AI Powered Tokenization of Regenerative Assets on Cardano

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Corneile Uys

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

Entity (Incorporated)

[GENERAL] Co-proposers and additional applicants

Dr. Sothy Kol-Men

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

5

[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)

ECOBASED, an AI powered app for Tracking Regenerative Impact, Tokenizing & Trading Yield generating Regenerative Assets on Cardano & opening access to impact liquidity for the unbanked through RealFi.

[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

The smart contracts will be fully open source for verification and trust reasons after a successful full audit of our on-chain and off-chain code.

The back-end and front-end code, which contains essential intellectual property and is not relevant to public auditability, will be closed source.

[METADATA] SDG rating

>> SDG SELECTION:

• SDG goals:
• End poverty in all its forms everywhere
• End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
• Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
• Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
• Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

• SDG sub goals:
• By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day
• Encourage official development assistance and financial flows, including foreign direct investment, to States where the need is greatest, in particular least developed countries, African countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries, in accordance with their national plans and programs
• Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage
• By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
• Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
• Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
• Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible
• By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements
• By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally
• By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world
• By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development
• Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species
• Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems
• Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestation
• By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality
• By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes
• Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small-sale enterprises.
• Increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises, in particular in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets
• Facilitate sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in developing countries through enhanced financial, technological and technical support to African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States

• Key Performance Indicator (KPI):
• Proportion of the population living below the international poverty line by sex, age, employment status and geographic location (urban/rural)
• Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture
• Proportion of adults (15 years and older) with an account at a bank or other financial institution or with a mobile-money-service provider
• Proportion of small-scale industries in total industry value added
• Proportion of small-scale industries with a loan or line of credit
• Total per capita expenditure on the preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage, by source of funding (public, private), type of heritage (cultural, natural) and level of government (national, regional, and local/municipal)
• Forest area as a proportion of total land area
• Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by protected areas, by ecosystem type
• Progress towards sustainable forest management
• Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area
• Coverage by protected areas of important sites for mountain biodiversity
• Mountain Green Cover Index
• Red List Index
• (a) Official development assistance on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and (b) revenue generated and finance mobilized from biodiversity-relevant economic instruments.

>> PHDI SELECTION:

The following report is applied for the selected Planetary pressures-adjusted Human Development Index:

'''

South Africa is ranked 109 (Human Development Index) and when adjusted for the Planetary pressures is ranked 103 a rise of 6. 

 In 2021 it had a Human Development Index (HDI) value of 0.713 that when adjusted for the Planetary pressures-adjusted HDI (PHDI) had a value of 0.648, a difference of 9.12. 

 The Planetary Pressures adjustment factor of 0.91 is made up of the SDG9.4 Carbon dioxide emissions per capita (production) 2020 of 7.62 tonnes (indexed value 0.89), and the SDG8.4 and 12.2 Material footprint per capita of 7.55 tonnes (indexed value 0.93). 

 For more information about the details of the PHDI please reference: 

 https://hdr.undp.org/planetary-pressures-adjusted-human-development-index#/indicies/PHDI 

 https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/phdi2020technicalnotespdf.pdf 

 The specific SDG targets 

 https://indicators.report/targets/9-4/ 

 https://indicators.report/targets/8-4/ 

 https://indicators.report/targets/12-2/ 

 Source data: 

 https://hdr.undp.org/sites/default/files/2021-22_HDR/HDR21-22_Statistical_Annex_PHDI_Table.xlsx (table 7)

'''

#proposertoolsdg

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Problem Perception:

The Global resource extraction economy is driven by destructive industries that contribute to pollution, deforestation, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and displacement of local populations. Large corporations are making astronomical profits by destroying the very foundations of life that we all rely on to survive. In developing and developed countries there is illegal logging, slash and burn agriculture, unsustainable agriculture and water mismanagement

This is largely because the value of functional ecosystems has been hard to quantify or monetize since it is not something that can be easily sold for profit.

The Traditional banking and Finance system is slow, expensive, exclusive and complex.

Currencies are subject to hyper inflation, there is jurisdictional and contractional barriers, no funding access for a large part of the world's unbanked population and fraudulent, corrupt carbon offset markets with little or no verification.

Despite its considerable potential, the complexity of crypto apps, real applicable solutions for the unbanked and unfriendly user interface and associated risks of DeFi are barriers preventing many potential investors and adopters from fully engaging with its offerings.

Approach:

With ECOBASED, they can now explore alternative monetization strategies that unlock the long-term value of Ecosystem Services without destroying the underlying assets.

Major global institutions have mandates to meet certain sustainability goals and often look to things like carbon offsets and biodiversity credits to help them do so. Unfortunately, these credits are not always representative of real-world preservation and sustainable stewardship.

Many carbon credit platforms are nothing more than greenwashing schemes which offer no tangible benefits to the natural environment. This erodes confidence in the value of the carbon credit system and prevents wider adoption leading to ongoing degradation of the natural world.

ECOBASED offers a comprehensive solution to address these challenges by providing an easy way to tokenize ecological assets and connect institutional and retail impact investors with unique opportunities to support sustainable ReFi (Regenerative Finance) initiatives. By leveraging asset tokenization, ECOBASED enables the creation and issuance of marketable Proof of Impact Certificates and Green Bonds that meet ESG and UN SDG criteria and are backed by verifiable data. This unlocks the value of functional ecosystems and offers alternatives to destructive business practices that generate profits at the expense of the natural world and everyone in it. By using the latest technological advances in data collection and transparent reporting, ECOBASED creates digitally tokenized Natural Capital Assets or “Eco Assets,” which are verifiably tied to real-world activities that are helping to preserve and regenerate ecological systems. 

Our submitted solution, ECOBASED, is an AI powered app for Tokenization of Regenerative Assets, designed specifically for the Cardano DeFi and RealFi ecosystem. We aim to make the onboarding of RealFi users, Tokenization, Tracking and Trading of Yield generating Regenerative Assets more accessible by simplifying and streamlining the process, so regenerative land stewards can easily get funded by tapping into Impact Investment Liquidity to fund their work, and Impact Investors can easily find Regenerative Impact Investments that meet their personal values, ESG reporting frameworks and UN SDG criteria.

ECOBASED has the following capabilities:

• Easy Web2 user onboarding, verification and interface. Web3 enabled and in the backend
• $ECO Token is the hyper-deflationary utility and governance token that powers the ECOBASED platform
• AI powered Regenerative Impact Value Estimator: User inputs relevant property, ecological, value and operational data to accurately estimate regenerative impact value score.
• Tokenization as a Service (TaaS): User or Project applies for Tokenization of Real World Assets through application form and the team does due diligence for approval.
• Marketplace to trade Tokenized Real Assets.
• Dashboard to showcase your Investments, assets, Impact and Yield.

Engagement:

ECOBASED targets current DeFi users who are looking for owning Real World Assets and earning yield whilst making a positive impact, and the 'unbanked' who steward or own real assets but don't have access to credit or banking to start regenerative businesses. By making DeFi more accessible through RealFi and ReFi, we hope to broaden its user base, thereby promoting Cardano as a RealFi and ReFi platform.

Demonstrating Impact:

Our (ReFi) Regenerative Finance Impact will be demonstrated on the User Dashboard through dMRV ( digital measurement, reporting and verification) by closely monitoring and sharing key regenerative impact metrics such as the total land value locked, total land area being reforested, number of trees growing in nursery, number of trees planted, eco credit generation such as biodiversity, water and carbon sequestration value through increase in soil health, tree and foliage growth translated into carbon credits, water storage, availability and purity, erosion control and biodiversity score, yield from regenerative actions in agriculture, orchards and animal husbandry.

Our RealFi Impact will be demonstrated through the number of onboarded and active users, Assets and value tokenized, Treasury Funds, funding secured, unlocked and implemented, impact milestones achieved and the returns in yield generated for our users. These metrics will serve as clear indicators of ECOBASED's positive influence on the Cardano ecosystem.

Unique Features and Benefits:

ECOBASED stands out from other DeFi projects through the integration of AI technology, Tokenization and dMRV technologies. This combination will benefit both existing DeFi users seeking Asset Ownership (NFT), earning yield and making a positive impact and newcomers attracted by simplified access to impact funding, yield generation and earning potential. Increasing the DeFi user base is pivotal for stimulating growth and innovation in the Cardano ecosystem.

Importance to Cardano:

ECOBASED will play a crucial role in the Cardano ecosystem as it fills a significant gap. While Cardano shines in scalability and security, its DeFi ecosystem is less developed compared to other blockchains. ECOBASED, with its user-friendly interface and accessibility, will contribute to the maturation of Cardano's DeFi and RealFi space, attracting more liquidity and fostering innovation by growing the RealFi ecosystem and connecting that with DeFi.

Ongoing Engagement & Progress Transparency:

To maintain commitment and provide clear evidence of progress, we plan to release functional prototypes frequently, allowing users to interact with intermediate results. This will create an engaging growth journey and provide insights for continuous improvement. Furthermore, we will share updates and release results on the preproduction testnet as soon as they become available, allowing the public to assess our progress.

We are committed to contributing to the evolution of DeFi and RealFi on Cardano and are excited about the transformative potential that ECOBASED can bring to the community.

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

ECOBASED, as a new AI powered Tokenization of Regenerative Assets that brings together DeFi, ReFi and RealFi solutions app on the Cardano blockchain, aims to deliver significant value to the Cardano community by onboarding many new users through simplifying the crypto User experience and User interface of the Asset Tokenization and Trading experience. Our project's impact can be broadly categorized and measured as follows:

Value to the Cardano Community:

• Simplification of DeFi Practices: By streamlining the process of onboarding, adoption, access and transaction interface, ECOBASED will make DeFi more accessible to a broader audience, including those new to crypto investments through RealFi solutions. This accessibility is crucial for expanding the user base of the Cardano ecosystem.
• Enhanced RealFi, security and Transparency: By focusing on transparent, verified impact metrics through dMRV technologies, AI powered investment and impact strategies and prioritizing security, ECOBASED will boost trust and reliability in Cardano's DeFi landscape, attracting more users and investors to the platform.

Measuring Impact:

• User Growth and Engagement Metrics: We will track the number of new users engaging with ECOBASED, particularly those new to DeFi, as a direct measure of our success in making DeFi more accessible through RealFi.
• Community Feedback and Surveys: Regular surveys and feedback sessions with our users will help assess the perceived ease of use and trust in our platform, providing qualitative insights into our impact.
• Partnership and Integration Milestones: Collaborations with other Cardano-based projects and the successful integration of ECOBASED with major DEXes will serve as key indicators of our growing influence within the Cardano ecosystem.

Sharing Outputs and Opportunities:

• Community Engagement: We will actively engage with the Cardano community through forums, social media (especially X / Twitter and Discord), and AMA sessions to share updates, gather feedback, and foster a sense of collaboration.
• Open Source Contributions: ECOBASED is committed to the ethos of open-source development. Wherever feasible, we will contribute to the open-source community by sharing our learnings and potentially some parts of our codebase. This practice not only encourages innovation but also drives collective growth within the Cardano ecosystem.
• Educational Content and Workshops: In line with our goal to demystify DeFi and ReFi, Asset Tokenization and Regenerative 'Yield farming, we plan to organize educational content and workshops. These sessions will focus on sharing knowledge about yield farming, DeFi strategies, and the utility of ReFi platforms like Shamba Network and Open Forest Protocol , thereby empowering the community with both theoretical and practical skills.

In conclusion, ECOBASED's success will not only be measured by its direct user metrics but also by the broader impact it has on making DeFi more accessible through RealFi, secure, and user-friendly within the Cardano community. By sharing our journey and learnings, we aim to foster a more robust, inclusive, and collaborative DeFi and RealFi environment on the Cardano blockchain.

[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 ability to deliver ECOBASED with a high degree of trust and accountability stems from a combination of our team's expertise, strategic planning, and commitment to transparency and community engagement. Below is an outline of our capabilities and our approach to validating the feasibility of ECOBASED.

Team's Expertise and Experience:

• Our team, led by Corneile Uys, a Regenerative Business Entrepreneur with extensive experience in regenerative impact, is equipped to tackle the Network and Business challenges of developing a Regenerative Finance Platform on the Cardano.

• DeFi and Regulation: Dr. Sothy Kol-Men, Co-Founder, DeFi and Regulatory Expert with solid background in asset management, business development, and regulations. Co-Founder of 2 Cardano DeFi projects: www.geniusyield.co & www.genius-x.co. He runs his own regulatory consulting firm to help early-stage projects set up appropriate legal entities to issue tokens and raise funds.

• Business Development: Jason is a founding member of Trustswap core team and has helped incubate and launch over 50 blockchain projects. Jason has a passion for decentralization and web3 technology that can empower people and uplift humanity.

• Technical Proficiency: Our skilled full stack developer, Viktor Kravchuk has 7 years of expertise in blockchain and AI technologies. He is proficient in creating innovative solutions that leverage both blockchain and AI to drive business success. He has a proven track record of delivering high-quality projects and leading development teams to success.

• Technical Oversight: Our CTO, Patrick T. Anderson is a Software, Blockchain and Token Engineer with 20+ years of experience. Laser focused on decentralizing power and ownership through community and tech. Google and founder of TheKinDAO and ECOS.

• Business Financials: Charl Cilliers, CFO and Chartered Accountant with 15+ years in financial modeling and project finance.

• Project Management and ESG: Etienne Berthelot, 5+ years in Business and Supply Chain Development, Head of Sales for 'Ecocert' in East Africa, ESG consultant and project manager

• Future Expansion of Team: We anticipate the addition of a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) with substantial experience in business development and marketing within the blockchain and DeFi sectors. This role will be crucial in driving ECOBASED's market presence and user adoption.

Strategic Approach to Project Management:

• Phased Development: We are adopting a phased approach to development, starting with the conceptualization and followed by the MVP development and testing phases, ensuring that each stage is completed with diligence and efficiency.

• Community Feedback Integration: Regular feedback from the Cardano community will be a cornerstone of our development process, ensuring that we stay aligned with user needs and expectations.

Ensuring Feasibility and Accountability:

• Regular Reporting and Transparency: We commit to maintaining transparency with the community, providing regular updates on our progress, challenges, and financial expenditures. This will be done through our social media channels and community forums. All our development, funding, project financials and impact reporting metrics will be publicly available on-chain from development onwards.

• Financial Management Protocols: We will implement strict financial management protocols, ensuring that all funds are allocated and used judiciously. This will include detailed budgeting and regular financial reporting to stakeholders.

• Third-Party Audits and Reviews: To validate the technical feasibility and security of our platform, we will engage with reputable third-party auditors for regular reviews of our smart contracts and security protocols.

Validation of Approach:

• Prototype Testing and Iteration: Through iterative development and testing of our prototype on the Cardano test net, we will validate the technical feasibility and user experience of ECOBASED.

• Market and User Research: Ongoing market research and user testing sessions will help us to refine our product, ensuring it meets the needs of our target audience and aligns with current market trends.

In conclusion, our team's technical expertise, combined with a strategic approach to development and a commitment to transparency and community engagement, positions us well to deliver ECOBASED with high levels of trust and accountability. Our processes and plans are designed to ensure that every step we take is feasible, responsible, and in line with our community's expectations and needs.

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

Q3 2024: MVP Development

The first phase involves the finalizing and testing of a minimum viable product (MVP) on the Cardano testnet. The initial MVP milestone is confirmed by the successful testnet deployment of the core aspects of the ECOBASED platform.

This includes: 

• $ECO
• Token Minting (test net)
• Tokenization function for minting NFT Assets on Cardano Blockchain.
• Integration of at least one liquidity pool (LP), such as ECO/ADA, on one decentralized exchange (DEX).

Acceptance Criteria: Successful deployment and testing of the MVP on the testnet with demonstrable Tokenization functions and user interface functionality.

Q3 2024: Platform Enhancement

The Platform Enhancement phase will enhance the MVP by integrating additional features based on user feedback and test results, such as improved user interface and enhanced data and asset management tools.

This includes:

• Testing and preparation for additional Tokenized assets
• $ECO Staking Pool and admin dashboard  
• DAO governance module
• ECOBASED Marketplace functionality

 

Acceptance Criteria: Successful integration and testing of additional features and LPs on the testnet, with positive feedback from initial testers and demonstrable stability in various test scenarios.

Q3 2024: Audits and Main net Launch of MVP

An enhanced version of the MVP will be audited by a reputable 3rd party. Any initial software issues will be addressed and a finalized version will be pushed to the Cardano main net.

This includes:

• $ECO Token Minting (main net)
• Tokenization function for minting NFT Assets on Cardano Blockchain.
• $ECO Staking Pool and admin dashboard  
• $ECO Token Generation and Distribution 

Acceptance Criteria: Successful completion of third-party audits and deployment of the enhanced ECOBASED Platform on Cardano main net.

Q4 2024: Expansion Phase

The Expansion Phase will include a focus on community growth and refinement of core products as well as the first on-chain Tokenization of Real-World Assets (RWAs) and NFT offering.

This includes:

• Main net tokenization of first RWAs on ECORISE 
• Initial offering of RWA-backed Eco-NFTs exclusively for $ECO holders

Acceptance Criteria: Successful tokenization of RWAs and initial distribution of Eco-NFTs to the ECOBASED community.

Q4 2024: Final Project Completion Report

The final milestone is to create a comprehensive completion report and video presentation for the Cardano community to showcase our work and the value it adds to the Cardano ecosystem.

This includes:

• Completion Report: A comprehensive report detailing the progress, achievements, challenges, and learnings throughout the project lifecycle.
• Video Presentation: A video presentation showcasing the ECOBASED.AI platform, including a review of the user interface, testimonials from early adopters, and highlights of the project's impact on the Cardano DeFi (including ReFi and RealFi) landscape.

Acceptance Criteria: Deliver of final report and video presentation for the Cardano community to review.

Final Milestone:

Final Project Completion Report and Video Milestone

• Completion Report: A comprehensive report detailing the progress, achievements, challenges, and learnings throughout the project lifecycle.
• Video Presentation: A video presentation showcasing ECOBASED's features, user interface, and testimonials from early adopters, highlighting the project's journey and impact on the Cardano DeFi landscape.

In summary, these milestones are strategically designed to guide the development of ECOBASED, focusing on robust testing, feature enhancement, and preparation for diversified Tokenization of Yield Generating Assets on the Cardano blockchain. We aim to evolve ECOBASED into a key component in the DeFi (including ReFi and RealFi) landscape on Cardano, ensuring innovative and user-centric solutions with a strong emphasis on community feedback and risk management.

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

Current Team Members:

• Corneile Uys - Project Lead and Regenerative Finance Expert
• LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corneile-uys-74544235/
• Role: Corneile, with his extensive experience in regenerative business, conservation and forestry and his knowledge of decentralized finance and blockchain technology, he will oversee the projects' overall development, focusing on blockchain integration and real world use cases and Real Finance solutions.

• Dr. Sothy Kol-Men - Strategic Advisor
• LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-kol-men/
• Role: Dr. Kol-Men, a seasoned entrepreneur with expertise in business development and strategy, will provide strategic guidance and insights, particularly in the areas of market positioning and regulatory compliance.

• Jason Wakeham - Business Development
• LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-wakeham-65b778b6/
• Role: Jas is a founding member of the TrustSwap core team and has helped incubate and launch over 50 blockchain projects. Jas is advising on business development, tokenomics and creating ECOBASED's go to market strategy.

• Viktor Kravchuk - Full stack Developer
• LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/viktor-kravchuk-a09092305/
• Role: Viktor is a skilled full stack developer with 7 years of expertise in blockchain and AI technologies. He is proficient in creating innovative solutions that leverage both blockchain and AI to drive our business success and responsible for all front and back end development, UI and UX for ECOBASED.

• Patrick T. Anderson - Chief Technical Officer
• LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricktanderson/
• Role: Patrick is a Software, Blockchain and Token Engineer with 20+ years of experience. He is our Technical Lead and ensures all code, security and functionalities are top notch.

• Charl Cilliers - Chief Financial Officer
• LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charl-cilliers-ca-sa-19376260/
• Role: Charl is a Chartered accountant and in charge of all project modelling, financials and business accounting and has 15+ years experience.

• Etiennce Berthelot - Project Management and ESG
• Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/etienne-berthelot/
• Role: Etienne has 5+ years in Business and Supply Chain Development, Head of Sales for 'Ecocert' in East Africa, ESG consultant and project manager for ECOBASED.

• Sara Yoshi- Community engagement and social media marketing
• Linkedin Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-yoshi/
• Role: Sarah will be responsible for Community Education and Engagement of all things ReFi, Marketing, Brand & Graphic Design for ECOBASED.

Planned Recruitments:

• Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
• Skills Sought: Expertise in blockchain and DeFi marketing, strong background in digital marketing strategies, and experience in community building and engagement, especially within the Cardano ecosystem.
• Role: The CMO will be responsible for developing and executing marketing strategies, enhancing community engagement, and increasing Stargazer’s visibility and adoption within the DeFi space.

Engagement and Communications:

• Team Engagement: Our team, comprising of dedicated professionals with a shared vision for ECOBASED, is actively engaged and deeply committed to the project. We conduct regular meetings and collaborative sessions to align on our progress, strategies, and to address any emerging challenges. This ongoing engagement ensures that we are consistently moving forward in a cohesive and coordinated manner.

• Community Involvement: Recognizing the importance of community input and collaboration, we will be involved in the Cardano ecosystem's technical working groups going forward. Corneile, Sothy, Jason and Charl are active member of several ReFi (Regenerative Finance) focused Discord servers and Telegram communities . These platforms allow us to engage directly with the ReFi community, facilitating valuable exchanges of ideas and feedback. They are instrumental in helping us gather insights, recruit talented individuals, and stay abreast of the latest developments and trends within the network. Our active participation in these communities underscores our commitment to building a product that is not only financially sound but also aligned with the needs and expectations of the wider Cardano community.

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

As of May 9th, the price of 1 $ADA is $0.45.

Our funding request of $ADA 300,000 is allocated over the next 5 months and is broken down as follows:

One-Time Costs:

• Smart Contract Audit:
• Cost: $10,000 (Approx. $ADA 22,222)
• Purpose: To ensure the security and robustness of our smart contracts, which is critical for the trustworthiness of ECOBASED.
• Marshall Island DAO Limited Liability Company Legal & Tax package
• Cost: $3,000 (Approx. $ADA 6,666)
• Purpose: This legal entity has been created already, this package will provide legal and tax operating agreements and establishes a credible basis for ECOBASED's operations, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

Monthly Costs:

• Marketing & Community Engagement:
• Monthly Cost: $8,000 ($ADA 17,777)
• Total for 5 Months: $40,000 ($ADA 88,888)
• Purpose: Ongoing efforts to promote ECOBASED, engage with the community, and build a user base. This includes social media campaigns, community events, and other outreach activities.
• Team Salary:
• Business Development:
• Monthly cost $10,000 ($ADA 22,222)
• Total for 5 Months: $50,000 ($ADA 111,111)
• Technical Development (Front, Backend, R&D)
• Monthly cost $4,000 ($ADA 8,888)
• Total for 5 months: $20,000 ($ADA 44,444)
• Legal Development
• Monthly cost $2500 ($ADA 5,555)
• Total for 5 months: $12,250 ($ADA 27,222)
• Monthly 3rd party tech tools expenses: (GoDaddy, AWS, Vercel, cyclops.ai, silvi.app)
• Monthly cost $300 ($ADA 666)
• Total for 5 months: $1,500 ($ADA 3,333)

Total expenses: $137,000 ($ADA 304,444)

Alternative sources: Additional funds will be bootstrapped from company owner(s)

Total Budget Request:

• For a period of 5 months: $ADA 300,000

Additional Considerations:

• Project Management and Reporting: We have allocated a portion of our budget to project management and regular reporting to the community. This ensures that the project remains on track and that stakeholders are kept informed of our progress.
• Documentation: Adequate resources are dedicated to maintaining comprehensive documentation of the project, which is vital for transparency and future scalability.

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

ECOBASED’s budget is meticulously planned to ensure maximum value for the Cardano ecosystem. The costs, while significant, are aligned with industry standards and are essential for delivering a high-quality, secure, and user-friendly DeFi (including ReFi and RealFi) platform on Cardano. Here’s how the project represents value for money:

Alignment with Industry Standards:

• Smart Contract Audit Costs: The cost for the smart contract audit is consistent with industry rates for comprehensive security assessments, essential for ensuring the reliability and security of DeFi platforms. Given the complexity and potential risks associated with DeFi applications, this is a necessary investment to protect users and uphold the integrity of the Cardano ecosystem.
• Legal Costs: The legal fees of ECOBASED is crucial for regulatory compliance and establishes a solid foundation for future operations and expansions.

Return on Investment for the Cardano Ecosystem:

• Enhancing DeFi Accessibility: By simplifying and securing NFT Asset creation through Tokenization and Ownership, and tapping into Yield generating Real Assets on Cardano, ECOBASED will attract more users to the ecosystem, expanding the user base and increasing the overall value of the network.
• Promoting Innovation and Security: The development of ECOBASED involves innovative approaches to DeFi strategies through ReFi and RealFi, contributing to the overall technological advancement within the Cardano ecosystem. The emphasis on security also builds trust and reliability, critical for long-term growth.

Cost-Effectiveness and Efficiency:

• Efficient Budget Allocation: Each element of the budget is carefully allocated to ensure that we are maximizing resources for development, security, and community engagement. We have also incorporated a buffer in our budgeting to account for ADA price fluctuations, ensuring financial stability and project continuity.
• Community Engagement and Marketing: The budget allocation for marketing and community engagement is designed to ensure effective outreach and user growth, which is a key metric for measuring the success of ECOBASED and its contribution to the ecosystem.

Supporting Evidence:

• Market Research: The budget has been determined based on extensive market research and comparison with similar projects in the industry. This research ensures that our costs are competitive and reasonable for the services and quality we aim to provide.

In summary, the budget for ECOBASED has been carefully crafted to deliver value for money, ensuring that every ADA spent contributes significantly to the development, security, and growth of the Cardano ecosystem. The project not only aligns with industry standards in terms of costs but also promises substantial returns in terms of technological advancement, user growth, and ecosystem security.