Yepple - Token Staking API, SDK & Dashboard

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Nicholas Fekete

[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)

6

[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)

We will open source a full-stack API, SDK & Web Dashboard for generating, monitoring, and acting on token holder data, enabling secure integrations of incentives for investors throughout applications.

[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

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.

[METADATA] Horizons

Developer Tools

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

While providing a large variety of services on Cardano over the past few years, we have found the most sustainable and appreciated projects to be those that recognize and reward their holders and investors in unique and tangible ways. Whether a project needs to prepare a whitelist, generate airdrops for recurring revenue streams, run raffles, support asset-based Discord roles, provide token-gated websites, or provide any other service based on simple or complex holder data, snapshots and proper analytics are the foundation. With that said, there are no open-source token staking tools that are easy to use and robust enough to support all of the use cases described.

Our token staking solution is a full-stack infrastructure consisting of a Fastify API (written in Typescript), a corresponding TypeScript SDK, and a self-hosted Next.js dashboard, all of which can be utilized in any environment. It will have a feature-first design built with project owners in mind. The tools will cover all common use cases out of the box, with the ability to build upon the solution for more advanced situations. This includes, but is not limited to, historical balance tracking to enable rewards based on rolling minimum balances over any time period to ensure loyal holders reap the most benefits from the project, scheduled and on-demand snapshots of holders to extract point-in-time data with multiple export formats for flexible integrations, an SDK for gathering this data and initiating data collection, and a web dashboard for viewing, interacting with, and extracting value-added data using various utilities.

Data sourcing options will be available to suit the needs of individual projects, consisting of an indexing option (constantly tracking changes on the blockchain in-house and applying them for up-to-date holder data at any time) and a snapshot-based option (efficiently performed by running requests in parallel to a data source such as BlockFrost or any other provider). There will be built-in protection for request failures (due to network issues, exceeding allowed request frequency, etc.) that retries the requests at safe intervals. The snapshot sourcing option will not be disrupted by these issues, but will instead carry on normally as soon as the requests are successful again. There will also be several configurations available for the data gathering and extraction, relating to request frequencies, data filtering, and more. When it comes to wallet addresses, there will be advanced detection and filtering of wallet data including era (Byron vs. Shelley), payment part, and delegation part. If the address is a script (smart contract), there will even be the ability to see if the first address with the shared stake key was also a script; in other words, you can see if the wallet was originally created as a normal user payment wallet or if the wallet is only used for scripts. All of this information is essential when it comes to determining the user base of the token holders and preparing fair, valuable, and effective recognition.

Demonstrating Impact:

We will track the adoption of our solutions through direct feedback, tool usage metrics, and success stories from project owners who utilize our staking solution. This will allow us to continuously refine our offerings and provide tangible evidence of our impact on the ecosystem.

Uniqueness and Benefits:

What sets our solution apart is its proven track record, ease of integration, support for any level of complexity, and robust error handling. By democratizing access to high-quality staking tools, we are helping to lay the technical foundation needed for rapid and valuable project growth and accomplishments.

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

Our project will significantly enhance the Cardano ecosystem by democratizing access to business-critical token staking technology, expediting project development, opening the door to new methods of recognizing community members’ loyalty to a project, and reducing dependency on costly service providers. By open-sourcing our advanced token staking solution, we empower creators across the globe to capture, track, and manage project data independently with a secure, scalable, and free tool. 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.

We will measure the impact of our project through several key metrics:

1. Adoption Rate: Tracking the number of projects and users adopting our tool.
2. Community Contributions: Monitoring updates and enhancements made by the community to the open-source code.
3. Innovative applications: Noting success stories from projects on ways they were able to add value to the ecosystem by advancing their data tracking capabilities.

To ensure wide distribution and engagement, our outputs will consist of:

• A GitHub repository hosting the complete source code
• Comprehensive documentation of how to configure and facilitate any type of token data tracking using our tool
• Advice, insights, and guides on the best practices surrounding common staking use-cases, gained from several years of experience performing them

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.

[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?

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.

In 2023 and 2024 specifically, Yepple worked extensively on token-related solutions with prominent projects on Cardano such as $BANK, Walkers, and House of Titans. This includes managing token presale funds exceeding over 5 million ADA in total as well as the distribution of the tokens themselves. Following many of our token launches, including the ones mentioned, Yepple has built and deployed custom token staking solutions to reward the token holders in individualized ways based on the priorities of the project. This has allowed us to iterate on the efficiency and effectiveness of our code, take community reactions and feedback into consideration, and determine many shared requirements across projects of all types. Taking all of this information into account, we are confident in our ability to provide a foundational solution that provides instant value to all projects looking for a similar service and also allows for endless customization and growth as time goes on. We are also confident in our ability to provide support and guidance to drive adoption of the solution, proven by our multiple year track record of hosting, developing, and consulting for our long-term clients.

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

Milestone 1 (Planning & Technical Design): 

• Outputs: Scope of work, design, and other associated planning documents for all technical aspects of the proposal. Importantly, this includes documentation on the setup, configurations, and usability from the perspective of our target audience, project owners.
• Acceptance Criteria: The designs and documentation provide a clear preliminary understanding of how a project owner can set up and run their own API & Web Dashboard as well as how to use the SDK to be integrated in their own application. The documentation elaborates on the solution to all high-level technical requirements in this proposal and aligns with the future milestones of this proposal.
• Evidence: Documentation in a public GitHub repository (alongside the future codebase) detailing the planned method of interacting with the finished product.

Milestone 2 (API - Product Development & Code Documentation): 

• Outputs: A product encompassing every technical feature and all functionality detailed in this proposal with regards to the API. This includes all associated data tracking and extraction capabilities, as well as additional development for customization, ease of use, and adaptability as an open-source product. Includes a screen recording video demonstration of the API in use. Codebase documentation and enhanced user documentation. The codebase documentation will increase the ability for developers to understand and contribute to future versions of the codebase, increasing long-term sustainability.
• Acceptance Criteria: Product development meets all technical requirements described in this proposal for the API component. A recording of a demonstration is shown. There is sufficient documentation within the code and alongside the GitHub repository to meet open source best practices and assist in the community’s ability to build and iterate on the solution. 
• Evidence: The GitHub repository codebase and associated demonstration video will serve as evidence of the completed API product development and its effectiveness as a deployed solution. The project structure and modules have their purposes all clearly explained in the repository documentation. All critical components of the code have appropriate documentation for classes, methods, and other key logic.

Milestone 3 (SDK - Product Development & Code Documentation): 

• Outputs: A product encompassing every technical feature and all functionality detailed in this proposal with regards to the SDK. This includes a published NPM library that allows easy code integration into the API for access to its data tracking and extraction capabilities, as well as additional development for customization, ease of use, and adaptability as an open-source product. It will also feature various utility functions for adding value and/or reformatting the data in practical ways. Includes a screen recording video demonstration of the SDK in use. Codebase documentation and enhanced user documentation. The codebase documentation will increase the ability for developers to understand and contribute to future versions of the codebase, increasing long-term sustainability.
• Acceptance Criteria: Product development meets all technical requirements described in this proposal for the SDK component. A recording of a demonstration is shown. There is sufficient documentation within the code and alongside the GitHub repository to meet open source best practices and assist in the community’s ability to build and iterate on the solution. 
• Evidence: The GitHub repository codebase and associated demonstration video will serve as evidence of the completed SDK product development and its effectiveness as a deployed solution. The project structure and modules have their purposes all clearly explained in the repository documentation. All critical components of the code have appropriate documentation for classes, methods, and other key logic.

Milestone 4 (Web Dashboard - Product Development & Code Documentation): 

• Outputs: A product encompassing every technical feature and all functionality detailed in this proposal with regards to the Next.js Web Dashboard. This includes data visualization for the most vital token information as well as interfacing for initiating collection, monitoring, and extracting the value-added data from the API. Internally, it will utilize the SDK for obtaining and manipulating the data as needed. Includes a screen recording video demonstration of the Web Dashboard in use. Codebase documentation and enhanced user documentation. The codebase documentation will increase the ability for developers to understand and contribute to future versions of the codebase, increasing long-term sustainability.
• Acceptance Criteria: Product development meets all technical requirements described in this proposal for the Web Dashboard component, which is the final development component of the proposal. A recording of a demonstration is shown. There is sufficient documentation within the code and alongside the GitHub repository to meet open source best practices and assist in the community’s ability to build and iterate on the solution. 
• Evidence: The GitHub repository codebase and associated demonstration video will serve as evidence of the completed Web Dashboard product development and its effectiveness as a deployed solution. The project structure and modules have their purposes all clearly explained in the repository documentation. All critical components of the code have appropriate documentation for classes, methods, and other key logic.

Milestone 5 (Community Support & Close-Out Report & Video): 

• Outputs: Comprehensive project report detailing the development process, community impact, and future directions. A professional video showcasing the project's journey and final product. Community support effectively extended to all contributors and users.
• Acceptance Criteria: The report and video must comprehensively cover all aspects of the project, demonstrating the success and community benefit. Yepple is available through Discord to accept and respond to all community feedback and questions. Any issues or feature requests mentioned through GitHub or Discord have been documented and considered for feasibility; if feasible within the scope of this proposal, the features were added for an improved experience.
• Evidence: Final project close-out report and a video link shared with the community through Discord, social media, and potentially additional locations. Responses to GitHub Issues within the repository. A channel in Yepple’s official Discord dedicated to feedback on our open source development where the Yepple team is responsive to questions and comments.

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

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. 

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

Milestone 1: Designing (config, customizability, etc.) - 15k

Milestone 2: Refactoring the Code based on design + documentation - 50k

Milestone 3: Close-out - 5k

Design:

Comprehensive design and planning to establish a robust framework for token staking API, SDK, and Next.js dashboard functionalities tailored to project owner needs.

Cost: 15k ADA

Development:

Construction of a versatile, reliable, and value-driven Fastify API managing the collection, storage, and extraction of token staking data.

Cost: 65k ADA

Development of an intuitive TypeScript SDK for interacting with the above API to extract and manipulate data for business needs.

Cost: 30k ADA

Development of a business-facing, self-hosted Next.js staking dashboard allowing for insights and actions related to token holders.

Cost: 25k ADA

Documentation: 

Detailed documentation to aid developers and users in understanding and utilizing the snapshot tool effectively, aligning with open source best practices.

Cost: 15k ADA

Management: 

Effective project management to ensure all phases from design to deployment meet specified milestones and quality standards.

Cost: 10k ADA

Marketing & Support: 

Active community engagement and marketing efforts to promote widespread adoption and provide robust support through various channels.

Cost: 10k ADA

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

Our proposed budget represents exceptional value for money for the Cardano ecosystem due to the expertise and prior developments that our team will be able to leverage to complete this task at a higher quality and lower cost than would be possible with any other development team. Our solution will reflect more than three years of intensive Cardano-based development by our experienced team, utilizing all of the optimized and thoroughly tested modules while adding in additional components for usability, customization, and of course detailed documentation to ensure that the businesses in the community are able to use it to the most of its ability to extract and generate value. The funding that we are seeking for this full-stack open source solution is lower than a part time salary of a single junior developer in the US (which is where are are based), however the output that we are producing has the security, optimizations, clarity, and functionality that is only possible from long term development of a skilled team. is significantly lower than the industry costs of hiring three skilled developers to build a similar robust, secure, and fully-functional data snapshot tool from scratch. We are not only offering the Cardano community access to our refined, bulletproof technology but the documentation and support needed to enable adoption and additional contributions and growth for the product. This ensures that even those new to the space can quickly leverage our tools to capture and analyze token staking data, thereby enhancing targeted marketing and operational efficiency within the Cardano ecosystem. These businesses will be able to use this data to incentivize investors in new revenue streams and financial models, driving transaction volume and locked capital on Cardano. In essence, we are equipping the community with a high-caliber toolset that simplifies data management, reduces dependency on costly third-party services, and fosters greater autonomy and innovation on the blockchain.