Rewards Without Borders: A Web2 Compatible, Cross-Chain Digital Collectibles Loyalty Program on Cardano

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Nicolas Caridi

[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)

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)

We will develop an open-source mobile application that uses Cardano to unify digital collectible rewards across multiple blockchains and enable Web2 integrations.

[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

Fully open sourced.

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

We will develop an open-source mobile application that uses Cardano to unify digital collectible rewards across multiple blockchains and enable Web2 integrations.

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

Our proposed solution is to develop an open-source, blockchain-agnostic iOS application that leverages the Cardano blockchain to manage and reward digital collectible ownership across different blockchain networks. Our application will offer a unified rewards system, integrated into a user-friendly platform, that incentivizes digital collectible ownership and engagement.

We perceive the problem as a lack of easy interoperability and management of digital collectibles, which stifles both developers and users from maximizing the potential benefits of these assets. A fragmented ecosystem creates barriers for developers who wish to create and manage loyalty and rewards programs across multiple blockchain platforms as well as for Web 2 businesses to tap into the communities we’ve created..

We are approaching this problem by developing a solution that is both user-centric and developer-friendly. By leveraging Cardano, we are developing a tool that allows for seamless integration of digital collectibles from various blockchains and can be leveraged by Web2 businesses for rewards as well. Furthermore, by open-sourcing this project, we are fostering a community-driven approach where developers and projects can improve upon our foundation.

Our project will engage developers seeking to integrate their digital collectibles into a unified rewards system, users of digital collectibles, as well as businesses looking to explore and utilize blockchain technology for their rewards and loyalty programs.

To demonstrate our impact, we will track metrics such as the number of projects adopting our tool, user engagement within the app, and the number of digital collectibles linked to our app.

Because we’re building the infrastructure for a rewards loyalty program on Cardano, the benefits of our project extend to Cardano users who will be able to manage and receive rewards for their digital collectibles in a streamlined manner as well as businesses who want to enter into the web3 world and tap into the communities we’ve created. On top of this, eventually, developers from any blockchain and/or Web2 brand can build solutions that integrate to the dApp and bolster a loyalty program.

[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 is composed of dedicated individuals with a wealth of knowledge and experience in various domains of blockchain, marketing, project management, and community engagement.

Nicolas Caridi, with his robust background in business development, marketing, and blockchain project management, will serve as the project's lead coordinator, delegating tasks to the development team and ensuring all milestones are met. His previous endeavors, including creating the first Ethereum digital collectible with Cardano utility, demonstrate his innovative approach and commitment to the blockchain space.

Viviek Patel, having a strong background in product marketing and project management at tech startups, will be in charge of managing partnerships and marketing the platform and API. Viviek's experience at Unstoppable Domains, where he facilitated the go-to-market launch of various products, equips him with the skills necessary to scale our project's outreach efforts.

Marcus Lee, our developer, is the force behind projects such as XCSLabs and OrdinalsGateway. His innovative solutions are widely utilized in the blockchain industry today. Marcus and his team at XCSLabs will be responsible for our project's full-stack development, guaranteeing a quality and efficient technological base.

Campurean Alexandru, with a rich history in the Web3 community, will act as the liaison between our team and the community. His role in ensuring transparent communication and feedback coordination is critical to keep our project aligned with community needs and expectations.

In summary, our team exhibits:

Profound Expertise: Our members bring a deep understanding of blockchain technology, marketing, project management, and community liaison, vital to the project's success.

Impressive Track Record: The team has a history of delivering successful projects, demonstrating our ability to meet milestones and manage funds effectively.

Transparent Processes: Our project management process ensures each step is monitored, measured, and reported, including transparent budgeting and financial management.

Community Engagement: Our commitment to open-source principles and community involvement ensures accountability as we progress, fostering a sense of trust within the Cardano community.

This diverse and experienced team, coupled with our commitment to transparency and community engagement, positions us ideally to deliver on our project promises with high levels of trust and accountability.

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

Milestone 1: Research & Design (1-2 months)

- Conduct market research to identify needs and requirements.

- Develop user personas to understand key user types.

- Design user interface and user experience for the application.

- Plan the application's technical architecture.

- Cost: $15,000

Success criteria: Finalized application designs and technical architecture blueprint ready for development.

Milestone 2: MVP Development (3-4 months)

- Develop core features of the application such as user accounts, digital collectible management, and rewards system.

- Integrate the application with the Cardano blockchain.

- Conduct internal testing and bug fixing.

- Cost: $50,000

Success criteria: Fully functional MVP with all planned features and Cardano blockchain integration.

Milestone 3: Testing & Feedback (1 month)

- Release MVP to select users for beta testing.

- Collect user feedback on the application's functionality, usability, and feature set.

- Refine and improve the application based on user feedback.

- Cost: $5,000

Success criteria: Positive user feedback and improved application based on user suggestions.

Milestone 4: Launch & Marketing (1-2 months)

- Release the application to the public on the iOS App Store.

- Conduct marketing and promotion activities to raise awareness and increase adoption.

- Cost: $20,000

Success criteria: Successful launch with a substantial number of initial downloads and active users.

Milestone 5: Continuous Improvement & Expansion (Ongoing)

- Collect user feedback and usage data for continuous improvement.

- Develop and integrate additional features and blockchain platforms based on user needs.

- Ongoing marketing and user acquisition activities.

- Cost: $8,000 

Success criteria: Growing user base, increased user engagement, and additional blockchain platform integrations.

Regarding budget, the costs outlined for each milestone cover all anticipated expenses, including team salaries, software development tools and resources, marketing and promotional expenses, and miscellaneous expenses. We will self fund any unexpected costs and costs above as proposed. 

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

Nicolas Caridi: 

Nicolas has an extensive background in business development, marketing, and blockchain project management. His previous work experience encapsulates multiple industries ranging from CPG, Payment Processing, Events, Telecommunications, and more. His involvement in the Cardano Ecosystem includes creating the first Ethereum digital collectible with Cardano utility, a decentralized collectible marketplace, an innovative disruptor to the subscription industry, and more. He goes by Fettuccine online. 

Nicolas will be in charge of the coordination and delegation of tasks towards the development team.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-caridi-4bb931b8/

https://www.plutus.art/

http://angelbabyhitsquad.com/

Viviek Patel: Viviek has a strong background in product marketing, go to market launches, and project management at tech startups. His previous experience has been in tech startups spanning Agricultural tech, Blockchain, Internet of Things, Fintech, and more. He was a product marketer at Unstoppable Domains where facilitated the go to market launch of various products. Most notably, the marketing for digital avatars which integrated with 6 blockchains. In recent months, he’s worked with 7 Cardano based businesses to scale their marketing efforts. He currently leads the marketing for DEMU Protocol and Cherubim.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/thedegencreator/

Prev companies: 

https://unstoppabledomains.com/

https://bluerivertechnology.com/

https://www.jetsonsmarthomes.com/

https://www.tillful.com/

Viviek Patel will be in charge of partnerships and marketing of the platform. 

Marcus Lee: 

Marcus is a developer extraordinaire who has been responsible for xcsLabs, OrdinalsGateway, a Cardano minting service, and much more. He has pioneered solutions used by many across the blockchain today. He is the lead developer on our activations. 

https://twitter.com/xcslabsxyz

https://ordinalsgateway.io/

Marcus Lee and his team at XCSLabs will be in charge of full-stack development.

Campurean Alexandru:

A Romanian crypto lover who is community manager and liaison. He dropped out of an industrial economic engineering college to complete a psychology degree. He’s worked in a military base in Cluj-Napoca, followed by working for a year at the Romanian Intelligence Service. He’s been in crypto full-time for two years and has worked with multiple Web3 brands and a blockchain development company. He’s well-known in the Web3 community and keeps the community and team connected with one another.

Campurean Alexandru will act as liaison with community and coordinate feedback.

https://twitter.com/Sic2336

https://twitter.com/YeppleInc

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

Research & Design: $10,000

This includes market research, user personas, user interface and user experience designs, and technical architecture planning.

MVP Development: $55,000

This involves the development of a Minimum Viable Product with core features such as user accounts, digital collectible management, and rewards system.

Testing & Feedback: $15,000

This covers the testing phase, user feedback collection and analysis, and refining the MVP based on feedback.

Launch & Marketing: $10,000

This includes finalizing the application for launch, as well as developing and executing a marketing plan. It also includes press releases and promotional materials.

Continuous Improvement & Expansion: $5,000

This budget is for regular updates, new feature development, and integration with more blockchain platforms after the initial launch.

Project Management: $0

This is for managing the project from start to finish, ensuring that milestones are met on time, and funds are used appropriately.

Documentation & Reporting: $3,000

This includes documenting the project development process, preparing user guides, and reporting progress to the community.

In total, we are seeking $98,000 for this project.

All costs are estimated and may change depending on various factors. Any leftover funds will be reinvested into the project to further improve and expand the application. The project team will strictly manage and audit the funds to ensure transparency and proper usage.

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

Our solution directly addresses the challenge by providing a dApp that simplifies the process of creating and managing digital collectible loyalty and rewards programs across multiple blockchains and provides a bridge to Web2 businesses. Our open-source, cross-chain, and Web2 compatible iOS application will make it easy for developers and businesses to reward and incentivize digital collectible ownership and engagement.

In terms of benefits to the Cardano ecosystem, our solution will:

Drive Adoption: By offering a unique, open-source tool that utilizes Cardano for a rewarding, cross-chain digital collectible experience, we aim to attract more developers and businesses to build and integrate their applications on the Cardano blockchain.

Foster Innovation: By open-sourcing the project, we create an environment for developers to make their own iterations of our platform, sparking collaboration between businesses and blockchain projects.

Strengthen the Community: The platform will create a more engaged and vibrant community by providing users with a streamlined way to manage and receive rewards for their digital collectibles. It will also encourage the integration of digital collectible rewards programs from other blockchains, bringing more users and developers into the Cardano ecosystem. Moverover, by providing rewards outside of Web3 (Web2 and IRL), we bridge the gap between real world use cases for digital collectibles and Web3 development.

Quantifying the impact, we expect to see an increase in the number of developers and businesses using Cardano to develop applications after the launch of our platform. Additionally, we anticipate a rise in user engagement within the Cardano ecosystem as they can more easily manage and receive rewards for their digital collectibles. As we track our key performance metrics post-launch, we will be able to provide more precise figures on the usage and adoption rates.

Our solution has the potential to expand Cardano's influence and utilization across multiple blockchain ecosystems and bring more Web2 businesses into the web3 world. The combination of improved functionality, increased community engagement, and the potential for attracting new developers and users offers significant value to the 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