[Proposal setup] Proposal title
Please provide your proposal title
Deploy Faster on Cardano: Open-Source Off-Chain Engine
[Proposal Summary] Budget Information
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
60000
[Proposal Summary] Time
Please specify how many months you expect your project to last
4
[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?
Smart contract DApps must build off-chain executors to prevent UTXO contention, but teams repeatedly rebuild stacks, slowing delivery and increasing operational risks from ad-hoc implementations.
[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies
Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?
No
Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'
No dependencies
[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source
Will your project's outputs be fully open source?
Yes
License and Additional Information
Apache-2.0
[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.
License: Code under Apache-2.0
Rationale: Apache-2.0 is permissive, includes an explicit patent license and clear contributor terms, is often used in golang projects, and is enterprise-friendly due to a lack of copywrite obligations. This lets commercial and open-source projects adopt the template with minimal friction while protecting contributors.
How do you make sure your source code is accessible to the public from project start, and people are informed?
The source code will be published on github with the license in the repository. Further, we will actively share updates and the final documentation through our social media channels as well as Cardano developer forums. Initial strategy will be to work with 1-2 projects to leverage these templates and get testimonials directly from them.
How will you provide high quality documentation?
The documentation is part of the milestones. It will be done clearly in markdown format in the README.MD file.
We have experience with documentation milestones for Catalyst in past funds. We will use the same style and level of detail to ensure everything is communicated.
Further, we will get input from community developers (such as Adam Dean) to provide feedback to ensure the quality standards meet Cardano-standards.
[Your Project and Solution] Solution
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
Problem Statement:
Since smart contract protocols require off-chain executors/ batchers to prevent UTXO contention, teams are forced to repeatedly rebuild event-driven UTXO management stacks. This slows delivery and increases operational risk, with bugs stemming from ad-hoc implementations.
Solution:
Our solution is to provide an open-source and extendable easy-to-deploy template for an event-driven off-chain executor.
The template will have the following
- Event-driven off-chain executor (actor model) that monitors Cardano and automates transaction submissions based on configurable logic.
- CLI and Docker workflow,
- Docker Compose service with volumes/ports/restarts/log rotation and a minimal multi-stage Dockerfile.
- Support for various cardano API providers such as blockfrost, maestro, ogmios, kupo, and utxorpc.
- Observability with Prometheus, built-in metrics for slots, tip reach, blocks/tx/rollbacks processed, actor messages/restarts.
- Structured logging with file rotation and optional Discord log/notification webhooks.
- Persistent storage layer
- Registry and lifecycle to load/unload strategies; manager spawns/coordinates indexer and strategy actors
- Dependabot and GitHub Actions for tests, lint, releases, and cache management.
[Your Project and Solution] Impact
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
Impact
- Faster Time to Market
- Saves 1–2 months of development time for experienced Cardano teams, and even more time saved for newcomers, by removing repeated research and ad-hoc executor builds.
- Easier Onboarding for New Developers
- Provides a ready-to-use Golang template that allows non-Cardano developers to deploy on Cardano quickly, lowering entry barriers and attracting talent from other ecosystems.
- Stronger, More Reliable Ecosystem
- Standardizes off-chain executor patterns, reducing bugs and security risks.
- Promotes best practices, giving dApps a more stable foundation and increasing confidence in Cardano’s developer stack.
Metrics:
- 1–2 months saved per team adopting the template.
- 10+ projects in year one expected to benefit.
- Increased ecosystem adoption measurable through GitHub forks, downloads, and new developer participation.
[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?
Capability:
zenGate Global’s team is uniquely equipped:
- Daniel Friedman (CEO): Former IOG Business Development Manager, key to Cardano’s early growth, with expertise in global partnerships.
- Sam Lambert (Co-Founder): Former Management consulting for Oliver Wyman, skilled in project execution and implementation.
- Luca D’Angelo & Shishir Pai (Founding Engineers & Lead Blockchain Developers): founding developers behind the Winter Protocol (open-source trace protocol on Cardano) and smart contracts experience on Cardano (e.g the PALM Staking Portal, RWA-specific Merkle Oracles).
- 15+ zenGate Experts: Specialists in blockchain, DeFi, and off-chain development.
Feasibility:
- Experienced in delivering enterprise-grade traceability and RWA-specific Oracles on Cardano (for Palmyra Pro traceability with clients across Africa, LATAM and Asia). Proven history of integrating blockchain applications and smart contracts for real-world use-cases.
- Delivered multiple Catalyst-funded projects, all successfully.
- Expertise of developer team building novel crypto DApps such as GluonGold (algorithmic stablecoins), HODL Erg and HODL Alph (degenFi).
[Milestones] Project Milestones
Milestone Title
Core Template Implementation
Milestone Outputs
- Develop and implement the Golang off-chain executor template
- Use abstract API for blockchain interactions to allow interoperability with various providers such as Blockfrost, Maestro, Koios, Ogmios+Kupo
- Set up initial repository with modular, extendable codebase.
Acceptance Criteria
- Repository contains functional Golang template that can be cloned and run with minimal additional configuration.
- Codebase is modular and extendable for project-specific logic.
- Template works with Blockfrost, Maestro, Koios, Ogmios+Kupo
Evidence of Completion
- Public GitHub repository link with source code and commit history
- Brief video overview of the codebase
Delivery Month
2
Cost
25000
Progress
40 %
Milestone Title
CI/CD, DevOps, and Developer Documentation
Milestone Outputs
- Automated CI/CD pipelines via GitHub Actions for build, test, lint, and coverage.
- Semantic versioning system with changelog management and release tagging.
- Automated Docker builds and publishing to container registry.
- Versioned release management system with tagged Docker images.
- Comprehensive developer documentation covering:
- Setup and installation
- Project structure and modularity
- Debugging guidelines
- Best practices for extending the template
- Beginner-friendly guides for developers new to Cardano
Acceptance Criteria
- CI/CD pipelines run automatically on PRs, tags, and releases, showing build, test, lint, and coverage results.
- Semantic versioning is enforced and changelogs auto-generated for each release.
- Docker image configuration
- Developers can clone the repository, follow the documentation
- Documentation provides clear setup steps, explanations of project structure, and guidance for customization, validated by test users.
Evidence of Completion
- Public GitHub repository with visible GitHub Actions workflow files and passing pipeline runs.
- Release tags and changelogs published in the GitHub Releases section.
- Dockerfile available
- Published documentation (README.md) in repository, including examples, best practices, and troubleshooting guide.
- Screenshots or logs demonstrating successful pipeline runs
Delivery Month
3
Cost
20000
Progress
70 %
Milestone Title
Project Implementation with Boilerplate
Milestone Outputs
- Reference smart contract project built using the Golang off-chain executor template.
- Deployment scripts and CLI tooling for contract interaction and setup.
- Open-source off-chain executor integrated with the boilerplate.
- Open-source interface (CLI or lightweight UI) for interacting with deployed contracts.
- Close out report
- Close out video
Acceptance Criteria
- Uses smart contract(s)
- CLI tooling enables developers to deploy and interact with contracts without manual adjustments.
- Off-chain executor operates as expected: monitoring, submitting, and handling transactions through the boilerplate logic.
- Interface allows users to perform at least one full interaction (e.g., submit transaction, query contract state) end-to-end.
- Code is open-sourced, with clear instructions for setup and usage.
- Close out report in pdf - public on github
- Close out video on youtube - public and link on github
Evidence of Completion
- Public GitHub repository containing reference contracts, executor, CLI tooling, and interface.
- Deployment logs/screenshots showing a successful smart contract deployment and interaction.
- Verified CI/CD pipeline runs demonstrating that the reference project builds and passes tests.
- Documentation included with example commands or workflows to showcase usage.
- Close out report and video links to the github
Delivery Month
4
Cost
15000
Progress
100 %
[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
Milestone 1: Core Template Implementation (2 month, 25,000 ADA)
- 2 Senior Developers: 17,000 ADA
- 1 Supporting Developer: 5,000 ADA
- Infrastructure & Repository Setup (misc tools, config, security review): 2,000 ADA
Milestone 2: CI/CD, DevOps, and Developer Documentation (1 month, 20,000 ADA)
- Developer Time (setup pipelines, testing, automation): 10,000 ADA
- Technical Writer & Documentation Write Ups by Devs: 10,000 ADA
Milestone 3: Demonstration Project & Validation (1 month, 15,000 ADA)
- 2 Developers:11,000 ADA
- UI/CLI Development & Testing: 3,000 ADA
- Repo Management & Release Prep: 1,000 ADA
[Final Pitch] Value for Money
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
This proposal represents strong value for money by reducing duplicated work across the ecosystem and accelerating time-to-market for new projects.
- Shared Benefit Across Teams: Instead of each project wasting months rebuilding off-chain executors, this open-source Golang template provides a reusable foundation which maximizes developer efficiency and cuts costs
- Cost Efficiency: A single investment of 60,000 ADA saves each team 1–2 months of development time (worth tens of thousands of ADA per project). Even if only 5-10 projects adopt it in the first year, the time savings far exceed the cost of funding.
- Lower Barrier to Entry: Makes it easier for non-Cardano developers to deploy quickly, broadening the developer base and increasing adoption of Cardano infrastructure.
- Ecosystem Reliability: Reduces ad-hoc implementations and bugs, improving the overall robustness of Cardano dApps and strengthening user trust.
- Sustainability: Once created, the template can be reused indefinitely at no additional cost, compounding value as more projects adopt it.
[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation
Terms and Conditions:
Yes