Ikigai | Shopify Plugin expanding Cardano reach to 4.5 million stores

[GENERAL] Name and surname of main applicant

David Yagi

[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)

3

[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)

Allow merchants a plug and play Cardano plugin enabling discounts or gated listings to any Cardano collection. Holders will be able to utilize their NFT for special items, drops, or discounts.

[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

All work done will be open source under MIT open license.

[METADATA] Horizons

E-commerce

[SOLUTION] Please describe your proposed solution

With a FREE plug-n-play extension, Shopify eCommerce to reach Cardano in minutes

• Offer special discounts or exclusive access to Cardano NFT holders.
• Integrate Cardano NFT collections seamlessly into their storefronts.
• Enhance engagement and sales by tapping into Cardano's active NFT community.

This solution empowers both merchants and NFT holders, fostering a new dimension of engagement and commerce within the Shopify ecosystem.

We propose a three-phase approach for developing the Shopify Cardano plugin:

1. Design and Flow Enhancement Develop a user-friendly design and smooth flow for sellers and buyers interacting with the plugin.
2. Shopify App Release: Implement and release the Shopify app, integrating Cardano functionalities seamlessly.
3. Testing and Feedback Incorporation: Conduct thorough testing, gather feedback, and address any issues to ensure optimal performance and user satisfaction.

As this plugin aligns with the businesses needs of Cryptochips and the plugin is not our primary business focus, Torii will be offered free of charge and fees (no additional fees on top of network fees). This helps plugin become more appealing to other stores increasing adoption and ensure long term support for product is not dependent on the plugin becoming profitable.

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

1. Increased Adoption and Utility: By integrating Cardano NFTs into Shopify stores, more merchants will actively engage with Cardano's ecosystem. This increased adoption will boost the utility and visibility communities and collections on Cardano from “bluechip” projects to newer collections building their communities.
2. Enhanced NFT Interactivity: NFT holders will have new opportunities to utilize their assets bridging into traditional platforms. They can redeem special items, access exclusive drops, or receive discounts, thereby enhancing the interactivity and value of Cardano NFTs.
3. Community Growth and Engagement: By allowing stores to offer special merch of their art to their community, we expect this to strengthen communities even further. This connection will foster collaboration, cross-community engagement, and potentially attract new participants to their project.
4. Economic Impact: Facilitating transactions involving Cardano NFTs on Shopify can drive economic activity within the Cardano ecosystem. This activity may lead to increased trading volume, liquidity, and overall growth of the NFT market within Cardano.
5. Educational Opportunities: As more Shopify merchants integrate Cardano-related functionalities, it provides an educational opportunity for a broader audience to learn about Cardano, blockchain technology, and the potential of NFTs.

[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?

We have already been approved by Shopify's official process and at the stage of testing.

https://youtu.be/Zg0E3HPM-gw

Cryptochips.io has a proven track record of 5 years fulfilling thousands of orders of Web3 merch to happy customers worldwide. Specializing in creative designs for all chains and letting holders flex with physical items, Cryptochips boasts satisfaction guaranteed and over 5,000+ five star reviews. For the Cardano ecosystem, custom designs and merch has been provided to various projects such as RareEvo, Sundae Labs, Genun Games, and Ikigai Technologies.

Ikigai Technologies is a technology company that specializes in creating innovative solutions leveraging Cardano. The team is composed of experienced professionals in the fields of technology, business, and design. Considered a quiet builder, Ikigai has been developing solutions for marketplaces, data solutions, and game development with Grabbit, Logosphere, and GENUN Games.

Ikigai has built and submitted for Shopify review a production ready Shopify plugin that allows merchants to offer discounts or gate items based on users holding specified collections. As a trial run, Ikigai tested fulfillment of physical merch auctions on Grabbit.

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

Submitted and approved by Shopify Official Approval Process

40% cost | completed | 33% completion

Deliverables:

• Clean design and smooth user experience
• Merchant can install shopify app and select which listings to apply to
• Buyer can connect cardano wallets to claim discount
• Marketing open-source, free plugin

Acceptance criteria:

• A demo is recorded to showcase the user flows and tutorial.
• App is browsable and installable on the Shopify store

Torii (shopify app) is integrated and tested into a live Shopify store

20% cost | 1 month | 66% completion

Deliverables:

• App is integrated and tested in a live production store for real life users
• Feedback is collected from both store owner and users
• Marketing open-source, free plugin

Acceptance criteria:

• Cryptochips or willing shopify provider is using the plugin live and tested with sales
• Feedback of store owner and buyers is collected and aggregated by ratings

User feedback collected and addressed

40% cost | 1 month | 100% completion

Deliverables:

• Analytics and aggregate metrics layer is collected
• User experience is improved
• Integrated further backend and cloud systems for hydra auctions.
• Marketing open-source, free plugin

Acceptance criteria:

• Relevant analytics and aggregate metrics can be calculated and displayed
• A demo is recorded to showcase the analytics UI for the hydra auction platform.

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

David Yagi (cryptochips) as Product Owner and Delivery Manager

Michael Yagi (Ikigai) as Technical Project Manager

Eric Phan (Ikigai) as Fullstack Developer

Cliff Garvis (Ikigai) as Backend & Blockchain Developer

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

Milestone 1: Submitted and approved by Shopify Official Approval Process

• 2 contributors, 1 month = $13,200/ ₳37,714.28

Milestone 2: Torii (shopify app) is integrated and tested into a live Shopify store

• 1 contributor, 1 month = $6,600 / ₳18,857.14

Milestone 3: User feedback collected and addressed

• 2 contributors, 1 month = $13,200 / ₳37,714.28

Marketing, Tooling, Reserve: Marketing, and tooling (AWS), and reserve or increasing marketing spend or changes to business requirements resulting to technical pivots necessary to deliver a better product/outcome.

• Marketing & Tooling = $2,000 / ₳5,714.28
• Reserve = $2,000 / ₳5,714.28

TOTAL AMOUNT

• $35,000 / ₳97,142.85

We apply a 0.35 USD/ADA exchange rate, which is the average rate over the past few months conservatively adjusted downward to ensure that the project will remain viable despite moderate price shocks that may occur before or during the project timeline.

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

This proposal will bring utility to holders and bring external adoption by allowing stores to reach the vibrant communities of Cardano.

Low Barrier, High Impact

• Cost Efficiency: Developing a free, open-source Shopify plugin offers a cost-efficient way to integrate Cardano into mainstream e-commerce platforms without requiring massive infrastructure investments or long-term support contracts. The up-front development cost of the plugin provides a one-time expense that continues to benefit the ecosystem over time without recurring fees. By leveraging backgrounds and initial work completed, we are able to keep the cost of this proposal down to deliver the highest value possible. Because this plugin aligns with the businesses needs of Cryptochips the plugin itself is not our primary business focus, we are able to offer free of charge with no fees as well as open-source.
• Widespread Reach: Shopify powers millions of businesses globally. Creating a single integration allows Cardano to access a broad, diverse user base, delivering significant value at a relatively low development cost.

Fostering Ecosystem Growth

• Increased Cardano Utility and Usage: By enabling merchants to easily reach Cardano holders, the project opens new revenue streams for both merchants and holders
• Merchant and User Adoption: As more merchants adopt the plugin, more users will be incentivized to use ADA, increasing Cardano’s prominence as a viable cryptocurrency for real-world transactions. This helps fulfill the network’s goal of mainstream adoption.

Indirect Benefits to the Ecosystem

• Strengthened Cardano Reputation: A project like this positions Cardano as a leader in blockchain integration for e-commerce, enhancing its reputation within the broader blockchain industry. It signals that Cardano is not just a theoretical blockchain but one that drives practical, real-world applications.
• Attracting New Users: Merchants using the plugin are likely to promote more offerings to Cardano holders exposing their new customer bases to Cardano. This increases Cardano’s visibility and could lead to new users purchasing ADA or becoming involved in the ecosystem.