UNBOX: Launching Cardano’s first Native Programmable Token

[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] 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)

Unbox’s Infinity Protocol and (non-custodial) Programmable tokens will enable on-chain;

• Self-sovereign identities
• Soulbound tokens
• Product passports
• RWA tokenization
• Community Currencies
• + more

[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

Our project outputs, including the programmable token infrastructure accessible through a community edition of Unbox Studio, will not be open source to safeguard intellectual property, maintain commercial viability, and strategically position ourselves in the market. While we acknowledge the benefits of open-source development for fostering collaboration, certain proprietary algorithms, business processes, and integration frameworks within Unbox Studio need protection to preserve our competitive advantage.

[METADATA] SDG rating

Unbox has positioned itself as a ‘tech for good’ company. All of our applications of our platform focus on developing sustainable practices and (re)building better societies from communities.

Some examples include:

• Unbox Human aid (Aid distribution with UNWRA https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/digital-inclusion-unbox-and-united-nations-unrwa-launch-unlitter-gaza)
• Unbox Litter (Litter collection https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/data-insights-1-million-pieces-of-litter-collected-in-belgium )
• Unbox Education (Robin Hood foundation https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/unbox-and-foundation-robin-join-forces-to-tackle-educational-inequality-in-belgium )
• Unbox Your City (Antwerpen Ucoin https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/antwerp-ucoin-proves-itself-as-a-booster-for-local-business-in-the-city-of-antwerp )
• Unbox Addiction (Gary Indiana https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/unbox-launches-web3-wallet-to-combat-opioid-crisis-in-gary-indiana )
• Unbox Well Being (Healthy Ucoin https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/delhaize-and-unbox-launch-the-healthy-membership-program-for-companies-and-organizations )
• And more
• https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/make-the-click-for-ukraine 
• https://www.linkedin.com/posts/de-click-vlaanderen_zeehonden-ugcPost-7185608314204921856-syvf?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop 

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Unbox revolutionises funding allocation of various forms with its Studio platform, streamlining effective funding opportunities - cleaning entire cities or litter, providing Humanitarian assistance, providing contingency management for opioid addiction and much more.

Our platform connects stakeholders, ensuring precise and efficient registration, distribution and exchange of resources through its programmable value carrier, the Ucoin.

We have already proven our concept and business model with our use cases linked below;

•  Unbox Human aid (Aid distribution with UNWRA https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/digital-inclusion-unbox-and-united-nations-unrwa-launch-unlitter-gaza)
• Unbox Litter (Litter collection https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/data-insights-1-million-pieces-of-litter-collected-in-belgium )
• Unbox Education (Robin Hood foundation https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/unbox-and-foundation-robin-join-forces-to-tackle-educational-inequality-in-belgium )
• Unbox Your City (Antwerpen Ucoin https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/antwerp-ucoin-proves-itself-as-a-booster-for-local-business-in-the-city-of-antwerp )
• Unbox Addiction (Gary Indiana https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/unbox-launches-web3-wallet-to-combat-opioid-crisis-in-gary-indiana )
• Unbox Well Being (Healthy Ucoin https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/delhaize-and-unbox-launch-the-healthy-membership-program-for-companies-and-organizations )

Unbox’s intention is to bring these along with additional use cases to Cardano with our Programmable token, we have selected Cardano for its thoughtful focus on impactful projects and its advanced third-generation blockchain.

Unbox Infinity protocol uses the notion of UCoins whose assets (called UAssets) are governed by rules that specify conditions for minting, burning and transferring between Identities. Additionally, Infinity uses the notion of Identities to denote owners of UAssets. Identities also have rules associated with them that specify conditions under which UAssets can be spent from and paid to said Identities. The concrete application of the protocol is achieved by declaring new UCoin and Identity types along with their associated rulesets that govern the behaviour of UAssets.

• The minting, burning and transfer of Infinity programmable token called UAsset is governed by user defined rules declared by the associated UCoin.
• The spending and payment of Infinity programmable token called UAsset is governed by user defined rules declared by the associated Identity.
• The set of tools and services used to manage and interact with the Infinity protocol throughout its lifetime.

Unbox’s Infinity protocol and non-custodial programmable token will enable on-chain;

• Self-sovereign identities
• Soulbound tokens
• Product passports
• RWA tokenisation
• Community Currencies
• + more

All of which Unbox is pursuing with real world use cases across the globe with a goal of shining a light on Cardano and the ecosystem. Unbox has a strong go-to-market team and mindset which will prove invaluable to Cardano and the Ecosystem. This also includes the backing of its investors, namely, HSBC and KBC Bank and the Belgian Sovereign Wealth Fund.

PROTOYPE DEMO: here

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

• Community Edition of Unbox Studio: A user-friendly platform designed for accessibility, allowing individuals and businesses to easily create and deploy programmable tokens on the Cardano blockchain.
• Simplified Token Creation: Streamlined processes for token creation and deployment, featuring intuitive interfaces and customizable templates to facilitate seamless adoption and implementation.
• Adoption: Draw in businesses and bring real world use cases to Cardano, expanding on Unbox’ novel use cases for Programmable Tokens already implemented;
•  Unbox Human aid (Aid distribution with UNWRA https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/digital-inclusion-unbox-and-united-nations-unrwa-launch-unlitter-gaza)
• Unbox Litter (Litter collection https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/data-insights-1-million-pieces-of-litter-collected-in-belgium )
• Unbox Education (Robin Hood foundation https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/unbox-and-foundation-robin-join-forces-to-tackle-educational-inequality-in-belgium )
• Unbox Your City (Antwerpen Ucoin https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/antwerp-ucoin-proves-itself-as-a-booster-for-local-business-in-the-city-of-antwerp )
• Unbox Addiction (Gary Indiana https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/unbox-launches-web3-wallet-to-combat-opioid-crisis-in-gary-indiana )
• Unbox Well Being (Healthy Ucoin https://www.unboxuniverse.com/post/delhaize-and-unbox-launch-the-healthy-membership-program-for-companies-and-organizations )

By creating programmable token infrastructure accessible through the community edition of Unbox Studio, we empower individuals and businesses to leverage the capabilities of Cardano's blockchain for various applications.

Drawing in businesses and real-world use cases to Cardano, particularly through initiatives like Unbox Human Aid, Unbox Litter, Unbox Education, Unbox Your City, Unbox Addiction, and Unbox Well Being, we bring tangible benefits to society. These use cases address critical issues such as humanitarian aid distribution, environmental sustainability, education, community development, addiction rehabilitation, and public health, thereby positively impacting people's lives.

[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?

Unbox is made up of almost 45 unique and forward thinking individuals on a mission to build and help rebuild better societies. From a diverse background Unbox prides itself on its diversity of thinkers scattered across the globe with proven expertise in Marketing, Blockchain, Engineering, Design, Finance, Payments, GTM and more.

Unbox's capabilities are backed by its proven track record (awards, project launches, etc see here). This is further backed two global and leading Banks who have invested in Unbox.

We will also subcontract MLabs, ensuring our capability to deliver this project with high trust and accountability. Our experience to date with our platform underscores our proficiency and commitment to innovation in the blockchain space.

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

Infinity Core Plutus Protocol

Developing the core infrastructure for the Infinity Protocol, including command-line interface implementation, API design, script storage, and protocol initialization, justifying its cost with extensive development, testing, and validation requirements essential for laying the foundation of the project.

Infinity indexing and querying

Focusing on indexing and querying capabilities, this milestone involves SQL schema design, database conversion, and implementation of core functionalities, demanding a significant budget due to the complexity of database management and API design required for efficient protocol querying.

Infinity transaction building

Dedicated to enhancing transaction-building capabilities, this milestone encompasses context gathering, service design, and command-line interface implementation, as it involves critical protocol functionalities and extensive testing to ensure transaction reliability and security.

Infinity End to End testsuite

Implementing an end-to-end testsuite involves configuring the local Cardano cluster, consolidating components, and executing test flows, necessitating a portion of the budget for hardware resources, testing infrastructure, and development efforts to ensure protocol validation.

Infinity documentation

This milestone focuses on documenting the entirety of the Infinity Protocol, including CLI and service usage, repository operations, and protocol functionalities, as it requires meticulous documentation efforts to ensure protocol utilization and future scalability.

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

Core team

The Unbox team is spread across 17 countries and consists of almost 45 professionals including seasoned developers, finance experts, and strategists. We have expertise in several programming languages and frameworks, blockchain technologies, and creating solutions that redefine funding distribution.

www.unboxuniverse.com

MLabs has quickly become one of the premier development firms in the Cardano Ecosystem. We are an IOG Plutus Partner and work regularly with IOG to develop the Cardano blockchain and ecosystem. Our team is composed of talented developers who have helped build community projects such as:

• Liqwid
• SundaeSwap
• Minswap
• Optim
• Many others

Through our work with early-stage projects, we have one of the largest groups of Haskell/Plutus developers in the community.

Website: https://mlabs.city/

CEO

Erik Saelens

Erik Saelens is the CEO and founder of Unbox. He brings three decades of experience in strategy, branding, sales, marketing, and technology. Saelens prioritises driving growth and profitability and is a renowned author and expert on brand-driven M&A and IPO strategies.

Before founding Unbox, he was the founder and CEO of Brandhome, a strategic agency specialising in rebranding and renaming operations. Saelens led over 350 brand-change operations for blue-chip companies, governments and politicians across Europe, America, the Middle East, and Africa.

LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/eriksaelens/]

CTO

Joeri Torfs

Condemned to be free, I attempt to balance existence, roles and nothingness on my journey to be authentic. I'm passionate about Self Sovereign identity, privacy, transparency and more broadly the disruption blockchain tech is about to bring to institutions.

Versatile manager with more than 15 years of experience supporting multidisciplinary teams of different sizes. Technophile, agile coach, trainer and change agent facilitating organisational agility and engaging workplaces.

LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeritorfs/]

Head of Development

Benjamin Houdebert

Software architect, Senior developer, I have a strong background in java, spring, ci, docker (...) but also in architecture and (my favorite) in api design.

Working with the latest version of java, Quarkus, vert.x and vavr is now a real pleasure.

Fond of functional programming FP, I do love Haskell and Purescript.

Even if Rust is not a functional language, imperative, it brings several concept of Haskell making it something very interesting! Honestly this is at the moment my go to language.

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamin-houdebert/

CPO

James Angle

Pioneering Web3 products that rearchitect financial value chains. Responsible for the design and implementation of multi award winning products that bring value to users and clients in the real world. Working with Government, Brands, NGOs to build and rebuild better societies for the communities we live and work in from the Middle East, Europe and the US.

LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesangle0/]

Veteran Plutus Developer (MLabs)

Drazen Popvic

Full-stack Cardano distributed application (dApp) developer and auditor, working on several Cardano dApps that span Haskell, Purescript, Rust and Nix language environments. Worked on decentralized protocols based on the Cardano blockchain including decentralized exchange, synthetic assets, oracle protocols and programmable money. In particular, he was the technical lead on the Cardano Open Oracle Protocol and was responsible for design and implementation.

LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dra%C5%BEen-popovi%C4%87-70355949/]

Veteran Plutus Developer (MLabs)

Gergely Szabo

Cardano distributed application (dApp) developer with a full-stack web engineer background, working on several dApps and supporting libraries for dApp development, using languages such as Haskell, Rust, PureScript and Nix. Worked as a technical lead on a Cardano Sidechain project, and was the creator of BPI, a Plutus backend service (now deprecated), and tx-bakery, a Rust-based Cardano transaction builder library.

https://github.com/szg251

Software Developer (MLabs)

Chase Maity

Chase is a polyglot software developer with expertise in Haskell and C. He’s interested in type systems, programming language design and performance optimizing compilers. At MLabs, he has worked on both on-chain Plutarch code and off-chain infrastructure; as well as providing technical specialist assistance on Plutus Core and its intricacies. Outside of MLabs, Chase spends time contributing to open source, and learning more about Haskell and type systems.

Github: https://github.com/TotallyNotChase

Software Developer (MLabs)

Connor Fang

Connor Fang is a haskell engineer at MLabs. With over three years of experience in the Cardano stack, he has helped develop and maintain various protocols and open-source projects. Notably, he implemented a significant portion of Liqwid’s agora governance protocol’s on-chain part. He specialises in various on-chain and off-chain toolkits, including but not limited to plutarch, ctl, and nix, and he hopes that his passion can bring power to Cardano’s growth.

https://github.com/chfanghr.

Project Manager (MLabs)

Jordan Hill

Seasoned Delivery Manager specialising in blockchain technology and non-EVM chains, adept at orchestrating cross-functional teams for timely and budget-conscious project deliveries. With expertise in both on-chain and off-chain development, Jordan crafts blockchain solutions that harness the potential of decentralized systems, driving innovation in the field.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-hill-64024772/

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

Budget/cost breakdown:

Milestone 1 - 61095 ADA

Milestone 2 - 81459 ADA

Milestone 3 - 81459 ADA

Milestone 4 - 30547 ADA

Final Milestone - 45312 ADA

Subtotal: 807 hours @110 USD/hour = 88,750 USD

Total (@ rate $0.296 USD / ADA): 299,831 ADA

**In the interest of full transparency, please note we have applied a conservative USD/ADA exchange rate in pricing this proposal. This is to ensure our operations remain stable regardless of market conditions. Although we firmly believe the future of Cardano is bright, we recognize the price of ADA and all cryptocurrencies is inherently volatile. Our financial obligations are denominated in fiat. Most importantly, this includes the salary of our engineers whose hard work makes projects like this possible. 

In the unlikely scenario of severe negative price movement beyond our forecasted rate, it is possible that MLabs may need to temporarily suspend work on this proposal until the market recovers. Rest assured, this decision would be made solely to protect our business's long-term viability and never taken lightly. 

We appreciate your understanding and support, and we are excited to see what we can achieve together.

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

The costs are proportional to the level of expertise and specialization required for development in the Cardano Ecosystem. Developing sophisticated protocols and infrastructure demands skilled professionals with in-depth knowledge of Cardano technology.

By establishing core protocols, enhancing transaction capabilities, Unbox Infinity will contribute to the ecosystem's growth, adoption, and overall value proposition.

Additionally, the costs are supported by the project's adherence to industry standards and best practices, ensuring robustness, security, and scalability. Overall, the project's costs represent value for money by investing in the development of foundational Cardano infrastructure and solutions that drive innovation, foster community engagement, and will contribute to the long-term success of the Cardano ecosystem.