Wolfram Price Feed Infrastructure

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Jon Woodard

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

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Requested funds in ada

294400

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

8

[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)

A project and an open-source package designed to enable developers to collect, store, and manage price feed data for DeFi applications, as well as a service for those who prefer not to run their own.

[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.”

We use the CCXT library which provides open-source access to crypto market price data. CCXT is an open-source data and trading library that supports over 100 exchanges.

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

No

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

The core project will be open source under the MIT License.

We invite people to inspect the code here: GitHub as the code is available right now.

There are elements essential for enabling the service, such as the website and security aspects, among others. These will be integral to the service's operation and, by their very nature, cannot be open-sourced due to the operational requirements of serving the community.

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution.

Example of the MVP: With our software, users can effortlessly establish their own database to gather pair pricing data from various exchanges in just a few simple steps. By following the instructions detailed in the quick start guide, users gain the ability to run the software independently, customizing their data collection process to suit their specific needs. This MVP empowers developers to explore and interact with decentralized financial data in a user-friendly manner, providing a glimpse into the exciting possibilities that lie ahead in the evolving landscape of blockchain technology. Our open-source solution revolves around emitting real-time pricing events for various data types such as Order Books, Tickers, Trades, Candlesticks, and Exchange Rates in exchanges and liquidity pools. This data, captured for each configured currency pair, is fetched and stored in a database by collectors.

CCDB supports a diverse range of data types:

• 📚 Order Book: Real-time buy and sell orders.
• 🔄 Trade: Information on executed transactions.
• 🏷️ Ticker: Current market statistics.
• 🕯️ Candlestick: Price movement over time.
• 💹 Exchange Rate: Current currency conversion rates.

2) Reasoning: Early-stage DeFi projects encounter a challenge due to the costs associated with real-time pricing data services. The financial burden imposed by these services creates a barrier, hindering the development and progress of emerging projects. Moreover, the alternative of constructing dedicated infrastructure to bypass these expenses presents an additional obstacle, as it consumes precious development time that could otherwise be allocated to refining and enhancing the core functionalities of these projects. This dual challenge not only restricts the financial feasibility of early-stage DeFi initiatives but also impedes their agility and competitive edge in the rapidly evolving landscape of decentralized finance. Addressing this issue is crucial for fostering innovation, encouraging the growth of early-stage projects, and ensuring a more inclusive and sustainable future for the DeFi ecosystem.

Our mission is to advance the science of blockchains, one of our approaches is to make blockchain data computational and accessible. We are developing an open-source solution to reduce the friction in DeFi application development. Our real-time price feed infrastructure collects data from both centralized (like Kraken, Binance, KuCoin, Gemini and others) and decentralized exchanges (like Minswap, Museli Swap, SundaeSwap, WingRiders, Indigo and others) with flexible configuration to suit each use case unlocking possibilities for the creation of dashboards, DeFi apps, financial options, and more.

An example of price feed visualized in dashboard display

See Use Case: Real-Time Streaming Dashboard via Websocket API

We’re approaching this problem from two perspectives: 1) collecting data vertically through decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and 2) horizontally across chains via centralized exchanges (CEXs). 

Developers will have the ability to deploy data collectors to store pair pricing data from the exchange sources they desire with customizable parameters. Example applications include dashboards and oracle price feeds.

Lastly, we will provide API access to the infrastructure we establish. This API will operate continuously for a duration of 12 months. To maintain a reasonable and secure usage environment, appropriate rate limits will be implemented to prevent misuse that could potentially impact the overall performance and reliability of the system, provided the volatility of ADA is relatively low.

Our goal is to empower key people in the Cardano ecosystem with convenient and reliable access to this resource, hopefully fostering innovation and enabling the development of diverse applications and services into the future.

Appendix: Additional information

Horizontal data collection from CEXs

Through the CCXT library, we get quick access to market data for storage. CCXT is an open-source data and trading library that supports over 100 exchanges. 

We have set up one collector per exchange that pulls the following trading pair data: 

• Order book 
• Trade 
• Ticker 
• Candlestick (high, low, open, close, volume)

Once the response is received, this data is stored in a database, making it easily retrievable by app developers (available in the GitHub repo attached to this proposal).

Vertical data collection from DEXs 

This solution incorporates the top native token pairs listed in Cardano’s decentralized exchanges.

We will also connect the relevant Cardano tokens (up to a maximum of 50) to ITSA ITINs for linking additional data. Connecting to ITSA's "International Token Identification Number" establishes an industry standard for token identification which could be helpful for developers across blockchains, applications and interoperability protocols.

Development 

To ensure the smooth and consistent deployment of our services, we have implemented a CI/CD pipeline that constructs Docker images of the updated services, allowing them to be retrieved by other developers on the target machine or cloud service.

Summary of Project Objectives: 

• Make significant architectural improvements to enhance the stability of data collection and enable simultaneous searching across multiple exchanges, among other features 
• Generate an archive with historical pricing data for relevant pairs 
• Incorporate Cardano DEX pairs into our current data collectors 
• Provide an open-source package that enables other developers to generate a pricing database according to their financial application needs

Summary of Overall Benefits: 

• Free API access for Cardano community for 1 year. Rate limitations may apply.
• An open-source solution
• API (REST and WebSocket) of open, high, low, close, pricing, and coin/token volume data, including aggregate pricing data. 
• Integrated Cardano DEXs and price data for the top 100 Cardano tokens 
• Ability to adapt/fork the database
• Reduced friction for third-party developers to build dashboards, trading strategies, smart contracts, etc. 

This data infrastructure will serve as a basis to store other data like equities or indexes. Also having the ability to collect, store and retrieve this data will serve as the basis for future AI applications. Our team has experience integrating various blockchain ecosystems into our technology stack and is excited to continue incorporating Cardano exchange data into the foundation of our services.

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

Our solution makes it easier for developers to access financial exchange data (both CEXs and DEXs) with open software tools. If this option is too inconvenient, we will also offer API access. This data enables DeFi applications such as financial derivatives, dashboards, price feeds and more.

To measure the positive impact, we will measure the traffic from our Github (forks and views). Additionally, we will measure the number of API requests per month. These two quantitative metrics will show the usage of our solutions provided. Ideally we'll see someone build a full front end user experience and power it completely with this package.

[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?

The success of our project will be reflected in the availability of our software to the Cardano developer community with instructions to easily spin up in their own hardware and/or cloud service. We will measure the success of our project in the following ways:

• Coverage and Data Quality:
• Assess the extent of coverage in terms of the number of exchanges, trading pairs, and Cardano DEXs incorporated into the data collectors.
• Additionally, evaluate the quality and reliability of the collected data from exchanges by analyzing factors like accuracy, consistency, and timeliness.
• We will also provide access to monitor the status of the server architecture with the intention to understand the overall effectiveness of system in action.
• Scalability:
• Server infrastructure, data storage, and resource utilization have been designed with scalability in mind.
• Additionally, this architecture can accommodate an increasing number of exchanges, trading pairs, and users.
• Usage
• Any incremental usage from developers will be considered a success.

Wolfram Blockchain Labs (WBL) is a subsidiary of the 36-year-old Wolfram Research that is exclusively licensed with high-performance blockchain technologies and specifically designed to extend ecosystem tools for application development for distributed ledger technologies (DLTs). WBL often uses additional expertise in specialized areas from both Wolfram Research and Wolfram Technical Consulting teams. The latter is an organization that has completed over three hundred consulting projects in the past decade.

Our capability to deliver the project with high levels of trust and accountability is grounded in several key factors:

• Track Record: Wolfram Blockchain Labs (WBL) has a proven track record in successfully completing substantial projects (Catalyst included), for which we have completed seven projects already. We've gone through the Milestone pilot in Fund 9 & 10 and the subsequent revision process, through two sets of proof-of-achievement processes and one of our projects was used as an example for good documentation (DADF - Fund 9). We understand the governance process and support the mission to improve and grow auditability of the Catalyst governance system.
• Experienced Team: Our team comprises professionals from diverse disciplines, including blockchain technology, finance and project management. Our multidisciplinary approach brings a comprehensive and holistic perspective to the project, ensuring that all aspects are addressed with a high level of expertise.
• All of seven completed projects across Fund 8 and Fund 9 have occurred within budget.

This experience relays our ability to meet project objectives, timelines, and budgetary constraints and deliver results. We believe we have been good stewards of the Catalyst process and are well-suited to deliver the project 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?

Cardano Dex Collector

1. Implement driver for Cardano node
2. Implement DEX contract driver
3. Implement collector for DEX contracts
4. Update REST API
5. Testing

Acceptance Criteria:

• Drivers and collector are compatible with the latest Cardano node version
• REST API successfully integrates with the new drivers and collector
• All components pass testing with no critical bugs

Historical Data Script / Collection Development

1. Identify publicly available sources for historical pricing data of relevant pairs
2. Implement data fetching from these sources
3. Testing

Acceptance Criteria:

• Identified sources are publicly recognized and reliable
• Data fetching scripts are efficient and error-free
• Historical data is accurately collected and stored for future access

System Robustness

1. Testing platform refactor to reduce complexity for community contributors.
2. Increase interval precision for data collection
3. Driver error handling
4. Community adaptable architecture

Acceptance Criteria:

• Testing platform is user-friendly for community contributors
• System shows resilience in error handling and flexibility for community adaptations

API Key Management

1. Users management system
2. Authentication and Authorization systems
3. Role & Permissions management system
4. API Tokens system

Acceptance Criteria:

• Auth. systems ensure secure access
• Role & permissions system allows control of user actions
• API tokens are secure and function as intended

Production Readiness

1. Production instance setup
2. Stress testing

Acceptance Criteria:

• Production instance operating as expected
• Stress tests confirm system's ability to handle peak loads and scenarios

Project Completion

1. System monitoring
2. Close Out Report
3. Video

Acceptance Criteria:

• Internal monitoring - 1 month report of performance
• Close Out Report is covers all project aspects and insights
• Video communicates project achievements

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

Jon Woodard, CEO

Jon Woodard is the CEO at Wolfram Blockchain Labs, where Jon coordinates the decentralized projects that connect the Wolfram Technology ecosystem to different DLT ecosystems. Previously at Wolfram Research Jon worked on projects at the direction of Wolfram Research CEO Stephen Wolfram and prior to that was a member of the team who worked on the monetization strategies and execution for Wolfram|Alpha. Jon has a background in economics and computational neuroscience. He enjoys cycling in his spare time.

Johan Veerman, CTO

Johan Veerman is General Manager at Wolfram Research South America and CTO at Wolfram Blockchain Labs. Previously he has been Science Advisor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Peru and Chief Scientist on two Antarctic expeditions. Johan's background is on physics and business management. He enjoys playing soccer and is a certified cave diver.

Steph Macurdy, Head of Research and Education

Steph Macurdy has a background in economics, with a focus on complex systems. He attended the Real World Risk Institute in 2019, lead by Nassim Taleb, and has been investing in the crypto asset space since 2015. He previously worked for Tesla as an energy advisor and Cambridge Associates as an investment analyst. Steph is a youth soccer coach in the Philadelphia area and is interested in permaculture.

Gabriela Guerra Galan, Project Manager

Gabriela Guerra Galan: Gabriela has 15+ years of experience leading projects. She is a certified PMP and Product Owner with bachelor's degree in Mechatronical Engineering, complemented by a master's degree in Automotive Engineering. As the co-founder of Bloinx, a startup that secured funding from the UNICEF Innovation Fund, she has demonstrated a passion for driving innovation and social impact.

Daniel Suarez, Manager - Blockchain Integrations

Daniel Suarez: Daniel is a Manager at Wolfram Research. He is in charge of the software architecture as manager of the blockchain project, and has been with the company for seven years. Daniel has a background in electronic engineering, focusing on Digital Signal Processing and Parallel Computing. Previously, he has experience as a radar software engineer at Jicamarca Radio Observatory. He enjoys playing drums.

Piero Sanchez, Lead Developer

Piero Sanchez: Piero is Lead Developer of Blockchain Integrations at Wolfram Blockchain Labs/Wolfram Research South America. Piero has been with the company for five years, and he is in charge of integrating and maintaining new blockchain technologies with the Wolfram Language, as well as helping other team members with technical tasks. He has a background in experimental physics and quantum optics and has worked in the blockchain group since it started. In his free time, he likes to play video games and board games.

Anshu Manik, Wolfram Technical Consulting

Anshu Manik is a seasoned professional specializing in AI/ML software development, with a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from UIUC. With over 14 years of experience at Wolfram Research, Anshu has honed their expertise in developing cutting-edge solutions using Data Science, AI/ML, process automation, and natural language processing. Anshu's innovative approach and deep knowledge of advanced technologies enable them to create impactful solutions for clients worldwide.

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

1. Cardano Dex Collector - (₳41,680)
2. Implement driver for Cardano node
3. Implement DEX contract driver
4. Implement collector for DEX contracts
5. Update REST API
6. Testing
7. Historical data script / collection - (₳42,267)
8. Identify publicly available sources for historical pricing data of relevant pairs.
9. Implement data fetching from these sources.
10. Testing
11. System Robustness - (₳88,936)
12. Testing platform refactor to reduce complexity for community contributors.
13. Increase interval precision for data collection
14. Driver error handling
15. Community adaptable architecture
16. API Key management - (₳62,226)
17. Users management system
18. Authentication and Authorization systems
19. Role & Permissions management system
20. API Tokens system
21. Production readiness - (₳46,963)
22. Production instance setup
23. Stress testing
24. Project completion - (₳12,328)
25. System monitoring
26. Close Out Report
27. Video

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

Real-time crypto financial data is critical infrastructure for DeFi applications. In order to bring this price feed application to market, WBL needed to build the foundational infrastructure first. We elected to make an open-source package because it acknowledges the fact that other teams within the Cardano ecosystem could benefit from it's use and implementation.

[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