Nucast: Introducing Un-Collateralized Loans, Sybil Resistance and trust-based environment using Decentralized Reputation Protocol and SBTs for Cardano Wallets

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Sricharan Ganta

[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)

3

[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 self-sovereign reputation system for Cardano wallets, enabling collateral-free loans, enhanced voting influence, and improved token allocations for reputable users over random wallets.

[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

The project will be open source under MIT License. This will allow anyone to do whatever they wish with the original code, as long as the original copyright and license notice is included either in the distributed source code or software.

[METADATA] SDG rating

SDG Goals

8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

SDG Subgoals

17.19 - By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries

9.1 - Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all

9.b - Support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries, including by ensuring a conducive policy environment for, inter alia, industrial diversification and value addition to commodities

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Our proposed solution is the Cardano Reputation Protocol, designed to integrate self-sovereign on-chain reputation scoring infrastructure on the Cardano ecosystem. This will enhance the user experience and increase engagement significantly. Here’s how we approach the problem and plan to implement our solution:

Perception of the Problem

In the current Web3 landscape, interactions and transactions are often impersonal and lack the nuance of real-world engagements due to the absence of a reputation system.

This gap leads to challenges like inefficient user targeting, rampant Sybil attacks, and underutilized DeFi and ecosystem offerings such as collateral-less lending, buy now-pay later, enhanced voting influence, and improved token allocations for reputable users over random wallets due to lack of a trust-based ecosystem.

By addressing these issues with our proposed solution we aim to create a more personalized, inclusive, and engaging digital environment.

Our Approach

Comprehensive Reputation Scoring:

Personalization: We analyze over 30 parameters including wallet balance, transaction volume, and wallet age to assign a Reputation Score from 0 to 100. This score allows for enhanced personalization and user-specific Web3 experiences.

Engagement: By using these scores, users can access tailored rates, special rewards, and improved engagement opportunities, reflecting the complexity of real-world reputations and Credit Score.

Inclusivity and Access:

Decentralized Society (DeSoc): Our protocol facilitates a DeSoc where users can use their on-chain reputation to engage with DAOs, unlock special voting power, and gain access to communities without traditional barriers like KYC.

Through non-transferable Soulbound Tokens (SBTs), we ensure that reputations are immune to manipulation, fostering a trust-based environment.

Economic Opportunities:

1. Enhanced Credit Access: Enables collateral-free and lower-interest loans by assessing the trustworthiness of borrowers based on their reputation scores.
2. Risk Mitigation: Lowers financial risks for lenders by providing more accurate assessments of borrower reliability and creditworthiness.
3. Incentivized Positive Behavior: Encourages good user conduct through rewards and benefits, improving overall ecosystem health.
4. Personalized Financial Services: Allows for more tailored financial products, like dynamic interest rates and bespoke investment opportunities, based on individual reputation scores.
5. Improved Capital Efficiency: Facilitates more efficient allocation of capital by directing resources to users with higher reputation scores who are less likely to default.
6. Reduced Fraud and Defaults: Minimizes the incidence of fraud and defaults by making reputation scores a key part of the user profile.
7. Democratic Participation: Enhances governance through higher voting weights for users with better reputations, leading to more responsible decision-making in DAOs and other decentralized entities.
8. Fair Token Distribution: Supports fairer token allocations by prioritizing real, reputable users over bots and malicious actors.
9. Enhanced User Trust: Builds trust in the platform by transparently showing users' past behavior and reliability.
10. Cost Reduction: Decreases operational costs related to fraud detection and credit assessments by automating these processes through blockchain-based reputation metrics.

and many more...

Dynamic Updates:

Users can update their Reputation Score on-chain to reflect real-time changes, ensuring that their digital identity remains accurate.

NMKR Infrastructure: We will be using NMKR for minting and managing SBTs. Their soul bound token would be one of important addition that would immutably link reputations to the wallet and also be used to quickly inspect for reputation based use cases

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

Impact on the Cardano Community

The Cardano Reputation Protocol (CRP), will significantly enhance the Cardano ecosystem by introducing a robust, self-sovereign reputation scoring infrastructure. This protocol will transform user interactions, making them more secure, personalized, and inclusive.

Value to the Cardano Community:

1. Enhanced Security and Trust: By integrating a comprehensive reputation scoring system, CRP will reduce fraudulent activities and improve the trustworthiness of transactions, benefiting all network participants.
2. Improved Financial Inclusion: CRP will enable more users to access DeFi services like collateral-free loans and lower interest rates based on their reputation scores, broadening financial inclusion without traditional financial barriers.
3. Increased User Engagement: With personalized experiences based on reputation scores, users will be more likely to engage with various dApps, boosting overall activity and utility within the Cardano ecosystem.
4. Support for Decentralized Governance: By using reputation scores to influence voting power in DAOs, CRP will promote more equitable and representative governance, aligning with Cardano's ethos of a decentralized and fair community.
5. Efficient Capital Allocation: Lenders and investors can use reputation scores to make more informed decisions, leading to more efficient capital distribution and supporting the growth of a healthy economic environment on Cardano.
6. Incentivizing Positive Behavior: CRP will reward users for good behavior, encouraging a positive feedback loop that enhances user conduct and interaction quality across the network.

Measuring Impact:

1. Quantitative Metrics:
2. User Adoption Rate: Track the number of unique wallets integrating CRP scores.
3. Transaction Volume: Measure the increase in transactions involving reputation-based decisions.
4. DeFi Participation: Assess the growth in users of DeFi services that leverage CRP scores for decision-making.
5. Reduction in Fraudulent Transactions: Evaluate the decrease in identified fraud cases after implementing CRP.
6. Qualitative Assessments:
7. User Surveys and Feedback: Conduct regular surveys to gauge user satisfaction and gather feedback on their experiences with CRP.
8. Case Studies: Develop case studies showcasing success stories and the real-world impact of CRP on individual users and businesses.

Sharing Outputs and Opportunities:

1. Community Updates: Regularly publish updates, insights, and developments related to CRP on Cardano community forums, social media, and newsletters to keep the community informed and engaged.
2. Collaborative Initiatives: Work with other Cardano dApps and ecosystem partners to integrate CRP, sharing data and experiences to foster a collaborative environment.
3. Open-Source Contributions: Make the CRP infrastructure and related tools available as open-source projects, allowing developers to contribute to and extend the capabilities of the reputation system.
4. Educational Content and Workshops: Host workshops and create educational materials to help users and developers understand and utilize the CRP to its full potential.

By following this approach, the Cardano Reputation Protocol will not only enhance the user experience but also strengthen the entire Cardano ecosystem, promoting a more connected and responsive digital economy.

[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?

Proven Track Record:

Our team has deployed blockchain solutions that required meticulous planning and robust technical implementation, recognized for their innovation and impact. Our previous Projects can be found at nucastlabs.com

Development Team: Our developers have extensive experience in blockchain development, particularly on the Cardano platform. They have contributed to successful Cardano-based projects and are proficient in cardano dapp development.

Strong Partnerships:

We have established relationships with key platform operators, service providers, developers, ensuring the solution is well-positioned for adoption and scalability.

Community Engagement:

Our team actively contributes to the Cardano community, demonstrating our commitment to the ecosystem’s growth and values.

Validating Feasibility:

To ensure the solution is feasible and effective, we will focus on a practical PoC

Adjustments Based on Prototype Piloting Results: Insights from these pilots will guide necessary adjustments to the reputations and . We aim to fine-tune functionality, enhance user experience, and ensure seamless integration with partner systems.

Budgeting and Financial Reporting:

We will maintain a transparent budget and provide for the community according to the catalyst guidelines. Regular updates on our progress, challenges, and milestones will be shared with the Cardano community via forums and social media. We will actively seek and incorporate community feedback.

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

A: Milestone outputs

• Market research involving projects and users on Cardano.
• Design core reputation scoring system with on-chain data integration.
• Design and implement the initial functionalities for user interaction with DAOs and communities.

B: Acceptance criteria

• A market research report in PDF.
• Architecture of reputation scoring system integrated with a Preprod network.

C: Evidence of milestone completion

• A market research report in PDF.
• Provide documentation explaining the system architecture and functionalities.

A: Milestone outputs

• Technical documentation of building Sybil resistance mechanisms using Soul Bound Tokens.
• Integration Plans for uncollateralized lending contract to enable reputation-based access.

B: Acceptance criteria

• Technical documentation ensuring non-transferable reputations and Sybil resistance.
• Successful integration plans with uncollateralized lending contract for reputation-based services.

C: Evidence of milestone completion

• Deliver smart contract architecture for SBT integration and reputation verification based lending.
• Link to Technical Document explaining the non-transferable reputations and uncollateralized lending implementation.

A: Milestone outputs

• Create a video presentation summarizing the project and its functionalities.
• Submit a final project close-out report detailing all development aspects.

B: Acceptance criteria

• The video presentation clearly explains the project's goals, functionalities, and impact.
• The close-out report provides a comprehensive overview of the project's development.

C: Evidence of milestone completion

• Provide a link to the deployed Nucast Reputation Protocol on a publicly accessible domain.
• Submit the video presentation summarizing the Prototype Development

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

Sricharan Ganta, CEO @ Nucast

Sricharan is a successful entrepreneur and business development strategist with over seven years of experience in business-driven roles and over four years of experience in the web3 domain. He has a successful track record of delivering innovative products on the Cardano Blockchain. As the CEO of Nucast, Charan is extremely passionate about community building and pioneering solutions. He currently leads a dynamic team of 15+ professionals at Nucast Labs. Additionally, he holds a Masters in Computer Science from the University of Central Missouri, USA.

Sam Jeffrey M, CTO @ Nucast

Building tech on Cardano for 3+ years. Midnight Pioneer 1st Cohort. Worked as Plutus Consultant at Gimbalabs. Awarded the Presidential Award for Innovation 2021 by the Government of India.

Nucast Labs : Successfully built various scalable Cardano dapps. Nucast is proud to host a highly skilled and experienced development team of 15+ members with over 30 years of combined industry experience.

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

Milestone 1

Total Duration: 30 Days

• Market Research: 10000 ADA
• Senior Cardano Developer: 15000 ADA
• Cardano Solution Architect: 10000 ADA

Total: 35000 ADA

Milestone 2

Total Duration: 30 Days

• Senior Cardano Developer: 25000 ADA
• Cardano Solution Architect: 5000 ADA

Total: 30000 ADA

Final Milestone: Launch and Reporting

Total Duration: 20 Days

• Senior Cardano Developer : 10000 ADA

Total: 10000 ADA

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

Direct Benefits: By enhancing user personalization and engagement, the Cardano Reputation Protocol directly contributes to increased innovation and growth within the Cardano ecosystem.

Economic Opportunities: The protocol enables new economic models like reputation-based lending and personalized DeFi services, which can attract more users and developers to Cardano, enhancing the overall value of the ecosystem.

Enhanced Security and Trust: By improving the trust framework within Cardano, CRP helps reduce fraudulent activities and enhances the overall security posture of the network, which is invaluable for user confidence and long-term sustainability.

We adopt a lean development approach, prioritizing MVP development and improvements based on partner and community feedback, which ensures cost-effective use of funds. Our strategic use of a geographically diverse across US, Singapore and India team enables us to optimize our development costs while maintaining high standards of quality and efficiency.

This approach, combined with our commitment to transparency and strategic budgeting, ensures that project provides excellent value for money, enhancing the Cardano ecosystem's capabilities and appeal in the competitive blockchain space.