🐘🦏 Noah's B-Ark: Leveraging Cardano for the Preservation of Endangered Species 🐅🐋

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Leo Gressier Soudan

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

Individual

[GENERAL] Co-proposers and additional applicants

None

[GENERAL] Requested funds in ada

80000

[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)

Gamifying conservation with NFTs, ensuring compliance, robust impact tracking, donators rewards, and global execution for effective wildlife support.

[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?

No

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

Not relevant

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Introduction: Introducing an innovative web3 platform designed to revolutionize the way we support endangered species preservation defines the heart of our project. By integrating blockchain technology, our application not only ensures transparency and accountability but actively engages donors in the conservation process through a unique and accurate participatory model.

Our proposal is generic enough to be translated to other donation processes and to help then rely on blockchain technology .

The Problem: Despite significant global efforts, many endangered species still face the threat of extinction. Traditional funding methods lack transparency, fail to engage donors effectively, and often overlook less popular but critically endangered species. Additionally, there is a gap in ensuring equitable influence among donors, where typically only high contributions are significantly recognized. Many small streams make large rivers.

Our Solution: Our platform leverages blockchain technology to create a transparent and democratic funding environment that values every contribution, big or small. Through a hybrid voting system, we balance the influence between large and small donors, ensuring that contributions from less affluent regions have substantial impact.

Unique Selling Points:

1. Hybrid DAO Voting: Our DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) incorporates both wealthy and more common people, allowing for a fairer distribution of voting power. This system ensures that the conservation efforts are guided by a representative group of stakeholders, reflecting a broad spectrum of expectations..
2. Recognition and Prestige: Donors receive uniquely minted NFTs that not only symbolize their contribution but also serve as a status symbol within the community. We enhance donor engagement through gamification elements such as points, badges, and leaderboards, which highlight their altruistic contributions.
3. Enhanced Compliance Measures: To prevent misuse such as money laundering, we implement stringent KYC/AML (Know Your Customer/Anti Money Laundering) processes, with additional checks for larger transactions to adhere to global financial regulations. Transparency is an issue we deeply care about.
4. Inclusive Conservation Efforts: Our 'Save the Uglies' initiative targets less visually appealing but equally endangered species, offering additional incentives for their conservation. This approach ensures that all species, regardless of their popularity, receive necessary attention and support. Fairness is also an issue we care about.
5. Data Utilization for Research: We explore partnerships with research institutions, zoological museums, schools and companies focused on genetic preservation. Sharing data can serve the purpose of global preservation. And, by monetizing the valuable data collected through our conservation project when it is possible, we support not only the platform's sustainability but also contribute to broader academic endeavors.

Target Audience: Crypto enthusiasts and investors globally who are passionate about leveraging their assets for social good. This includes both high net worth individuals seeking to make large-scale impacts and community members eager to support meaningful causes.

Monetization Strategy: Our revenue model is based on transaction fees from donations, sales of NFTs, and secondary market trading fees. Additionally, we generate income from partnerships with research entities that require access to our conservation data.

Call to Action: Join us today to make a real difference for endangered species around the world. Invest in our NFTs, participate in our unique DAO, and see the tangible impact of your contributions. Together, we can change the landscape of conservation funding and ensure a lasting legacy for our planet's biodiversity.

Alice’s Journey with the Endangered Species Preservation Platform

Step 1: Discovering the Platform Alice, an environmentally conscious crypto enthusiast, learns about the web3 application through a conservation-focused webinar featuring blockchain solutions for environmental causes. Intrigued by the possibility of directly contributing to wildlife conservation, she visits the platform's website to learn more.

Step 2: Signing Up and Funding Alice signs up on the platform, completes a simple KYC process, and decides to fund the preservation of the white rhinoceros. She locks a portion of her ETH tokens into the platform's liquidity pool designated for white rhinoceros conservation. Upon confirmation of her transaction, she receives a unique NFT, "White Rhino#4253," representing her contribution.

Step 3: Participating in DAO Voting As an NFT holder, Alice receives voting rights in the DAO. She explores various project proposals submitted by conservation organizations. One proposal from rhinos.org stands out—it aims to enhance anti-poaching measures and improve breeding programs for white rhinoceroses. Alice casts her vote in favor of this proposal, which ultimately receives enough votes to proceed.

Step 4: Tracking the Impact After the funding is allocated to rhinos.org, Alice can track the progress of the projects through the platform. She regularly checks the updates posted by rhinos.org, which include:

• Financial Transparency Reports: Detailed usage of the funds, including expenditures on anti-poaching patrols and veterinary care.
• Impact Metrics: Increases in the white rhinoceros population, reduction in poaching incidents, and improvements in genetic diversity.
• Photos and Videos: Regular multimedia updates showing the rhinos in their habitat and the conservation work being done.

Step 5: Naming a Newborn Rhino A few months later, rhinos.org announces the birth of a new white rhinoceros in the sanctuary. As part of her lead donor perks, Alice gets the opportunity to name the newborn. She chooses the name "Alice#4253," linking the rhino to her unique NFT and creating a lasting legacy of her contribution.

Step 6: Continued Engagement and Rewards As "Alice#4253" grows, Alice receives periodic updates about her named rhino. She also earns additional rewards on the platform, such as special badges and higher voting power, for her continued contributions and participation in multiple project votes.

Step 7: Sharing and Advocacy Motivated by the tangible impact of her contributions and the personalized connection with "Alice#4253," Alice shares her experience on social media. She becomes an advocate for the platform, encouraging more people to join and support various endangered species through the application.

Step 8: Tradable NFTs and Legacy Alice learns that her NFT, "White Rhino#4253," has increased in value due to the successful conservation efforts and the unique story attached to it. She decides to keep her NFT as a part of her digital asset portfolio, knowing it represents both a financial investment and a contribution to a cause she cares deeply about. Alternatively, she knows she could trade it, passing on the legacy of her contribution and potentially funding further conservation efforts through transaction fees.

Conclusion

Throughout her journey, Alice experiences a new, engaging, and effective way of contributing to wildlife conservation. The platform not only satisfies her desire to make a positive impact but also provides a transparent, rewarding, and personally meaningful way to participate in global conservation efforts.

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

Industry Overview: The integration of blockchain in charitable giving and environmental conservation is an emerging trend, offering unprecedented accountability and engagement to donors. This industry is ripe for innovation, particularly at the intersection of technology and global conservation efforts.

Target Market: The primary market includes high net worth and medium net worth individuals within the global crypto community who are environmentally conscious and seeking to make impactful contributions.

Competitive Analysis: While direct competitors are limited, the platform competes indirectly with traditional NGOs and other conservation funding mechanisms. Differentiation is achieved through blockchain transparency, participatory funding decisions via DAO, and tangible rewards through NFTs.

Preserving species is essential for humanity. We will achieve this goal using our platform built over Cardano technology. This use case will improve the relevance of Cardano technology to solve man kind problems. IOHO It will benefit to the 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?

Currently, our project is mainly a use case. If we are successful, we hope to deliver a product.

As a first step of this project, we need to study how much the stakeholder of species conservation will welcome our project and its goal. The twelve month we are considering for Fund12 submission will assert the accuracy of the proposal, and will contribute to the design of a MVP.

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

Year 1, milestone under submission to Fund12

Project Take Off: Use case refinement, Proof of Concept design, Early adopters, Early partners

Year 2 and 3,

Development Roadmap:

1. Phase 1: Platform development and testing.
2. Phase 2: Legal compliance, obtaining necessary licenses, and forming partnerships.
3. Phase 3: Official launch of product V1 and initial user acquisition campaigns.

Operational Workflow: Day-to-day operations will be managed by a dedicated team, with roles covering project management, customer support, blockchain development, and marketing.

Year 4

Product strengthening and scalability. Product V2.

Final Milestone.

None

None

None

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

Project Lead -> Leo Gressier Soudan : After completing my studies as a sound engineer, I developed an interest in the financial markets during late 2019 and early 2020. As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, I recognized a unique opportunity in the financial markets and began to delve deeper into their operations.

Primarily, I focused on understanding how stocks and investment funds function within the market. My research has been geared towards long-term investments, specifically Dollar Cost Averaging (DCA) strategies.

In parallel, I also became intrigued by the cryptocurrency market. Initially, my interest was driven by the speculative potential offered by the volatile nature of cryptocurrencies, providing potential returns significantly higher than traditional financial investments. My investment in ADA at a competitive price also piqued my interest in the Cardano ecosystem.

As with traditional finance, I have concentrated my studies on long-term investment strategies within the crypto market, using DCA as my primary investment approach.

Contributor, Technical advisor and Academic Liaison -> Eric Gressier Soudan

https://fr.linkedin.com/in/eric-gressier-soudan-a261276

Eric Gressier Soudan is a professor at the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (Cnam), a engineering school in Paris, France.

He specializes in teaching Computer Networks and Distributed Systems. As a researcher at CEDRIC Lab, ROC team, he has conducted studies in the field of Industry 4.0, focusing on power plant architectures and ubiquitous computing for applications such as serious games in museums.

Recently, his research interests have shifted toward Machine Consciousness, exploring the potential for machines to mimic human-like thought processes.

The link with preserving species is made through the research work related to artificial sentience. Animals can teach humans, and machines, new ways to interact and to evolve on earth. The relationship between sentience and animals emerged from Jeremy Bentham work, leading to the emergence of animal rights as a fundamental principle.

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

Overall project budget and Costs :

Year 1 :

• Study and design Costs:
• Salary and Operational Cost: $35000 (₳80000)

Year 2 :

• Development Costs:
• Initial Setup: $750,000 for platform development, including blockchain integration, NFT system setup, and initial security audits.
• Operational Costs:
• Staff Salaries: $300,000 (includes developers, a project manager, a marketer, and support staff)
• Marketing and Outreach: $200,000 (initial campaigns, partnerships, and promotional activities)
• Legal and Compliance: $100,000 (legal fees for NGO setup, compliance, and ongoing legal advice)
• Miscellaneous: $50,000 (server costs, office expenses, etc.)
• Total Operational Costs: $650,000
• Total Costs: $750,000 (Development) + $650,000 (Operational) = $1,400,000
• Revenue:
• Transaction Fees: Assuming 2,000 from High-Networth individuals’/organizations’ transactions averaging $10,000 each at a 2% fee: $400,000
• NFT Sales: 10,000 units sold at an average price of $100: $1,000,000
• NFT Trading Fees: Assuming 2,500 trades at an average price of $300 with a 2% fee: $15,000
• Total Revenue: $1,415,000
• Net Profit/Loss: $1,415,000 - $1,400,000 = $15,000

Year 3 :

• Operational Costs: Same categories as Year 1, slight increase due to scaling:
• Staff Salaries: $320,000
• Marketing and Outreach: $150,000
• Legal and Compliance: $100,000
• Miscellaneous: $60,000
• Total Operational Costs: $630,000
• Total Costs: $750,000 (Development) + $630,000 (Operational) = $1,380,000
• Revenue:
• Transaction Fees: Assuming 5,000 transactions averaging $15,000 each at a 2% fee: $1,500,000
• NFT Sales: 15,000 units sold at an average price of $150: $2,250,000
• NFT Trading Fees: Assuming 5,000 trades at an average price of $500 with a 2% fee: $50,000
• Total Revenue: $3,800,000
• Net Profit/Loss: $3,800,000 - $1,380,000 = $2,420,000

Year 4:

• Operational Costs: Continued growth and scaling:
• Staff Salaries: $340,000
• Marketing and Outreach: $150,000
• Legal and Compliance: $100,000
• Miscellaneous: $70,000
• Total Operational Costs: $660,000
• Total Costs: $750,000 (Development) + $660,000 (Operational) = $1,410,000
• Revenue:
• Transaction Fees: Assuming 10,000 transactions averaging $20,000 each at a 2% fee: $4,000,000
• NFT Sales: 20,000 units sold at an average price of $200: $4,000,000
• NFT Trading Fees: Assuming 10,000 trades at an average price of $1,000 with a 2% fee: $200,000
• Total Revenue: $8,200,000

Net Profit/Loss: $8,200,000 - $1,410,000 = $6,790,000

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

Objective:

To lay the foundational groundwork for the Endangered Species Conservation Platform by documenting the technical architecture, establishing key partnerships, and setting detailed project requirements.

Thorough analysis of a new use case of Cardano blockchain, prospect of welcoming a new and potentially large community of donors and conservation organizations into the Cardano community, raising awareness of Cardano among the conservation industry.

Month 1-3: Define Research Objectives and Conduct Market Research

Budget Allocation: $6,000

Activities:

Identify and define key research questions focusing on market demand, target audience preferences, and competitive analysis.

Conduct primary market research through online surveys and interviews with potential users, donors, conservation experts, and blockchain technology specialists.

Begin collecting secondary data from industry reports, research publications, and databases relevant to blockchain technology and conservation efforts.

 

Month 4-6: Analysis and Strategic Partnerships

Budget Allocation: $9,000

Activities:

Analyze the collected data to develop a comprehensive understanding of the competitive landscape and user needs.

Start establishing partnerships with NGOs, conservation organizations, blockchain technology providers, and academic institutions.

Define strategic goals and align them with potential partners who can support the platform’s long-term vision.

 

Month 7-9: Documentation of Technical Architecture and Compliance Framework

Budget Allocation: $10,000

Activities:

Develop a detailed technical architecture document that outlines the proposed blockchain structure, data flow, user interaction points, and integration with existing technologies.

Document the required smart contracts, security measures, and data privacy protocols.

Begin outlining the compliance and regulatory requirements specific to operating a blockchain-based conservation funding platform, including preliminary KYC/AML frameworks.

 

Month 10-12: Refinement of Business Model and UX Conceptualization

Budget Allocation: $7000

Activities:

Refine the business model based on feedback from potential partners and insights gained from market research.

Outline the user experience (UX) design and wireframe concepts for key functionalities such as donation processes, NFT issuance, and DAO voting mechanisms—preparing for future development phases.

Develop a detailed project requirements document that will guide the eventual software development.

 

Continuous Activities Throughout the Year:

Budget Allocation: $3,000

Activities:

Ongoing stakeholder engagement to maintain and deepen relationships with key partners.

Regular updates and adaptations based on evolving trends in blockchain technology and global conservation efforts.

Continuous engagement with regulatory advisors to ensure the evolving business model aligns with legal standards and regulations.

 

Budget Summary:

Research and Data Analysis: $15,000

Documentation and Strategic Planning: $10,000

Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement: $7,000

Compliance and Regulatory Preparation: $3000

Total: $35,000