TrustLevel.io Cardano Integration

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Dominik Tilman

[GENERAL] Email address of main applicant

dominik@conu21.com

Additional applicants

Thomas Zuchtriegel

Zsolt Kallos

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

3

[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

dApp

[IMPACT] Please describe your proposed solution.

Executive Summary: 

TrustLevel builds an online reputation system that addresses the challenges posed by misinformation, confirmation bias, and lack of accountability in today's digital world. Our solution combines blockchain technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to evaluate the trustworthiness, objectivity, and origin of online information and sources. Our system consists of a browser extension that uses AI to analyze website content, a reputation scoring algorithm that evaluates content and source quality, and the storage of reputation scores on the Cardano blockchain.

With this proposal, we are asking the Cardano community for funding to integrate the Cardano blockchain into the TrustLevel application.

Extended Problem Statement:

In today's interconnected world, it is nearly impossible for individuals to make judgments about the trustworthiness of online sources in a reasonable amount of time. The massive improvement in AI in recent months and the resulting rapid growth in the use of AI for content creation is further intensifying this issue.In the following are presented some main challenges with which our society is confronted today:

1. Information Overload: The internet provides an overwhelming amount of information, making it difficult to differentiate between reliable and unreliable sources. Misinformation, disinformation, and fake news can easily spread, leading to confusion and skepticism.
2. Ease of Publication: Anyone can create and publish content online without rigorous fact-checking or editorial oversight. This means that inaccurate or biased information can be readily available, making it crucial to critically evaluate the credibility of online sources.
3. Confirmation Bias: Online platforms often use algorithms that personalize content based on users' preferences and browsing history. This can lead to the formation of echo chambers, where individuals are exposed primarily to information that aligns with their existing beliefs, reinforcing confirmation bias and limiting exposure to diverse perspectives.
4. Malicious Actors: There are individuals or groups with the intent to deceive or manipulate others by disseminating false or misleading information. They may have political, financial, or social motivations that compromise the trustworthiness of online sources.
5. Lack of Accountability: The anonymity and pseudonymity allowed by the internet can make it difficult to hold individuals or organizations accountable for the information they publish. Without clear attribution or transparency, it becomes harder to verify the credibility of the source.
6. Rapid Spread of Information: Information can spread rapidly on the internet, often outpacing the ability to fact-check or verify its accuracy. This can result in false or misleading information gaining traction before corrections or clarifications can be made.
7. Limited Media Literacy: Many individuals lack sufficient media literacy skills to critically evaluate online sources and distinguish between credible and unreliable information. This lack of awareness can contribute to the widespread dissemination and acceptance of misinformation.

For these reasons, we see an online reputation system that combines blockchain and AI as a necessary answer to these challenges. 

Overview of our solution:

TrustLevel offers a reputation scoring system that evaluates the trustworthiness, objectivity and origin of online information. Our solution consists of three main components:

1. Browser Extension: TrustLevel provides a browser extension that utilizes AI to analyze the content of websites and social media platforms (release around October 2023). It examines various aspects such as factual information, citations, references, and the presence of subjective evaluations or promotional elements.
2. Reputation Scoring Algorithm: TrustLevel's reputation scoring algorithm evaluates both the content quality and source quality of online information (method is explained further below).
3. Integration with Cardano Blockchain: To ensure transparency, immutability, and user control over reputation data, TrustLevel stores the reputation scores on the Cardano blockchain. This integration enables individuals to have ownership and control over their reputation data while allowing selective access to authorized entities and platforms. 

TrustLevel scoring method:

The TrustLevel Score measures the trustworthiness of online articles and helps our user to verify online information and enable websites and authors to build reputation about their publications. We use different open source APIs and our own AI method to extract and analyze a webpage's content, sources, and other relevant parameters in real time providing immediate feedback to users about the website's reputation.

The TrustLevel reputation scoring algorithm consists of 3 main parameter:

• Content quality score:

The metric includes three aspects: 

(1) Context Setting: the AI performs a text analysis to understand the content of the Internet source and find clues to possible subjective or objective elements (including the amount of factual information contained in the article, including citations and references).

(2) Sentiment polarity (negative, neutral, positive): Using sentiment analysis algorithms, the AI detects the subjective tone or emotional charge of the text. A higher objectivity score indicates that the text is more factual and free of subjective evaluations.  

(3) The probability that the article is "clickbait” and or of promotional nature.

• Source quality score

The metric includes two aspects: 

(1) assessing the quality of available sources by extracting hyperlinks, references, and references, and cross-referencing with previously published similar articles.

(2) Author assessment: credibility, expertise, and possible bias of the author or organization behind the source.

• Controversy Score

The controversy score is a metric used to assess the consistency of information across trusted sources. It aims to provide an indication of whether sources with high reputations have published comparable or different information on a given topic. The controversy score takes into account the representation of the topic from various trusted sources and evaluates the consistency or divergence of information. If multiple reputable sources present similar information without obvious bias or distortion, it suggests a higher level of objectivity and trustworthiness.

In other words, the controversy score analyzes how widely accepted or disputed a piece of information is among reputable sources. If there is a consensus among reliable sources, it increases the confidence in the information's reliability. On the other hand, if there are significant discrepancies or conflicting information from trusted sources, it may raise doubts about the accuracy or objectivity of the information.

By considering the consistency of information across multiple trusted sources, the controversy score provides users with an additional measure to assess the trustworthiness and reliability of online information. It helps users navigate through potential biases and discrepancies, enabling them to make more informed judgments about the credibility of the content they encounter.

Integration and use of blockchain:

The integration of a blockchain in TrustLevel's solution offers several advantages that position it as a leading application in its industry:

• User Ownership and Control: Blockchain allows individuals to have ownership and control over their reputation data. Users can selectively grant access to their reputation scores and choose which entities or platforms can access their information, giving individuals greater control over their online reputation.
• Transparency: Blockchain provides a transparent and immutable ledger where all reputation-related transactions and data will be recorded and can be verified by anyone, increasing trust in the system.
• Decentralization: With blockchain, reputation data can be stored and maintained across a distributed network of nodes, eliminating the need for a central authority or single point of control. Decentralization reduces the risk of manipulation or censorship, making the reputation score system more reliable.
• Interoperability: Blockchain can facilitate interoperability among different platforms and systems that utilize reputation scores. Reputation data stored on the blockchain can be accessed and utilized by various applications and services, enabling a unified reputation ecosystem.

By leveraging these features, a reputation score system built on blockchain can provide a transparent, decentralized, and secure framework for assessing and evaluating individuals' reputations in online environments. It offers increased trust, accountability, and control over reputation data, fostering a more reliable and equitable online reputation ecosystem.

Smart Contract Design:

• Reputation Score Storage: The smart contracts have a mechanism to store reputation scores associated with users or entities. This can be achieved by defining data structures within the smart contract that can store the reputation scores and their corresponding identifiers.
• Updatable Reputation Scores: The smart contracts allow for the updating of reputation scores. 
• Integration with TrustLevel Web Application: API between the smart contracts and the TrustLevel browser extension. This integration enables the browser extension to interact with the smart contracts, retrieve reputation scores, and display them to users. It also allows users to submit feedback or other relevant data that can influence the reputation scores.
• Event Logging and Transparency: The smart contracts log relevant events, such as reputation score updates or user interactions. This provides transparency and auditability of reputation-related activities on the blockchain. Users can have confidence in the integrity of the reputation scoring system, knowing that all changes are transparently recorded on the Cardano blockchain.

What does the TrustLevel Score storage will look like?

• ReputationScore Struct:
• Address: The address or identifier of the user or entity associated with the reputation score.
• Score: The numerical value representing the reputation score.
• LastUpdated: The timestamp indicating when the reputation score was last updated.
• ReputationScores Mapping: Mapping user or entity address with their respective reputation score struct. This mapping allows for efficient retrieval and storage of reputation scores. Each address serves as the key, and the associated reputation score struct represents the value.
• Update Reputation Score Function: This function takes parameters such as the address of the user or entity and the new reputation score. It updates the reputation score struct associated with the given address in the reputation scores mapping.
• Get Reputation Score Function: This function takes the address as input and returns the associated reputation score struct from the reputation scores mapping.

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

The challenge asks for products and integrations that will offer more high impact use cases to the Cardano ecosystem and that drive more adoption.

TrustLevel offers a unique innovation for the verification of online information. By integrating the Cardano Blockchain into our solution, we are able to deliver a number of new features to our users and at the same time the Cardano ecosystem benefits from increasing usage and adoption. 

Our proposed solution brings several benefits to the Cardano ecosystem:

1. Increased Adoption: By integrating TrustLevel's reputation scoring system with the Cardano blockchain, it can attract more users and applications to the Cardano ecosystem. The reputation system addresses the challenges of misinformation and unreliable online sources, which are prevalent in today's digital landscape. This can position Cardano as a trusted platform for accessing reliable information, encouraging adoption and usage of the Cardano network.
2. Interoperability and Synergy: The integration of TrustLevel with Cardano creates opportunities for interoperability and synergy within the ecosystem. Reputation data stored on the Cardano blockchain can be accessed and utilized by various applications and services within the Cardano network. This allows reputation scores to be used across different platforms, contributing to a unified reputation ecosystem within Cardano.
3. Trustworthy DApp Development: TrustLevel's reputation scoring system can benefit decentralized application (DApp) developers on the Cardano platform. By utilizing TrustLevel's reputation scores, DApps can assess the trustworthiness and reliability of data sources, enabling them to provide more accurate and reliable services to users. This can foster the development of high-quality DApps within the Cardano ecosystem.

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

The successful completion of the proposal means that we will have a functional integration of the Cardano blockchain into the TrustLevel application within the specified timeframe.

To measure the success of our project we propose several KPIs:

1. User Adoption: We measure the number of users who have installed and actively use the TrustLevel browser extension or application. This KPI reflects the level of acceptance and adoption of TrustLevel's reputation scoring system. Our goal is to reach 1000 installations within the first month after the product launch.
2. Reputation Score Usage: We track the frequency and extent to which reputation scores stored on the Cardano blockchain are utilized by websites, social media accounts, or information providers. This indicates the integration and adoption of TrustLevel's reputation scores within the online ecosystem. Our goal is to reach 10.000 requests of our TrustLevel API within the first month after the product launch.
3. Accuracy and Reliability: We conduct periodic assessments to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of TrustLevel's reputation scores. This involves comparing the reputation scores assigned by TrustLevel with independent assessments of the same content or sources. The higher the accuracy and reliability, the more successful the project. We aim for an accuracy of higher than 75% within the first month after the product launch. 
4. User Satisfaction: We gather feedback from users regarding their satisfaction with TrustLevel's reputation scoring system. Surveys, ratings, and user testimonials can provide insights into user satisfaction levels, user experience, and perceived value of the solution. We aim for a user rating of 4 out of 5 or higher within the first month after the product launch. 
5. Partnerships and Integration: We monitor the number of partnerships and integrations with other platforms, organizations, or content providers. This demonstrates the willingness of external entities to collaborate with TrustLevel and integrate its reputation scoring system, indicating the project's market relevance and potential impact. We aim for at least three substantial partnerships within the first month of the product launch. 
6. Community Engagement: We measure the level of engagement within the Cardano community related to TrustLevel's project. This includes metrics such as the number of active community members involved in discussions, contributions, or development efforts related to TrustLevel. We aim for at least 20 active community members of the Cardano and Catalyst ecosystem engaging in the development of TrustLevel. These can include tasks as beta testing.

[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 on the other. Therefore we provide different sources for the documentation:

Our Website: We will create a sub page on our website to give the community easy access to all relevant documents, links and reports that we will publish.

GitHub: To measure and track the process of the proposal, we will document any step and output in our dedicated GitHub repository. 

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

Official monthly Catalyst reporting:

• During monthly reporting we share our activity board for the project as well as the developer sprint velocity for development tickets
• During monthly reporting we share estimated parts of work in our detailed budget/timeline that need more or less time than expected to get an estimate on the forecasted completion date.

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

TrustLevel is an early-stage startup founded under the umbrella of Conu21, a venture builder founded in 2021. The core team comprises experienced professionals who possess deep knowledge and expertise in blockchain technology and have a proven track record of building businesses from the ground up.

Notably, parts of the TrustLevel team have been active members of the community since Fund 3 in Project Catalyst. They have actively participated in the community, gaining insights and understanding community needs. Moreover, the team has been voted and funded for their projects by the community multiple times, highlighting their reputation and credibility within the Cardano ecosystem. Importantly, all previous projects have been successfully completed, further demonstrating their ability to deliver on commitments.

This experience and involvement in the Cardano community showcase our dedication and deep understanding of the ecosystem's dynamics. We see us as a reliable and accountable partner for Cardano’s integration into the proposed reputation scoring system. The team's familiarity with the community's values ensures that TrustLevel's solution aligns with the needs and expectations of Cardano users.

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

The main goals for this proposal can be summarized as follows:

• Develop an Effective Reputation Scoring System: The primary goal is to establish a reputation scoring system that effectively evaluates the trustworthiness, objectivity, and origin of online information and sources. This includes developing AI algorithms that can analyze website content, assess source quality, and calculate reputation scores based on various parameters.
• Integration with Cardano Blockchain: Another important goal is to integrate the reputation scoring system with the Cardano blockchain. This involves storing reputation scores on the blockchain in a transparent, immutable, and verifiable manner. The integration aims to leverage the blockchain's benefits, such as increased trust, decentralization, and user control over reputation data.

To validate the feasibility of our approach, several factors need to be considered:

• Technical Expertise: TrustLevel has a team with the necessary technical expertise in AI, blockchain, and software development to build the reputation scoring system and integrate it with the Cardano blockchain. This expertise covers the implementation of AI algorithms, smart contract development, and secure blockchain integration.
• Data Sources and APIs: TrustLevel has access to reliable data sources and open-source APIs for content analysis, sentiment analysis, source assessment, and cross-referencing. Ensuring the availability and reliability of these data sources is vital for the success of our approach.
• Blockchain Integration: TrustLevel has the knowledge and expertise to integrate the reputation scoring system with Cardano. This includes smart contract development, data storage on the blockchain, and ensuring the security and privacy of user data.

[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.

We propose a three-month timeline for implementation of all milestones, assuming a start date of October 1, 2023.

Milestone 0: Ongoing activities (no funding required)

• Building the browser extension for Chrome and Brave front-end (only the smart contract integration is part of the proposal) .
• Development and Training of the different AI models that evaluate content and their sources
• API that connects Browser Extension, AI model and Blockchain data

Milestone 1: Cardano Integration (6 weeks) 

Phase 1: Design and Smart Contract Planning (Weeks 1)

• Design smart contracts that align with TrustLevel's reputation scoring system.
• Definition of the contract structure, functionalities, and required data models.
• Identification of interaction points between the web application and smart contracts

Phase 2: Smart Contract Development (Weeks 2-3)

• Writing the smart contract code.
• Definition of functions, state variables, events, and validations or conditions.
• Configuration of the blockchain node for testing purposes
• Compile and deploy the smart contract code to a Cardano testnet for testing and verification.

Phase 3: Web Application Integration (Weeks 4-5)

• Connection of the TrustLevel application and the deployed smart contracts.
• Implemention of the API to facilitate communication between the application and smart contracts.
• Development of the front-end interface, designing user-friendly components for interaction with the smart contracts.

Phase 4: Additional Time and Refinement (Week 6)

• This sprint serves as a buffer or catch-up sprint to address any remaining tasks, bug fixes, or refinements that couldn't be completed within the previous sprints. We prioritize any open tasks or issues based on their urgency and impact on the project.

Milestone 2: Blockchain Integration Beta Testing (4 weeks) 

Phase 1: Testing Environment Setup (Week 6)

• Set up the testing environment for the blockchain integration.
• Configuration of the necessary tools and infrastructure components for testing purposes.
• Onboarding of internal and external testers, providing access credentials and documentation.

Phase 2: Integration and Functional Testing (Week 7)

• Conducting thorough integration testing to ensure correct interaction between the web application and the blockchain.
• Performing functional testing to verify key functionalities related to the blockchain integration.
• Test scenarios such as user registration, content submission, reputation scoring, and data retrieval.

Phase 3: Security and Performance Testing (Week 8)

• Performing security testing to identify and address any vulnerabilities related to the blockchain integration.
• Evaluation of the system's security measures, including encryption, authentication, and authorization mechanisms.
• Conducting scalability and performance testing to assess the system's capacity to handle a significant number of transactions and its responsiveness.

Phase 4: Bug Fixing and Iterative Improvements (Week 9)

• Address any bugs, issues, or refinements identified during beta testing.
• Resolving critical issues impacting functionality, security, or user experience.
• Continuously iterate and improve the blockchain integration based on feedback from beta testers.

Milestone 3: TrustLevel Pilot Launch (4 weeks) 

Phase 1: Pilot Preparation (Week 10)

• Conducting user acceptance testing with a select group of users or a dedicated testing team.
• Refinement the user interface based on user feedback to enhance usability and user experience.
• Preparation of a comprehensive documentation and user guides, along with training materials for users.

Phase 2: Pilot Onboarding and Deployment (Weeks 10-11)

• Onboarding of pilot participants, providing them with necessary instructions, access credentials, and support.
• Deployment of a dedicated environment for the pilot phase, ensuring data privacy, security, and scalability.
• Gathering data on content submissions, reputation scores, user feedback, and blockchain interactions.

Phase 3: Evaluation and Iterative Improvements (Weeks 11-12)

• Analysis of collected data, user feedback, and overall system performance during the pilot phase.
• Identification of areas for improvement and prioritize enhancements based on evaluation results.
• Implementation of updates and refinements to the TrustLevel system, addressing identified areas for improvement.
• Conduct internal testing and validation to ensure the system functions as expected.

Phase 4: Full Launch Preparation (Week 13)

• Plan for the full launch of TrustLevel, including finalizing deployment environments, communication strategies, and support mechanisms.
• Final testing, addressing any remaining issues or refinements.
• Preparation of marketing materials, user guides, and communication channels to support the wider user base.

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

Here's a breakdown of the deliverables, outputs, and intended outcomes for each milestone:

Milestone 1: Successful Cardano Integration

Deliverables:

• Development of the environment set up and configuration for Cardano integration.
• Design of the documentation outlining the integration process.
• Smart contract codebase developed, including contract structure, data models, and interaction with the web interface.

Outputs:

• Development environment ready for Cardano integration.
• Design documentation detailing the integration approach and steps.
• Functional and well-structured smart contract codebase.

Intended Outcomes:

• Successful completion of the initial Cardano integration setup and preparation.
• Clear understanding of the integration requirements and design.
• A solid foundation for implementing the Cardano integration into the TrustLevel system.

Milestone 2: Successful Beta-Testing of Blockchain Integration

Deliverables:

• Beta testing plan and test cases for the blockchain integration.
• Updated smart contract code addressing any issues or bugs discovered during testing.
• Integration documentation highlighting the steps and considerations for deploying and testing the blockchain integration.

Outputs:

• Comprehensive beta testing plan and test cases ready for execution.
• Refined and improved smart contract code based on beta testing feedback.
• Detailed documentation outlining the blockchain integration deployment and testing process.

Intended Outcomes:

• Thoroughly tested and validated blockchain integration.
• Identification and resolution of any issues or bugs found during beta testing.
• Well-documented and streamlined deployment and testing process for the blockchain integration.

Milestone 3: Successful Pilot-Launch of TrustLevel

Deliverables:

• Pilot launch plan outlining the activities, timeline, and responsibilities.
• User onboarding process and documentation for pilot participants.
• Data collection and analysis framework to capture relevant metrics during the pilot phase.

Outputs:

• Pilot launch plan finalized and ready for execution.
• Pilot participant onboarding process in place, including necessary instructions and access credentials.
• Data collection and analysis framework established for monitoring and evaluating the pilot's performance.

Intended Outcomes:

• Successful initiation of the pilot phase with engaged and onboarded participants.
• Collection of valuable data and user feedback to evaluate TrustLevel's performance.
• Insights gained to refine and improve TrustLevel based on pilot phase results.

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

Milestones based budget breakdown Google Spreadsheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-GemnmXKJjYt8ZJiISoBSKF3lVEHUYHwsn-1Gt8MAAo/edit?usp=sharing

We have calculated the estimated time to the best of our knowledge. Of course, there are always uncertainties, which is why we have, for example, planned an additional sprint for open tasks in the development section. 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.

Summary:

Total requested amount in Ada: 172,400

Milestone 1: 68,000

Milestone 2: 58,000

Milestone 3: 46,000

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

This proposal benefits the Cardano Ecosystem by contributing to its growth and adaptation. In addition, this proposal only calls for the cost of blockchain integration, not the development of TrustLevel itself. Thus, we keep the capital requirement as low as possible while demonstrating that the seed funding of TrustLevel is independent of Project Catalyst. 

Below are three reasons why we are adding value to the Cardano ecosystem beyond integrating the Cardano blockchain into TrustLevel: 

• Enhanced Reputation and Credibility: The integration of TrustLevel's reputation scoring system with the Cardano blockchain enhances the reputation and credibility of the ecosystem itself. By offering a transparent and decentralized reputation framework, Cardano can position itself as a platform that prioritizes accuracy, accountability, and user empowerment. This strengthens Cardano's reputation and attracts users who value trust and integrity, resulting in long-term benefits for the ecosystem.
• Interoperability and Synergy: The integration of TrustLevel with Cardano creates opportunities for interoperability and synergy within the ecosystem. Reputation data stored on the Cardano blockchain can be utilized by various applications and services, fostering a unified reputation ecosystem. This interoperability strengthens the overall value proposition of Cardano and attracts developers and entrepreneurs 
• Increased User Adoption: TrustLevel's project can drive increased user adoption within the Cardano ecosystem. By providing a reliable and objective reputation scoring system, TrustLevel improves the overall user experience and builds user confidence in accessing online information. This positive user experience encourages more users to engage with Cardano-based applications, services, and DApps, driving ecosystem growth and utility. 

[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