Last updated 2 months ago
The network layer is one of the component necessary to an alternative client; with the goal of light, in-browser, nodes in mind, Cardano is missing any library capable of covering this necessity.
This is the total amount allocated to HLabs: typescript cardano-node / network layer - *runtime independent* server and client implementations of the ouroboros miniprotocols. 0 out of 5 milestones are completed.
1/5
low level components
Cost: âł 20,000
Delivery: Month 1 - Apr 2024
2/5
Type definitions for all the mini protocols
Cost: âł 60,000
Delivery: Month 2 - May 2024
3/5
N2N & N2C clients
Cost: âł 40,000
Delivery: Month 3 - Jun 2024
4/5
n2n & n2c server implementations
Cost: âł 50,000
Delivery: Month 4 - Jul 2024
5/5
close out video and report
Cost: âł 30,000
Delivery: Month 5 - Aug 2024
NB: Monthly reporting was deprecated from January 2024 and replaced fully by the Milestones Program framework. Learn more here
The goal is to have a module reusable on any js runtime for node-to-node and node-to-client direct comunications, ultimately allowing for Cardano light clients in future.
No dependencies
already open sourced at https://github.com/HarmonicLabs/ouroboros-miniprotocols-ts under Apache-2.0 license
The final goal of this proposal is to have the necessary networking module that can be re-used for different, purpose-specific, nodes; and (alongside the ledger and consensus proposals) eventually a fully functional alternative implementation of the haskell cardano-node.
The (already exsisting) library DOES NOT depend on any runtime-specific functionality; this will allow the module to be reused in any environment for node-to-node and node-to-client comunications; especially once the ecosystem starts adopting more and more browser friendly functionalities (WebSockets, etc..)
Primary target of the project are both developers and stake pool operator, and through them any possible user that interacts, directly or indirectly with the Cardano protocol.
Client diversity is crucial for the long term security of the protcol.
Every user of Cardano is relying, directly or indirectly, on a cardano-node in order to interact with the blockchain (submitting transactions, querying data, etc...)
So far the only aviable implementation is the Haskell one, making the node a potential single point of failure, and often accessed via centralized servers (because there is not really an alternative).
This module, alongside the ledger and consensus ones, will play an important role in the creation of alternative clients and light clients, with the goal of improving the network and end user securtiy.
Michele Nuzzi has been part of the Cardano ecosystem at the beginnign as a single stake pool operator and later as developer. In this time he wrote and still maintains numerous dependecy free typescript libraries that require a low level understanding of the Cardano protocol.
A non-exhaustive list list of some of the projects would be:
Uniform the interface of the present clients implementations to match both the EventTarget interface expected by browsers and the EventEmitter NodeJS class.
Complete all clients for all the mini protocols
Implement server sides of the node-to-node protocols
Implement server sides of the node-to-client protocols
Connection manager implementation
A complete library for all mini protocols (both client and server)
A connection manager component (to be used by the node who wishes to manage peers)
1) Michele Nuzzi
In the event multiple proposals will be approved qualified personale will be hired to guarantee the successful delivery of all of the approved proposals.
The profile required for such postion will be of a Senior Typescript developer with solid understanding of the different Javascript runtimes and relative main APIs (Web Workers, WebSockets, etc. for Browsers and worker_threads, os, fs, etc. for Node as well as other possible runtimes such as Bun.js or Deno)
At a price of 0.3828 USD per ADA the estimated cost corresponds to roughly 225705,33 ADA, so we round down to 200'000 ADA to meet the challenge requirement.
The expected time to completion of the project is of 6 months considering 1 engineer for 8 hours per day for 30 days per month
60 $/h x 8h/d x 30d/mo x 6mo = 86400 $
that converted to ADA is roughly 225705,33 ADA (rounded down to meet the challenge requirements)
The software generated by this proposal will likely run as part of the critical infrastructure that powers Cardano as a protocol.
The skills and knowledge required for the realization of this project are highly specialized hence the value for money should be fair.