Mesh: Cardano Devkit "Ganache", better devxp with local Cardano network

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

MeshJS

[GENERAL] Are you delivering this project as an individual or as an entity (whether formally incorporated or not)

Entity (Incorporated)

[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] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

This proposal will provide developers with the right tools to set up a local blockchain environment to run tests and experiments to develop Cardano applications, debug transactions and smart contracts

[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] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

The proposal outcomes will be fully open source and packaged for an easy adoption of Ganache towards builders at the Cardano developer ecosystem.

[METADATA] Horizons

Developer Tools

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

At the Cardano ecosystem, we currently lack tooling to provide easy and effective testing of applications before being deployed on Cardano mainnet, this proposal aims to change that.

The Cardano Foundation is currently developing a wrapper around the Yaci DevKit, aimed at companies by providing customer support and software from Cardano's genesis entity. This tool allows to set up a local Cardano network for proving use cases, as well as for local and CI testing. While this is a promising initiative, we believe there's potential to achieve even more. Therefore, we've decided to enhance it with additional features.

This proposal ideally enables us to develop a fully open source, go-to solution for Cardano builders to easily and effectively test and experiment applications before deploying them on the Cardano mainnet.

“Ganacha” has the potential to enhance the Yaci DevKit with additional features, such as IDE integrations and project bootstrapping templates, it will not only serve as an entry point to the Cardano ecosystem but also become the Cardano equivalent of "Hardhat," a go-to solution for builders on Cardano.

[IMPACT] Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

Ganache ideally supports and improves the developer experience on cardano, doing that we look at different ways to ensure positive impact.

• Free & Open Source

Providing required tools free of charge and fully open source, ensuring that the tooling is given in the hands of many

• Easy & effective

As we draw from already existing solution at other web3 ecosystems, we don't have to start from scratch and are therefore able to take best practices from the wider industry to ensure that our solution is as easy and as effective to use as possible

• Match the needs

As well experienced cardano builders ourselves, we know well about the cardano specific challenges and needs, ensuring that our solution is actually authentic to cardano developer needs

[CAPABILITY & FEASIBILITY] What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

With MeshJS, we have a year long experience and expertise in building high quality tooling for the Cardano ecosystem, our previous work proves our skills. In addition, we plan to collaborate closely with the Ecosystem Engineering team at the Cardano Foundation who provides the core framework and will support us through technical challenges we may face. As of experience, we can surely count as well on additional support from our close friends at SIDAN Lab if required. All that together, we are pretty sure to have everything in place to successfully deliver the proposal.

Note on the engagement from Cardano Foundation Engineering Team*

The Cardano Foundation engineers engaged in this proposal will not receive any funds as their contribution is already covered by their salaries from the Cardano Foundation.

[PROJECT MILESTONES] What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Milestone 1

Delivery: January 2025

Budget: 30.000 ADA

Process in %: 20

Milestone outcomes

• Develop: single config file and single CLI to download and boot up devnet

Acceptance Criteria

• completed single config file and single CLI to download and boot up devnet

Evidence of Milestone completion

• Public url to deployed code on github repository

Milestone 2

February 2025

Budget: 30.000 ADA

Process in %: 20

Milestone outcomes

• Develop feature: desktop app
• Develop feature: download the yaci releases and set up via CLI
• Develop feature: one button start devnet

Acceptance Criteria

• Completed: desktop app
• Completed: download the yaci releases and set up via CLI
• Completed: one button start devnet

Evidence of Milestone completion

• Public url to deployed code on github repository

Milestone 3

March 2025

Budget: 30.000 ADA

Process in %: 20

Milestone outcomes

• Develop feature send + lovelace to wallet

Acceptance Criteria

• Completed: develop send + lovelace to wallet

Evidence of Milestone completion

• Public url to deployed code on github repository

Milestone 4

April 2025

Budget: 30.000 ADA

Process in %: 20

Milestone outcomes

• Develop feature: show wallet balance

Acceptance Criteria

• Completed feature: show wallet balance

Evidence of Milestone completion

• Public url to deployed code on github repository

Final Milestone

May 2025

Budget: 30.000 ADA

Process in %: 20

Milestone outcomes

• create a demo video
• Create Proposal close out report
• Create Proposal close out video

Acceptance Criteria

• Completed & published demo video
• Completed & published close out report
• Completed & published close out video

Evidence of Milestone completion

• Public url to demo video
• Public url to close out report
• Public url to close out video

[RESOURCES] Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Name: Hong Jing (Jingles)

Role: Technical Lead

Link: https://jingles.dev/  

Jingles is a machine learning engineer by day, and full-stack developer by night. Currently pursuing PhD in machine learning applied neuroscience while in the meantime building MeshJS, an open-source project for Cardano blockchain applications.

[BUDGET & COSTS] Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Milestone 1

Budget: 30.000 ADA

Milestone 2

Budget: 30.000 ADA

Milestone 3

Budget: 30.000 ADA

Milestone 4

Budget: 30.000 ADA

Final Milestone

Budget: 30.000 ADA

Total: 150.000 ADA

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

Providing effective tooling to easily test and experiment applications as a open source solution will ensure a more impactful deployment of cardano applications. Our work will be ideally used by many other builders which will have a free & open access and a better builder experience at the cardano developer ecosystem.