RAFFLEIZE C.A.R.D.A.N.A.

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

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

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

[GENERAL] Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated into English from another language

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

RAFFLEIZE uses a commit and reveal scheme as source of randomness in winner selection. This ensures transparency and fairness by preventing cheating and coalition (impossible to manipulate).

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

[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

[GENERAL] Will your project’s output/s be fully open source?

[GENERAL] Please provide here more information on the open source status of your project outputs

All source code will be open source, including

• The upgraded PlutusV3 smart contracts code. This ensures transparency and fosters community trust, allowing others to verify the integrity of our protocol.
• The Atlas Off-chain code for transaction building
• The Backend Server (Servant, Persistent)
• The Frontend (Purescript Halogen)
• Documentation & diagrams (PlantUML)

[METADATA] Horizons

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

Designed to capitalize on the digital assets trend, RAFFLEIZE C-A-R-D-A-N-A (Commit-And-Reveal-Decentralized-Application-for-Native-Assets) is tailored for facilitating creation, management of, and participation in online raffles. 

This application allows users to raffle their digital assets, providing a chance for other users (participants) to win these assets in exchange for purchasing a ticket. By leveraging the commit and reveal scheme it decentralizes trust, ensuring transparency and fairness in the winner selection process.  

Objectives and Benefits

• Decentralized Trust: The primary objective of RAFFLEIZE C-A-R-D-A-N-A is to eliminate the reliance on a central authority for trust. The commit and reveal scheme ensures that the process of picking a winner is transparent and verifiable, thus fostering trust among participants.

• Digital Asset Monetization: Users with digital assets can create raffles, offering others the chance to win these assets. This provides a unique avenue for asset owners to monetize their holdings.

• Broadened Participation: By allowing participants to buy tickets and potentially win digital assets, the platform democratizes access to these assets, which might be expensive or rare otherwise.

• Enhanced Engagement: The thrill of participating in a raffle and the potential to win valuable assets drive user engagement, encouraging more users to join the ecosystem. 

Differentiators  

💥 Besides the above benefits, by leveraging dynamic NFTs *(using [CIP-0068 Datum Metadata Standard](https://cips.cardano.org/cip/CIP-68/))* RAFFLEIZE C-A-R-D-A-N-A also provides:

• 💧 Enhanced Liquidity: Tokenizing raffle ownership and tickets makes these assets more liquid. Owners can easily trade or sell their stakes or participation rights on various platforms, not limited to the original DApp. This increases the assets' marketability and potential value. 

• 🔁 Recursive Raffle Opportunities: (Raffles of Raffles) Owners can create raffles for their raffle stakes or tickets, adding a recursive layer of engagement. This not only multiplies the opportunities for users to engage with the platform but also introduces a novel concept of raffle chains, where one can win a stake in another raffle, thereby increasing the excitement and engagement levels.

• 🔐 Privacy Preservation: Anonymity ensures that participants' and owners' identities are kept private, fostering a secure environment where users feel comfortable engaging in transactions. This privacy is particularly appealing to users who prioritize discretion in their online activities and financial dealings.

• 🤝🏻 Inclusive Participation: By removing the need for identity verification for participation, the platform can attract a wider audience, including those who, for various reasons, prefer or need to remain anonymous. This inclusivity strengthens the platform's market position by broadening its user base.

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

RAFFLEIZE C-A-R-D-A-N-A, is designed to achieve two broader objectives 🎯 :

👩🎓 Educational Tool: Serve as an open-source and extensively documented exemplar, providing a comprehensive learning resource for individuals and entities interested in building on the Cardano blockchain.

⚙️ Operational DApp on Mainnet: Beyond its educational value, RAFFLEIZE C-A-R-D-A-N-A is intended to be a fully functioning DApp running on the Cardano mainnet.

By fulfilling these purposes, it contributes to the Cardano ecosystem in multiple ways. It not only adds a practical application that users can engage with directly but also enriches the developer community's resources, fostering innovation and growth within the ecosystem.

[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?

I have already designed, documented and implemented a first version of the DApp (https://github.com/mariusgeorgescu/raffleize ) using only functional language like: PlutusTx V2 for onchain, Atlas 0.5.0. for transaction building and Plutus-Simple-Model for testing, and Haskell Bricks for a terminal user interface.

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

Upgrade to CHANG HF

A: Milestone Outputs:

1. Smart Contracts Upgrade: Transition from Plutus V2 to Plutus V3.
2. Off-chain Transaction Building Upgrade: Migrate from Atlas 0.5.0 to Atlas 0.6.0.
3. Testing Framework Upgrade: Update testing from Plutus Simple Model to CLB.

B: Acceptance Criteria:

1. The smart contracts must successfully compile and deploy in Plutus V3.
2. Transaction construction must function correctly with Atlas 0.6.0, covering key use cases.
3. All tests must be updated to CLB and pass, validating the core functionalities.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion:

1. A link to the GitHub repository with updated Plutus V3 smart contracts and Atlas 0.6.0 off-chain code.
2. Test logs showing successful execution of CLB-based tests.
3. A detailed report comparing the differences between the old and new implementations, highlighting performance improvements or changes.

Frontend and Backend Implementation

A: Milestone Outputs:

1. Frontend Development: Implement a front-end interface using Purescript (Halogen).
2. Backend Server Development: Develop a backend using Haskell Servant and Persistent for database handling.
3. Work-in-progress Frontend Design: Present a working concept for the frontend look-and-feel.

B: Acceptance Criteria:

1. The frontend must implement key user interface components and interactions, built using Purescript (Halogen).
2. The backend must handle API requests, data storage, and user interactions, developed with Haskell Servant and Persistent.
3. The work-in-progress frontend must demonstrate basic UI functionality and style in line with the project’s goals.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion:

1. Screenshots or a demo video of the frontend interface showing interactions and the design progress.
2. A functional backend hosted on a staging environment with endpoints tested and documented.
3. A public repository with code for both the frontend and backend, along with unit tests.

* Frontend concept look'n'feel

CI Pipeline and Open Source Documentation

A: Milestone Outputs:

1. CI Pipeline Setup: Integrate Continuous Integration (CI) for automatic testing, building, and deployment of both the frontend and backend.
2. Open Source Documentation: Update the project’s open-source repository with detailed instructions on setup, usage, and contribution guidelines.
3. Create a Project Close-Out Report and VIdeo summarizing the project’s outcomes, challenges, and successes.

B: Acceptance Criteria:

1. CI Pipeline must automatically run tests, build both the frontend and backend, and handle deployments to a staging environment.
2. Open-source documentation must be clear, covering installation steps, architecture, and developer contribution guidelines.
3. A complete Project Close-Out Report, including metrics, feedback, and lessons learned.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion:

1. A link to the final report (.pdf or Google Docs).
2. A link to the final walkthrough video (hosted on YouTube or similar).
3. A link to the updated repository containing:

• All code
• Finalized documentation
• Test results with logs/screenshots.

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

https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgescumarius/

I am an IT Solution Architect at Orange, with a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, a Bachelor's degree in Economic Informatics. I am passionate about decentralized applications, blockchain technology, and functional programming (especially Haskell).

I've closely followed every Plutus Pioneer Program since its inception and graduated the Emurgo Academy's Cardano Solutions Architect program.

I have previously completed a project catalyst proposal for Development of a Cardano DApp and extensive documentation of each step along the way (Project ID 1000064) with a 1st version of this DApp (and with UI implemented in terminal).

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

Costs represent 1 average wage (for 1 dev ..me) for 9 months.

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

The budget accounts for development time, content creation, and dissemination activities. This provides strong value for money by maximizing educational reach within the ecosystem.

The investment enriches the Cardano developer community by providing diverse, high-quality educational materials that cater to various learning styles and technical backgrounds.