SAIB: Chrysalis.Network – Ouroboros Protocols for .NET

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

SAIB: Chrysalis.Network – Ouroboros Protocols for .NET

[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

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?

.NET lacks native Ouroboros protocols for reliable node participation. Chrysalis.Network exists but needs critical missing protocols to enable full network interaction and tooling.

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://saib.dev
,
• https://github.com/SAIB-Inc/Chrysalis
,
• https://www.nuget.org/packages/Chrysalis
,
• https://docs.saib.dev
,
• https://x.com/saibdev/status/1887543440638091382

[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

Chrysalis.Network is fully open source under The MIT License. All protocol implementations and documentation are publicly available on GitHub.

[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.

We chose the MIT License for consistency with Microsoft's .NET ecosystem—including .NET Core, ASP.NET Core, and Entity Framework Core. This alignment ensures seamless enterprise adoption by removing license compatibility concerns. MIT allows commercial use, modification, and distribution without requiring derivative works to remain open source, eliminating barriers for both open source and commercial Cardano projects.

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

All development has been public on GitHub since the repository was forked in late 2023, and developers can watch the repository for real-time updates. Every commit, pull request, and issue is visible. Updates are shared through multiple channels, including NuGet package releases, GitHub releases with changelogs (https://github.com/SAIB-Inc/Chrysalis/releases) and X posts. We also share progress in our public Discord server and through Catalyst reports.

How will you provide high quality documentation?

Similar to our previous Catalyst project, Argus (formerly Cardano.Sync), Chrysalis.Network documentation will be centralized on our website: https://docs.saib.dev/. It will include API references, integration guides, and working examples for all supported protocols. Currently, the GitHub README provides an overview of the project and quick-start instructions and the source code includes XML comments to support IDE IntelliSense. Documentation is updated on major releases, ensuring developers have accurate and up-to-date information for seamless integration.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

This proposal is part of a suite comprising Chrysalis—the foundational library for developing on Cardano with .NET and the core of our .NET Cardano technology stack.

Chrysalis.Network is the only native .NET implementation of the Ouroboros mini-protocols, providing the foundation for direct communication with the Cardano network. We created this critical infrastructure without any direct funding, investing our own resources to build what the .NET ecosystem desperately needed. Our implementation of ChainSync has already proven to be significantly faster at downloading blocks than the leading Rust libraries (https://x.com/clarkalesna/status/1915316536673264126) .Now, this project seeks the first external support for further development and maintenance, building on that high-performance architecture to complete the remaining critical protocols needed for full node interaction capabilities.

Building the existing layer without funding was a significant undertaking. It required months of deep study into the highly technical Ouroboros specifications, implementing a sophisticated multiplexer capable of juggling multiple protocol conversations concurrently, and writing thousands of lines of production-quality code for the existing protocols. This intensive effort culminated in a ChainSync implementation that not only works, but demonstrably outperforms established solutions, proving our team's capability to deliver enterprise-grade network tooling. Additionally, four other protocols are operational in a production environment: Handshake, ChainSync, LocalStateQuery, LocalTxSubmit, and a partial LocalTxMonitor.

However, several critical protocols required by the Ouroboros network specification are still missing or incomplete. These gaps prevent developers from building the full suite of .NET network tools that Cardano's developer ecosystem requires—from high-performance chain indexers and real-time analytics dashboards to efficient light wallets and the robust management tools that infrastructure providers depend on.

To bridge these gaps and deliver a complete solution, we will execute the following implementation plan:

Complete:

• LocalTxMonitor Protocol: We will complete the implementation to enable full real-time mempool monitoring and transaction analysis capabilities

Implement:

• BlockFetch Protocol: This is required for the efficient retrieval of historical blocks, a critical function for indexers and explorers.
• TxSubmission Protocol: This will facilitate node-to-node transaction propagation, allowing .NET applications to fully participate in the network.
• KeepAlive Protocol: This will provide active connection health monitoring to prevent silent network failures.
• PeerSharing Protocol: This will enable decentralized peer discovery, a cornerstone of a resilient and robust network topology.

Additionally, we will implement foundational infrastructure enhancements to ensure production-grade reliability, including improvements to the core multiplexer and a comprehensive testing framework with a mock node and integration harness.

By providing a complete protocol suite, we empower developers to build tools and applications that will power the future of Cardano, from dApps, explorers, and analytics tools to light clients and node management solutions. For example, this would enable teams to build real-time DeFi analytics dashboards, power efficient light wallets with direct blockchain connectivity, and facilitate infrastructure monitoring tools for stake pool operators. As the first .NET implementation of the Ouroboros mini-protocols, Chrysalis.Network was architected from the ground up with zero external dependencies, ensuring maximum compatibility across the entire .NET ecosystem without introducing version conflicts or security vulnerabilities that could limit enterprise adoption.

It's pure C# implementation lowers the barrier to entry, ensuring the performance, reliability, and easier debugging that institutional and enterprise users demand while making that same power directly accessible to every Cardano developer.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

Once completed, Chrysalis.Network will provide a complete suite of Cardano networking protocols implemented in pure C#, enabling .NET developers to build professional network infrastructure including indexers, monitors, and light clients that strengthen Cardano's decentralization and reliability. The pure C# implementation ensures great performance across all our .NET tooling (such as Argus, our .NET indexer, and Razor, our .NET Cardano node) without external dependencies, eliminating the complexity and security risks associated with native library integrations.

While this project specifically targets .NET developers, it strategically positions Cardano for significant enterprise adoption while also making these tools accessible to the broader Cardano developer community. The .NET ecosystem represents one of the world's largest developer communities, with over 7-8 million active developers globally (https://www.softacom.com/wiki/development/future-of-dot-net/) , but the networking capabilities we're building benefit all Cardano developers who need reliable infrastructure tools. By providing production-level networking tooling, we're removing a major barrier for institutional and corporate adoption of Cardano infrastructure solutions that require direct blockchain connectivity and monitoring capabilities.

Our impact is already proven in production: Levvy (https://levvy.fi/) , built with our Chrysalis toolchain, has demonstrated significant traction with millions of ADA in total value locked across thousands of active loans (https://defillama.com/protocol/levvy-finance) , directly serving the Cardano community today. This demonstrates that our networking foundations work and scale to handle real financial operations with reliable connectivity and data synchronization.

Quantitative Impact Measurement:

• Protocol Conformance & Completion.
• Performance benchmarks:
  • ChainSync Throughput
  • Connection Stability
  • Transaction Propagation Latency
• NuGet Downloads

Qualitative Impact Measurement:

• Surveys gathering developer satisfaction and feedback
• Community engagement through our public Discord, GitHub discussions, or webinar discussions.

To ensure the greatest impact possible, technical outputs would be published as a NuGet package for easy installation, with the complete source code placed in the GitHub repository. Comprehensive documentation would be recorded on our existing documentation site containing examples and tutorials.

Technical outputs would then be strengthened by community engagement, with progress reports published to the Catalyst community, video tutorials and presentations establishing guidelines, and our active Discord support channel for any inquiries or issues.

The success of this project would make Cardano significantly more accessible to the massive enterprise .NET community. Additionally, C#’s popularity could boost adoption and visibility far beyond the existing ecosystem. With proven production impact already demonstrated through Levvy's success, this library expansion would enable a wider range of high-quality projects and use cases on the blockchain, ultimately strengthening Cardano's position in the enterprise development space.

[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?

We believe that SAIB Inc. has a strong track record of technical success and community-oriented tool creation and management. Highlights include achieving major milestones in our Catalyst Fund 12–funded project Argus (Cardano.Sync - https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/12/cardano-open-developers/cardanosync-or-a-netc-indexing-framework-for-cardano) delivering consistent monthly Chrysalis updates from v0.1.0 to v0.7.18 (https://github.com/SAIB-Inc/Chrysalis/releases) and deploying Levvy, which leverages Chrysalis and Argus to process Mainnet transactions. Furthermore, our tool development is open and transparent, with code publicly available on GitHub and progress tracked in real time.

The team brings over 15 years of full-stack development experience, with six dedicated engineers who have proven Cardano expertise. We have successfully implemented complex Conway-era CBOR types, built high-performance networking protocols that outperform Rust implementations, and created production-ready transaction building systems. Additionally, we maintain strong collaborations with key ecosystem participants including TxPipe, dcSpark, and the Cardano Foundation. As operators of the ADAPH stake pool and contributors to multiple open-source Cardano tools, we bring hands-on network experience and deep integration within the Cardano community. This deep expertise enabled us to architect Chrysalis.Network with zero external dependencies, reducing project risk and ensuring long-term ecosystem stability as the foundational .NET library for Cardano.

Leveraging our successful work on Chrysalis.CBOR, the team has deep experience with the low-level data serialization that underpins all network communication. Furthermore, we have already applied this expertise to Chrysalis.Network itself, implementing a significant portion of the Ouroboros network specification, highlighted by a high-performance ChainSync protocol that is demonstrably faster than leading Rust implementations. This, along with four other operational protocols, is already running in a production environment. This proven expertise in building performant, production-ready network protocols provides the confidence and capability to deliver the remaining protocols proposed here. By building incrementally on this existing, battle-tested foundation, we can significantly reduce project risk and ensure a reliable development process.

Furthermore, our track record demonstrates that we deliver, aiming for the highest quality while ensuring responsible and transparent fund usage.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Core Protocol Implementations (Months 1-2)

Milestone Outputs

To implement the most critical missing protocols, enabling foundational capabilities like historical block fetching, full mempool monitoring, and participation in transaction propagation.

1. Source code containing :
   • Complete implementation of the LocalTxMonitor protocol.
   • BlockFetch protocol implementation.
   • Implementation of the node-to-node TxSubmission protocol.
2. Detailed documentation covering:
   • Integration test results against mainnet and testnet nodes for all new protocols.
   • Protocol documentation for all implemented features.

Acceptance Criteria

1. A reviewer must be able to access the source code and see it contains:
   • Complete implementation of the LocalTxMonitor protocol.
   • BlockFetch protocol implementation.
   • Implementation of the node-to-node TxSubmission protocol.
2. A reviewer must be able to access the document and see it contains the coverage and the code achieves:
   • Successful fetches any historical block from a mainnet node.
   • Full mempool monitoring is operational and validated.
   • Transaction propagation is successful in a multi-node environment.
   • All protocols pass a 24-hour stress test with no critical failures.
   • Performance benchmarks for each new protocol are documented and published.

Evidence of Completion

• A link to github source update with the refinements and updates.
• A link to the published NuGet package release with the updates included.
• A publicly accessible link to the report.

Delivery Month

2

Cost

40000

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

Network Management and Resilience (Months 3-4)

Milestone Outputs

To enhance the network library with protocols for peer management and connection stability, and to deliver core infrastructure for robust, isolated testing.

1. Source code containing:
   • The KeepAlive protocol for connection health monitoring.
   • The PeerSharing protocol for decentralized peer discovery.
2. Detailed documentation covering:
   • New implemented features.

Acceptance Criteria

1. A reviewer must be able to access the source code and see it contains:
   • The KeepAlive protocol for connection health monitoring.
   • The PeerSharing protocol for decentralized peer discovery.
2. A reviewer must be able to access the document and see it contains the coverage and the code achieves:
   • Stable connections to peer nodes for over 7 days.
   • Successfully discover and connect to multiple diverse peers.
   • Multiplexer handles 10 protocols concurrently without issue.
   • New implemented features.

Evidence of Completion

• A link to github source update with the refinements / updates.
• A link to the published NuGet package release with the updates included.

Delivery Month

4

Cost

30000

Progress

60 %

Milestone Title

Production Hardening and Developer Experience (Month 5)

Milestone Outputs

To ensure the library is production-ready through comprehensive testing, performance optimization, and security reviews.

1. Source code containing:
   • Unit tests
2. Detailed documentation covering:
   • Comprehensive test suite results.
   • Performance optimizations implemented.
   • Security review of the codebase with any vulnerabilities fixed.
3. Developer workshop or webinar for community engagement.

Acceptance Criteria

1. A reviewer must be able to access the source code and see it contains:
   • Unit tests
2. A reviewer must be able to access the document and see it contains the coverage and the code achieves:
   • Unit tests passing with >80% overall coverage.
   •  All discovered bugs and vulnerabilities are documented and resolved.
   • API documentation and usage guides.
3. A reviewer must be able to access a report on the workshop or webinar conducted with community participation.

Evidence of Completion

• A link to github source update with the refinements or updates.
• Complete API documentation and usage guides published to https://docs.saib.dev/.

Delivery Month

5

Cost

20000

Progress

80 %

Milestone Title

Project Close-out and Knowledge Transfer (Month 6)

Milestone Outputs

Final Close-Out Report:

• Summary of milestone activities, achievements, and outcomes
• Metrics and results (engagement metrics, feedback, performance indicators)
• Challenges and solutions
• Lessons learned
• Next steps and recommendations

Final Close-Out Video/Presentation:

• Overview of the project and milestone
• Key achievements and milestones
• Metrics and results (visual representation)
• Challenges and solutions
• Lessons learned
• Future plans

Acceptance Criteria

Final Close-Out Report:

• Document all activities and tasks completed during the milestone.
• Summarize key achievements and milestones reached.
• Include metrics and results (engagement metrics, feedback, performance indicators).
• Address challenges faced and solutions implemented.
• Compile lessons learned.
• Provide next steps and recommendations.

Final Close-Out Video/Presentation:

• Create a video overview of the project and milestone.
• Highlight key achievements and milestones.
• Present metrics and results with visual representation.
• Discuss challenges faced and solutions implemented.
• Share lessons learned.
• Outline future plans.
• Ensure the final close-out report, video, and presentation are publicly available for review and access.

Evidence of Completion

Link to Final Close-Out Report:

• Comprehensive document summarizing all activities, achievements, and outcomes.
• Includes metrics and results, challenges and solutions, lessons learned, and next steps.

Link to Final Close-Out Video/Presentation:

• Video overview of the project and milestone.
• Highlights key achievements, metrics, challenges, solutions, and future plans.
• Detailed presentation covering project overview, milestone activities and tasks, key achievements, challenges and solutions, metrics and results, lessons learned, and next steps.

Delivery Month

6

Cost

10000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

The project's cost breakdown ensures value for the Cardano ecosystem by focusing on key areas:

Development Team (55,000 ADA):

Backend Engineers will handle LocalTxMonitor completion, BlockFetch protocol implementation, TxSubmission protocol development, KeepAlive and PeerSharing protocols, comprehensive unit test development, and integration testing. This investment ensures complete protocol coverage with enterprise-grade reliability and performance optimization.

Infrastructure & Testing (25,000 ADA):

Cloud infrastructure (Railway, Azure, or AWS) includes nodes for testing, mainnet and testnet node hosting, and network simulation environments. Testing and quality assurance covering security review, protocol conformance testing, and 24-hour stress testing. Development tools including GitHub Actions CI/CD, code analysis tools, and AI coding assistants. These investments help ensure production-ready protocols that can handle real-world network conditions.

Documentation & Community (10,000 ADA):

Technical documentation covering API references, protocol implementation guides, and integration examples. Community engagement through Discord support, developer workshops, and beta testing coordination. Marketing and developer outreach through social media and conference presentations. Our frontend engineers will create/enhance the documentation website as part of this allocation.

Project Management & Reporting (10,000 ADA):

Project coordination including milestone planning, team management, and resource allocation. Catalyst reporting with monthly progress updates and milestone documentation. Close-out activities including final report, video production, and knowledge transfer. This ensures transparent delivery and accountability throughout the project lifecycle.

Total Budget: 100,000 ADA

Third-Party Services:

Cloud infrastructure such as AWS, Azure, or Railway for testing are included in the Testing & QA budget. All development utilizes free tier services (GitHub, Discord, NuGet) and open-source tools (VS Code, .NET SDK). The project leverages existing Chrysalis infrastructure, maximizing value delivery within budget constraints.

No Additional Funding Required:

The 100,000 ADA fully covers all project costs. We leverage existing Chrysalis infrastructure and our established development environment, eliminating setup costs. Our team is based in the Philippines where development costs are competitive, maximizing value per ADA spent.

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

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

The costs of this project have been carefully structured to ensure they represent strong value for money for the Cardano ecosystem, while delivering high-quality results. Here's how the costs were determined and why they are justified:

Development Team (55,000 ADA):

The 55,000 ADA allocated for development is based on standard market rates for skilled blockchain developers with protocol implementation expertise. This ensures our engineers are compensated fairly for the specialized knowledge required to implement Ouroboros network protocols, which demands deeper technical understanding than general software development. This investment ensures we can complete the missing protocols and incomplete implementations essential for network infrastructure, with comprehensive testing and production-ready code that meets enterprise standards.

Infrastructure & Testing (25,000 ADA):

Network protocol development requires substantial testing infrastructure. The budget covers cloud nodes for testing, security reviews, and development tools including AI assistants. This investment is critical because protocol errors could affect the entire network. Professional testing prevents costly bugs and ensures our implementations match the Ouroboros specification exactly. The infrastructure enables 24-hour stress testing and real-world validation.

Documentation & Community (10,000 ADA):

Clear documentation is essential for protocol adoption. This budget ensures complete API documentation, implementation guides, and active community support through Discord and workshops. Two frontend engineers will enhance the documentation website, making protocols accessible to developers. Good documentation reduces integration complexity, enabling teams to build network tools in days rather than months.

Project Management & Reporting (10,000 ADA):

Effective project management is essential for delivering complex technical projects on time and within scope. This allocation covers project coordination including milestone planning, team management, and resource allocation, ensuring efficient development workflows and preventing costly delays. Catalyst reporting with comprehensive progress updates and milestone documentation maintains transparency and accountability to the community throughout the project lifecycle. Close-out activities including final report, video production, and knowledge transfer ensure successful project completion and enable future community contributions.

Direct Economic Impact:

Each team currently implementing these protocols independently spends tens of thousands of ADA and several months on research and development. With dozens of teams building infrastructure tools on Cardano, this project would save the ecosystem hundreds of thousands of ADA in duplicated effort. Just a few projects using our protocols would justify the entire investment. This doesn't include savings from prevented bugs, reduced development time, and improved network reliability.

Competitive Rates & Regional Standards:

Our team operates from the Philippines, where we can access strong technical talent at competitive rates. This regional advantage allows us to deliver the same quality as teams charging hundreds of thousands of dollars in other ecosystems, while keeping costs reasonable for Catalyst funding. We've benchmarked our rates against local market standards to ensure fair compensation without budget inflation.

Long-Term Value:

We've already invested significantly in building the existing protocols without external funding, establishing Cardano's technical foundation in the .NET space with architectural decisions that will benefit the ecosystem for years. The zero-dependency design ensures minimal ongoing maintenance costs and maximum developer adoption potential.

While the initial investment is 100,000 ADA, these protocols form foundational infrastructure that will serve Cardano for years. Much like TCP/IP did for the internet, they enable all network applications. Open-sourcing ensures lasting ecosystem value, as every new project amplifies the return on investment. Building on existing Chrysalis infrastructure, with multiple protocols already operational, further reduces risk and accelerates delivery.

In summary, this project delivers exceptional value through cost-effective development, massive ecosystem savings from preventing duplicate work, and permanent open-source infrastructure critical for Cardano's network layer. The careful allocation of resources ensures the ecosystem receives professional-grade protocol implementations at a fraction of typical development costs.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

Terms and Conditions:

Yes