Plutus Debugger Extension for VSCode

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Plutus Debugger Extension for VSCode

[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

8

[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 developers lack an interactive debugger for Plutus contracts, forcing them to debug on-chain, which is slow, costly, and discourages new developers from building reliable dApps.

[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

We will use the MIT License, a widely adopted OSI-approved license that is simple, permissive, and ensures anyone can freely use, modify, and contribute to the project, fostering broad adoption.

[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.

Day 1 public repo: Create a GitHub org/repo (MIT) with roadmap, issues, and CI visible from the first commit.

Visibility: Announce on Cardano Forum, X, Telegram/Discord; submit to VSCode Marketplace (early beta).

Transparency: Weekly progress posts + changelogs, tagged releases, open project board, and public docs site.

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

From day one, we will launch a public GitHub repo under MIT license with roadmap, issues, and CI visible from the first commit. Progress will be transparent with weekly updates, tagged releases, and an open project board. To keep the community informed, we will post updates on Cardano Forum, X, Telegram/Discord, and list the extension early on the VSCode Marketplace for easy access and testing.

How will you provide high quality documentation?

We will provide a public docs site with setup guides, tutorials, FAQs, and API references, updated alongside each release. Example Plutus contracts will be included for hands-on learning. Video walkthroughs and troubleshooting guides will support beginners, while detailed references serve advanced users. All docs will be versioned, open-source, and community feedback will be integrated for continuous improvement.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

We will create a Plutus Debugger Extension for VSCode that gives Cardano developers the ability to test and debug their smart contracts directly inside the world’s most popular coding editor.

Right now, developers waste time and money testing contracts on-chain because there is no simple way to step through the code and see where it fails. Our tool will change that by adding:

Breakpoints & Step Execution – run through the contract step by step.

Variable Inspection – see what’s inside Datum, Redeemer, and Context during execution.

Error Highlighting – clear messages showing why a script failed.

Transaction Simulation – safely test in a local sandbox or testnet before mainnet.

Tutorials & Examples – simple guides and sample contracts to learn quickly.

The extension will be open source from day one (MIT license), published on GitHub and the VSCode Marketplace so any developer can install and try it instantly.

By bringing familiar debugging tools into VSCode, this project will:

Make Cardano development faster and safer.

Reduce failed transactions and wasted ADA.

Lower the barrier for new developers entering the ecosystem.

Improve overall quality of dApps on Cardano.

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

The Plutus Debugger Extension for VSCode will have a direct and lasting impact on the wider Cardano community:

Faster Development – Developers will be able to test and debug their contracts locally before deploying. This saves days of trial-and-error and prevents wasted ADA from failed transactions.

Lower Barriers for New Developers – By offering a familiar tool inside VSCode (the world’s most popular editor), we make Cardano development feel closer to traditional Web2 workflows. This makes it much easier for new developers to start building.

Higher Quality dApps – With better debugging tools, smart contracts will be more reliable, reducing bugs and unexpected failures on mainnet. This directly improves trust in Cardano-based applications.

Ecosystem Growth – A healthy developer experience attracts more teams, startups, and contributors to the ecosystem. Every new tool that removes friction helps Cardano compete with other blockchains.

Open Source Collaboration – By being open from day one (MIT license, public GitHub), the community can extend, improve, and contribute to the project. This ensures the tool lives beyond the initial funding cycle.

Education and Onboarding – With built-in tutorials and example contracts, the debugger doubles as a learning tool for students, hackathon participants, and junior developers entering the ecosystem.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

The Plutus Debugger Extension for VSCode will have a direct and lasting impact on the wider Cardano community:

Faster Development – Developers will be able to test and debug their contracts locally before deploying. This saves days of trial-and-error and prevents wasted ADA from failed transactions.

Lower Barriers for New Developers – By offering a familiar tool inside VSCode (the world’s most popular editor), we make Cardano development feel closer to traditional Web2 workflows. This makes it much easier for new developers to start building.

Higher Quality dApps – With better debugging tools, smart contracts will be more reliable, reducing bugs and unexpected failures on mainnet. This directly improves trust in Cardano-based applications.

Ecosystem Growth – A healthy developer experience attracts more teams, startups, and contributors to the ecosystem. Every new tool that removes friction helps Cardano compete with other blockchains.

Open Source Collaboration – By being open from day one (MIT license, public GitHub), the community can extend, improve, and contribute to the project. This ensures the tool lives beyond the initial funding cycle.

Education and Onboarding – With built-in tutorials and example contracts, the debugger doubles as a learning tool for students, hackathon participants, and junior developers entering the ecosystem.

[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?

Our team has experience in Cardano smart contract development and building developer tools. We understand both the challenges developers face and the technical steps needed to solve them. Each team member has a clear role—development, testing, documentation, and community support—so responsibilities are transparent.

To ensure trust and accountability, all work will be public from the start. The GitHub repository will show our progress with commits, issues, and milestones. Regular updates will be shared with the Cardano community through Catalyst and developer forums.

We will validate feasibility by:

Building and releasing an early beta on the VSCode Marketplace.

Gathering feedback from real developers using it in their workflow.

Running workshops and tests to make sure the debugger works with common Plutus contracts.

This open, step-by-step approach gives the community confidence that the project is on track, and ensures we can adjust quickly if improvements are needed.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Setup, Design & Early Prototype

Milestone Outputs

A public GitHub repo is launched with MIT license, roadmap, and contribution guide. In addition, a simple early prototype is created that can load a sample Plutus contract and display placeholder debug output (logs or mock breakpoints). A project communication plan is published.

Acceptance Criteria

Acceptance criteria: Repository is live with license, roadmap, and initial documentation. Early prototypes demonstrate basic flow (e.g., “load contract → show debug log”). Internal test the prototype to confirm work has begun.

Evidence of Completion

Evidence: Public GitHub link with commits, license, roadmap, and prototype code. Screenshots or short demo video of the prototype working. Doc for the tests.

Delivery Month

1

Cost

12000

Progress

20 %

Milestone Title

Core Debugging Features

Milestone Outputs

The debugger backend is upgraded from a simple prototype into a tool that can actually run a Plutus contract step by step. Developers can set breakpoints, step through code execution, and inspect values such as Datum, Redeemer, and Context. Even if it runs from a command-line tool, it proves the essential debugging logic works.

Acceptance Criteria

Developers are able to run a sample Plutus contract, pause execution at defined points, and view key variables. Community testers confirm that breakpoints and step execution work consistently on provided examples.

Evidence of Completion

Demo video showing a contract being debugged step by step, test logs included in the GitHub repo, and open-source code with clear instructions so anyone can reproduce the results on their own computer.

Delivery Month

3

Cost

20000

Progress

40 %

Milestone Title

VSCode Extension Beta

Milestone Outputs

The core debugging features from M2 (breakpoints, step execution, variable inspection) are integrated into a VSCode extension with a simple user interface. Developers can install the extension, connect it to sample Plutus contracts, and perform debugging inside VSCode rather than just from the command line. The extension is published as a beta on the VSCode Marketplace to reach a wider group of testers.

Acceptance Criteria

The extension can be downloaded from the VSCode Marketplace and installed successfully. Developers can use it to debug provided sample contracts and confirm that stepping through code, inspecting values, and stopping at breakpoints all work inside VSCode.

Evidence of Completion

Public link to the VSCode Marketplace listing, GitHub release tag for the beta version, screenshots and/or video demo showing the debugger running inside VSCode, and early tester feedback shared with the community.

Delivery Month

5

Cost

23000

Progress

50 %

Milestone Title

Transaction Simulation

Milestone Outputs

The extension gains the ability to simulate transactions either in a local sandbox or directly on the Cardano testnet. Developers can prepare a transaction, preview its execution, and check results without spending ADA on testnet. This feature helps prevent costly errors and makes the debugger far more practical for real-world dApp teams.

Acceptance Criteria

Users can load a sample transaction, run it in sandbox or testnet mode, and see the validation outcome clearly (success or failure with reason). testers confirm the simulation produces reliable results that match expected outcomes.

Evidence of Completion

A recorded demo video showing transaction simulation in action, updated documentation with example scenarios, GitHub commits proving the feature exists, and tester feedback collected through GitHub issues.

Delivery Month

7

Cost

23000

Progress

70 %

Milestone Title

Documentation & Final Release

Milestone Outputs

A polished v1.0 stable release of the VSCode extension is delivered, with all key features (debugging, variable inspection, and transaction simulation) fully tested. A complete documentation site is launched, including installation guides, tutorials, FAQs, and example contracts. To support adoption, we host at least one community workshop or webinar to demonstrate the tool and gather final feedback.

Acceptance Criteria

Developers can install the extension, follow the documentation, and use it successfully without assistance. The documentation site covers setup, usage, and troubleshooting. The extension is released as version 1.0 on both GitHub and the VSCode Marketplace, and feedback from community testers confirms the tool is usable and stable.

Evidence of Completion

Public link to the documentation website, GitHub release tagged v1.0, VSCode Marketplace listing for the stable version, and recordings or attendance reports from the workshop/webinar showing real developers using the debugger in practice.

Delivery Month

8

Cost

20000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Milestone 1 – Setup, Design & Early Prototype (₳12,000)

Covers initial repo setup, licensing, roadmap, and a simple prototype that loads a sample contract and produces mock debug output.

Includes developer time for design, early coding, and publishing the plan on GitHub and Cardano Forum.

Milestone 2 – Core Debugging Features (₳20,000)

Funds development of the core debugger logic: breakpoints, step execution, and variable inspection running from CLI.

Includes QA testing on sample Plutus contracts and preparation of instructions for early users.

Milestone 3 – VSCode Extension Beta (₳25,000)

Integration of the debugger backend into a VSCode extension with a simple UI.

Covers packaging and publishing the extension as a beta release on the VSCode Marketplace.

Budget supports frontend developer and documentation tasks.

Milestone 4 – Transaction Simulation (₳23,000)

Adds transaction simulation in sandbox and testnet mode to prevent costly on-chain errors.

Includes development, testing, and updating the extension to handle transaction previews.

Covers community testing sessions to validate the feature.

Milestone 5 – Documentation & Final Release (₳20,000)

Delivers full documentation site with tutorials and FAQs, plus a stable v1.0 release of the extension.

Includes workshop/webinar costs, community engagement, and maintenance buffer for bug fixes after launch.

✅ Total: ₳100,000

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

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

This project represents excellent value for the Cardano ecosystem because it delivers a critical developer tool that is missing today: an interactive debugger for Plutus smart contracts. With ₳100,000, we are producing a full, open-source VSCode extension that will save developers both time and ADA by catching errors before contracts are deployed.

Direct developer benefit: Instead of wasting ADA on failed transactions, developers can test locally and avoid costly mistakes. Even one prevented failed deployment across many teams quickly offsets the project’s cost.

Ecosystem growth: By lowering the barrier for new developers, the tool attracts talent from Web2 into Cardano. This multiplies the effect of Catalyst funding far beyond the initial users.

Open source & sustainability: All code is MIT licensed and public from day one, ensuring the community owns the tool. Future developers can extend and maintain it without needing new funding.

Milestone-based accountability: The budget is spread across 5 clear milestones, each delivering measurable outputs (prototype, core features, VSCode beta, simulation, full release). This ensures transparent use of funds.

High impact, low cost: For less than 0.004% of Catalyst’s ₳3.1M pool, the community gets a tool that every current and future Cardano developer can use daily.

In short, this proposal turns ₳100,000 into a long-term developer infrastructure asset that will strengthen Cardano’s dApp ecosystem, improve quality, and drive adoption.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

Terms and Conditions:

Yes