Last updated a month ago
Cardano users lack secure, first-class hardware wallet support; current devices offer only basic signing, leaving users exposed to blind signing risks. Signing exploits cost users $1.7B in 2024.
Enable Cardano on GridPlus devices with firmware, SDKs, wallet integration, docs, and support. Include feasibility research for smart-contract decoding; stretch for delivery.
Please provide your proposal title
First-Class Cardano Support for GridPlus Hardware
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
350000
Please specify how many months you expect your project to last
12
Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated
No
Original Language
en
What is the problem you want to solve?
Cardano users lack secure, first-class hardware wallet support; current devices offer only basic signing, leaving users exposed to blind signing risks. Signing exploits cost users $1.7B in 2024.
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
While not all deliverables will be fully open source, our project builds on and contributes to GridPlus’s existing open source work (github.com/GridPlus). Public repos use permissive licenses such as MIT and Apache 2.0. Components intended for community integration will follow the same model.
Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal
Security
Describe your established collaborations.
GridPlus has strong ecosystem partnerships. We are one of only three hardware wallets supported by MetaMask (with Ledger and Trezor), now expanding multichain. We are also integrated with Rabby, NuFi, and others across the crypto landscape. These collaborations demonstrate proven capacity for deep wallet integrations at scale. This proposal extends that record into the Cardano ecosystem, starting with NuFi as anchor partner but aiming for broad support across Eternl, Nami, Flint, Lace, and more.
Describe funding commitments.
We request ₳350,000 to deliver full Cardano hardware support: firmware, SDKs, wallet integration, documentation, training, and long-term maintenance. This includes dedicated research into advanced smart-contract transaction decoding on-device. GridPlus commits senior firmware and SDK engineers, QA, and support resources to deliver against milestones with accountability, transparency, and measurable outputs that the Cardano community can verify.
Describe your key performance metrics.
Firmware enabling ADA, token, staking, and dApp support released.
SDK updates published and integrated by partner wallets.
Successful NuFi integration delivered.
Public user and developer documentation published.
GridPlus support team trained and capable of handling Cardano tickets.
Revised firmware and SDK releases published.
Feasibility report on advanced smart-contract decoding delivered.
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
GridPlus will deliver native Cardano support on our hardware wallets, beginning with Lattice1 and extending to our next-gen device. Firmware will implement CIP-1852/19 for key derivation, CIP-21 for secure signing, and on-device decoding of transaction fields including inputs, outputs, assets, staking, and fees. SDKs and APIs will be updated for Cardano flows, and a demo integration with NuFi will validate real-world usability. Documentation and training will ensure long-term support for Cardano users. A dedicated milestone will research advanced smart contract decoding approaches, producing a feasibility report and roadmap to guide delivery of the stretch goal.
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
This project elevates Cardano to first-class support on enterprise-grade GridPlus devices, used by tens of thousands worldwide. By going beyond Ledger and Trezor parity, we improve security with on-device transaction decoding and prepare for advanced smart contract decoding. The NuFi demo integration ensures immediate ecosystem value, while documentation and SDK updates make adoption straightforward for other wallets such as Eternl, Nami, Flint, and Lace. Cardano will be a launch-ready chain on our next-generation device, positioning the ecosystem as a leader in secure hardware UX and driving broader mainstream adoption.
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?
GridPlus pioneered the first hardware wallets for secure smart contract signing. We shipped the world's first secure touschreen hardware wallet and were the first to do on-device transaction decoding for Ethereum and Solana. We remain the only hardware wallet provider with a hardware-encrypted private key and seedphrase backup solution and provide the only solution for single device signing with unlimited seed phrases. We have a proven track record of executing complex firmware, SDK, and integration projects on time, including collaborations with MetaMask, Rabby, NuFi, and others.
Milestone Title
Key Derivation & Signing
Milestone Outputs
This milestone establishes the foundation for Cardano support on GridPlus devices. The firmware will implement CIP-1852 (hierarchical deterministic derivation paths for Cardano) and CIP-19 (address specifications for enterprise, payment, and staking addresses). CIP-21 rules for hardware wallet signing will also be embedded, ensuring compliance with Cardano’s hardware wallet standards. Deliverables include updated firmware that can derive keys and addresses, generate valid stake/payment keys, and produce Cardano transaction signatures at the CBOR level. Additionally, SDK scaffolding will be created to expose these flows to external developers, including initial APIs for key derivation and signing. Documentation will describe the implementation and initial test vectors will validate correctness.
Acceptance Criteria
Device generates valid Cardano addresses and keys according to CIP-1852/19.
Device successfully signs standard Cardano transactions and matches reference test vectors.
SDK scaffolding exposes key derivation and signing APIs with example usage.
Evidence of Completion
Public release of updated firmware and SDK scaffolding.
Automated test results confirming address and signing compliance.
Demonstration video showing device generating addresses and signing testnet transaction vectors.
Delivery Month
2
Cost
50000
Progress
20 %
Milestone Title
Transaction Decoding & SDK Updates
Milestone Outputs
This milestone builds on the foundation by extending the firmware to decode and display transaction fields in a user-readable format on the device. Core fields include inputs, outputs, fees, staking certificates, validity intervals, and multi-asset transfers. CIP-67 labels will be supported to make multi-asset transactions more understandable. The device will also indicate the presence of Plutus scripts, inline datums, and redeemers, ensuring users are warned that smart contracts are involved, even if full semantic decoding is not yet implemented. SDKs will be updated to support Cardano transactions end-to-end: parsing, serialization, device interaction, and building flows for ADA payments and staking. Automated tests will cover typical transactions, including staking delegation and simple token transfers.
Acceptance Criteria
Device displays clear and correct transaction fields (amounts, addresses, fees, staking, assets).
SDK updated to support building and signing full Cardano transactions.
Transactions signed with the device are broadcastable and verifiable on Cardano testnet.
Evidence of Completion
Updated SDK repo with Cardano transaction support and examples.
Demo video of device decoding and approving ADA and staking transactions.
Testnet transaction hashes published as proof of validity.
Delivery Month
4
Cost
60000
Progress
40 %
Milestone Title
NuFi Integration (Demo Wallet)
Milestone Outputs
This milestone delivers the first ecosystem wallet integration for GridPlus Cardano support. We will create a CIP-30 adapter to allow the Lattice1 to function seamlessly with Cardano wallets. As a proof-of-concept, we will integrate with NuFi on testnet, enabling users to connect their device, view balances, and sign transactions. Deliverables include the adapter itself, the integration work within NuFi’s testnet build, and documentation for extending the adapter to other wallets (Eternl, Nami, Flint, Lace). This milestone demonstrates real-world usage and provides a template for broader adoption.
Acceptance Criteria
Users can connect GridPlus devices to NuFi via CIP-30.
Device signs and approves transactions in NuFi testnet with decoded transaction data visible on-device.
Documentation produced to allow other wallets to adopt the adapter.
Evidence of Completion
NuFi testnet build with Lattice1 support.
Demo video showing end-to-end integration from wallet connect to transaction broadcast.
Public documentation on adapter integration process.
Delivery Month
6
Cost
50000
Progress
50 %
Milestone Title
Documentation & Support Enablement
Milestone Outputs
This milestone focuses on knowledge transfer and ecosystem readiness. User documentation will be produced covering setup, sending and receiving ADA, staking flows, and interacting with dApps. Developer documentation will provide guides for SDK usage and adapter integration. Internal training materials will prepare GridPlus support staff to handle Cardano tickets confidently. Deliverables include a full documentation set, examples in SDK repos, and confirmation that support staff can respond to Cardano-related issues.
Acceptance Criteria
User-facing documentation published publicly on GridPlus website and GitHub.
Developer guides demonstrate end-to-end SDK and adapter flows.
Support staff trained and able to handle Cardano customer tickets effectively.
Evidence of Completion
Documentation site updated with Cardano guides.
Public SDK examples covering Cardano flows.
Internal training report verifying support team readiness.
Delivery Month
6
Cost
40000
Progress
60 %
Milestone Title
Advanced Decoding Research
Milestone Outputs
This milestone addresses the long-term goal of advanced smart contract transaction decoding on-device. The work will involve researching methods to interpret Plutus datums and redeemers in a user-friendly way within firmware constraints. The study will evaluate existing proposals like CIP-57 “Contract Blueprints” and consider alternative designs, ensuring flexibility if standards evolve. Deliverables include a published research report, an analysis of feasibility and risks, and a rudimentary prototype parser if practical. If decoding proves feasible for the stretch goal, the report will provide a roadmap and clear rationale, setting the stage for a future funding round or the conditional stretch milest.
Acceptance Criteria
Published research report analyzing technical feasibility, risks, and approaches.
Clear roadmap for delivering advanced decoding, including dependencies and risks if the stretch goal is attainable within the scope of our Round14 proposal.
Evidence of Completion
Public research report in documentation repo.
Video or presentation summarizing findings for Cardano community feedback.
Delivery Month
10
Cost
50000
Progress
80 %
Milestone Title
Final Release & Maintenance
Milestone Outputs
The final milestone delivers production-ready firmware and SDKs, demonstrates NuFi mainnet integration, and provides a maintenance window for fixes. Deliverables include a signed firmware release supporting Cardano, SDK v1.0 tagged and published, and live NuFi integration confirmed. The maintenance window ensures post-release reliability, bug resolution, and user support.
Acceptance Criteria
Firmware released with Cardano support and available to all users.
SDK published with Cardano support.
NuFi confirms functional mainnet integration with Lattice1.
Maintenance period includes resolution of identified bugs or issues.
Evidence of Completion
Firmware release notes and downloadable build.
Public SDK release and documentation.
Demo video of Cardano transaction signing via NuFi on mainnet.
Broad social media promotion of the new features and Cardano ecosystem developer outreach.
Delivery Month
10
Cost
100000
Progress
100 %
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
Budget & Costs (₳250k core + ₳100k stretch)
Firmware dev: ₳100k
SDKs/APIs: ₳30k
Wallet integration: ₳50k
Documentation & support: ₳40k
Feasibility research: ₳25k
Maintenance & release: ₳25k
Stretch goal: ₳100k (full smart-contract decoding delivery)
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
This proposal delivers a critical upgrade for Cardano hardware wallets, removing blind signing risks and enabling secure integration across multiple wallets. Funding ensures accountable milestone-based delivery, with SDK resources published for ecosystem-wide benefit. Research into advanced decoding is included, ensuring technical pathways are identified for future stretch implementation.
Terms and Conditions:
Yes
At a minimum, GridPlus will allocate:
3 senior software engineers for SDKs, APIs, and wallet integration.
2 senior firmware engineers for device signing, decoding, and firmware work.
Our hardware engineering lead for secure hardware integration and roadmap alignment.
Our CEO to act as project manager and liaison to the Catalyst project and Cardano ecosystem.