Enhancing Marketplaces: Aiken Language Optimization and Potential Novel Uses

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Chadi Nassar

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

Entity (Not Incorporated)

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

12

[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)

Developing an optimized Aiken language upgrade for our marketplace smart contracts to enhance performance, reduce costs, & improve functionality in the marketplace scene and open source the contracts.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

Yes

[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.”

The project will be released under the MIT open-source license, allowing for community collaboration and modification.

We will also be working under the guidance of the Aiken Team to help direct and train our main developer Stale if and when needed.

[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

We have already gone through beta testing of the contracts we had under Plutus 2.0 and found critical errors and areas that do not function at all as intended. After much review we have decided that Aiken is the best upgrade to secure one area and make the whole system work more smoothly. Once we have patched the error, we will open source the whole project under MIT license including the new upgrades we are proposing here through Aiken. This

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

Our solution involves upgrading our marketplace contract to the Aiken language to improve the efficiency of marketplace smart contracts on the Cardano blockchain as a whole since we want to open source them and also make them open to the Dev community for collaboration. This includes optimizing the Aiken contract's syntax and functionality to enable more complex and cost-effective contracts, thus fostering greater innovation and scalability within the Cardano markatplace ecosystem which we are confident would lead to more entrants into the NFT community.

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

This project will significantly lower operational costs and enhance the performance of marketplace smart contracts. It will enable developers to create more complex and efficient applications, contributing to the overall growth and adoption of the Cardano blockchain.

[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 team comprises experienced Cardano members and project managers. We have a proven track record in developing a marketplace including the technologies needed to push innovation forward. Feasibility will be validated through rigorous testing and community feedback and open sourced coding for the dev community to contribute and audit all code.

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

Research and Development Plan - Complete Analysis and Roadmap Development

• Objective: To conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current Aiken language within the Cardano marketplace ecosystem and develop a detailed roadmap.
• Activities: Analyzing existing Aiken use cases, exploring scalability solutions, and drafting a development roadmap with technical specifications.
• Output: A comprehensive development roadmap with project scope, objectives, technical specifications, and timelines.
• Acceptance Criteria: A thoroughly researched and well-documented roadmap that is approved by the project team and aligns with the project goals.

This milestone focuses on conducting a comprehensive analysis of the current Aiken language used within the Cardano marketplace ecosystem. Our team will identify key areas where efficiency and functionality can be significantly improved. This phase involves extensive research into existing Aiken open sourced marketplace smart contract use cases, and potential scalability solutions. The outcome will be a detailed development roadmap, outlining the project's scope, objectives, and timelines. This roadmap will serve as a guiding document, ensuring that all subsequent development aligns with the project's goals. It will also detail the technical specifications and the requirements necessary to achieve the desired marketplace ecosystem enhancements in the Aiken language.

Language Development - Develop and Test the Enhanced Aiken Language Features

• Objective: To develop and test new Aiken language features for the marketplace ecosystem.
• Activities: Coding new language features, performing unit, integration, and performance testing, and beginning the process of open sourcing the developed code.
• Output: Developed and tested Aiken language features with documentation on testing results.
• Acceptance Criteria: Successfully developed language features that pass all testing phases and are ready for community feedback.

In this milestone, the focus shifts to the actual development and testing of the enhanced Aiken language features we need for the marketplace ecosystem upgrades. The development phase will involve coding the new language features, with a strong emphasis on optimizing for efficiency, reducing operational costs, and improving smart contract functionality. Once the development is complete, rigorous testing will be conducted. This includes unit testing, integration testing, and performance testing to ensure that the new marketplace Aiken language features are reliable, secure, and compatible with existing Cardano blockchain infrastructure. Feedback from these tests will be used to refine the language features, ensuring they meet the high standards required for blockchain applications. This is where we will start open sourcing the Aiken code we develop to go on to Milestone 3.

Community Engagement - Collect Feedback and Refine the Language

• Objective: To engage with the Cardano community for feedback and refine the Aiken language features.
• Activities: Presenting features to the community, collecting and analyzing feedback, and refining the language based on input.
• Output: A report summarizing community feedback and subsequent refinements made to the Aiken language features.
• Acceptance Criteria: Positive community engagement with actionable feedback that is effectively integrated into the language features.

This milestone emphasizes community engagement and feedback collection. The upgraded Aiken language marketplace features will be presented to the Cardano community, including developers, stakeholders, and end-users, for their input and suggestions. Various channels like forums, social media, and developer workshops will be used to gather feedback. This phase is crucial for understanding how the enhancements are perceived by the community and for identifying any additional improvements or adjustments needed. The feedback collected will be systematically analyzed and used to refine and optimize the language features further. This milestone ensures that the final product aligns with the community's needs and expectations, fostering wider acceptance and adoption.

Documentation and Finalization - Complete Documentation and Release the Upgraded Language

• Objective: To finalize the Aiken language enhancements and release comprehensive documentation.
• Activities: Preparing detailed documentation including usage guidelines and best practices, and releasing the upgraded language to the public.
• Output: Comprehensive documentation and publicly released, upgraded Aiken language.
• Acceptance Criteria: Clear, user-friendly documentation and a fully functional, upgraded Aiken language available for public use.

The fourth milestone involves the completion of comprehensive documentation and the release of the upgraded Aiken marketplace smart contract language. Documentation will cover detailed guidelines on how to use the new language features, including sample code snippets, use case scenarios, and best practices. It will serve as a valuable resource for developers looking to utilize the enhanced language in their smart contract development. The finalized version of the language, along with the documentation, will be released to the public, marking a significant step forward in the Cardano ecosystem's capabilities. This milestone ensures that the improvements made are accessible and understandable to developers of varying skill levels, promoting innovation and growth within the Cardano community.

Final Milestone: Project Completion Report - Compile a Comprehensive Project Report and Demonstration

• Objective: To compile a detailed report on the project’s completion and demonstrate the enhanced Aiken language.
• Activities: Analyzing the project lifecycle, assessing the impact on the Cardano ecosystem, and preparing a demonstration of the language's capabilities.
• Output: A comprehensive project completion report and a functional demonstration of the marketplace using the upgraded language.
• Acceptance Criteria: A detailed and transparent report that covers all aspects of the project and a successful demonstration that showcases the enhanced language’s effectiveness and potential applications.

The final milestone involves compiling a comprehensive project completion report and a demonstration of the enhanced Aiken language. The report will provide an in-depth analysis of the entire project lifecycle, including the research conducted, development processes, community feedback integration, and final outcomes. It will also assess the project's impact on the Cardano ecosystem, detailing how the upgraded language contributes to efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and overall blockchain functionality. A demonstration, in the form of a functioning marketplace that runs on those language upgrades, will showcase the upgraded language's capabilities, highlighting its advantages and potential applications in marketplaces today and those to come. This milestone not only marks the successful completion of the project but also serves as a testament to the team's commitment to transparency, accountability, and contribution to the Cardano community.

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

Luke Baker (Stale) - Dev Lead + Co-founder

Chadi Nassar - Project Manager + Co-founder

Nic Caridi (fettuccine) - Project Marketing Lead + Co-founder

AvatarNick - Aiken Language Lead

The Aiken Team has given us the green light for them to act as consultants on this project.

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

Here is a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources matching our milestones.

Milestone 1: Research and Development Plan - Complete Analysis and Roadmap Development

• Budget Allocation: 40,000 ADA
• Labor (Aiken Experts): 35,000 ADA
• Overheads (includes utilities, internet, miscellaneous): 5,000 ADA

Milestone 2: Language Development - Develop and Test the Enhanced Aiken Language Features

• Budget Allocation: 80,000 ADA
• Labor (Developers, QA Engineers): 60,000 ADA
• Computing Resources (Servers, Testing Environments): 20,000 ADA

Milestone 3: Community Engagement - Collect Feedback and Refine the Language

• Budget Allocation: 30,000 ADA
• Community Management and Engagement Activities: 15,000 ADA
• Online Workshops and Webinars: 10,000 ADA
• Marketing and Communications: 5,000 ADA

Milestone 4: Documentation and Finalization - Complete Documentation and Release the Upgraded Language

• Budget Allocation: 30,000 ADA
• Technical Writing and Documentation: 15,000 ADA
• Final Testing and Quality Assurance: 10,000 ADA
• Contingency and Miscellaneous: 5,000 ADA

Final Milestone: Project Completion Report - Compile a Comprehensive Project Report and Demonstration

• Budget Allocation: 20,000 ADA (Project Management and Administration)
• Project Management: 10,000 ADA
• Administrative Costs (Legal, Compliance, etc.): 10,000 ADA

This budget allocation ensures that each milestone is appropriately funded, aligning the specific costs with the planned activities and objectives.

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

The budget aligns with the project's scope and potential impact for Cardano marketplaces. It represents value for money by substantially enhancing the efficiency and functionality of the Cardano marketplace ecosystem, thus attracting more developers and fostering innovation on how NFTs are traded and distributed on the Cardano Blockchain.

[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