Opshin Playground - Online IDE for Opshin

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Opshin Playground - Online IDE for Opshin

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

100000

[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?

The existing Opshin playground is broken. Without a functional Opshin playground, developers face high barriers to entry, undermining Opshin's goal of making Cardano accessible.

[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.

Apache 2.0 License - This permissive license allows maximum adoption while providing patent protection. It enables anyone to use, modify, and distribute the code, including in commercial products, which aligns with Cardano's ecosystem values and ensures the tool remains a public good.

How do you make sure your source code is accessible to the public from project start, and people are informed?

The GitHub repository will be initialized on day one with the Apache 2.0 license. Every commit will be public, allowing the community to track progress in real-time. The repository URL will be shared in all Catalyst updates and Cardano developer channels.

How will you provide high quality documentation?

Documentation will be built using VitePress and hosted live. It will include: getting started guide with screenshots, troubleshooting section for common issues, examples of Opshin smart contract patterns, and technical architecture documentation. The documentation will be updated with each milestone delivery.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

My solution addresses the lack of a working Opshin playground by implementing a modern web IDE with a robust backend architecture. The backend service will run the Opshin compiler in a sandboxed environment, ensuring safe execution of user code while providing fast compilation times. The frontend will communicate with the backend through a REST API, sending code for compilation and receiving detailed results.

The playground will provide immediate compilation feedback with clear error messages and line highlighting. I will implement a script simulator that executes validators with user-provided datum and redeemer values, leveraging Opshin's guarantee that Python execution matches on-chain behavior. The interface will display compilation artifacts including UPLC code, script hash, CBOR hex, and execution cost estimates calculated using the Cardano cost model.

This approach ensures reliable performance and allows for future scalability. The backend can be optimized for compilation speed and can cache common operations. The architecture I'm building can later be extended to support other Cardano languages, potentially becoming a unified web IDE for the ecosystem.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

The project will lower entry barriers for Python developers entering Cardano. Python consistently ranks as the most popular programming language, and enabling these developers to experiment with Cardano smart contracts without friction expands the potential developer pool significantly.

Impact will be measured through GitHub metrics (stars, forks, contributors), compilation counter in the playground (privacy-preserving, opt-out available), and community feedback in Opshin and Cardano developer channels. The tool's usage can be tracked through these metrics without invasive analytics.

The outputs will be shared through the public GitHub repository, documentation site accessible to all, and announcements in Cardano developer forums and Discord channels. The entire project remains open for community contributions and improvements.

[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?

I am Tolga Yaycı, an experienced software engineer with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering and a strong track record in developer tooling across blockchain ecosystems including Solana, Arbitrum, Stellar, and Internet Computer.

My relevant project portfolio demonstrates my capability to deliver this project:

• Wizard (Arbitrum Stylus Playground): Built a complete interactive playground for Arbitrum Stylus smart contracts (https://thewizard.app/),,) directly comparable to this Opshin Playground project
• Stylus VS Code Extension: Developed developer tooling integration for smart contract development
• Dfinity DFX GUI: Created user-friendly graphical interfaces for blockchain development tools
• Soroban CLI GUI: Built GUI tooling for Stellar's Soroban smart contracts

These projects demonstrate my expertise in building web-based IDEs, integrating compilers, and creating developer tools that lower barriers to blockchain development. The Wizard project particularly shows my ability to deliver exactly this type of playground tool.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Core Infrastructure & Basic Compilation

Milestone Outputs

• Public GitHub repository initialized with Apache 2.0 license and proper project structure
• Backend service with integrated Opshin compiler running in sandboxed environment
• Frontend application with Monaco editor configured for Python syntax highlighting
• RESTful API endpoints for secure code compilation and result retrieval
• Basic deployment infrastructure on reliable cloud hosting platform

Acceptance Criteria

• Users can successfully write and edit Python code in the web-based editor interface
• Code compilation requests are processed by the backend and return valid results
• Compilation errors are properly captured and displayed to users with helpful messages
• Application is publicly accessible via stable URL with reasonable uptime
• Source code is available on GitHub with clear README instructions

Evidence of Completion

• Public GitHub repository link with initial codebase and documentation
• Live playground URL accessible to the Catalyst community
• Screenshot or video demonstration of successful compilation workflow
• Initial commit history showing development progress

Delivery Month

1

Cost

25000

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

Testing, Simulation & Output Features

Milestone Outputs

• Validator testing functionality with customizable datum/redeemer input forms
• Comprehensive compilation output panel displaying UPLC, script hash, and CBOR representations
• Error highlighting system with line-specific feedback in the editor interface
• Initial VitePress documentation site with structured content

Acceptance Criteria

• Users can successfully test validators with custom datum and redeemer inputs
• All compilation outputs are correctly calculated and displayed in readable format
• Errors from compilation highlight specific problematic lines in the editor
• Documentation site is live and accessible with initial content published

Evidence of Completion

• Demo video showcasing testing features and user workflow
• Live documentation site URL with initial guides and examples
• GitHub commits demonstrating incremental feature implementation
• Screenshots of error highlighting and output displays functioning

Delivery Month

2

Cost

30000

Progress

50 %

Milestone Title

Advanced Features & Optimization

Milestone Outputs

• Performance optimizations including caching mechanisms for faster compilation
• Comprehensive documentation covering all features and use cases
• Collection of example contract templates covering common use cases

Acceptance Criteria

• Application works correctly on Chrome, Firefox, and Safari browsers
• Interface is usable and properly displayed
• All playground features are thoroughly documented with examples
• At least 5 well-documented example contracts are available for learning

Evidence of Completion

• Cross-browser testing results document with compatibility matrix
• Updated documentation reflecting all implemented features
• Documented example contracts (templates) can be accessinble from templates page.

Delivery Month

3

Cost

25000

Progress

80 %

Milestone Title

Project Close-out Report and Video

Milestone Outputs

• Comprehensive Project Close-out Report detailing all achievements and deliverables
• Professional Project Close-out Video demonstrating complete playground functionality
• Final documentation review ensuring accuracy and completeness of all guides
• Community handover materials including contribution guide and future development roadmap
• Confirmation document verifying all previous milestone completions and deliverables

Acceptance Criteria

• Close-out report comprehensively details all delivered features and project outcomes
• Professional quality video demonstrates all major playground features and workflows
• Documentation is complete, accurate, and covers all aspects of the playground
• Clear contribution guidelines are published for future community developers
• All previous milestone deliverables are verified complete and functional
• Future roadmap document outlines potential enhancements and maintenance plans

Evidence of Completion

• Published close-out report accessible to Catalyst community
• Video link hosted on YouTube or similar platform
• Final GitHub release tag marking project completion
• Community handover documentation in repository
• Links to all previous milestone deliverables
• Confirmation from Catalyst reviewer of milestone completion

Delivery Month

4

Cost

20000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

0.93 USD per ADA (currently)

(120 USD/hour × 8 hours/day × 5 days/week × 17 weeks) = 81,600 USD ~= 88,000 ADA + 12,000 for volatility = 100,000 ADA

This covers ~4 months of full-time development by a single experienced developer, providing exceptional value for a tool that will serve the Cardano ecosystem.

Breakdown:

Development (17 weeks): 100,000 ADA

Volatility buffer: 12,000 ADA - Protection against ADA/USD fluctuation

All funds are allocated to development work. No marketing or promotional costs included.

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?

This project delivers exceptional value by addressing a critical gap identified in Cardano developer surveys. The 100,000 ADA investment creates a permanent public good under Apache 2.0 license that will serve the community indefinitely.

Comparable commercial development would cost 2-3x this amount. The entire budget translates directly into working code and documentation.

By enabling Python developers to easily enter the Cardano ecosystem, this tool has a multiplier effect on ecosystem growth. Each new developer attracted through the playground potentially brings new dApps and users to Cardano. The open-source nature ensures the community owns the outcome, not any single entity, making this a true infrastructure investment rather than a commercial product development.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

Terms and Conditions:

Yes