developer experience leads to increased productivity, higher-quality applications, and a thriving developer community.

• Improved Security and Reliability:

The library promotes the adoption of best practices and coding standards for smart contract development on Cardano. It provides developers with pre-built components and functions that follow secure patterns, reducing the likelihood of introducing security flaws in their own contracts...

• Long-Term Cost Savings:

While the initial cost of the project may be an investment, it can result in long-term cost savings for the Cardano ecosystem. A robust and widely adopted smart contract library reduces the duplication of effort, promotes code reuse, and streamlines development processes. These efficiencies contribute to cost savings over time.

[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