Last updated 8 months ago
Cardano projects often fail due to lack of funding, developers, and marketing support. No central hub exists to connect these resources. Project have to look through fragmented channels.
An on-chain marketplace connecting Cardano projects with developers, marketers, and investors. Includes a reputation system, escrow smart contracts, and crowdfunding module.
This is the total amount allocated to HatchHub - The fundraising platform for Cardano Projects.
Please provide your proposal title
HatchHub - The fundraising platform for Cardano Projects
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
100000
Please specify how many months you expect your project to last
9
Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated
No
Original Language
en
What is the problem you want to solve?
Cardano projects often fail due to lack of funding, developers, and marketing support. No central hub exists to connect these resources. Project have to look through fragmented channels.
Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?
No
Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'
No dependencies
Will your project's outputs be fully open source?
No
License and Additional Information
Core smart contracts, APIs, and backend logic will be released under MIT License to support ecosystem adoption. The frontend design and brand-specific assets remain proprietary.
Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal.
Governance
Describe what makes your idea innovative compared to what has been previously funded (whether by you or others).
Unlike existing freelance platforms, HatchHub is fully on-chain. Escrow, reputation, and crowdfunding are integrated into Cardano smart contracts – creating a trustless launchpad for Web3 projects. It can be compared to a hybrid solution between fiverr and indiegogo.
Describe what your prototype or MVP will demonstrate, and where it can be accessed.
The MVP will be a functional web platform on Cardano where projects can launch, hire, and fundraise. Core features include wallet login, project listing, and smart-contract-based funding. Public beta accessible via browser with real testnet launches to validate workflows and usability before mainnet release.
Describe realistic measures of success, ideally with on-chain metrics.
The MVP will be a functional web platform on Cardano where projects can launch, hire, and fundraise. Core features include wallet login, project listing, and smart-contract-based funding. Public beta accessible via browser with real testnet launches to validate workflows and usability before mainnet release.
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
HatchHub solves a critical gap in the Cardano ecosystem: the lack of a professional, on-chain hub for projects to find talent and funding. Traditional freelance platforms do not integrate blockchain-native payments or governance. SNEKHub combines three modules:
Talent Marketplace: Developers and marketers list services, projects post jobs. Escrow ensures fair payments.
Crowdfunding Launchpad: Projects raise ADA via milestone-based crowdfunding, directly tied to smart contracts.
Reputation & Governance: Completed work and funding history build on-chain reputation scores, creating trust between participants.
The MVP will demonstrate core flows: posting a project, hiring talent, releasing payments via escrow, and contributing to crowdfunding. The platform is accessible via browser and wallet integration (Nami, Lace, Eternl).
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
HatchHub will reduce failure rates for Cardano startups by giving them immediate access to talent and funding. By creating transparent, smart-contract-secured interactions, it builds credibility in the ecosystem. A vibrant marketplace accelerates adoption of ADA in real-world use cases: project funding, job payments, and governance.
This strengthens Cardano’s positioning as a builder-friendly ecosystem and creates positive feedback loops: more projects → more demand for ADA → more active community engagement.
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?
The team has strong expertise in blockchain development, UX/UI design, and community engagement. Prior projects include NFT Mining and Real World Asset cardano integration.
Feasibility is ensured by a staged approach: testnet MVP → audit → mainnet beta. We will validate usability with real pilot projects and engage community testers. Partnerships with developer guilds and Cardano communities (Discord/Twitter) will ensure adoption from day one.
Milestone Title
MVP Architecture & Smart Contract Development
Milestone Outputs
Full architecture design including modular contracts for escrow, crowdfunding, and reputation tracking. Core smart contracts developed in Aiken/Plutus and deployed on testnet with supporting documentation. Internal test transactions executed to validate payment flows and security assumptions.
Acceptance Criteria
Functional testnet contracts for escrow and crowdfunding. Developers and testers can post mock projects, execute hires, and simulate payments with ADA test tokens. Documentation is published and reviewed internally.
Evidence of Completion
GitHub repository with smart contract code, deployed testnet contract addresses, technical demo video.
Delivery Month
5
Cost
40000
Milestone Title
Frontend Development & Wallet Integration
Milestone Outputs
Browser-accessible frontend with project posting flow, developer/marketer profiles, and wallet connection (Nami, Eternl, Lace). UI components built for escrow transactions and crowdfunding contributions. Closed alpha where test users can interact with contracts via a usable interface.
Acceptance Criteria
Users can connect wallets, post projects, apply to jobs, and initiate funding contributions. Escrow release and crowdfunding participation must trigger on-chain testnet transactions visible in block explorers.
Evidence of Completion
Deployed testnet frontend URL, demo recordings of wallet interactions, GitHub commits and cardano testnet txs.
Delivery Month
7
Cost
20000
Milestone Title
Community Beta & External Audit
Milestone Outputs
Public testnet beta launched with pilot projects and individual users actively using the platform for hiring, payments, and crowdfunding. Smart contracts are submitted to a professional third-party security auditor, with comprehensive user testing sessions conducted and all feedback systematically collected, documented, and integrated into the platform’s next iteration.
Acceptance Criteria
At least 5 real projects or individual contributors successfully onboard and complete end-to-end transactions (escrow payments, crowdfunding contributions, or project hires). An official third-party audit report is delivered, all high- or medium-severity issues are resolved, and community documentation is updated based on collected user feedback to demonstrate readiness for mainnet deployment.
Evidence of Completion
Audit report PDF, user survey results, analytics showing ≥5 projects funded or hires executed on testnet
Delivery Month
7
Cost
20000
Milestone Title
Mainnet Launch & Marketing Push
Milestone Outputs
HatchHub deployed on Cardano mainnet with all three modules live (escrow, crowdfunding, reputation). Marketing campaign including Twitter, Discord AMAs, and partnerships with Cardano communities. Educational materials (how-to guides, explainer videos) published.
Acceptance Criteria
At least 10 projects must be successfully onboarded, each demonstrating functional listings, hires, or funding campaigns. A minimum of 20 smart contracts must be executed on-chain, covering both escrow and crowdfunding events. The reputation system must generate and display a verifiable, trackable history of user activity, including project completions, payment releases, and community feedback, ensuring transparency and accountability for all stakeholders.
Evidence of Completion
Mainnet contract addresses visible on chain, dashboard analytics showing project activity, marketing metrics (campaign reach, engagement).
Delivery Month
9
Cost
20000
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
Smart Contract Development: 25k ADA
Frontend & dApp Development: 25k ADA
Infrastructure & Hosting: 15k ADA
Audits & Security Reviews: 15k ADA
Community Testing & Onboarding: 10k ADA
Project Management & Operations: 10k ADA
Total: 100k ADA
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
For 100k ADA, Catalyst funds a critical piece of reusable infrastructure that lowers failure risk for all future Cardano projects. Each project onboarded multiplies the value by creating jobs, transactions, and visibility. By being open-source and audited, the system will remain a public good. Compared to traditional development costs, this budget delivers strong impact per ADA, while ensuring community ownership and long-term sustainability.
Terms and Conditions:
Yes
Maciej Giedzinski & Jesse Brooks - BabySnek founders
We have a team of skilled cardano developers and a marketing team that we would build the project with.