Open Source NFT & Wallet Auth Framework for Cardano

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

littlefish Foundation

[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)

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)

We will create an open-source JS framework enabling Cardano dApps to implement NFT and wallet-based user authentication.

[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

Our project aims to develop an open-source JavaScript framework for NFT and wallet authentication in Cardano dApps. We are committed to making all outputs of this project fully open source to foster a collaborative and accessible development environment within the Cardano community. This aligns with our goal of promoting a more inclusive and transparent development culture.

Open Source License:

• We intend to use the MIT License for our project. This license is widely recognized and respected in the open-source community for its permissiveness and ease of use.
• The MIT License allows users to freely use, modify, distribute, and sublicense the code. It's an ideal choice for ensuring our framework is accessible and adaptable for various applications.

Project Outputs and Open Source Status:

• Entire Framework: The complete JavaScript framework will be open source, including all core functionalities for NFT and wallet-based authentication.
• Documentation and Examples: All accompanying documentation, user guides, and example integrations will also be open source. This is crucial for enabling developers to understand, utilize, and contribute to the framework effectively.
• Additional Tools and Utilities: Any supplementary tools or utilities developed as part of this project, such as testing tools or integration plugins, will be open source.

Rationale and Benefits:

• Community Collaboration: By making the project fully open source, we encourage community collaboration, allowing other developers to contribute improvements, suggest features, and help in debugging.
• Standardization and Adoption: Open-sourcing the entire framework promotes standardization in NFT authentication methods within the Cardano ecosystem, potentially leading to broader adoption and innovation.
• Transparency and Trust: As an open-source project, our work remains transparent, building trust within the community and ensuring that our solutions align with the ethos of the Cardano ecosystem.

The open-source aspect of our project is crucial to its purpose and potential influence. We intend to utilize the MIT License to increase the accessibility and adaptability of our framework, which will promote widespread use and collaboration within the Cardano developer community.

[METADATA] SDG rating

1. SDG 5: Gender Equality
2. Sub-goal: 5.5 - Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life.
3. KPI: The proportion of women in leadership and technical roles within the project team, indicating progress towards gender equality in the workforce.
4. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
5. Sub-goal: 9.5 - Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, particularly developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending.
6. KPI: Increase in the number of developers and projects using the framework, indicating enhanced technological capabilities.
7. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
8. Sub-goal: 11.3 - Enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated, and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.
9. KPI: Adoption of the framework in projects that contribute to sustainable urban development, like smart city initiatives that use blockchain technology.
10. SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
11. Sub-goal: 17.6 - Enhance North-South, South-South, and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology, and innovation and enhance knowledge-sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism.
12. KPI: Number of collaborations and partnerships formed as a result of the project, especially those involving diverse geographical regions.

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

Our proposed solution is a JavaScript framework that is open-source and designed to enable Cardano decentralized applications (dApps) to integrate NFT and wallet-based user authentication. This solution addresses a common issue in the blockchain space: the need for standardized and user-friendly methods for dApp authentication.

Perception of the Problem:

The current dApp landscape often needs an efficient way to utilize NFTs and wallet addresses for user authentication. This gap hinders the broader adoption of dApps and limits the potential of NFTs in establishing user identity and community belonging within the Cardano ecosystem. Our solution aims to simplify and standardize this process, thereby enhancing the user experience and fostering greater community engagement.

Some platforms may deploy this solution on their own platform, but developers must develop this non-trivial feature on their own. There is no open source implementation that they can simply adopt.

The Solution

We will develop an open source JS framework that allows developers to implement an NFT sign-on/sign-in mechanism for their app.

The solution will provide a Cardano dApp boilerplate with NFT Authentication and explanatory documentation to start building on Cardano. It will include helper functions that allow developers to integrate in their apps:

• sign-on/sign-in using a wallet address,
• sign-on/sign-in using a specific NFT in the users wallet,
• Callback URL for physical authorization. (Framework will allow external callback to trigger external API or any interface) (this will allow any external service to be informed of the action, such as logging authorizations and triggering external services such as automated garage doors or barriers.
• allow certain NFTs/collections to be selected by the developer as login NFTs
• Design and implement CNFT SSO metadata
• Additionally, Membership levels (admin, user, etc.), activation date, expiry date, #max usage, transferability
• Sample pages:
• Dashboard
• cnft_auth Setup and configuration
• Privilege levels
• Default NFT/collection selection
• Signup with wallet
• Search for NFT in a wallet (pattern, prefix, metadata)
• Select NFT/collection in a wallet
• NFT overlays
• logo
• any arbitrary number
• a text or
• any variable output
• login with wallet
• Actions and events specific authorization
• Start date
• Expiry date
• Auth Levels
• NFT Token session expiry duration
• voting

Approach and Rationale:

We decided to create an open-source framework because it fosters collaboration within the community, enabling continuous improvement and adaptation. Open-source projects align with the principles of blockchain technology, highlighting transparency, decentralization, and collective development. With a focus on JavaScript, a widely used programming language, we ensure that our solution is accessible to many developers, maximizing its impact and adoption.

Engagement:

Our project aims to assist Cardano developers with tools to enhance their decentralized applications (dApps) with secure and user-friendly authentication. We simplify the integration process, allowing developers to focus on core functionalities and user experience. Moreover, we add value to NFT holders and creators by incorporating NFTs in authentication, further enriching the Cardano community.

Demonstrating Impact:

Our solution's impact will be shown by its adoption rate in the Cardano ecosystem. We will measure key metrics such as the number of dApps that integrate our framework, the activity on our GitHub repository (such as stars, forks, and contributions), and feedback from the developer community. Additionally, we will track the usage of NFT-based authentication in dApps to evaluate how our solution improves user engagement and interaction within the Cardano network.

Uniqueness and Benefits:

Our solution stands out due to its emphasis on NFT-based authentication - an area not explored much in blockchain technology. Utilizing NFTs beyond digital collectibles opens up new avenues for user interaction and community building. Our solution benefits the Cardano ecosystem by promoting innovation, improving dApp security and usability, and encouraging a more lively and engaged community around Cardano's expanding range of applications.

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

Our project aims to develop an open-source JavaScript framework for NFT and wallet authentication, focusing on significantly positively impacting the broader Cardano community.

Impact on the Cardano Community:

1. Enhanced User Experience: By facilitating seamless NFT and wallet-based authentication, we enhance the user experience in interacting with dApp
2. Boost to Developer Productivity: The framework will significantly reduce development time and complexity for integrating authentication in dApps, allowing developers to focus on core functionalities and innovation
3. Standardization of Authentication Methods: Introducing a standardized way of handling authentication across dApps contributes to the consistency and reliability of the user experience within the Cardano ecosystem
4. Fostering Innovation: By enabling new ways to use NFTs beyond trading and collecting, our project encourages creative and innovative uses of NFTs within the Cardano community
5. Inclusivity and Diversity: Our project's commitment to gender equality in the workforce, as represented by the inclusion of women in key roles, sets a positive example in the tech industry and promotes diversity

Measuring Impact:

1. Quantitative Metrics:
2. Adoption Rate: Tracking the number of dApps integrating our framework.
3. GitHub Repository Analytics: Monitoring stars, forks, pull requests, and contributions to assess community engagement and interest.
4. User Feedback: Collecting and analyzing user feedback through surveys or forums to gauge satisfaction and areas for improvement.
5. Qualitative Metrics:
6. Case Studies: Documenting success stories and use cases where our framework significantly impacted a dApp's development or user experience.
7. Community Discussions: Participating in and analyzing discussions within the Cardano community to understand the perceived value of our solution.

Sharing Outputs and Opportunities:

• GitHub Repository: All code, documentation, and updates will be readily available on our public GitHub repository, ensuring transparency and easy access for developers.
• Community Forums and Channels: Regular updates, tutorials, and discussions will be posted on Cardano community forums, Discord, and Telegram channels.
• Partnerships with Developer Groups: Collaborating with developer groups like Gimbalabs and Catalyst Swarm to disseminate information and gather feedback.
• Social Media Outreach: Utilizing platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn to reach a broader audience, share project updates, and celebrate milestones and successes.
• Webinars and Workshops: Hosting educational sessions to demonstrate the use of our framework and encourage adoption among developers.

Our project is geared towards enhancing the Cardano ecosystem by improving user and developer experiences, inspiring innovation, and establishing a benchmark for NFT-based authentication. We will closely monitor the impact of our project and actively engage with the community to ensure that the benefits are fully maximized and shared with the wider Cardano community.

[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 capability to deliver the NFT and wallet authentication framework project with high levels of trust and accountability is anchored on our team’s extensive experience, technical expertise, and a proven track record in blockchain technology and software development. 

Existing Capabilities and Suitability:

1. Diverse Expertise in Technology and Development:
2. Our team comprises seasoned professionals with over 20 years of experience in software development, including specific expertise in JavaScript, Python, C++, and blockchain technologies.
3. Key team members are graduates of the Plutus Pioneers Program, demonstrating in-depth knowledge and hands-on experience with Cardano’s blockchain technology.
4. Successful Past Projects:
5. We have previously led and completed projects funded by Catalyst, demonstrating our ability to manage funds and deliver on project goals effectively.
6. Our past projects have been well-received within the Cardano community, establishing a reputation for quality and reliability.
7. Strong Project Management Skills:
8. Our project management approach follows Agile methodologies, ensuring flexibility, regular progress tracking, and adaptive planning.
9. We have a dedicated project manager with over 10 years of experience in managing technology projects, ensuring that milestones are met and resources are utilized efficiently.

Validating Feasibility:

1. Technical Feasibility Assessment:
2. Prior to development, we will conduct a thorough technical feasibility study, assessing the proposed framework’s compatibility with existing Cardano infrastructure.
3. Regular prototyping and testing phases throughout the development process to ensure that the framework meets its technical objectives.
4. Community Feedback and Engagement:
5. Engaging with the Cardano developer community early in the project to validate the demand and practicality of our solution.
6. Incorporating feedback from these engagements to refine and validate our approach.

In conclusion, our team’s comprehensive skill set, experience in blockchain and software development, and a history of successful project execution make us ideally suited to deliver this project. Our approach to validating feasibility and managing funds with transparency and accountability further ensures that we can be trusted to carry out this project effectively for the Cardano ecosystem.

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

Milestone 1: Create Framework Boilerplate

• Timeline: 1 month
• Objectives and Deliverables:Develop JavaScript (JS) boilerplate code to launch simple dApps.
• Develop a callback mechanism for third-party backends.
• Outcome: Launch of the JS framework on GitHub, enabling the creation of simple dApps.

Milestone 2: Sign Up & Sign In Functionality with Wallet

• Timeline: 1 month
• Objectives and Deliverables:Develop functionalities for users to sign up and sign in using a wallet.
• Implement these functionalities in the front end.
• Integrate these functionalities into the callback mechanism.
• Outcome: Integration of wallet-based sign up and sign in functionalities into the framework.

Milestone 3: Sign Up & Sign In Functionality with an NFT

• Timeline: 1.5 months
• Objectives and Deliverables:Develop the functionality for users to sign up and sign in using an NFT.
• Research and develop secure authentication methods, such as NFT signing.
• Implement these functionalities in the front end.
• Integrate these functionalities into the callback mechanism.
• Outcome: Integration of NFT-based sign up and sign in functionalities into the framework.

Milestone 4: Single Sign-On (SSO) Metadata and Advanced Features

• Timeline: 1.5 months
• Objectives and Deliverables:Design and implement Cardano NFT (CNFT) Single Sign-On (SSO) metadata.
• Develop functionalities for membership levels, activation/expiry dates, maximum usage, and transferability.
• Integrate these advanced features into the front end and callback mechanism.
• Outcome: Creation of a single sign-on NFT metadata with advanced user security levels and other functionalities.

Final Project Completion and Review

• Objectives and Deliverables:Compile a comprehensive project report detailing the development process, challenges faced, and solutions implemented.
• Produce a demonstrative video showcasing the functionalities and potential uses of the framework in the Cardano ecosystem.
• Outcome: A complete and functional open-source framework for NFT and wallet authentication in Cardano dApps, along with documentation and demonstrative materials to facilitate adoption and further development by the community.

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

Our project team consists of highly skilled professionals, each bringing unique expertise and experience to ensure the successful delivery of the NFT and wallet authentication framework for Cardano dApps. Below are the details of our team members, their roles, and their relevant professional profiles:

Team Composition:

1. Project Lead: Cem Karaca
2. Role: Oversees the entire project, ensuring alignment with goals, managing timelines, and coordinating between different team members.
3. Expertise: Extensive experience in software development, project management, and blockchain technology.
4. LinkedIn Profile: Cem Karaca
5. Github: https://github.com/ckaraca
6. Responsibilities: Architecture design, team coordination, and stakeholder communication.
7. Lead Developer: Emir Olgun
8. Role: Heads the development efforts, focusing on blockchain integration and core functionalities of the framework.
9. Expertise: Skilled in JavaScript, blockchain technologies, and smart contract development.
10. LinkedIn Profile: Emir Olgun
11. Responsibilities: Development of core framework features, integration of NFT functionalities.
12. DevOps: Berk Atalay
13. Role: Manages the infrastructure, deployment, and continuous integration of the project.
14. Expertise: Proficient in system architecture, cloud services, and automation tools.
15. LinkedIn Profile: Berk Atalay
16. Responsibilities: Setting up and maintaining the project infrastructure, ensuring smooth deployment and operation.
17. Front-end Developer: TBD
18. Role: Design and implementation of the boilerplate code UI and UX
19. Expertise: Senior Developer
20. Responsibilities: Develop a NextJS framework with TypeScript for cnft_auth framework.
21. Marketing: Merve Topraklı
22. Role: Leads marketing and community outreach efforts to promote the framework within the Cardano community.
23. Expertise: Experienced in digital marketing, community engagement, and content creation.
24. LinkedIn Profile: Merve Topraklı
25. Medium: https://medium.com/@mervetoprakli
26. Responsibilities: Creating marketing strategies, managing social media presence, engaging with the Cardano community.

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

We have created a comprehensive budget plan for our NFT and wallet authentication framework project, which includes all the essential costs related to development, third-party services, community engagement, and management. We have provided a detailed budget breakdown below, outlining our project plan's various stages and components.

Development Costs:

1. Developer Salaries:

• Lead Developer (Emir Olgun): ₳4,000 per month x 4 months = ₳16,000
• Front-End Developer: ₳3,500 per month x 4 months = ₳18,000
• DevOps (Berk Atalay): ₳3,000 per month x 4 months = ₳12,000

Third-Party Services:

1. Code Auditing: ₳5,000

• Ensuring the security and efficiency of the code.

1. Cloud Services: ₳200 per month x 4 months = ₳800

• Hosting, testing, and deployment of the framework.

Marketing and Community Engagement:

1. Marketing and Publicity (Merve Topraklı):

• Content creation, social media management, community outreach = ₳2,000 per month x 4 months = ₳8,000

Project Management and Documentation:

1. Project Management (Cem Karaca):

• Coordination, planning, and overseeing project execution = ₳3,000 per month x 4 months = ₳12,000

Miscellaneous and Contingency:

1. Contingency Fund: ₳5,000

• To cover unexpected expenses or price fluctuations.

Total Project Budget:

• Developer Salaries: ₳46,000
• Code Auditing: ₳5,000
• Cloud Services: ₳800
• Marketing and Community Engagement: ₳8,000
• Project Management and Documentation: ₳12,000
• Contingency Fund: ₳5,000
• Total: ₳76,800

Alternative Funding Sources:

• We will utilize our organization's reserve funds if the project cost exceeds our initial funding request.
• Additionally, we will explore opportunities for partnerships within the Cardano ecosystem for supplemental funding or in-kind contributions, especially in areas like marketing and community engagement.

This budget is meticulously planned to ensure efficient use of funds while maintaining high project delivery standards and community involvement. Our team is committed to transparent and responsible budget management to effectively achieve the project's goals.

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

The cost of developing an open-source JavaScript framework for NFT and wallet authentication in Cardano dApps represents significant value for the ecosystem.

Justification of Costs:

1. Developer Salaries: We have allocated our budget for developer salaries based on competitive market rates for professionals with blockchain expertise

1. Third-Party Services and Software Licenses: Ensuring the security, reliability, and scalability of the framework requires costs for code auditing and cloud service

Value for the Cardano Ecosystem:

1. Enhancing dApp Development: This project aims to make it easier and more consistent to integrate wallet and NFT-based authentication into dApp

1. Fostering Innovation: We encourage community collaboration and innovation by providing an open-source solution

1. Community Engagement and Growth: Our budget for marketing and community engagement ensures that the project reaches a wide audience within the Cardano community

1. Long-term Benefits: The project's deliverables have the potential for a lasting impact on the Cardano ecosystem

The expense of our project is a strategic investment in the infrastructure and community of the Cardano ecosystem. It is in line with the immediate requirements of dApp developers as well as the long-term vision of a flourishing, innovative, and inclusive Cardano ecosystem. 

[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