FictionForge: On-Chain Collaborative Writing Platform

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

FictionForge: On-Chain Collaborative Writing Platform

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

91000

[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?

Today’s collaborative writing tools lack transparent proof of contribution. This makes fair ownership, credit, and reward distribution nearly impossible, creating friction for creative teams.

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://github.com/EsubalewAmenu/FictionForge
,
• https://www.linkedin.com/company/datascience-computing
,
• https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Herma+plc

[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

FictionForge will be open source under the MIT License. The entire platform, including smart contracts, backend code, and core features, will be available on GitHub. This ensures transparency, community collaboration, and ongoing improvement throughout the project's lifecycle.

[Theme Selection] Theme

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

Smart Contracts

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

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

While many projects in the Cardano ecosystem focus on tokenizing the final creative product, such as minting a finished book or piece of art as an NFT, FictionForge's core innovation is in tracking and immutably recording the entire creative process on-chain.

Our key differentiator is the "Proof of Contribution" ledger. Instead of just proving ownership of the end result, we provide verifiable proof of every single contribution made. This addresses a fundamental problem that other platforms overlook: ensuring fair credit, ownership, and reward distribution from the very first word written.

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

The MVP will demonstrate the following end-to-end user flow:

• A user accesses our web-based dApp
• They connect their Cardano testnet wallet using a CIP-30 compatible interface
• Inside a simple text editor, they can write or edit a document
• By clicking a "Commit Contribution" button
• This action takes a hash (a unique digital fingerprint) of their contribution and records it immutably on the Cardano testnet, linked to their wallet address and a timestamp
• The user can then view a simple, auditable history of all committed contributions for that document, directly querying the blockchain

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

As this project is a PoC, our measures of success are focused on technical validation and user feedback rather than mass adoption. Success will be measured through a combination of on-chain and off-chain metrics.

On-Chain Metrics: contribution transactions and unique wallets

Off-Chain Metrics: technical delivery, user validation and ecosystem impact.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

Our Perception of the Problem

As our problem statement highlights, today’s collaborative writing tools lack transparent proof of contribution, making fair ownership and reward distribution nearly impossible. This creates disputes and stifles creativity, a problem that is perfectly suited for a blockchain-based solution that can provide an immutable, trustworthy record.

Our Proposed Solution: A Focused Proof-of-Concept (PoC)

We will build FictionForge, a focused Proof-of-Concept dApp designed to validate the core of our vision: creating an on-chain contribution ledger. Instead of building a dozen features at once, this proposal is dedicated to delivering the single most important component that everything else will be built upon.

This PoC will allow a team of writers to:

1. Work on a text document within a simple, clean interface.
2. "Commit" or save versions of their work at key intervals.
3. Each commitment will generate a hash (a unique digital fingerprint) of their contribution, which is then recorded on the Cardano testnet. This creates an immutable, timestamped log of who wrote what, and when.

By focusing on this foundational layer, we de-risk the entire project and prove its technical viability before scaling to more complex features like real-time editing, tokenomics, or a DAO, which will be the focus of future proposals.

Who Will This Project Engage?

This initial phase will engage three key groups:

1. Writers & Creators: A pilot group of writers will test the platform to validate its real-world usefulness and provide critical feedback.
2. Cardano Developers: As an open-source project, we will engage developers to review our code, suggest improvements, and potentially build upon our foundational ledger.
3. The Wider Cardano Community: We will actively share our progress and findings to demonstrate a powerful new use case for Cardano.

What Makes FictionForge Unique and Important to Cardano?

While other projects focus on minting a finished work as an NFT, FictionForge's unique contribution is tracking the entire creative process on-chain. This granular proof-of-contribution is the missing piece for truly fair creative collaboration.

• Who Benefits: Writers and creative teams benefit by getting undeniable, transparent proof of their intellectual property contributions.
• Why It's Important for Cardano: This project establishes a tangible, new use case for Cardano in the massive creative and publishing industries. It will produce an open-source, foundational tool for "Proof of Contribution" that other dApps in the ecosystem can adopt, attracting a new wave of non-technical users and creators to Cardano.

Current Progress

We have already initiated the non-blockchain components of the application, and the code is available on GitHub. This existing work on the APIs and basic architecture provides a solid foundation, allowing us to focus the Catalyst funds specifically on the core challenge: building and testing the on-chain contribution ledger.

Repo link:- https://github.com/EsubalewAmenu/FictionForge

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

Value to the Cardano Community

FictionForge will deliver significant value to the Cardano ecosystem by proving a tangible, non-financial use case in the massive creative industry. The success of this project will:

1. Create a Foundational Open-Source Tool: Our primary output is not just a dApp, but a well-documented, open-source "Proof of Contribution" ledger. This foundational tool can be freely used and adapted by other developers for various applications, such as tracking contributions to open-source code, academic papers, or collaborative art, multiplying its impact across the ecosystem.
2. Demonstrate a Unique Use Case: We will provide a clear, working demonstration of how Cardano can solve real-world problems for creators beyond simple asset tokenization. By tracking the process of creation, we showcase the unique capabilities of the EUTxO model for granular, auditable records.
3. Attract a New Demographic: By building a tool that addresses a core problem for writers, journalists, and artists, FictionForge will serve as a powerful and accessible entry point for creative professionals into the Cardano ecosystem.

How We Will Measure Impact

As a Proof-of-Concept, our impact will be measured by successful validation and delivery, not by premature user growth metrics.

Quantitative Metrics

• Successful deployment of the Proof-of-Concept dApp on the Cardano testnet.
• A publicly accessible, fully documented GitHub repository under an MIT license.
• Completion of a user testing cycle with a pilot group of at least 10 writers and creators.
• Publication of a minimum of 3 detailed progress updates to the community throughout the project.

Qualitative Metrics

• A final project report summarizing qualitative feedback from the pilot user group, confirming the value of an on-chain contribution ledger.
• If possible, demonstrable interest from at least one other project or developer in the Cardano ecosystem to explore using our open-source ledger.

How We Will Share Outputs and Opportunities

Transparency and community contribution are core to our mission. We will share our outputs through:

• Open-Source Code: Our primary output, the GitHub repository, will be meticulously documented to encourage review, feedback, and reuse by other Cardano builders.
• Final Report and Demo Video: We will produce a comprehensive final report detailing our technical findings, user feedback, and learnings. This, along with a video demo, will serve as a public case study for the community on building a Proof-of-Contribution system on Cardano.
• Regular Community Updates: We will share our progress, challenges, and milestones through regular updates on Linkedin, Telegram, and relevant community channels.
• Community Demonstration: Upon completion, we will actively seek opportunities to demonstrate the PoC and share our learnings in community calls, workshops, and developer forums to inspire others to build with our tools.

[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 capability is rooted in three key areas: our experienced team, a proven track record within the Catalyst ecosystem, and a strategic, phased approach designed to validate feasibility before scaling.

1. Our Team and Proven Experience

Our multidisciplinary team consists of seasoned blockchain developers, system architects, and UX/UI designers who have successfully delivered on past Catalyst-funded projects. This experience has taught us the importance of starting with a focused, achievable scope. Our team members, including individuals previously funded proposers, have the specific skills required for both the collaborative tooling and the Cardano-native smart contract development this PoC requires.

We have completed all funded projects successfully, including an app with 100,000+ downloads (50k+ active users),  Blockchain Based Poultry Farm Management https://milestones.projectcatalyst.io/projects/1200073 , Cardano for 100,000+ students https://milestones.projectcatalyst.io/projects/1100051 , Universal DevTools for Real-time Tracking for 45%+ of Global Websites Support https://milestones.projectcatalyst.io/projects/1100282 , and Enhancing cardano developer ecosystem with open source tooling https://projectcatalyst.io/funds/11/cardano-open-developers/enhancing-cardano-developer-ecosystem-with-open-source-tooling , demonstrating our ability to manage a project from concept to completion within the Catalyst framework. 

2. Our Feasibility Validation Plan

This entire proposal is designed as a focused Proof-of-Concept to validate two core questions before we seek larger-scale funding:

• Technical Feasibility: Can we efficiently and cost-effectively create an immutable, on-chain ledger to track granular writing contributions on Cardano?
• User Desirability: Do writers, editors, and creative teams find significant value in a system that offers "Proof of Contribution," and is our initial design intuitive for them?

By using this 91,000 ADA grant to answer these fundamental questions, we de-risk the project for the community. We are proving the concept on a small, manageable scale, ensuring that future investment will be built on a validated and technically sound foundation.

3. Our Commitment to Trust and Accountability

We ensure high levels of trust and accountability through the following processes:

• Transparent Fund Management: All project funds will be managed in a company wallet, requiring approval from multiple team leads for any transaction. If needed, we will maintain a public ledger of expenses against the budget outlined in this proposal.
• Open-Source by Default: Our commitment to a fully open-source codebase under an MIT license ensures our work is transparent, auditable by any community member, and can be a resource for other ecosystem projects.
• Realistic Milestones and Reporting: Our milestones are now tightly focused on the PoC deliverables. We will provide detailed milestone based progress reports to the community and a comprehensive final report and video demo sharing our successes, challenges, and learnings.
• Direct Community Engagement: We are active in the Cardano developer community and will continue to engage through regular updates and feedback sessions, ensuring our work remains aligned with the ecosystem's needs.

Our approach is not to build everything at once, but to build the right thing first, proving its value every step of the way.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Foundational Architecture & Smart Contract Development

Milestone Outputs

To design and develop the core backend and smart contract that will serve as the on-chain contribution ledger.

Outputs

• A detailed technical specification document for the on-chain ledger.
• The initial Plutus smart contract code for tracking contributions (hashes, timestamps, contributor wallet ID).
• A basic backend service capable of interacting with the smart contract on the Cardano testnet.

Acceptance Criteria

• The technical specification document is complete and published on our GitHub.
• The smart contract code is committed to a repository.
• The backend can successfully submit a test transaction representing a "contribution" and log it on the testnet.

Evidence of Completion

• Link tot the techncal specification document
• Link to smart contract github repository
• Demo video of test transaction

Delivery Month

2

Cost

25000

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

Minimal Viable Frontend & Integration

Milestone Outputs

To build a simple user interface and connect it to the backend and smart contracts, creating a functional end-to-end PoC.

Outputs

• A minimal web interface featuring a basic text editor and a "Commit Contribution" button.
• Wallet integration (CIP-30) allowing users to connect and sign transactions.
• A simple view to display the history of committed contributions for a document, fetched from the testnet.

Acceptance Criteria

• A user can connect their testnet wallet to the web application.
• A user can write text, click "Contribute," and successfully sign and submit a transaction that is recorded on-chain.
• The history of contributions for a given document is accurately displayed.

Evidence of Completion

• Demo video of connect wallet feature
• Proof of contribution recorded via transaction
• Log or history of contribution displayed on the website

Delivery Month

4

Cost

30000

Progress

60 %

Milestone Title

User Testing, Feedback, and Open-Sourcing

Milestone Outputs

To validate the PoC with a pilot group of target users, gather crucial feedback, and prepare the codebase for public release.

Outputs

• Onboarding and management of a pilot testing group of at least 20 writers/creators.
• A comprehensive feedback report summarizing the findings from the user testing phase.
• Refinements to the PoC based on user feedback.
• Public release of the entire codebase on GitHub under an MIT License, with clear documentation.

Acceptance Criteria

• The user testing phase is complete.
• The feedback report is published and shared with the Cardano community.
• The FictionForge GitHub repository is made public, containing all code and documentation.

Evidence of Completion

• Proof of testing session
• Link to compiled feedback report
• Link to documentation
• Link to the upated github repository

Delivery Month

5

Cost

20000

Progress

90 %

Milestone Title

Project Close-out Report and Video

Milestone Outputs

To formally conclude the project and share our journey, findings, and the final PoC with the Catalyst community.

Outputs

• A detailed project close-out report covering objectives, outcomes, learnings, and a roadmap for future development.
• A concise video demonstrating the working PoC, explaining its value, and summarizing the project's results.

Acceptance Criteria

• The final close-out report prepared based on Catalyst guideline
• The final closeout video prepared and accepted by the Catalyst team.
• All project outputs are publicly accessible to the Cardano community.

Evidence of Completion

• Link to final closeout report
• Link to final closeout video, published on youtube
• Link to the platform and smart contract code on github

Delivery Month

6

Cost

16000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Our budget of 91,000 ADA is based on a detailed estimate of the hours required from our lean core team and specialized contributors over the 6-month project duration. To ensure fairness and clarity, we have used a blended, competitive rate for all project work.

Milestone 1: Foundational Architecture & Smart Contract Development

This 2-month phase focuses on building the core on-chain logic.

• Project Lead and Architect: 8,000 ADA
• Smart Contract Developer: 12,000 ADA
• Full-Stack Developer (Backend Setup): 6,000 ADA
• Blockchain Advisor (Contract Review): 2,000 ADA

Milestone 2: Minimal Viable Frontend & Integration

This 2-month phase focuses on creating a functional user interface for testing.

• Project Lead: 6,000 ADA
• Full-Stack Developer (UI & Integration): 14,000 ADA
• UX/UI Designer (Interface Design): 4,000 ADA
• Smart Contract Developer (Integration Support): 6,000 ADA

Milestone 3: User Testing, Feedback, and Open-Sourcing

This 2-month phase focuses on validation and preparing for community handover.

• Project Lead (Test Coordination & Outreach): 6,000 ADA
• Full-Stack Developer (Bug Fixes & Refinements): 6,000 ADA
• QA and Testing Lead (Managing Pilot Group): 5,000 ADA
• Technical Writer (Public Documentation): 8,000 ADA

Hosting, Reporting and Community Engagement

This budget covers ongoing overhead costs across the entire 6-month project.

• AWS Hosting Fee: 5,000 ADA
• Final Close-Out Report & Video Production: 2,000 ADA

Grand Total: 91,000 ADA

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

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

Our 91,000 ADA budget represents exceptional value for the Cardano Treasury by delivering a reusable, open-source asset at a highly competitive cost, while strategically de-risking a high-potential use case.

1. Highly Competitive and Transparent Costs

Our budget is built on a fully transparent, role-based model with a blended rate. This rate is significantly more cost-effective than the global industry standard for senior blockchain developers. This allows us to leverage our team's top-tier talent from a globally competitive region to deliver a high-quality product at a fraction of the typical cost, maximizing the impact of every ADA spent.

2. An Investment in a Reusable, Open-Source Foundation

The Cardano Treasury is not just funding a single dApp; it is funding the creation of a foundational "Proof of Contribution" tool. The on-chain ledger we develop will be:

• Open-Source: Released under an MIT license, it will be a public good.
• Reusable: Its core logic can be freely adapted by other developers in the ecosystem.

This creates a multiplier effect on the investment. The tool we build could be used by other Catalyst-funded projects for academic co-authorship, music collaboration, or tracking open-source code contributions, saving them significant development time and costs.

3. A Low-Risk, High-Impact Approach

This proposal asks for a modest investment to validate a powerful concept through a Proof-of-Concept (PoC). By funding this focused validation phase, the community confirms the technical feasibility and user desirability of FictionForge before committing to a larger-scale product build. This phased approach is the most responsible way to innovate, as it maximizes capital efficiency and minimizes risk for the Treasury.

In summary, this project offers a low-cost, low-risk opportunity to develop a foundational open-source tool, prove a valuable new use case for Cardano, and begin attracting a new wave of creative users to the ecosystem.

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

Terms and Conditions:

Yes