Core DAO DApp for on-chain community collaboration

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

OMEN team

[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 develop an engaging, intuitive and streamlined DAO DApp, enabling Cardano NFT communities to seamlessly integrate on-chain, community-driven decision-making and collaboration

[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 proposed core DAO DApp will not be open source on mainnet launch. However, we are committed to decentralization, and will continue explore possibilities to make additional features and extended iterations open source.

[METADATA] Horizons

DAO

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

We will strength the culture of on-chain participatory governance within the Cardano NFT community by developing an engaging, intuitive and streamlined core DAO DApp for community-driven decision-making and collaboration. 

Our core DAO DApp will enable users to create and participate in multisig membership DAOs. Users will be able to securely log in to the DApp using their preferred Cardano wallet, ensuring trust and transparency by validating ownership of stake keys. Each DAO will be equipped with a dedicated treasury wallet for seamless and transparent asset management, mitigating the risk of so-called rug pulls. In addition, DAO treasuries can be delegated to any Cardano stake pool, further securing Cardano and maximizing rewards for DAO participants.

Key user features include:

1. Secure login using Cardano wallets with a "sign data" feature
2. Ability to create a multisig membership DAO, with dedicated treasury wallet
3. Ability for multisig key holders to authorize treasury wallet transactions
4. Flexibility for users to join or leave a DAO at their discretion
5. A dashboard featuring prominent DAOs
6. Search engine functionality to filter for a specific DAO

Key design principles include:

1. Decentralized governance: The DApp will enable decentralized governance, allowing members to manage a community treasury on-chain
2. Transparent decision-making: All transactions will be recorded on the Cardano blockchain, ensuring the transparency and accountability of decision-making
3. User-friendly interface: The DApp will feature an intuitive, user-friendly interface to encourage broad participation and engage new users, regardless of technical expertise or previous experience

Key beneficiaries include:

1. Cardano NFT community: Users will acquire knowledge of and direct experience with decentralized governance tools at scale, disseminating project successes and failures, lessons learned, and good practices throughout the Cardano NFT ecosystem
2. DApp users: DAO participants can collectively and transparently manage community funds, reducing the risks that come with centrally-managed community treasuries and centralized decision-making
3. Cardano stake pool operators: DAOs will contribute to securing Cardano by delegating to stake pool operators

By pioneering decentralized, on-chain, community-driven decision-making within the Cardano NFT community, we aim to drive the adoption of decentralized decision-making mechanisms on Cardano and strengthen the culture of participatory governance within the Cardano community in the Voltaire era.

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

The DAO DApp will encourage decentralized, on-chain decision-making within the Cardano NFT ecosystem, promoting participatory governance and empowering NFT communities to collaboratively manage their assets and ideas.

Key goal:

• Create a user-friendly platform for decentralized decision-making and asset management, which appeals to Cardano NFT community members

Key quantitative metrics:

• Number of DAOs created
• Number of logins by unique wallet addresses
• Number of treasury transactions submitted to chain
• Value of assets under management

Key performance indicators:

• Support the creation of 10+ DAOs within 6 months of launching the DAO DApp on mainnet
• Facilitate the active participation of over 500 Cardano users in the first 6 months, as measured by the number of unique wallet address logins
• Support the creation of 30+ DAOs within 12 months of launching the DAO DApp on mainnet
• Facilitate the active participation of over 2,000 Cardano users in the first 12 months, as measured by the number of unique wallet address logins

Community outreach:

We will communicate our outputs via YouTube videos, X posts, blog articles and discussions on community forums. Through our Cardano community of more than 1,600 token holders, we will engage community members across the Cardano NFT ecosystem, raising awareness about the DAO DApp and encouraging participation in governance activities.

[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 team has a proven track record in the Cardano NFT space. Since December 2021, we have pioneered several innovative on-chain solutions on Cardano - including multisig NFT minting, non-custodial NFT staking and a first-of-its-kind NFT portal - while remaining entirely community funded.

Between March 2022 and March 2024, we operated a prototype DAO, Nemonium DAO. Nemonium DAO members cast over 10,000 votes across 35 proposals, accounting for hundreds of thousands of ADA in transactions, using the off-chain Hazel Discord Bot.

Since January 2024, we have redistributed more than 500,000 ADA in royalties to Omen NFT stakers via version three of our non-custodial NFT staking platform, proving that we are able to manage large sums of ADA on behalf of a wider community.

In addition, we operate our own Cardano stake pool (ticker: OMEN). At the time of writing, 672 unique wallets, accounting for 1.2 million ADA in delegations, trust us to produce blocks for Cardano. Created in February 2021, OMEN stake pool has minted a total of 187 blocks.

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

User authentication and wallet integration (months 1-3)

Output: Implement secure user authentication using Cardano wallets, enabling users to log in and access the DApp.

Acceptance criteria: Successful login and validation using a range of Cardano wallets through the "sign data" feature, allowing for seamless onboarding.

Evidence of completion: A functional demo showing the wallet login process, with successful wallet validation, and access to the DApp.

DAO creation framework (months 1-3)

Output: Develop the core functionality to create multisig membership DAOs

Acceptance criteria: Successful creation and configuration of DAOs with integrated multisig treasury management, enabling users to set up and manage DAOs.

Evidence of completion: Screen recordings and demos of creating a multisig membership DAO, showcasing basic functionalities.

DAO dashboard and management features (months 2–5)

Output: Build the user dashboard for managing and participating in DAOs, displaying active DAOs and user roles.

Acceptance criteria: Fully functional dashboard that allows users to view and manage their DAOs and treasury activities.

Evidence of completion: DApp demo showing active DAOs on the dashboard and DAO interaction options, and sign transaction functionalities.

Testnet deployment and performance testing (months 3–6)

Output: Deploy the core DAO DApp on Cardano testnet to validate functionality, conduct stress tests, and optimize for security and performance.

Acceptance criteria: Successful testnet deployment with performance metrics meeting predefined goals, minimal bugs, and proper functioning of all core features.

Evidence of completion: Testnet reports, including performance benchmarks, user testing feedback, and resolved bugs or issues.

Security audit and mainnet deployment (month 6)

Output: Perform security audits to ensure the DApp is safe from vulnerabilities, followed by full deployment on the Cardano mainnet.

Acceptance criteria: Successful completion of a security audit, with critical issues resolved, followed by the DApp’s mainnet launch.

Evidence of completion: Public launch of the DAO DApp on Cardano mainnet.

Project close-out report and video (month 6)

Output: A comprehensive project close-out report and a final demonstration video summarizing the project’s objectives, milestones, achievements, and outcomes.

Project close-out report: Delivery of a written report outlining the entire development process, deliverables and key results, challenges faced, lessons learned, and reflections on future improvements.

Final video: Publication of a video visually demonstrating the DAO DApp in action, including user authentication, DAO creation, authorization of a multisig transaction, delegation to a Cardano stake pool, and final performance on Cardano mainnet.

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

Nemo, founder (@_AskNemo)

Vivalacoin, community member (@VivalaCoinBTC)

Zeru, community member (@ZeruKami)

JT, community member (@UnstoicT)

Border Reiver, community member (@BorderReiver_)

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

Total budget: 350,000 ADA

Budget overview:

• Development costs: 210,000 ADA
• Testing and QA: 50,000 ADA
• Legal and compliance: 30,000 ADA
• Marketing and community engagement: 25,000 ADA
• Post-launch maintenance and upgrades: 15,000 ADA
• Project management : 20,000 ADA

Budget breakdown:

Development costs: 210,000 ADA

• Frontend development (UI/UX, wallet integration, dashboard, DAO management):

Design of intuitive, easy-to-use UI for non-technical users

Wallet integration with a range of Cardano wallets (secure login)

Creation of DAO management dashboard (display active DAOs, user roles)

Cost: 110,000 ADA

• Backend development (DAO creation, treasury wallet, smart contract integration):

Smart contract development for multisig membership DAOs

API development for backend services (DAO creation)

Infrastructure setup (server/cloud hosting)

Cost: 100,000 ADA

Testing and quality assurance: 50,000 ADA

• Security testing and audits:

Penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities

Smart contract security review and code audits

Cost: 20,000 ADA

• Usability testing:

User testing of the platform to ensure ease of use

Bug-fixing and performance optimization

Cost: 15,000 ADA

• Performance testing:

Stress testing to validate the scalability and performance under load

Ensuring uptime and responsiveness for DAO creation and governance interactions

Cost: 15,000 ADA

Legal and compliance: 30,000 ADA

• Legal consultation:

Seek legal advice for DAO setup, decentralized governance regulations, and IP protection

Cost: 30,000 ADA

Marketing, community engagement, and documentation: 25,000 ADA

• Community outreach and education:

Educating the community on DAO management, governance principles, and DApp functionalities via blog posts, videos, and webinars

Social media campaigns, Spaces, and community calls to onboard users

Cost: 15,000 ADA

• Community support and events:

Hosting community events for DApp walkthroughs and Q&A sessions

Providing ongoing support to early adopters

Cost: 10,000 ADA

Post-launch maintenance and upgrades: 15,000 ADA

• Ongoing DApp maintenance:

Routine updates, bug fixes, and performance optimization after the DApp goes live

Cost: 15,000 ADA

Project management: 20,000 ADA

• Project management:

Overseeing the development process, task coordination, and milestone tracking

Ensuring timely delivery of features and project components

Cost: 20,000 ADA

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

Our core DAO DApp proposal includes costs commensurate with the project's scope and ambition. Our budget aligns with the resources required to develop a high-quality, state-of-art and extremely user-friendly DAO DApp that offers an engaging, intuitive and streamlined UX/UI for users with little familiarity of blockchain technology.

This proposal is based on estimates solicited from leading service providers within the blockchain space, as well as our extensive experience in commissioning and operating blockchain and Web2 technology.

We are asking for Project Catalyst funding now to accelerate our pace of development and enable us take NFT community building on Cardano to the next level. While we will persevere with or without Project Catalyst funding (our commitment to Cardano and our vision is steadfast), Project Catalyst funding will massively expedite our delivery process - at a critical stage of the current market cycle and Cardano's transition to the Voltaire era.