DripDropz v2.0 - Cardano’s Reward Layer - Improved Tooling

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Chris Hockaday

[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)

6

[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)

DripDropz is upgrading its architecture to enhance engagement, streamline workflows, and support Cardano projects, driving growth and reducing friction in the ecosystem.

[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?

No

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

DripDropz platform is not an open source tool. While we have provided and do provide open source components, many of the technologies underlying DripDropz are specialized just to our operation. As such, we do not provide open source licensing to our core tools.

[METADATA] Horizons

DeFi

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

While DripDropz has made it easier for Cardano projects to reward their communities, there is still room for improvement in the user experience. Currently, the platform lacks features that would simplify the process of claiming and discovering rewards. Finding and integrating with reward programs requires too much independent effort from users.

Additionally, DripDropz operates on a monolithic Laravel architecture that combines both front-end and back-end code. This setup limits the platform’s ability to scale, hinders optimized mobile web experiences, and restricts the offering of modular integration options for projects. Without further innovation, users may find the reward-claiming process inconvenient over time, and projects could miss out on opportunities to tap into the platform’s user base due to integration obstacles.

Upgrading the platform's architecture and expanding core features such as rewards discovery, Multi-Drip, and mobile web compatibility will elevate the standard for easy and accessible community rewards programs. These improvements will bolster organic project promotion and facilitate growth across the Cardano ecosystem.

DripDropz proposes a comprehensive platform upgrade with new architecture and features to enhance accessibility and adoption. We will transition to a modular infrastructure, separating and optimizing the front-end and back-end for better scalability. This new architecture will also support embedded integration, enabling projects to add DripDropz functionality directly to their websites.

Four major new features will be implemented:

1. Instant Rewardz improvements to allow token projects to programmatically reward users for specific activities.
2. DestinationDrip, enabling users to drip multiple wallets to a single destination address based on held assets.
3. A revamp of the Multi-Drip feature, simplifying the configuration of up to 20 reward destination wallets with significant quality-of-life upgrades.
4. A complete front-end redesign focused on intuitive rewards discovery and simplified claiming flows for users.

Together, these architectural changes, new features, and UX enhancements will reduce friction for both projects and users, improving engagement with Cardano community rewards. This expansion strengthens our ability to facilitate ecosystem growth.

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

Upgrading DripDropz with new architecture and feature additions brings immense value to both projects and users within the Cardano ecosystem. Since 2022, 452 unique tokens and their respective projects have utilized our platform to deliver community rewards, resulting in over 1.6 million withdrawals. DripDropz facilitated this for an active user base of more than 29,000 registered accounts, which contributed to 4.38% of all Cardano blockchain traffic last year.

By enhancing the discoverability, accessibility, and seamlessness of rewards programs, the proposed innovations will deepen community engagement. The new modular infrastructure sets the foundation for significant growth, allowing us to expand our partner project and user bases. Additionally, embedded integration options empower partners to incorporate DripDropz functionalities into their own platforms.

These improvements will drive greater returns for projects running rewards campaigns, with more users claiming tokens and engaging with supported projects. This, in turn, boosts community promotion and awareness for innovative Cardano builders. By making discovery and token claiming easier, DripDropz unlocks new potential for organic, incentive driven ecosystem growth.

[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?

The DripDropz team is fully public, with members regularly engaging with the community at various public events. We've exhibited at and participated in RareEvo and NFTxLV. Core team members have also spoken at the Cardano Summit in Dubai and frequently engage in governance and ecosystem development within the community.

Our team is active in Catalyst Town Hall and the Intersect MBO. We consistently provide updates on platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, and TikTok. Additionally, we maintain a YouTube channel where we share video updates on new features and After Town Hall presentations. We also host a weekly "SpacePlace" chat on YouTube & X, interacting with the community and answering their questions.

We've fulfilled previous promises made to Catalyst, successfully closing out our Open Source Voting Proposal. Recently, we completed a user survey for our new features and site revamp, gathering valuable insights and feedback. The features outlined in this proposal reflect the most requested enhancements from both project owners and end users on our platform.

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

Backend API Setup & Separation from Frontend

Outputs: Begin separating the monolithic stack by decoupling the backend. This milestone focuses on building a robust API that will handle all data and interaction points for the system.

Acceptance Criteria: The backend should be fully API-driven, with endpoints for core functions such as user interaction, data retrieval, and reward processing.

Evidence: Document the API setup with Swagger or a similar tool. A YouTube video will explain the backend separation and functionality, demonstrating API calls in a test environment.

VUE Frontend Migration (Phase 1 - Core Features)

Outputs: Initial migration of core frontend functionality to the VUE framework, including replicating basic user interactions from the old monolithic system.

Acceptance Criteria: The VUE frontend will display and replicate essential features (e.g., account login, dashboard).

Evidence: Screenshots or video of the new VUE interface performing basic functions, compared to the legacy system. A short demo video will be posted on YouTube.

VUE Frontend Completion (Phase 2 - Full Replication)

Outputs: Complete migration of the entire frontend to VUE, including all advanced features and visual elements.

Acceptance Criteria: The reviewer will be able to verify that the entire frontend replicates the functionality of the old system, but with improved design and performance through VUE.

Evidence: A YouTube video interview with the developer team, explaining the final steps of the migration and showcasing the full VUE interface in action.

Instant Rewardz API Upgrades

Outputs: Release full documentation for the Instant Rewardz API, detailing how it interacts with the backend and frontend systems.

Acceptance Criteria: A reviewer will be able to use the API to issue rewards to a wallet by following the documentation.

Evidence: Swagger documentation and a YouTube tutorial demonstrating the API’s capabilities with live reward issuance.

Multi-Drip Interface Revamp

Outputs: The Multi-Drip tool will be revamped to improve user experience, with a more intuitive interface.

Acceptance Criteria: The reviewer will be able to use the new Multi-Drip interface on the live DripDropz site, verifying improved usability.

Evidence: A Figma document showcasing the redesigned interface, alongside a video walkthrough on YouTube highlighting the changes and improvements.

DestinationDrip Minting Portal Release

Outputs: Final release of the DestinationDrip minting portal, which will allow users to mint a handle and assign it to different wallets using the ADAHandle Subhandle standard.

Acceptance Criteria: The reviewer will be able to mint a DestinationDrip handle, assign it to another wallet, and successfully transmit rewards to the destination wallet.

Evidence: The feature will go live on the DripDropz site, with a YouTube demo showing a full walkthrough of minting, assigning, and sending rewards using DestinationDrip.

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

Adam Dean Technology Architect & Front End VUE Development

https://twitter.com/adamKDean

Latheesan Kanesamoorthy Legacy Code Support

https://twitter.com/LatheesanK

Chris Hockaday QC/QA & Support

https://twitter.com/Orbital_Lexicon

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

This project is considered a whole team effort, requiring dedicated involvement from all team members. The cost for the entire team to work on this task is 58,333 ADA per month, which represents the minimum fixed value for their work. The 6 milestones are spread over 1 month each, with all team members contributing to the site revamp.

The total cost of the proposal is 350,000 ADA. These calculations are based on an ADA value of $0.30, resulting in a monthly overhead of $17,500 USD and a total of $105,000 USD for the six-month project duration.

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

The extensive upgrades proposed for the DripDropz platform offer exceptional value, considering both the significant benefits to Cardano's ecosystem and the development costs. The requested 350,000 ADA will fund six months of work by the skilled DripDropz core team, enabling substantial architectural changes, new feature additions, a revamped user experience, and major improvements to existing functionalities.

This dedicated team has already demonstrated its ability to drive remarkable engagement and adoption. For context, with only minor upgrades in 2022, DripDropz facilitated over 1.5 million reward withdrawals and accounted for more than 4% of all Cardano traffic. The proposed enhancements are expected to multiply this impact. At an average cost of 58,333 ADA per month, the monthly expense of $17,500 USD is competitive, given the specialized blockchain expertise required.

When considering the long-term growth, integration potential, and enhanced discovery capabilities for 200+ partner projects, along with simplified reward access for over 28,000 users, the value to Cardano far exceeds the finite development cost of 350,000 ADA. DripDropz' innovations bolster the ecosystem’s incentives and accessibility, which are crucial for sustainability. For both users and builders, this funding request represents excellent value for money, given the potential future impact.