Last updated 4 months ago
Cardano developers and project founders need a way to launch CNT & NFT sales independently and reliably, with an intuitive UX and without needing to trust and pay costly service providers.
This is the total amount allocated to Yepple - Full-Stack Token (CNT) & NFT Sale Platform & SDK.
We will open source a Cardano token & NFT sales platform with an SDK to elevate the buying experience on Cardano and allow project owners to reduce expenses and maximize investor value.
No dependencies
This project and all associated deliverables will be open sourced with an MIT License.
Our modular open source developer tooling will be open source and free to use with a focus on portability, transparency, and community collaboration within all components of the solution. Our goal is for the deliverables of this project to serve as a backbone to the current and future needs of many Cardano developers as it evolves during and after the scope of this proposal.
Our solution will vastly improve the DX (developer experience) and UX (user experience) for token and NFT sales on Cardano. This will allow innovation for projects and increase investor comfort and volume on Cardano for NFTs, DeFi, DePin, and any other native token launch.
On the developer side, this will be done with our out-of-the-box API, SDK, and web server, which together will provide a full-stack turnkey implementation. The API will provide all of the logic required for managing sale configurations, processing sale transactions, tracking sale inventory and statistics, and generating sales reports. It will be a Fastify API written in TypeScript that can be run on any machine supporting the NodeJS runtime environment (i.e. any modern machine). The SDK will also be written in TypeScript, and it will contain all necessary logic for integrating the API to extract and manipulate the sale data as needed. Not only will this be used as a core component of the web server, but it can also be used in external applications to track and report sales data, such as Discord and Twitter bots. As mentioned, the web server will also utilize the SDK for populating the website with all the necessary static and dynamic content related to the sale. It will be a modern Next.js web server fully supporting a reactive CIP-30 implementation to allow users to submit payment transactions and to provide feedback to the user in situations where the wallet cannot submit payment (e.g. insufficient funds).
On the user side, we have been refining our sales UX for years over hundreds of different NFT mints and token presales for projects such as House of Titans, $BANK, Walkers, Inmates, Ape Nation, Salty Seagulls, Fren, Neo Vikings, BeezHive, Sports Alpha Club, and of course many more. We have dealt with collections of different standards such as CIP-25 and CIP-68, we have enabled custom per-wallet pricing across various whitelist phases, we have supported multiple payment options to bring attention and demand to Cardano tokens, and we have themed every sales page to the branding of the project that we are working with. This branded, unique, customizable, and user-friendly platform is our flagship product, and we believe that the Cardano ecosystem as a whole would benefit from all projects being able to utilize and build on top of it without any cost in order to give the community the best sales experiences possible.
Diving into the logistics, the backend portion of our solution offers a robust and tested foundation that prevents common issues such as double mints, invalid metadata, and incorrect payment processing. By open-sourcing our minting solution, we will enable these developers and project founders to avoid the costs and lack of customization imposed by current service providers and bypass the steep learning curve and risks associated with building new minting solutions. Our platform adheres to Cardano Improvement Proposal (CIP) standards for both NFT and token sales, and ensures fair transaction ordering, reliable and verbose error handling, automated refunds, and correct mint quantities—common pitfalls for those new to minting. The frontend portion of our solution offers phase schedule display, payment currency selection, payment quantity selection (NFT quantity for NFT sales, or a custom “smart integer input” for token sales), a payment summary showing total cost and the amount of purchased token(s), a responsive payment submission process, and the ability to add a stake pool delegation as part of the payment transaction.
This full-stack solution will be usable from the moment it is launched, and it will be built in a modular way such that improvements and open-sourced growth is not only possible but guaranteed – by our team, but also by other developers by allowing changes and feature additions that will not be jumbled with any mission critical code such as payment processing.
Impact Demonstration:
We will measure our impact through the usage of our platform by new projects, reduction in common minting errors, and feedback from the community. Success stories and case studies will be documented and shared through our regular community updates and workshops. In particular, we are confident that putting this power in the hands of projects will allow them to divert their funds in a more efficient way, unlocking new economic opportunities with never-before-seen margins and maximizing the value that they can deliver to their community.
This initiative not only accelerates project development times but also enhances the overall integrity and user trust in Cardano-based projects. It's crucial for fostering a vibrant, innovative community where technology lowers barriers rather than creating them.
Our project will significantly enhance the Cardano ecosystem’s reputation and set a new baseline for user experience on Cardano dApps. By democratizing project launches, both NFT collections and tokens, we are reducing dependency on costly centralized platforms and promoting a culture of transparency and collaboration. By open-sourcing our advanced sales solution, we empower creators across the globe to launch and manage their NFT and token projects independently in a secure, scalable, and free manner. This not only drives innovation within the Cardano community but also attracts new users and developers to the platform, strengthening its position in the competitive blockchain space. The nature of the solution, being a sales platform, will also help in driving Cardano transaction volume as well as volume across several key sectors such as DeFi, DePin, and NFTs with each successful launch.
We will measure the impact of our project through several key metrics:
To ensure wide distribution and engagement, our outputs will consist of:
These efforts will not only showcase the practical benefits of our solution but also reinforce Cardano's reputation as an inclusive and innovative blockchain community.
Yepple has a strong track record of delivering high-quality blockchain solutions since February 2021. Having successfully managed over 200 projects on the Cardano platform over the past three years, we have not only mastered the technology relevant to this proposal but also gained countless invaluable insights into the specific needs of creators of NFT projects and fungible tokens (CNTs). Our team is composed of seasoned blockchain developers, project managers, and strategists who are deeply knowledgeable about the Cardano ecosystem. This experience positions us uniquely to deliver this project with high levels of expertise, trust, and accountability. Several of the projects we have worked with, and the work that we performed for them, can be found on the “contributions” link attached to this proposal. We are also registered as a DRep for Cardano, further showcasing our commitment and dedication to this blockchain.
Of all the solutions Yepple has deployed on Cardano (token generation, airdrops, metadata updates, staking, NFT customizers, storefronts, custom dApps, etc.), sales for NFTs and tokens have always been our flagship solution and represent our highest level of quality and innovation. After facilitating sales for House of Titans, $BANK, Walkers, Inmates, Ape Nation, Salty Seagulls, Fren, Neo Vikings, BeezHive, Sports Alpha Club, and of course many more, and processing 10s of millions of ADA in volume without any funds being handled improperly, our track record speaks for itself when it comes to security and reliability. We are excited to share these tools, which are fundamental to any NFT or token project building on Cardano, with the community as part of this proposal. Building our solution into a community-facing, full-stack, turnkey solution with the API, SDK, and Next.js web server will allow any project to instantly harness the benefits that most projects either currently can’t find or must pay a significant cost to obtain. We are confident that we can provide sufficient support and guidance to drive adoption of this solution in the pursuit of a less intimidating project launch process for newcomers.
Milestone 1 (Planning & Technical Design):
Milestone 2 (API - MVP Development):
Milestone 3 (SDK & Next.js Web Server - MVP Development):
Milestone 4 (Technical Documentation, Community Support, Demonstrations):
Milestone 5 (Close-Out Report & Video):
Nicholas Fekete - CEO/Management - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-fekete/
Since founding Yepple and leading the team from day 1, Nicholas has driven progress and overseen project management across all internal and external projects that we have completed within Cardano and for our clients. With more than 5 years of experience as a startup founder, Nicholas has a fundamental understanding of how to run a cost-efficient company with values and quality that his team and our clients can be proud of.
Jake Shearman - CTO/Fullstack Blockchain Developer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-shearman/
Handling the trinity of design, development, and documentation, Jake has led Yepple’s development team across the finish line for all development projects. With a formal computer science education, a work history in FinTech, and many years as a hobby blockchain developer that eventually turned into a career, Jake has been learning about and building on Cardano since before the very first Plutus Pioneer Program that he was a part of. He has remained committed to Cardano ever since, and is looking forward to improving and open sourcing many of the developer tools that he has built.
Dominic Monette - Developer/Quality Assurance
We take great pride in our quality, and we owe much of that quality to Dominic’s contributions as a developer, operations manager, and product quality assurance engineer.
Tyler McVety - DevOps/Blockchain Developer
Working behind the scenes, the server infrastructure set up by Tyler is what has allowed Yepple’s hosted solutions (stake pools, mints, CNT/NFT staking, and custom dApp transaction processing) to remain reliable and efficient.
Campurean Alexandru (Sic) - Marketing
As one of our most valuable connections to the Cardano community, Sic is a core community member of countless CNT/CNFT projects. Not only is he crucial in spreading awareness of the solutions and tools that our team has created, but he also ensures that we are constantly aware and deeply considerate of the types of user experience and functionality Cardano community members are looking for.
Design:
Initial planning and technical design, including setup and configuration documentation, aimed at empowering token and NFT project owners.
Cost: 20k ADA
Development:
Development of the API supporting sales configuration, transaction processing, data and inventory management, and report generation.
Cost: 95k ADA
Development of the SDK integrating into the API. This standalone SDK will be well-suited for any external usage, including common requests such as Discord and Twitter bot configuration. This SDK will also feature additional utilities for practical data manipulation.
Cost: 15k ADA
Development of a modern, responsive Next.js Web Server incorporating the SDK to facilitate feature-complete token and NFT sales. The web server will have a heavy focus on user experience and intuitive wallet interactions.
Cost: 25k ADA
Documentation:
Comprehensive technical documentation and user instructions to ensure community understanding and ease of adaptation for future development.
Cost: 20k ADA
Management:
Ongoing project oversight, including resource allocation, timeline management, and ensuring deliverables meet proposal goals.
Cost: 10k ADA
Marketing & Support:
Engagement initiatives and support mechanisms, including community outreach, promotional activities, and user support via digital platforms.
Cost: 5k ADA
Our proposed budget represents exceptional value for money for the Cardano ecosystem, reflecting more than three years of intensive development by our experienced team. The investment of 190k ADA in open-sourcing these token and NFT sale solutions in a highly practical and accessible package is significantly lower than the industry costs of building a similar robust, secure, and fully-functional sales platform from scratch. In particular, when it comes to processing potentially millions of ADA in payment and distributing high-value assets in return, it is essential to utilize technology that has been tested relentlessly as our sales have been with the hundreds of launches and 10s of millions of ADA processed. US-based (we are a US company) industry costs associated with such extensive software development and testing could reach several hundred thousand dollars, given the specialized nature of blockchain technology. We are not only offering the Cardano community access to our refined, bulletproof technology but also providing comprehensive documentation. This ensures that even those new to the space can quickly leverage our platform to efficiently sell fungible tokens (CNTs) and NFTs, thereby enhancing innovation and participation within the Cardano ecosystem. In essence, we are equipping the community with a high-caliber turnkey platform that accelerates development timelines, reduces upfront costs, and fosters greater creativity on the blockchain. The solutions we have provided for House of Titans, $BANK, Walkers, Inmates, Ape Nation, Salty Seagulls, Fren, Neo Vikings, BeezHive, Sports Alpha Club, and many others have showcased the adoption, engagement, influx of investment funds, and community morale that can be obtained through successful and trusted token and NFT sales, which directly translates into value for the projects using the technology as well as the ecosystem and community as a whole.