Creative Atlas: Identity Solution For Onboarding Creatives

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Creative Atlas: Identity Solution For Onboarding Creatives

[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

10

[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 Creative economy is growing rapidly but is constrained by the following: 1.Lack of trusted identity verification of creatives 2.Poor discoverability 3.Limited opportunities (job calls, gigs, etc.)

[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?

No

License and Additional Information

None

[Theme Selection] Theme

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

Entertainment

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Describe what makes your idea innovative compared to what has been previously funded (whether by you or others).

This platform is an integrated, blockchain-powered infrastructure designed specifically for the needs of the creative industries such as, music, film, events, fashion, etc. By combining verifiable Creative IDs via Atala PRISM, curated opportunity hub, and a marketplace for discovery of creatives. It solves the industry’s biggest pain points: poor discoverability, lack of creative credibility and verification, etc. This is the first platform to link verified identity, talent discovery, and life changing opportunities into one ecosystem. Built for the poorly structured creative economy.

Describe what your prototype or MVP will demonstrate, and where it can be accessed.

The MVP will showcase a functional version of a creative economy platform with:

• Creative ID issuance via Atala PRISM
• Profile and portfolio pages for creatives (music, film, content creators, visual creatives, etc.)
• Opportunity Hub
• Marketplace listings for creative services
• Basic Education and Fundraising Resource (via strategic partnerships)

The prototype will be accessible as a web app (desktop + mobile) and will include sample data from pilot creatives to demonstrate secure, blockchain-enabled identity verification, talent discoverability, resources, and more monetization options

Describe realistic measures of success, ideally with on-chain metrics.

Success will be measured by:

• Creative ID adoption – 10,000 verified IDs on-chain via Atala PRISM in 10 months.
• ADA integration: To drive widespread Cardano adoption in the creative industries, we will explore campaigns enabling ADA payments where applicable, for instance, offering enhanced benefits or discounts for platfomrm subscriptions paid in ADA. For example, 2,000 user subscriptions paid in ADA
• Opportunity Hub Impact – 2,000 creatives applying for global programs, shows, competitions and more via our curated database.
• Marketplace activity – 1,000 smart contracts executed.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

Imagine this:

Ese is a gifted Afro-soul singer from Lagos with a voice that could fill arenas. Yet, her career has stalled. She has no verified online profile to prove her work is authentic, so international promoters hesitate to book her. She spends months sending DMs and cold emails that go unanswered. When opportunities for residencies or global festivals arise, she either hears about them too late or can’t meet the verification requirements. Her talent is undeniable, but without trusted identity verification, access to the right networks, and visibility in the right places, the world never hears her music.

Or this:

Samuel is a skilled cinematographer in Nairobi who has worked on acclaimed indie films. Yet, he’s constantly underpaid and sometimes not paid at all because there’s no trusted system to formalize contracts or ensure accountability. His portfolio is scattered across social media posts, making it hard for serious investors or producers to discover him. When a global production company sought African crew for a Netflix project, Samuel didn’t even know the opportunity existed because there was no centralized platform curating such chances for verified professionals like him.

To mention a few, these stories are the reality for millions of African creatives. The creative economy here is brimming with world-class talent, yet it’s constrained by:

• Lack of trusted identity verification
• Poor discoverability in global markets
• Limited access to opportunities and networks

Our Solution: To address these problems we’re building a blockchain-powered creative infrastructure that directly addresses these pain points by combining:

• Verifiable Creative IDs via Atala PRISM for trust and credibility
• An Opportunity Hub curating life-changing programs, residencies, and partnerships
• A Marketplace for the engagement, collaboration, and service discovery of creatives (tailored for creative services such as songwriting, music production, filmmaking, script writing, videography, cinematography, visual design, user generated contents, access to content creators, and so much more)

For the thousands of creatives like Ese and Samuel, this platform means no more missed chances. Their identities are verifiable, their work is globally discoverable, and the right opportunities find them on time, every time. This is not just a tool it’s the missing infrastructure the creative economy has been waiting for - and Cardano has the ability to lead this impactful change.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

A. Impact on the Cardano Community

Our project is not just a tool for African creatives. It’s a gateway for millions of new users, smart contract via marketplace engagements, and real-world adoption on Cardano. By directly embedding blockchain-powered identity verification, smart contract engagements, and opportunity matchmaking into the daily lives of creatives, we are positioning Cardano as the go-to infrastructure for trust, discovery, and growth in the $500B+ global creative economy.

B. Here’s what this means for the Cardano ecosystem:

• Massive User Onboarding

Every creative registered on our platform will have a Verifiable Creative ID built on Atala PRISM, introducing thousands (and eventually millions) of new people to Cardano’s DID ecosystem. These are not speculative users, they are active professionals with ongoing projects, collaborations, and earnings, generating consistent ecosystem engagement.

• Sustainable ADA Integration

Platform subscriptions with discounts will require on-chain actions settled on Cardano, with ADA used for subscription fees. This creates a steady stream of fee payments directly linked to the paltform's activity, ensuring that network utility is tied to real-world value creation, not short-term speculation.

• Visibility and Brand Strength for Cardano

Partnering with ministries, creative associations, and global cultural institutions will position Cardano as the blockchain of choice for the creative industries. This will extend Cardano’s brand into fashion shows, film festivals, music awards, and art exhibitions, spaces traditionally untouched by blockchain.

• Proof of Real-World Adoption

For the Cardano community, our project becomes a case study in successful, high-volume, non-speculative blockchain use cases; a story to point to when the world asks: “Where is Cardano blockchain making a difference in real life?”

We’re not just bringing creatives to Cardano, we’re bringing Cardano into the heart of the global creative economy. This is adoption with culture, identity, and daily utility at its core. Exactly the kind of adoption that makes a blockchain ecosystem thrive for decades to come.

C. Why This Matters to Cardano:

By seeking to anchor Global Creative Economy on Cardano through ATLAS Prism-powered Creative IDs and ADA-based payment rails, we create a future where Cardano is not just part of the ecosystem, it is the ecosystem.

• On-Chain Identity at Scale

Every Creative ID issued via ATLAS Prism is a verifiable, tamper-proof on-chain credential, directly increasing Cardano’s DID adoption footprint.

• ADA Utility in the Wild

With thousands of creatives paying fees and subscriptions in ADA, we transform ADA from an investment asset into a daily economic tool.

• Regulatory-Friendly Adoption Path

By prioritizing digital identity issuance and opt-in ADA fee payments over speculative transactions, we sidestep compliance bottlenecks while still driving measurable on-chain growth.

• Network Effect Flywheel

As verified IDs become the “blue tick” of the Creative economy, demand for on-chain credentials—and the Cardano infrastructure powering them—will grow organically, attracting institutional partners, event organizers, and global marketplaces.

In summary: This is not just a platform launch, it’s the beginning of Cardano becoming the backbone of trust, trade, and talent across the globe's $500B+ creative economy. Kicking off our pilot phase in Africa's creative capital - Lagos City.

[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 bring a unique combination of deep industry expertise, technical readiness, and operational discipline that positions us as the ideal team to deliver this project successfully and responsibly.

1. Domain Expertise in the Creative Industries

• A Team with Over 40 Years Combined Industry Experience – Our core team brings together more than four decades of active participation in the creative economy, working directly with artists, record labels, and cultural stakeholders to deliver projects with real market impact.

2. Financial Stewardship and Fund Management Processes

Milestone-Based Release – Funds will be tied to specific deliverables and milestones, ensuring money is spent only as progress is achieved.

3. Feasibility Validation Approach

To ensure our approach is not only visionary but also executable, we will take a structured validation path combining real-world pilot testing, technical proof-of-concept, and stakeholder alignment before full-scale rollout.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Foundational Setup (Technical Team Mobilization & Prototype Development)

Milestone Outputs

• Fully established core project team (technical, creative, and operational leads).
• Business Required Document containing detailed technical and operational blueprint for platform build.
• Secured all required legal and administrative registrations for smooth project execution.

Acceptance Criteria

• Signed agreements with team members
• Completion and public sharing of the platform's detailed UI/UX designs and interactive wireframes, hosted on a shareable link. This will include annotated design flows demonstrating the Creative ID registration process and overall user journey.

Evidence of Completion

• A published project roadmap
• Figma prototype of the platform
• Official company registration certificates.

Delivery Month

3

Cost

30000

Progress

20 %

Milestone Title

MVP Development, & Pilot Launch

Milestone Outputs

Launch a working web app MVP with:

1. Atala PRISM Creative ID issuance (optional for creatives in the pilot phase)
2. Profile / Portfolio pages
3. Opportunity Hub
4. Basic Education and Fundraising Resources
5. Integration of ADA-fee payment flows for subscriptions via ADA payment gateway (if available)

Acceptance Criteria

• Live web app accessible to 100 pilot creatives
• 100 Creative IDs issued via Atala PRISM
• User-tested onboarding flow with feedback from at least 30 creatives
• Functional ADA payment module demonstrated _(subject to ADA payment gateway availability & reliability). We can also explore other alternatives such as direct payments to the organizations ADA wallet if necessary - in order to drive ADA payments.
• Minimum of 200ADA worth of subscriptions completed (if ADA payment gateway is credible)

Evidence of Completion

• Screenshots and links to the MVP
• Transaction logs (ADA fee payments)
• Payment flow video walkthrough
• On-chain logs of Creative ID issuance
• User feedback summaries and survey reports

Delivery Month

6

Cost

30000

Progress

60 %

Milestone Title

Beta Launch, Community Onboarding & Strategic Partnerships

Milestone Outputs

• Beta release of the platform to at least 2,000 creatives in Lagos, the creative capital of Africa.
• Online onboarding activations in collaboration with existing creative communities and influencers with strong reach to our target audience.
• Implementation of a continuous user feedback loop for feature refinements and platform improvements.

Acceptance Criteria

• At least 2,000 verified Creative IDs must be issued during the beta phase, with a minimum of 200 users completing ADA-fee subscription payments.

• Online collaborations should result in measurable reach and engagement, driving platform adoption.

• The feedback loop must produce actionable insights that lead to at least two implemented feature enhancements before full launch.

• Signed MOUs or letters of interest from partners

Evidence of Completion

• Admin analytics dashboard screenshots showing monthly active users (MAU) and Creative ID issuance counts

• Screenshots or video proof of influencer-led onboarding activities

• On-chain reports verifying ADA-fee subscriptions and ATLAS Prism IDs

• Scanned partnership agreements or official emails

Delivery Month

9

Cost

25000

Progress

90 %

Milestone Title

Final Milestone: Project Close Out Reporting & Video

Milestone Outputs

Comprehensive Project Closeout Report detailing measurable value delivered to the Cardano community, including:

• Total number of on-chain activities from creatives in Lagos.
• Case studies highlighting direct economic and career impact on creatives.
• Spotlighting success stories of creatives and reinforcing the platform’s role as a Cardano-powered creative economy hub.
• Partnership framework for continuous integration of Cardano-based payments, ATLAS Prism Creative IDs, and potential DeFi-backed micro-financing for creatives.

Acceptance Criteria

• Submission of the Project Closeout Report to Catalyst, including analytics, testimonials, and verified on-chain data.
• At least 3 documented success stories from creatives whose careers or earnings were significantly impacted via Cardano-powered features.
• Demonstrated intent and readiness to apply for follow-up Catalyst funds to scale the Cardano footprint deeper within the creative economy.

Evidence of Completion

• Final report (PDF + public web version) with embedded analytics dashboards, on-chain transaction records, and qualitative impact stories.
• Recorded video of the Success Stories.

Delivery Month

10

Cost

15000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Operational Costs: 20,000 ADA

Covers infrastructure, hosting, data storage, and essential software tools for. Supports continuous research, onboarding processes, and community management to keep creatives engaged and active within the Cardano ecosystem.

Development Costs: 40,000 ADA

Funds backend, frontend, and cardano integration work. Includes identity verification module, creative profile system, smart contracts on the marketplace and Cardano-powered payment flows to enable trusted, borderless transactions.

Legal and Compliance: 15,000 ADA

Provides legal consultation and documentation to ensure the platform’s smart contracts, identity verification, and tokenized agreements meet regulatory and intellectual property standards. Builds reusable frameworks for other Cardano projects in the creative economy.

Marketing and Third-Party Engagement: 25,000 ADA

Supports targeted outreach, workshops, and educational events to onboard creatives. Funds content creation to showcase how Cardano empowers the creative economy, increasing visibility and adoption.

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

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

Why This Project is a High-Value Investment for the Cardano Ecosystem

This project represents an unparalleled opportunity for Cardano to cement itself as the blockchain of choice for Africa’s fast-growing creative economy, a sector valued in the billions and projected to expand exponentially in the next decade. By integrating Creative IDs, on-chain credentialing, and ADA-based payments into the workflows of thousands of creatives, we’re building real-world utility that extends far beyond speculative use cases.

Our project delivers maximum value for the Cardano ecosystem by unlocking adoption in one of Africa’s most dynamic industries—the creative economy—at a fraction of the cost of comparable platforms.

Relativity Analysis

• Globally, platforms like Patreon, Fiverr, and Upwork cost millions of dollars in venture funding to build and maintain (Patreon alone raised over $100M).
• We are delivering a Cardano-powered alternative for just 100,000 ADA, embedding blockchain utility directly into the creative economy.
• By leveraging Cardano’s blockchain efficiency, open-source primitives, and partnerships with creative industry leaders, we minimize overhead while delivering impact that far outpaces the spend.

Impact and Scale of Pilot Phase

• The Lagos creative industry has well over 15,000 active creatives across music, film, fashion, and digital arts.
• Our platform will directly onboard 5,000 verified creatives in the first year, while reaching a potential audience of 15,000+ creatives in Lagos—the cultural capital of Africa. Aiming for 1 million blockchain enabled creatives in 5 years.
• Each creative onboarded becomes not just a user, but an ambassador of blockchain adoption.

On-Chain Transaction Value

• If 5,000 creatives subscribe to platform services at an average of 10 ADA/month, that generates 50,000 ADA in monthly transaction volume, or 600,000 ADA annually flowing through the Cardano network.
• As adoption grows toward the larger pool of 15,000+ creatives, potential transaction volumes could exceed 1.8M ADA per year, not including additional activity from tokenized assets, collaborations, or NFT-based creative contracts.
• This creates a self-sustaining cycle of utility and visibility for Cardano—proving that blockchain can be the backbone of a thriving creative economy.

Community-Driven Approach

Creative Atlas is designed as a community-first innovation built with creatives, for creatives. From the start, we plan to engage about15,000 creatives in Lagos alone across music, film, fashion, and art through workshops, associations, and guild partnerships. Their input directly shapes platform features, ensuring it solves real problems faced by the community.

Justification of Spend

For 100,000 ADA, Catalyst is funding:

• The first creative identity verification and marketplace infrastructure on Cardano.
• Direct onboarding of 5,000 new blockchain users, with visibility to 15,000+ in Lagos alone.
• A replicable blueprint that can expand across Africa (Accra, Nairobi, Johannesburg) and into global creative markets.

The cost-to-impact ratio is unmatched: a relatively small investment activates a high-volume, high-growth sector while delivering lasting adoption and transaction utility for Cardano.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

Terms and Conditions:

Yes