[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

[Aladin]: Building a Freelancer Community for Cardano

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

56380

[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's tech remains unknown to millions of freelancers. They face high fees & lack of transparency on Web2 platforms because they don't know a better, blockchain-powered alternative exists.

[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

All educational content created in this proposal (articles, videos, guides, reports) will be released under the Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) license. The final "Cardano Freelancer Growth Playbook" will be an open-source public good, allowing any Cardano project to freely use our strategies and insights to attract real-world users to the ecosystem.

[Theme Selection] Theme

Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal

Business Services

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Who you’re targeting, how you’ll reach them, and why this matters for Cardano.

Target: Freelancers in creative/tech fields (design, writing, IT) across Southeast Asia, starting with Vietnam.

Outreach Plan:

• Launch a viral short-form video campaign (20+ videos on TikTok/Reels) addressing freelancer pain points.
• Host 5+ community workshops and AMAs to educate new users on Web3 basics in an accessible way.
• Partner with 5+ university IT/design clubs and online freelancer academies.

Why It Matters: This initiative cultivates the next generation of Cardano users and builders in a high-growth region, solving the critical challenge of mainstream adoption.

Provide a list of key activities of your project?

1. Web2 User Onboarding: A content library of 15+ SEO blog posts and 20+ short-form videos focused on solving immediate freelancer problems (e.g., "How to Avoid Scams"), with Aladin as the solution.
2. Web3 Education Series: 5+ in-depth articles and weekly community discussions gently introducing concepts like self-sovereign identity and the benefits of smart contracts for fair pay.
3. Community Resource Hub: A public GitBook, "The Cardano Freelancer Growth Playbook," will be created, sharing all our strategies, content, and data as a step-by-step guide for the ecosystem.

What are your success metrics?

Onboarding Impact (Conversion):

• 10,000 New User Sign-ups to the Aladin App.

Engagement Quality:

• **15% - 30% **Day User Retention Rate.
• 8/10 Participant Satisfaction Score from our workshops and surveys.

Community Growth (Reach):

• 2,000 New Members in our Telegram/Discord.
• 100,000 Views on our educational and marketing content.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

Cardano is poised to become the backbone of a new, equitable economy, yet a vast continent of potential users remains undiscovered: the $582 billion global gig economy. Millions of freelancers are trapped in a broken system, losing an average of $6,000 annually to non-payment while also paying exorbitant fees to centralized gatekeepers. They are searching for a better way, but the bridge from their world to Cardano has not yet been built. This proposal is the blueprint for that bridge.

See more the research: https://docs.aladin.work/en/market-insight/global-gig-economy-market-opportunity-analysis)))

Instead of asking mainstream users to leap across the complex chasm of wallets and seed phrases, this project invites them onto a familiar, solid foundation first. That foundation is the Aladin Work application, already built, polished, and live on the Apple App Store and Google Play. This proposal empowers a targeted marketing and education campaign that uses this existing app as a friendly on-ramp. New users can immediately solve their real-world problems—finding jobs, managing clients—while being gently introduced to the powerful concepts of Web3. We won't lead with "blockchain"; we'll lead with mp;qupay and own your reputation.

You can download to check and use the app by search on the app stores or by get the URL: https://docs.aladin.work/en/app

This is not an idea on a napkin; it's pouring fuel on a fire that's already been lit. The existence of our live app is an undeniable head start, dramatically de-risking the community's investment. We've already built the vehicle; this proposal is about funding the journey to bring the first 10,000 passengers into the Cardano ecosystem.

This focus on marketing and community building is a deliberate, strategic choice. It is an acknowledgment that technology alone is not enough. By validating the market and building a pre-educated community before major on-chain development, we ensure that every smart contract deployed in the future lands on fertile ground, welcomed by thousands of users who understand its value. This is a single, calculated step in a much larger, well-thought-out journey to onboard millions.

Introduction

Redefining the Gig Economy

• Aladin is a decentralized protocol and application built on Cardano, with a mission to provide a fair, transparent, and efficient infrastructure for the global job economy.
• Our philosophy is encapsulated in the name Aladin, inspired by the timeless story of empowerment. In our ecosystem, every user is an 'Aladin' - empowered as the protagonist of their own journey, holding complete control. The $LAMP token is not merely an asset; it is their 'Magic Lamp' - the key to unlocking the full power of the protocol.
• By holding $LAMP and making a request - whether it's seeking talented personnel for a complex project or finding help to fix a gas stove at home - an Aladin summons their 'Genie', ready to turn their wishes into tangible outcomes, safely and transparently.

Three core utilities:

1. Simplified Hiring: Aladin helps employers easily find suitable candidates based on their on-chain reputation (represented by their CVC score), minimizing time spent on interviews and manual verification.
2. High-Commitment Contracts: Smart contracts automatically lock the committed assets ($LAMP) of both parties, creating a serious work environment and ensuring both sides fulfill their responsibilities.
3. Verifiable Proof of Experience: Aladin encodes the experience accumulated through each successfully completed contract into a CVC score. This reputation is immutable, owned by the user, and can be leveraged across the entire Web3 ecosystem, not just on the Aladin app.

Problem

Hurdles of the Modern Gig Economy

1. Lack of Trust and Commitment: Parties are often hesitant to engage due to the absence of mechanisms that guarantee contract enforcement and fair payment.
2. Difficult to Verify Experience: Resumes and recommendation letters are easily forged and do not reflect true capabilities, leading to risks for employers.
3. Walled Gardens (Data Silos): A worker's valuable experience on one platform (e.g., Upwork) cannot be transferred to another, forcing them to build their reputation from scratch repeatedly.
4. High Fees and Opaque Processes: Incumbent platforms charge high service fees, and their dispute resolution processes are often centralized, non-transparent, and potentially biased.

Solution

Aladin is A Global Trust and Reputation Layer. Aladin is more than just an application; it is a foundational protocol that solves the above issues by:

1. Establishing Trust through asset-backed escrow smart contracts.
2. Building Immutable Reputation via the on-chain CVC score, which reflects both experience and commitment.
3. Ensuring Justice with a decentralized arbitration system where the community, acting as Sultans, resolves disputes.
4. Promoting Open Interoperability through the Job-SCaaS model, allowing any other application to leverage Aladin's infrastructure.

What is CVC?

CVC (Committed Value in the Contract) is Aladin's core reputation score.

Calculation: The CVC value of a contract is based on the value of the staked $LAMP, pegged to a reliable stablecoin to insulate the reputation score from token price volatility.

Accumulation: Upon successful completion of a job, the final transaction consumes the old reputation UTXO and creates a new one with an updated CVC score for both the Aladin and the Genie, permanently recording the experience on-chain.

Aladin Ecosystem

The Aladin ecosystem consists of two key components working in symbiosis:

• The Aladin Protocol: The decentralized infrastructure layer, comprising smart contracts, Aladin Nodes, and governance rules.
• The Aladin App: The user-facing application (web/mobile) that allows end-users to easily interact with the Aladin Protocol.

Key Roles in the Aladin App

1. Aladin: An individual or organization with a need, who posts a job or project.
2. Genie: A skilled individual who performs the requested job.
3. Sultan: The "arbiters," who are high-reputation Aladins or Genies (with high CVC scores). They can be nominated to the Petition Resolution Council to adjudicate disputes in specific job contracts.

How Aladin Works: The Lifecycle of a Job

The workflow of a contract on Aladin is designed to cover real-world scenarios, from initiation to either successful completion or failure.

1. Start: An Aladin posts a job request and criteria. The protocol suggests suitable Genies.
2. Contract Setup: The Aladin and Genie agree on terms and sign the smart contract.
3. Escrow: Both parties escrow $LAMP tokens. A Hydra Head can be opened for complex tasks.
4. Execution: The Genie performs the tasks.
5. Resolution: If it is Completed: Both parties agree, the contract succeeds, funds are distributed, and the Treasury is updated. If it has a Petition: In case of a dispute, the arbitration process with a Sultan is initiated. An if Deadline Risk: The Aladin may choose to outsource through a trusted Aladin Service Provider.
6. Reputation Update: Regardless of the outcome, the CVC scores of both parties are adjusted accordingly.
7. End: The smart contract is closed, the Hydra is closed also (if yes)

To more understand about the Aladin platform, please feel free to reed the documents: https://docs.aladin.work/en/

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

This proposal's impact is to forge a new, sustainable pathway for mainstream adoption, transforming a vast, untapped market of freelancers into active, engaged members of the Cardano ecosystem.

The immediate, quantifiable outcome is bringing 10,000+ new, non-crypto-native users into Cardano's orbit within six months. This is our first proof point. These users are not just numbers on a dashboard; they represent thousands of data points that will culminate in a public Market Validation Report. This report will be an invaluable asset for the entire ecosystem, providing a detailed map of which messages, channels, and value propositions resonate most with a real-world audience.

From this initial beachhead, the impact creates a powerful ripple effect:

• A Ready-Made Talent Pool for DAOs: Cardano-based DAOs and projects will no longer need to search for talent in the Web2 world. This proposal builds a native talent pool of designers, developers, and marketers who are already part of the ecosystem and understand its ethos.
• New Users for the dApp Ecosystem: The 10,000+ users onboarded will become the next wave of customers for Cardano's DeFi protocols, NFT marketplaces, and identity solutions. By educating them through Aladin, we are pre-qualifying them for the entire dApp landscape.

The long-term vision is transformative. By creating the Cardano Freelancer Growth Playbook—an open-source guide based on our campaign's findings—we are not just building our own community; we are providing the tools for the entire ecosystem to replicate this success. This proposal doesn't just attract users; it creates a new, proven model for sustainable, community-centric growth, solidifying Cardano's role as the platform for the future of work.

[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?

This proposal is not a request to fund an idea; it's a request to scale a proven execution. The Aladin Work application is already live on the iOS and Android stores. This is our 'unfair advantage'. The technical and product development risks have already been overcome. The community's investment is de-risked from day one, focused solely on the measurable and transparent process of growth.

You can download the app here: https://docs.aladin.work/en/app

This growth mission is led by a team built for this exact challenge:

• The primary challenge is reaching a mainstream, non-crypto audience. This is precisely why Chung Nguyen (Marketing Lead) is on this team. He previously ran a successful labor services company, giving him a deep, grassroots understanding of the freelancer market that goes beyond simple ad metrics.
• The second challenge is creating content that captures attention and builds trust. This is why Nhat Minh (Content SEO Lead) is on the team. He has proven experience creating videos that have reached hundreds of millions of views, demonstrating a mastery of creating engaging, viral content.
• The final challenge is bridging the gap between Web2 familiarity and Web3 empowerment. This is why Duc Tiger (Community & Web3 Education Lead) is on the team. As a respected SPO and dRep, he has the credibility and expertise to gently and effectively guide thousands of new users on their journey into the Cardano ecosystem.

Our commitment to a transparent, milestone-driven process is our public covenant with every voter. The public analytics dashboard and detailed monthly reports will provide a real-time, unimpeachable view of how the community's funds are being used to directly grow the Cardano ecosystem. This combination of proven momentum, perfectly aligned expertise, and a transparent process makes this team the safest and highest-upside bet.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Strategy & Insights

Milestone Outputs

• A publicly accessible “Freelancer Insight & Content Strategy” document (hosted as a PDF or GitBook) that details research findings, audience pain points, and the content roadmap. Alongside this, a live public analytics dashboard web page will continuously track and display key metrics such as user sign-ups, active community members, and engagement levels, ensuring full transparency and measurable impact.

Acceptance Criteria

• The strategy document is published, details at least 3 freelancer personas, and outlines a clear, multi-channel content plan.
• The dashboard is live, connected to our data sources, and correctly displays initial data points for full transparency.

Evidence of Completion

Link to the publicly available strategy document, providing full details of the outreach plan and execution roadmap.

Link to the live analytics dashboard URL, offering real-time transparency into campaign performance, user engagement, and measurable impact.

Delivery Month

1

Cost

5500

Progress

10 %

Milestone Title

Content Engine & Channel Launch

Milestone Outputs

30+ pieces of high-quality, engaging content will be produced and published, including 15 localized short-form videos (TikTok/Reels) and 15 community-driven posts on social media. All content will directly address freelancer pain points such as high fees, payment insecurity, and lack of visibility. In parallel, we will launch and maintain a fully configured Discord server with structured channels for learning, support, and collaboration, as well as a professionally moderated Telegram group designed to foster active discussions, Q&A sessions, and community growth.

Acceptance Criteria

All content is published across YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.

Channels are live, visually appealing, and have clear moderation rules. The initial community seeding achieves 200+ members.

Evidence of Completion

Link to a public master spreadsheet containing direct links to every piece of published content.

Public invitation links to the Discord and Telegram servers.

Delivery Month

1

Cost

11660

Progress

20 %

Milestone Title

Campaign Launch & Engagement

Milestone Outputs

Fully deployed live ad campaigns across multiple platforms designed to drive high-quality traffic directly to download and engage with the Aladin app. A comprehensive public monthly performance report (PDF) will be published, detailing impressions, click-through rates, and cost-per-acquisition. In addition, there will be daily engagement activities across all social channels (Discord, Telegram, TikTok, LinkedIn, etc.) to maintain strong community interaction. Two live AMA events will be hosted with expert moderators, and both will be made available as public recordings for full transparency.

Acceptance Criteria

The ad campaigns must successfully reach at least 50,000 targeted users within the specified audience. The campaign is considered successful when it achieves a minimum of 2,500 new user sign-ups through verified referral tracking. Community management must ensure that the average response time to user queries remains under 12 hours. Each AMA event will be considered successful if it is held as scheduled, attended by at least 50 live participants, and results in meaningful community Q&A recorded for future reference.

Evidence of Completion

A link to the public monthly performance report will be provided, including detailed ad metrics and visualized charts from our analytics dashboard showing user growth over time. Public links to the recordings of both AMA sessions will be shared, ensuring community access and independent verification of completion.

Delivery Month

1

Cost

8330

Progress

10 %

Milestone Title

Growth Acceleration & Education

Milestone Outputs

Expanded and carefully optimized ad campaigns running across multiple targeted platforms, designed to reach broader audiences and improve conversion efficiency. An updated public monthly performance report (PDF) will be published with transparent campaign data, including impressions, clicks, conversions, and ROI analysis. In parallel, we will create and release 7 pieces of in-depth, accessible “Web3 for Freelancers” educational content, designed to introduce blockchain fundamentals, explain how Aladin works, and demonstrate the benefits of decentralized tools in solving freelancer pain points. All educational materials will be made available in multiple community channels (Discord, Telegram, GitBook, and social media).

Acceptance Criteria

Ad campaigns must successfully reach an additional 100,000+ users within the specified demographics. The project achieves a cumulative total of 10,000 new user sign-ups, tracked through referral and campaign metrics. All 7 educational pieces must be published across official channels, with content engagement metrics (views, reads, and shares) tracked publicly. At least 20,000 combined views/reads must be achieved across the educational content series, demonstrating broad awareness and real adoption momentum.

Evidence of Completion

A link to the updated public monthly performance report will be provided, along with access to the live analytics dashboard that permanently verifies the milestone achievement of 10,000 cumulative user sign-ups. A publicly accessible master spreadsheet will be maintained, containing links to all 7 published educational materials, with engagement statistics that validate the 20,000+ views/reads target.

Delivery Month

1

Cost

18890

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

Final Analysis & Ecosystem Playbook

Milestone Outputs

• A detailed, publicly available “Market Validation Report” (PDF) that consolidates all campaign data, identifies the most effective acquisition strategies, and highlights measurable patterns in freelancer adoption.
• A public GitBook “Cardano Freelancer Growth Playbook” containing all insights, strategies, and best practices distilled from the project, designed as a replicable framework for future initiatives across the ecosystem.
• Finally, a comprehensive Project Completion Report submitted to the Catalyst team, summarizing milestones, outcomes, and lessons learned in a transparent, structured format.

Acceptance Criteria

• The Market Validation Report must provide actionable, data-backed recommendations supported by metrics from campaigns, community engagement, and adoption data.
• The Playbook must present a clear, replicable framework that other projects in the Cardano ecosystem can adopt or adapt.
• The final Catalyst report must meet all Fund requirements and document all outcomes, achievements, and variances openly, ensuring accountability and transparency.

Evidence of Completion

• A permanent link to the Market Validation Report (PDF) and the public Cardano Freelancer Growth Playbook (GitBook) will be shared with the community.
• A link to the published Project Completion Report on the Catalyst platform will serve as final verification of deliverables and compliance.

Delivery Month

1

Cost

14000

Progress

20 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

The total budget of ₳56,380 is strategically allocated across five key milestones to ensure maximum efficiency and accountability. The breakdown is as follows:

Milestone #1: Foundation: Strategy & Insights

Cost: ₳5,500 - Progress: 10%

• ₳3,000 – Conduct in-depth user insight analysis to define target freelancer personas, pain points, and viral content pillars.
• ₳2,500 – Design and set up a public-facing analytics dashboard to ensure transparent tracking of all key metrics.

Milestone #2: Assets: Content Engine & Channel Launch

Cost: ₳11,660 - Progress: 20%

• ₳8,660 – Produce the foundational content suite: 15 short-form videos (TikTok/Reels/Shorts) and 15 posts (graphics/carousels) for social media.
• ₳3,000 – Establish and professionally set up the core community channels (Discord & Telegram) with clear guidelines and engagement bots.

Milestone #3: Execution: Campaign Launch & Engagement

Cost: ₳8,330 - Progress: 10%

• ₳4,330 – Launch niche-testing paid ad campaigns (~20% of total ad budget) on Meta & TikTok to identify the most responsive audiences.
• ₳4,000 – Initiate active, daily community management and host 2 "Welcome to the Community" AMA sessions.

Milestone #4: Scaling: Growth Acceleration & Education

Cost: ₳18,890 - Progress: 30%

• ₳15,890 – Scale successful ad campaigns based on M3 data, allocating the remaining ~80% of the ad budget to the highest-performing channels.
• ₳3,000 – Produce and distribute a dedicated "Web3 for Freelancers" educational content series (5 articles, 2 videos).

**Milestone #5: Impact: **

Final Analysis & Ecosystem Playbook

Cost: ₳14,000 - Progress: 20%

• ₳5,000 – Analyze all campaign data to create a comprehensive "Market Validation Report" and an open-source "Cardano Freelancer Growth Playbook".
• ₳9,000 – Project Management & Final Catalyst Reporting: Oversee all milestones, manage the budget, and compile the final, detailed project completion report.

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

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

• This proposal represents an asymmetric bet for the Cardano Treasury: a modest investment to build a direct bridge to the $582 billion global gig economy. The requested budget is a strategic investment in what matters most: real, engaged users.
• Instead of funding yet another project that has to solve the user acquisition puzzle from scratch, the Cardano Treasury has the opportunity to fund a "growth playbook" once, for the benefit of all. The final, open-source Cardano Freelancer Growth Playbook will provide a replicable, data-backed framework that will save future Cardano projects tens of thousands of dollars in marketing experimentation.
• The on-chain flywheel effect is clear. By successfully onboarding our initial goal of 10,000 users, we are creating the customer base for Aladin's future on-chain features. This will generate thousands of new, meaningful transactions annually, contributing directly to network fees and key metrics like TVL. More importantly, it creates a powerful, living showcase of Cardano's ability to solve real-world problems, attracting more users and builders to the ecosystem.
• This is not a speculative bet. It is a calculated investment in a team with a live product, proven expertise in user acquisition, and a clear plan to deliver a sustainable pipeline of new users to Cardano.

As the table illustrates, the value generation for the Cardano network is designed to grow exponentially:

• It begins with the Foundation Phase, where achieving a modest 500 contracts per day will already generate over ₳36,500 in annual network fees—a solid return on the initial Catalyst investment.
• As the product-market fit is validated in the Optimize Phase, this activity is projected to increase significantly, generating over ₳219,000 in annual fees.
• This is where the flywheel truly ignites. During the Scale-Up Phase, as Aladin captures a larger market share, the platform is projected to handle 30,000 contracts daily, generating over 2.1 million ADA in network transaction fees every year.
• In its mature Governance Phase, the platform has the potential to generate over 7.3 million ADA in annual fees, turning real-world economic activity into a massive, sustainable source of value for the entire Cardano network.

This phased growth unequivocally demonstrates that the value returned to the Cardano Treasury is projected to be many multiples of the total funding required for Aladin's foundational proposals. But the impact transcends financials. This level of consistent, real-world economic activity serves as a powerful beacon, significantly enhancing social proof and trust in the Cardano ecosystem for the entire world to see. It is a direct and tangible contribution to transforming the vision of "1 billion users" from an aspiration into an achievable reality.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

Terms and Conditions:

Yes