Optimized Smart Contracts and Infrastructure for interoperable protocols on Cardano: VISTA

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

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

[GENERAL] Co proposers and Additional applicants

Cypher Enterprises

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

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language.

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

Create and publish open source, public utility contracts for common supply chain multi-party interactions such as escrow and logistics. 

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

[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?

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

All software and documentation developed under this proposal will be released under a Creative Commons 4.0 International Attribution License. Meaning that anyone is free to use the software in any way they see fit as long as they credit the original authors. 

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

Our solution aims to develop a library of open-sourced, public utility smart contracts to facilitate common supply chain interactions in the Cardano ecosystem. These interactions include: Escrow (time-locked and proof-based), Two-Party and Third-Party custodial goods transfer (logistics), and Permissioned Token Minting (Regulated Agency) actions.

What is a Public Utility Smart Contract?

We define a “Public Utility Smart Contract” as a smart contract that is written and delivered as open source to the ecosystem without any additional fees for licensing, utilizing, or transacting with the smart contract. Once written and published the contracts will be usable by any person or entity who has need of their functionality in perpetuity and without requisite modification.

What is the development process?

Our development process will follow a 4-Step Development Cycle to ensure quality, accuracy, security, and completeness of all developed contracts:

1. Draft Contract Authoring
2. Our smart contract developers will create a functional draft of the smart contract logic that they believe is ready to be considered a “Release Candidate”.
3. Independent Review (Audit)
4. Outside experts and consultants will be asked to review and analyze the code, looking for potential bugs or vulnerabilities and providing their feedback and assessments.
5. Refinement and Testing
6. Based on the independent review process we will refine and address any security or performance concerns while conducting extensive testing of all features and functionalities of the developed contracts.
7. Documentation and Publication
8. Once all of the above steps have been completed to a high level of satisfaction, documentation of the contract and its interactions will be developed along with open source publication and working deployment to a public Cardano Test Network environment.

Why Open Source, Public Utility Contracts are Critical?

We believe that these contracts are critical to a wide range of supply chain solutions and no one company or entity can ever hope to service the entire market. In order to foster and grow both the developer ecosystem and Cardano adoption as an interoperable blockchain for supply chain solutions, we need to save new entities entering the ecosystem the time and development cost of “Reinventing the Wheel”.

By creating a library of open source, public utility smart contracts we can reduce the development time and costs of new participants while developing towards an interoperable standard that allows for easy and transparent communication between pieces of the ecosystem.

Once released, these contracts will be able to be used and monetized by any interested party that implements them in perpetuity since the development costs have already been covered by the Cardano community through this Catalyst grant.

A demo video showing our prototype proof of concept contracts in action on the Cardano Preview network can be seen here:

Proof of the transactions executed in the video can be found here:

https://preview.cardanoscan.io/transaction/ee78532bad9000e3e62656058a3ac90d3fb39453b90c1c00e154d2b1601cd4f6?tab=utxo

https://preview.cardanoscan.io/transaction/4edd041ca8708220f5545ce016de24436a39d57e3773e6cdc6a0d1b56dd76a9d?tab=summary

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

The development of a robust library of open sourced, public utility smart contracts will drastically reduce the time and cost of deploying new supply chain solutions in the Cardano ecosystem and greatly enhance interoperability between pieces of the supply chain ecosystem.

The goal, of course, would be to position Cardano as a leader in the evolving blockchain-based supply chain solutions landscape and bring more developers, projects, and users into the Cardano ecosystem. 

[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, comprising seasoned professionals with diverse expertise in blockchain development, standards authoring, and strategic leadership, is well-equipped to deliver this project with a high degree of trust and accountability. Members bring a collective wealth of experience, having successfully undertaken and delivered projects within the blockchain space.

Demonstrating a deep understanding of blockchain intricacies, our team has actively contributed to the advancement of blockchain technologies, collaborating on impactful projects that showcase technical proficiency and a track record of success. Beyond the blockchain sector, team members have made significant contributions to global organizations, highlighting a commitment to innovation and strategic leadership.

To validate the feasibility of our approach, we have already taken a proactive step by developing a small in-house prototype. This prototype serves as a confirmation of feasibility, providing valuable insights and allowing us to refine our approach further. Leveraging our combined technical expertise, we will conduct thorough testing and implement stringent verification processes. Our commitment to transparency, coupled with past successes, positions us well to manage funds responsibly and deliver on the proposed project with accountability and trust.

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

Milestone Outputs: Develop and publish open-source, public utility smart contracts for escrow services on the Cardano blockchain.

Acceptance Criteria: Contracts must be functional, thoroughly documented, and adhere to coding best practices. The contracts should demonstrate the ability to facilitate secure and transparent escrow transactions.

Evidence of Milestone Completion: GitHub repository with the developed smart contracts, documentation, and a demonstration of successful escrow transactions on the Cardano testnet.

Milestone Outputs: Create and release open-source, public utility smart contracts facilitating custody transfer functionalities within the Cardano ecosystem.

Acceptance Criteria: The custody transfer contracts should be functional, well-documented, and compliant with industry standards. They must demonstrate the secure and seamless transfer of custody for supply chain assets.

Evidence of Milestone Completion: A GitHub repository containing the custody transfer smart contracts, comprehensive documentation, and a demonstration of successful custody transfer transactions on the Cardano testnet.

Milestone Outputs: Develop and publish open-source, public utility smart contracts for permissioned minting on the Cardano blockchain.

Acceptance Criteria: The permissioned minting contracts should be functional, accompanied by thorough documentation, and adhere to best practices. They must showcase the ability to securely mint assets within a permissioned framework.

Evidence of Milestone Completion: GitHub repository housing the permissioned minting smart contracts, detailed documentation, and a demonstration of successful permissioned minting transactions on the Cardano testnet.

Milestone Outputs: Complete final documentation, conduct a comprehensive review of all smart contracts, and prepare for the official release.

Acceptance Criteria: All smart contracts should be refined, fully documented, and reviewed. The project's final documentation should be compiled, and preparations for official release must be completed.

Evidence of Milestone Completion: GitHub repository with finalized smart contracts, comprehensive documentation, and a summary report on the overall project, indicating readiness for official release.

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

Riley Kilgore: is a seasoned developer renowned for his extensive experience in creating smart contracts on the Cardano blockchain. As a pioneering figure in the Cardano ecosystem, he holds the distinction of launching the first Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO), showcasing his forward-thinking approach and innovative mindset. Currently serving as the Head Developer at Summon Platform, Riley has played a pivotal role in shaping the platform's technological landscape. Under his leadership, he has crafted a robust suite of tools specifically tailored for DAOs, demonstrating his commitment to advancing the capabilities of decentralized governance structures. With a rich history of contributing groundbreaking technology to Cardano, Riley Kilgore continues to be a driving force in the development and evolution of blockchain ecosystems.

Paul Spata: As a seasoned Full-stack Software Developer, ML Architect, DevOps Engineer, and Development Director, Paul brings over two decades of expertise to the dynamic intersection of technology, business, and science. An innovator, strategist, and entrepreneur, Paul has consistently delivered proven results across diverse technical domains. Notable among his recent accomplishments is being named the "Client of the Year" at the 2017 SCORE Tip of the Mitt awards, alongside developing a cutting-edge SDK for real-time driver tracking and visualization for an industry-leading client. His prowess extends to winning two awards in the 'Best App Ever' competition in the Social Networking and Reference categories.

Paul is adept at independently designing, coding, administering, and managing software development, utilizing modern tech, time-proven patterns, and best practices. His true passion, however, lies in collaborative teamwork, where he excels in agile leadership techniques, solid planning, and iterative progress. Connected with a roster of skilled technicians, Paul is poised for the next ambitious opportunity.

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

Contract Milestone Sprint Budget and Timeline 

(6-8 weeks | $25,260 USD | 84,200 ADA @ $0.30)

• Draft Development (3 weeks)
• 1x Developer @ $150/hr @ 20 hours per week: $9,000
• 1x Project Manager @ $45/hr @ 8 hours per week: $1,080
• Audit & Refinement (3 weeks)
• 2x Developer @ $150/hr @ 10 hours per week: $9,000
• 1x Project Manager @ $45/hr @ 8 hours per week: $1,080
• Testing & Deployment (1 week)
• 1x Developer @ $150/hr @ 10 hours per week: $1,500
• 1x Project Manager @ $45/hr @ 8 hours per week: $360
• 1x Technical Writer @ $60/hr @ 8 hours per week: $480
• Documentation & Publication (1 week)
• 1x Developer @ $150/hr @ 8 hours per week: $1,200
• 1x Project Manager @ $45/hr @ 8 hours per week: $360
• 1x Technical Writer @ $60/hr @ 20 hours per week: $1,200

Milestone A: Escrow (6-8 weeks | $25,260 USD | 84,200 ADA @ $0.30)

Milestone B: Custody Transfer (6-8 weeks | $25,260 USD | 84,200 ADA @ $0.30)

Milestone C: Permissioned Minting (6-8 weeks | $25,260 USD | 84,200 ADA @ $0.30)

Project Closeout/Final Milestone:

(1 week | $5,300 USD | 17,667A @ $0.30)

• Provide summary of all provided work along with published documentation
• 1x Developer @ $150/hr @ 8 hours per week: $1,200
• 1x Project Manager @ $45/hr @ 20 hours per week: $900
• 1x Technical Writer @ $60/hr @ 20 hours per week: $1,200
• 1x Graphic Designer @ $100/hr @ 20 hours per week: $2,000

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

We believe the project provides exceptional value for the Cardano ecosystem and addresses critical needs to the ecosystem.

Additionally the investment in developing open-source, interoperable smart contracts and cross-chain communication capabilities will result in a more robust and versatile Cardano ecosystem.

By expanding functionality, the project not only attracts developers but also positions Cardano as a leader in the blockchain space. The positive impact on smart contract adoption rates and community engagement levels demonstrates the tangible value generated for the 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.