CBOR Validator Website for Cardano Development

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Steven Yang

[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)

3

[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)

We will launch a website designed to assist developers in debugging CBOR issues specific to Cardano.

[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

MIT License

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

We plan to create an all-in-one online toolkit tailored for Cardano development, consolidating essential tools to streamline the development and debugging process for CBOR related issues. This website will integrate functionalities that are currently spread across various platforms like CBOR.me and hextotext.com, but with a specific focus on Cardano's unique requirements. The toolkit will feature:

1. Comprehensive Conversion Tools: Interfaces for converting to and from hex strings, and between address keys and hex strings, simplifying tasks that are currently time-consuming.
2. Stake Key Retrieval: A dedicated tool to quickly extract stake keys from address keys, catering specifically to routine Cardano development needs.
3. Enhanced CBOR and Metadata Debugging: Tools designed for interpreting CBOR and debugging metadata, addressing common issues such as transaction rejection due to invalid metadata or CBOR errors, as experienced with platforms like Blockfrost.io.
4. Transaction Validation Feature: A feature to validate transactions, checking for errors and compatibility issues that arise with different wallet services like Nami and Eternl.

Our goal is to bring together these functionalities in a single, user-friendly platform to significantly reduce the development cycle times and eliminate the friction currently experienced by Cardano developers. This comprehensive toolkit will not only aid in rapid debugging but also enhance the overall efficiency and ease of Cardano development projects, making it a valuable resource for the community.

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

Value to the Cardano Community:

• By providing a centralized toolkit for common Cardano development tasks, we will streamline the development process. This efficiency boost will enable developers to focus more on innovation and less on routine debugging tasks.
• Our toolkit will make it easier for new and existing developers to engage with Cardano, lowering the barrier to entry and encouraging more developers to build on the Cardano platform.

Measuring Impact:

• We will track metrics such as the number of users of the toolkit, frequency of use, and reduction in development time for common tasks.
• Qualitative assessment will include feedback from the developer community.

Sharing Outputs and Opportunities:

• We will communicate our progress and insights to the Cardano community via blogs, social media, and forums.
• Regular updates, reports, and case studies to ensure transparency.

[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?

Our main company, Future Fest, has been an active participant in the Cardano community since the beginning of 2022. Our focus is on producing digital events leveraging tools and services built on Cardano. We have collaborated with a number of projects in the space and others outside of it.

Some highlights:

• Booking a high profile DJ for a token gated event
• Unity article featuring us
• Hosting the 2022 Official Unity Unite Afterparty
• Being the face of "live entertainment" for Unity
• Hosted Catalyst Fund 9 Virtual Pre-party
• Halloween Farmer's Market featuring 40+ Cardano projects
• Collaborations with CardanoWomen
• E-sports arena with PlayerMint
• Yummi Island

For Catalyst and open source development, our first proposal was approved in Fund 10. We have almost completed it and source code could be found here.

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

Planning and Design Phase

• Description: Detailed planning of the toolkit, including identifying key features and functionalities specific to Cardano development needs. This phase will also involve designing the user interface and mapping out the user experience.
• Outputs: A comprehensive project plan, including feature specifications and design mockups.
• Acceptance Criteria: Complete and approved project plan, with clear feature outlines and approved design concepts.

Development and Beta Release

• Description: Development of the toolkit based on the planning and design phase. This includes coding the essential features such as conversion tools, stake key retrieval, CBOR and metadata debugging, and transaction validation. A beta version will be released for initial user feedback.
• Outputs: Functional beta version of the toolkit.
• Acceptance Criteria: Successful deployment of the beta version.

Feedback and Full Launch

• Description: Collect and integrate feedback from the beta testing phase. Make necessary refinements and improvements to the toolkit. Prepare for and execute the full public launch.
• Outputs: Final version of the toolkit incorporating community feedback, official launch of the toolkit.
• Acceptance Criteria: Implementation of critical improvements, and a successful launch with a stable, user-friendly toolkit.

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

Steven Yang

Steven comes from a software development background working at Fortune 50 media companies. He also has led several technical teams in creating projects in emerging technologies.

[Responsibility: Software Engineer]

Jimmy Sambuo

Jimmy has spent the last decade building and maintaining systems for Fortune 500 companies. He has experience in various systems including web, mobile, cloud, and gaming.

[Responsibility: Software Engineer]

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

Development Team (25,000 ADA):

• 2x Senior Developers: Focused on web development of the toolkit. Will also provide designs. Estimated cost: 25,000 ADA

Documentation and Reporting (5,000 ADA):

• Creating detailed project reports, technical documentation, and regular updates for the Cardano community. This will ensure transparency and keep the community engaged with the project's progress.

This budget is an estimate and actual costs may vary. We are committed to managing the funds responsibly and will maintain full transparency with the Cardano community regarding all expenditures.

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

Development Team

This makes up a large majority of the budget because it represents 2 Senior Developers. Stretched out over the length of this project, they will be working on this part-time because of the market rate of developers in the United States. The team members have years of experience in their respective industries, so the work will be deliberate.

[IMPORTANT NOTE] The Applicant agrees to Fund 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