User-friendly Marlowe contract executor for everyone

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

Manh Nguyen

[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

Yes

[GENERAL] Summarize your solution to the problem (200-character limit including spaces)

We will create a web app to simplify the deployment and interaction with Marlowe contracts on the mainnet, reducing complexity and allowing users to focus on contract logic, not technical barriers.

[GENERAL] Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

Yes

[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.”

Marlowe Runtime is the application backend for managing Marlowe contracts on the Cardano blockchain. We leverage its higher-level APIs and complete backend services to help users deploy, execute, interact, and withdraw the funds from their contracts

[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

All the code and documentation will be licensed under permissive “Apache License Version 2.0”

[METADATA] Horizons

Financial Services

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Introduction

In traditional finance, contracts such as escrow, loans, swaps, and bonds are managed by third parties at high costs. Blockchain technology can transform this by providing transparent, decentralized, and low-cost solutions.

Marlowe, a domain-specific language for Cardano, allows users to create financial smart contracts easily and securely. However, deploying and interacting with these contracts requires users to use low-level tools like marlowe-cli and Marlowe Runtime Backend, creating a barrier for non-technical users.

Marlowe Runner is a web app created by IOG with the goal of simplifying contract deployment and execution. However, as Marlowe has separated from IOG and is moving towards a community-maintained stewardship model, the development of the Marlowe Runner project has been interrupted. It's been 5 months since the last commit was pushed to the GitHub repository of Marlowe Runner. Marlowe Runner also does not support users to deploy contracts to the mainnet. Users can only deploy their contracts on testnets, and they have even encountered errors when deploying their contracts, which hinder adoption.

We propose a solution: a dedicated Marlowe Runtime backend combined with a web application that allows seamless deployment and interaction with contracts on the mainnet, making Marlowe contracts accessible to everyone.

Web app core features

• Contract creation: users can choose from our gallery of available contract templates or upload their own to the web application. They can then define specific contract parameters such as who is involved, amounts, and deadlines.
• Contract deployment: deploy Marlowe contracts on the mainnet and testnets.
• Live interaction: once the contract is deployed, users can interact with the contract in real time. They can fulfill obligations (e.g., make a payment or meet a condition) directly within the web application.
• Monitoring: provides information about the transaction history and the current state of the contract, helping users know what actions are expected next, what conditions have been met, and what is still pending. This is crucial for tracking the progress of contracts with multiple steps or parties
• Wallet integration: the web app will integrate with the Cardano wallet to allow users to sign transactions and fund contracts with ADA directly from the wallet.
• Contract discovery: search and scan Marlowe contracts without connecting a wallet.

Conclusion

Our goal is to create a comprehensive platform where users can deploy, manage, and interact with Marlowe contracts at every stage of their lifecycle, all in one place. By simplifying the use of Marlowe contracts, we will remove barriers to adoption, helping to transition traditional financial agreements to the blockchain. This will accelerate the adoption of Cardano technology and drive the future of decentralized finance.

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

Impact on the Cardano Community and Ecosystem

Our project will have several key impacts on the Cardano community and ecosystem. The following points outline how we aim to contribute to the development and adoption of Cardano:

1. Increasing Cardano adoption: Our web app will make it easy for non-technical users to deploy and interact with Marlowe contracts on the Cardano mainnet. By lowering the technical barriers, we will expand blockchain access for personal and educational purposes, helping to drive mainstream Cardano adoption.
2. Lowering the barrier for SMEs: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can benefit from our web app by easily managing contracts without requiring extensive blockchain knowledge. By reducing complexity, we empower SMEs to execute financial contracts more efficiently, bringing blockchain technology into the traditional business environment.
3. Improved learning: By providing an easy-to-use tool to deploy Marlowe contracts, we will support learners and teachers in testing and teaching Marlowe on the mainnet and testnets, enhancing the educational experience and opportunities. Other educational projects in the ecosystem can leverage our web app as a practice place for their students.
4. Open source contribution: The project will be open source, allowing developers, Marlowe learners, and dApp builders to fork the project, learn from it, and contribute back to the ecosystem.
5. Enabling Complex Marlowe dApps: We will make the Marlowe Runtime REST API publicly available, empowering dApp developers to integrate the Marlowe Runtime Backend into their projects without having to operate the infrastructure. By providing this essential tool, we strengthen the ecosystem and create opportunities for further innovation.
6. Empowering DAOs: The web app can help DAOs automate and manage their financial operations, including budget allocation and treasury management, with full transparency. By supporting DAOs, our project will increase the adoption of decentralized governance structures on Cardano.
7. Boosting DeFi growth on Cardano: The web app will simplify the creation and management of financial contracts, encouraging developers to build more decentralized finance (DeFi) applications on Cardano. This could help grow the DeFi ecosystem, making Cardano more competitive in the blockchain space.

Impact measures

To ensure the success of the project and its contribution to the Cardano ecosystem, we will implement a range of quantitative and qualitative metrics to measure impact. The following metrics will be used to measure the project's impact:

• User adoption: We will track the number of users who are actively using the web app.
• Contract deployment: We will measure the number of smart contracts successfully deployed on the blockchain using our web app
• DApp integration: We will track the number of dApps/developers using our Marlowe Runtime REST API to build their products.
• Transaction volume: We will track the total amount of funds locked and processed by contracts created through the web app.
• User feedback: Regular feedback from users will help us evaluate the usability of the web app, how user-friendly it is, and how we can improve it to satisfy our users.

Sharing Outputs and Results

We are committed to sharing the results of the project in a transparent, comprehensive manner to benefit the entire Cardano ecosystem. The following channels will be used for communication and collaboration:

• GitHub Repository: We will host the project's source code on GitHub, making it open-source and allowing developers to fork, contribute or reuse it. Regular updates, issue tracking and detailed commit history will be maintained to ensure transparency and encourage collaboration from the Cardano community.
• Catalyst Project Updates: We will provide regular progress reports to the Catalyst community, sharing the key milestones we have achieved. Additionally, we will provide transparent reporting on how funds are spent, ensuring accountability and alignment with Catalyst goals.
• Comprehensive Documentation: We will develop clear user guides to support both technical and non-technical users. These documents will include tutorials and examples on how to use the Marlowe Runtime REST API and deploy smart contracts through our platform.
• Community Engagement: We will engage with the community through X (formerly Twitter), sharing project updates, tutorials, and seeking feedback.
• Public Reporting and Success Metrics: We will publish regular reports detailing the performance of the web app, including the number of contracts deployed, API integrations, and user feedback. These reports will be shared via the blog and community platforms to keep the broader Cardano ecosystem informed.

[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 existing capabilities

Our team consists of professionals with a variety of skills, each with years of experience in their respective fields. We have expertise in backend development, cloud architecture, frontend development, UX/UI design, and quality assurance, all of which were critical to the successful delivery of this project. Together, we have the technical knowledge and project management experience to oversee the entire development lifecycle, from designing a scalable cloud infrastructure and building a secure, user-friendly interface, to thoroughly testing the platform for performance and reliability.

We have successfully deployed commercial software projects in the past and have extensive experience working with Cardano blockchain technologies, including Marlowe and Plutus. This experience puts us in a good position to develop and deploy the Marlowe contract execution platform, making it accessible to end users and developers.

Trust and Accountability

To ensure complete transparency, we will provide monthly progress and financial reports, shared publicly via GitHub, detailing how funds are allocated and the milestones we have achieved. The community will be able to follow our progress and interact directly with us via our Telegram and Catalyst channels. Additionally, we will adhere to a clear project roadmap, which will be shared in advance, outlining milestones and deadlines to keep us accountable.

With a structured reporting process and close communication with the Cardano community, we are confident that we will manage the project and funds responsibly and deliver a high quality product.

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

Milestone 1: Design and Documentation

• Outputs:
• Document detailing the software requirements
• Design of the cloud architecture for the web app
• Technical stack specification with explanations for technology choices
• UX/UI design for the web app
• Acceptance criteria:
• The software requirements for the web application have been collected and documented in detail
• The cloud architecture for the web application on AWS has been designed
• The technical stack has been specified, with rationale for each choice
• The UX/UI design for the web application has been completed
• Evidence of milestone completion:
• Link to the software requirements document
• Link to the cloud architecture design
• Link to the technical stack documentation
• Link to the Figma UX/UI design
• Estimated time: 1 month

Milestone 2: Backend Development

• Outputs:
• Deploy the Cardano Node in mainnet on cloud
• Deploy the Marlowe Runtime Backend on the cloud and connect with the Cardano Node
• Marlowe Runtime REST APIs deployed and available for public use
• Templates of at least 7 common financial contracts with detailed documentation explaining each contract. These templates will serve as a starting point for our users to quickly create Marlowe contracts on our web app
• Acceptance criteria:
• The Cardano Node has been successfully deployed on the AWS cloud
• The Marlowe Runtime Backend has been deployed on the AWS cloud and connected to the Cardano Node.
• The Marlowe Runtime REST APIs are open to the public, both the community and milestone reviewers can deploy and interact with Marlowe contracts using the APIs
• Templates for 7 common financial contracts have been created, with documentation and diagrams explaining how they work
• Evidence of milestone completion:
• Cardano Node is fully synchronized on mainnet
• Users can create and deploy Marlowe contracts using the Marlowe Runtime REST API
• Link to the templates of 7 financial contracts
• A video walkthrough showcases what has been done in this milestone
• Estimated time: 2 months

Milestone 3: Frontend development

• Outputs:
• A fully featured web app that meets the requirements specified in the first milestone
• Integration of the web app with the Marlowe Runtime backend, allowing users to create, deploy, manage and interact with contracts on mainnet and testnet
• Functionality that allows users to query and explore other Marlowe contracts via the web app
• Acceptance criteria:
• The interface of the web app matches the original UX/UI design from the first milestone
• All core features of the web app work as expected
• Users can successfully deploy, manage, and interact with Marlowe contracts on the mainnet and testnets
• Evidence of milestone completion:
• Link to the live web app
• A video walkthrough on how to use the web app to deploy, manage, and interact with Marlowe contracts on the mainnet
• Estimated time: 2 months

Final Milestone: Testing, Launching and Close-out report

• Outputs:
• Test cases and test results for the web app
• User feedback collection from registered volunteers, prioritizing those with experience in Marlowe. ADA rewards for the first 10 users who provide detailed feedback.
• Project Close-out video and report
• Acceptance criteria:
• The project close-out report and video meet Catalyst funding requirements
• Test cases for the web app have been designed, documented, and executed.
• The beta testing process has been opened to the public for registration, with priority given to users who have experience with the Marlowe language.
• Feedback from all real users was collected, documented, and analyzed. The first 10 users have received rewards in ADA for their contribution
• Bugs identified from testing and user feedback have been fixed and documented
• Test results, user feedback, and any improvements based on that feedback are shared and provided.
• Evidence of milestone completion:
• Link to the project close-out report and video
• Link to the test case documentation
• Link to the test result file
• Documentation or summary of user feedback, including how the testing was opened to the public, how feedback was gathered, and how the feedback was used to improve the web app
• Proof of ADA rewards distributed to the first 10 beta users
• Estimated time: 1 month

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

Manh Nguyen - Backend Developer and Cloud architecture

Experience:

• 6 years of experience in professional software development and engineering
• 4 years of experience in managing programming teams
• 4 years of experience in designing AWS cloud infrastructure
• Active community member in Project Catalyst, serving as a Community Reviewer from Fund 9 and Milestone Reviewer from Fund 11
• Instructor of 2 Marlowe courses for Vietnamese
• Completed Cardano-related courses, including Haskell, Plutus Pioneer v3, Marlowe Pioneer V1, and Cardano Blockchain Course

Responsibilities in the project:

• Responsible for project direction and project management
• Design and implement the AWS cloud infrastructure
• Develop the templates for common financial contracts
• Deploy the Marlowe Runtime Backend on the cloud infrastructure

Telegram: https://t.me/manhnq94

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manh-nguyen-a51a3824b/

Ngan Nguyen - UX/UI Designer

Experience:

• 4 years of experience in software interface design and user experience analysis
• Worked on multiple projects for fintech and e-commerce platforms, focusing on visual design and user-centric approaches
• Skilled in wireframing, prototyping, and using tools like Figma and Sketch for high-fidelity designs
• Expertise in conducting user research and usability testing to optimize product workflows

Responsibilities in the project:

• Conduct research on product flow, user behavior, and competitor analysis
• Create product design concepts based on project requirements
• Design user-friendly interfaces for seamless interactions
• Develop design specifications from wireframes to high-fidelity UI prototypes

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ngan-nguyen-94b69b227/

Telegram: https://t.me/nkngan

Hoang Nguyen - Frontend and Off-chain Developer

Experience:

• 6 years of experience in web frontend development, building interactive and responsive user interfaces for multiple applications, including fintech and blockchain platforms
• Expertise in frontend libraries/frameworks such as VueJS and ReactJS, ensuring high performance and smooth user experience
• 2 years of experience developing off-chain code for blockchain applications, including experience integrating web applications with blockchain wallets and creating seamless transaction experiences

Responsibilities in the project:

• Develop web frontend, ensuring responsive, fast and user-friendly user interface
• Implement off-chain code to connect web application with Cardano wallet and enable users to build and sign blockchain transactions
• Work closely with UX/UI designers to ensure the user interface is consistent with design specifications and user needs

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hoang-nh/

Thuy Hoang - QA Automation Tester

Experience:

• 4 years of experience in software analysis, specializing in creating detailed test cases and plans to ensure software reliability and performance
• 2 years of experience in automated testing, developing scripts to conduct comprehensive, repeatable testing in a variety of scenarios
• Familiar with popular testing frameworks such as Selenium and Cypress, and have experience writing both unit tests and end-to-end test scripts to ensure comprehensive coverage of web application functionality

Responsibilities in the project:

• Develop comprehensive test cases that cover all major functions of the web application, ensuring the application operates smoothly under a variety of conditions
• Create automated test scripts to run repeatable tests for performance, security, and reliability
• Conduct manual testing to identify usability issues and collaborate with the development team to resolve bugs
• Ensure the web app is thoroughly tested before launch, ensuring a stable and user-friendly experience for end users

Telegram: https://t.me/Alululeo

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

Milestone 1: Design and documentation - 1 month - 33,515 ADA

• 1 AWS cloud engineer: 12,121 ADA for 4 weeks part-time
• 1 Blockchain developer: 10,909 ADA for 4 weeks part-time
• 1 UX UI designer: 8,485 ADA for 4 weeks part-time
• 1 Project manager: 2,000 ADA for 1 month

Milestone 2: Webapp Backend development - 2 months - 37,939 ADA

• 1 AWS cloud engineer: 12,121 ADA for 4 weeks part-time
• 1 Blockchain developer: 21,818 ADA for 8 weeks part-time
• 1 Project manager: 4,000 ADA for 2 months

Milestone 3: Webapp Frontend development - 2 months - 26,424 ADA

• 1 AWS cloud engineer: 6,061 ADA for 2 weeks part-time
• 1 Frontend developer: 12,121 ADA for 8 weeks part-time
• 1 UX UI designer: 4,242 ADA for 2 weeks part-time
• 1 Project manager: 4,000 ADA for 2 months

Final milestone: Testing, Launching, and Close-out reports - 1 month - 33,613 ADA

• 1 QA tester: 6,788 ADA for 4 weeks part-time
• 1 Project manager: 2,000 ADA for 1 month
• AWS cloud infrastructure: 23,825 ADA for 12 months
• Rewards for the first 10 beta users: 1000 ADA (100 ADA for each user)

The above costs are calculated based on the exchange rate of 1 ADA = 0.33 USD at the time of writing.

For more detailed cost breakdown, please kindly view our Google Sheet file here.

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

Marlowe is a Cardano foundational technology designed to simplify the creation and deployment of financial contracts and decentralized financial applications. Our project enhances this by allowing both end users and developers to easily deploy, interact with, and build financial contracts on mainnet. This directly supports Cardano's mission of financial inclusion and innovation.

Cardano recently achieved a major milestone by hosting the first legally enforceable smart contract in Argentina, marking a pivotal moment for the role of blockchain technology in commercial agreements. In this contract, a loan agreement between two Cardano ambassadors, recognized by an Argentine court, sets a precedent for blockchain-based contracts to be executed under traditional legal frameworks. As more countries see the benefits of blockchain technology in streamlining and securing financial contracts, it is expected that legal systems around the world will begin to adopt similar frameworks. This opens the door for widespread integration of blockchain in the legal and financial sectors. By making it easier for users to deploy their contracts on the Cardano blockchain, our project will position Cardano at the forefront of this global change, allowing individuals and organizations to seamlessly create legally enforceable contracts on-chain.

Our project costs are calculated based on the global average salary for technical professional roles in 2024. The following figures are used to determine the cost for each role:

• AWS cloud engineer: $96,666 / year ($50 / hour)
• Frontend developer: $48,787 / year ($25 / hour)
• Blockchain developer: $85,925 / year ($45 / hour)
• Project manager: $59,073 / year ($30 / hour)
• UX/UI designer: $67,097 / year ($35 / hour)
• QA tester: $54,178 / year ($28 / hour)

These rates reflect industry averages based on a survey of over 20k global developers and ensures that we attract skilled professionals in Vietnam without exceeding the salaries of freelance developers in the tech industry. By keeping our costs within average levels, we deliver significant value by creating tools that are accessible to a wide range of users, from individual end users, financial professionals and institutions, to dApp developers.

Given the long-term impact this project will have on the expansion of the Cardano ecosystem – by driving adoption of Cardano’s technology, supporting developers, and lowering the barriers to blockchain-based financial contracts – the value it brings far outweighs the cost. This project will empower both experienced developers and non-technical users, increasing the adoption of Marlowe and Cardano in general.

For more details on the salary survey of over 20,000 developers globally, please visit the 2024 Stack Overflow Developer Survey.