[Proposal setup] Proposal title
Please provide your proposal title
Cardano Data Indexer Hub
[Proposal Summary] Budget Information
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
80000
[Proposal Summary] Time
Please specify how many months you expect your project to last
6
[Proposal Summary] Translation Information
Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated
No
Original Language
en
[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement
What is the problem you want to solve?
Cardano lacks a decentralized, high-performance data indexing solution. Current methods for querying on-chain data are either centralized or require developers to build custom indexers from scratch.
[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies
Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?
Yes
Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'
- Hydra: For scaling indexer throughput.2. GraphQL: Core query layer technology.
[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source
Will your project's outputs be fully open source?
Yes
License and Additional Information
Apache 2.0 License - All code will be open source including:
- Indexer core engine
- GraphQL API layer
- Hydra scaling adapters
- Documentation and deployment templates
[Theme Selection] Theme
Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal
Developer Tools
[Campaign Category] Category Questions
Mention your open source license and describe your open source license rationale.
Apache 2.0 License
This permissive license allows commercial use, modification, and distribution while requiring preservation of copyright notices. It is ideal for infrastructure projects needing broad adoption.
Open Source Components:
- Indexer Core (Haskell)
- GraphQL API (TypeScript)
- Hydra Adapters (Rust)
- Deployment K8s Templates
How do you make sure your source code is accessible to the public from project start, and people are informed?
Public GitHub Organization
- Repository created upon funding approval
- Daily commits with CI/CD pipelines
- Issue tracker for community contributions
Transparency Measures:
- All design documents published as Markdown
- Weekly development livestreams
- Public roadmap with voting for feature prioritization
How will you provide high quality documentation?
Multi-Layer Documentation
Developers:
- API references with Postman examples
- Indexer module development guides
Node Operators:
- Deployment playbooks for AWS/GCP
- Monitoring and alerting setup
End Users:
- GraphQL query cookbook
- Performance tuning handbook
[Your Project and Solution] Solution
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
1. The Data Accessibility Crisis on Cardano
Currently, accessing structured on-chain data requires either:
- Relying on centralized services (single point of failure)
- Building custom indexers (months of development time)
- Direct chain queries (extremely slow for complex data)
This creates three critical problems:
- Centralization Risk: Over 80% of dApps depend on the same centralized indexers
- Developer Friction: Teams spend 30-40% of project time rebuilding data access layers
- Performance Limits: Simple queries like "NFTs owned by address" take minutes to resolve
2. Our Decentralized Indexing Solution
The Cardano Data Indexer Hub introduces:
2.1 Modular Indexer Nodes
- Community-run nodes that subscribe to specific data types (e.g., NFTs, tokens, smart contracts)
- Pluggable transformation modules (written in Haskell/Rust)
- Incentivization system for node operators (future phase)
2.2 Unified Query Layer
- GraphQL endpoint with real-time subscriptions
- SQL interface for analytics workloads
- Cache layers for frequent queries
2.3 Hydra Scaling
- Horizontal scaling of indexer nodes via Hydra heads
- 10,000+ queries per second capacity
- Automatic load balancing
3. Technical Architecture
flowchart LR
A[Cardano Node] --> B[Oura Pipeline]
B --> C{Indexer Nodes}
C --> D[GraphQL API]
C --> E[SQL Warehouse]
D --> F[dApps]
E --> G[Analytics Tools]
4. Key Features
4.1 Smart Contract Event Indexing
- Automatic decoding of Plutus contract events
- Historical state reconstruction
4.2 Cross-Entity Relationships
- Query complex relationships (e.g. "Show all DAOs where this wallet voted")
4.3 Time Travel Queries
- Retrieve chain state at any historical block
4.4 Light Client Mode
- Mobile-friendly lightweight indexer connections
[Your Project and Solution] Impact
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
Transformational Impact on Cardano Ecosystem
1. Developer Productivity Revolution
- Reduces dApp development time by 40% by eliminating custom indexer work
- Enables complex applications previously impossible due to data access limitations
2. Decentralization Milestone
- Replaces centralized indexers with community-run infrastructure
- Distributed across 50+ nodes at launch (target)
3. Performance Breakthroughs
- 100ms response times for common queries (vs 5-30 seconds currently)
- 100x throughput compared to direct chain queries
4. New Application Possibilities
- Real-time analytics dashboards
- Complex DeFi position managers
- NFT genealogy explorers
- DAO governance monitors
5. Economic Incentives
- Future token model will reward node operators
- Creates new developer tools economy
[Your Project and Solution] Capabilities & 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?
Execution Plan with Proven Components
1. Team Expertise
- Blockchain Engineers: 3 members with 5+ years Cardano/Plutus experience
- Database Specialists: 2 engineers focused on query optimization
- DevOps: AWS/GCP certified infrastructure architects
2. Technical Foundations
- Oura: Already handles chain data ingestion
- Hasura: Proven GraphQL implementation
- Hydra: Tested for similar workloads
3. Milestone Approach
- Month 1-2: Core indexer engine
- Month 3-4: GraphQL API layer
- Month 5: Hydra scaling integration
- Month 6: Community node deployment
4. Risk Mitigation
- Centralization Risk: Multiple node operators recruited pre-launch
- Performance Risk: Parallel development of lightweight fallback mode
- Adoption Risk: Early access program with top 20 dApp teams
[Milestones] Project Milestones
Milestone Title
Core Engine Development
Milestone Outputs
Pluggable Transformer Modules System: The system is designed with modular transformer components, allowing flexible extension and customization of contract logic, data processing, and integration workflows. This modularity supports rapid iteration and easy incorporation of new features.
Basic SQL Storage Layer: A lightweight, reliable SQL layer provides persistent storage for contract states, transaction logs, and metadata. This ensures data integrity, efficient querying, and smooth interaction between off-chain services and smart contracts.
Testnet Deployment Setup: Pre-configured testnet environments enable safe deployment, rigorous testing, and validation of smart contracts. This setup supports continuous integration, automated testing, and practical demonstration of end-to-end workflows.
Acceptance Criteria
High Throughput: The system processes up to 100 blocks per second on the testnet, demonstrating strong transaction handling capability.
Multi-Type Data Support: Supports three core data types—UTxOs, on-chain metadata, and Plutus events—ensuring comprehensive interaction with Cardano smart contracts.
Efficient Data Access: SQL queries consistently return results in under 500 milliseconds, providing fast and reliable access to stored contract data.
Robust Testing: Achieves approximately 90% test coverage across all modules, ensuring reliability, correctness, and maintainability of the system.
Evidence of Completion
- GitHub repo with engine code
- Testnet deployment logs
- Benchmark reports
- Video demo of basic queries
Delivery Month
2
Cost
25000
Progress
20 %
Milestone Title
Query API Layer
Milestone Outputs
GraphQL API with Real-Time Subscriptions: Provides flexible data access with support for real-time updates on UTxOs, metadata, and contract events, enabling responsive dApp interactions.Advanced Caching System: Optimizes data retrieval, reduces redundant queries, and improves overall system performance.Query Performance Dashboard: Offers monitoring and analytics for API requests, allowing developers to track query times, throughput, and optimize usage
Developer Sandbox Environment: Provides a safe and isolated environment for testing, experimentation, and integration of smart contracts without impacting production or live testnets.
Acceptance Criteria
Extensive Query Support: Supports over 50 distinct GraphQL query types, covering UTxOs, metadata, Plutus events, and more, providing comprehensive access for developers.
High Caching Efficiency: Achieves a 95% cache hit rate for common queries, significantly reducing load on underlying services and improving responsiveness
Low Latency: Typical response times are under 100 milliseconds, ensuring fast and smooth interactions for dApps and other consumers.
Proven Integration: More than five example dApps have been successfully integrated, demonstrating practical usability and real-world applicability of the API and caching infrastructure.
Evidence of Completion
- Public GraphQL playground
- Performance metrics dashboard
- Example dApp integration code
- Stress test reports
Delivery Month
4
Cost
30000
Progress
50 %
Milestone Title
Hydra Scaling Integration
Milestone Outputs
- Horizontal Scaling Architecture: The system is designed to scale horizontally, allowing additional nodes and services to be added seamlessly to handle increased load without performance degradation.
- Automated Load Balancer: Dynamically distributes requests across nodes and services, optimizing resource utilization and maintaining consistent response times under high demand.
- Node Operator Deployment Kits: Provides pre-configured deployment kits for node operators, simplifying setup, ensuring standardization, and reducing onboarding time.
- Community Test Network: A dedicated testnet for community participation enables real-world testing, feedback collection, and validation of scaling and deployment strategies before mainnet deployment.
Acceptance Criteria
- High Throughput: The system can handle up to 10,000 queries per second (QPS), supporting large-scale dApp interactions and high-demand workloads.
- Community Node Participation: More than five community-operated nodes are fully functional, contributing to network resilience and decentralization.
- Automatic Failover: Built-in failover mechanisms ensure seamless continuity of operations in case of node or service failure.
- Proven Reliability: Stress tests demonstrate 99.9% uptime, validating the robustness, stability, and operational readiness of the infrastructure.
Evidence of Completion
- Hydra Head Configuration Documentation: Detailed instructions for setting up and managing Hydra head instances, enabling off-chain scalability for Cardano smart contracts.
- Node Operator Guide: Comprehensive guide for community node operators, covering deployment, monitoring, and maintenance best practices.
- Load Test Demonstrations: Videos showcasing load testing scenarios and system performance under high-demand conditions.
- Community Node Map: Visual representation of active community nodes, highlighting distribution, connectivity, and participation in the test network.
Delivery Month
5
Cost
15000
Progress
70 %
Milestone Title
Mainnet Launch
Milestone Outputs
- Production Deployment: The system is fully prepared for mainnet deployment, with all smart contracts, APIs, and infrastructure validated in testnet environments.
- Final Security Audit: A comprehensive security audit ensures contract correctness, system integrity, and protection against vulnerabilities.
- Documentation Portal: Centralized portal provides tutorials, integration guides, and reference materials for developers and community participants.
- Community Governance Model: Transparent governance framework enables community input on roadmap decisions, feature prioritization, and network operations, fostering trust and collaboration.
Acceptance Criteria
- Widespread Adoption: Over 50 decentralized applications (dApps) are actively using the service, demonstrating strong ecosystem relevance and practical utility.
- Security Assurance: Final security audit confirms zero critical vulnerabilities, ensuring the reliability and safety of smart contracts and infrastructure.
- Comprehensive Documentation: Complete, up-to-date documentation supports onboarding, integration, and ongoing maintenance for developers and community members.
- Governance DAO Deployed: A fully operational governance DAO is in place, enabling community-driven decision-making, transparent protocol upgrades, and collaborative management of the ecosystem.
Evidence of Completion
- Mainnet Transaction Logs: Full records of transactions on mainnet are available, providing transparency and traceability of smart contract interactions.
- Audit Report: Completed audit report validates security, correctness, and reliability of all contracts and infrastructure components.
- Documentation Site: A centralized, publicly accessible site provides tutorials, guides, and reference materials for developers and community members.
- Governance Proposals: All proposals submitted to the governance DAO are documented, allowing the community to track decisions, improvements, and project evolution.
Delivery Month
6
Cost
10000
Progress
100 %
[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
Budget Allocation
Milestone 1: 25,000 ADA
- 15,000 ADA: Core development
- 5,000 ADA: Test infrastructure
- 5,000 ADA: Documentation
Milestone 2: 30,000 ADA
- 20,000 ADA: API development
- 5,000 ADA: Performance tuning
- 5,000 ADA: Developer outreach
Milestone 3: 15,000 ADA
- 10,000 ADA: Hydra integration
- 5,000 ADA: Community nodes
Milestone 4: 10,000 ADA
- 5,000 ADA: Security audit
- 3,000 ADA: Documentation
- 2,000 ADA: Launch events
Total: 80,000 ADA
[Final Pitch] Value for Money
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
Why This Matters for Cardano
- Developer Retention: Stops talent leakage to chains with better tooling
- Enterprise Adoption: Enables BI tools to analyze Cardano data
- Protocol Health: Decentralizes critical infrastructure
- Economic Activity: Powers next-gen dApps with complex data needs
Every ADA invested returns 10x in ecosystem productivity gains
[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation
Terms and Conditions:
Yes