Last updated 8 months ago
The absence of Portuguese materials on Aiken hinders the training of Brazilian, Portuguese, and Lusophone developers in the Cardano ecosystem.
Develop a 200h online course in Portuguese, with a practical focus on Aiken and Cardano tools, training 100 new Lusophone developers.
Please provide your proposal title
Aiken Course for Devs in Brazil, Portugal & Beyond
Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA
60000
Please specify how many months you expect your project to last
12
Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated
Yes
Original Language
pt
What is the problem you want to solve?
The absence of Portuguese materials on Aiken hinders the training of Brazilian, Portuguese, and Lusophone developers in the Cardano ecosystem.
Supporting links
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
Please provide details on the intellectual property (IP) status of your project outputs, including whether they will be released as open source or retained under another licence.
No dependencies
Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal
Training
Who you’re targeting, how you’ll reach them, and why this matters for Cardano?
The project targets Brazilian, Portuguese, and Lusophone developers interested in Cardano. Outreach will be done through social media, online events, partnerships with developer communities, and Cardano channels on Telegram, Discord, and Twitter. This matters for Cardano because it expands the pool of qualified developers in a language with little current support, strengthening the ecosystem and increasing cultural diversity among builders.
Provide a list of key activities of your project:
Key activities include: preparation and organization of course content; delivery of 200h of live synchronous classes (50 weeks, 4h per week); recording and publishing lessons with supporting materials; hands-on exercises using Aiken, Cardano-CLI, PyCardano, Blockfrost, Demeter.run, Kupo, and Ogmios; development of individual mini-projects; final group projects creating mini dApps; and course promotion within Lusophone Cardano communities for ongoing engagement.
What are your success metrics?
Success will be measured by enrolling 100 active students with at least a 70% completion rate. Expected outcomes include 100 individual mini-projects and about 20 final group projects resulting in functional mini dApps. Additional metrics include community engagement in Portuguese-speaking Cardano channels, growth of active Lusophone developers, and increased participation in ecosystem initiatives such as Catalyst proposals and dApp development.
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
The lack of structured materials in Portuguese about Aiken limits access for Brazilian, Portuguese, and Lusophone developers to the Cardano ecosystem. To address this, we propose the development of a 200-hour online course, delivered over 50 weeks, with 4 hours of live weekly classes. Sessions will be recorded and supported by additional study materials.
The course will follow a hands-on methodology (learning by doing), using living code during classes to ensure students learn by directly programming smart contracts in Aiken. The pedagogical design is modular and progressive, covering the fundamentals of Cardano blockchain up to the development of complete decentralized applications (dApps).
Structure and Content
The program will be divided into 11 modules (200h total):
Introduction & Setup (4h) – Installing Aiken, setting up the environment (Demeter.run), first project.
Cardano Fundamentals (20h) – Deterministic transactions, UTXO/EUTXO model, Plutus VM, key CIPs, and hands-on practice with cardano-cli for transaction simulations.
Aiken Fundamentals (20h) – Types, functions, modules, recursion, functional programming patterns, and best practices.
On-Chain Scripts (24h) – Datum, redeemer, validators, stdlib usage, and first unit tests using Aiken’s native testing framework.
Analysis & Optimization (16h) – Property-based testing, execution cost analysis, trace reporting, debugging, and UPLC inspection.
Off-Chain & Blockfrost (28h) – Integration with Python + PyCardano, Blockfrost API, Kupo, and Ogmios.
Front-End & Lucid Evolution & Mesh (28h) – Using Lucid Evolution (React/Vue) and Mesh (React) for dApp frontends.
Best Practices & CIPs (8h) – Study of relevant CIPs and coding standards for Cardano development.
Individual Mini-Project (12h) – Implementation of a simple Aiken contract with off-chain integration.
Final Group Project (28h) – Collaborative development of a complete mini dApp, including testing and debugging across on-chain, off-chain, and frontend.
Capstone & Evaluation (12h) – Final project presentations, feedback, and certification.
* Initial curriculum subject to adjustments based on group feedback, Aiken’s evolution, and practical learning needs.
Practical Activities
Each module includes applied exercises. Students will deliver:
Individual mini-project: a simple Aiken contract integrated with off-chain logic.
Final group project: a collaborative mini dApp including on-chain, off-chain, and frontend components, tested and validated as a team.
Methodology
The course emphasizes continuous practice, starting from deterministic transaction modeling and UTXO exercises, progressing into on-chain smart contracts and complete dApps. It integrates unit testing, property-based testing, and testnet simulations throughout. All code will be released as open source under MIT license, and course materials under Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY), ensuring free access and reuse.
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
The main impact of this project is to significantly expand the Cardano developer community in Portuguese-speaking regions by providing a structured Aiken course with practical integration of off-chain and front-end tools. Currently, most Aiken resources are only available in English, which excludes a large number of potential developers from Brazil, Portugal, and other Lusophone countries.
By removing the language barrier and offering a practical learning path, the course will enable the training of 100 new developers in Aiken, equipping them to build smart contracts, integrate off-chain solutions with PyCardano, Blockfrost, Kupo, and Ogmios, and develop user interfaces with Lucid Evolution and Mesh. This will create a new generation of builders capable of proposing and executing projects within the Cardano ecosystem.
The impact extends beyond individual training. The project will also generate an open knowledge base, since all code will be released under an open source MIT license and all course materials under Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY). This ensures the course delivers long-term value to the Cardano community, allowing other educators to adapt and reuse the material, multiplying its reach and sustainability.
Additionally, the course will introduce best practices and official standards through the study of CIPs, encouraging students to follow established guidelines for quality and interoperability. This alignment ensures that new developers are equipped to produce robust, secure, and ecosystem-compatible solutions.
In the medium and long term, expected impacts include:
Cultural and linguistic diversity: bringing Lusophone communities into active Cardano development.
New Catalyst proposals: encouraging project submissions from teams in Brazil, Portugal, Angola, Mozambique, and other Portuguese-speaking countries.
Academic integration: universities may use the material in blockchain extension programs, creating stronger ties between Cardano and the academic environment.
Business ecosystem growth: local companies will have access to trained developers capable of creating Cardano-based solutions, fostering adoption in corporate and entrepreneurial contexts.
Multiplier effect: graduates will be able to become instructors, mentors, and knowledge multipliers, further strengthening the community.
This impact is strategic for the future of Cardano, as the inclusion of new languages is essential for the network to consolidate itself as a truly global and decentralized blockchain, with active participation from diverse communities. A course in Portuguese is not just about technical training; it represents a movement of inclusion, knowledge democratization, and sustainable ecosystem growth for Cardano.
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?
Am an experienced software developer active since 2009, with a background as a Software Development Technician (SENAI CIMATEC, Brazil) and an Interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science and Technology (UFBA, Brazil). Throughout my career, I have worked with multiple programming languages, including Delphi, Java, Python, JavaScript, C# .NET, and C++, and I am currently a programmer in robotics innovation projects and operator of the Cardanistas Stake Pool.
I participated in the Plutus Pioneer Program and actively contribute to the Cardano ecosystem by producing educational videos in Portuguese for developers and presenting at events on Cardano technologies, such as in this video playlist: Cardano Development Talks – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBdKPpWcrnCCanrWW6M9pWErCqV8ecSpq. This demonstrates my ongoing engagement with both the technology and the community.
The feasibility of this project is supported by:
Proven technical expertise: over a decade of software development and direct experience with blockchain technologies.
Community engagement: existing network through educational content, events, and the Cardanistas Stake Pool.
Structured methodology: a clear 200-hour curriculum, divided into modules, with progressive learning and validation through individual and group projects.
Open-source approach: all code and course materials will be publicly available, ensuring transparency, accountability, and community validation.
To validate feasibility, progress will be measured by clear milestones: curriculum development, delivery of live classes, availability of recorded sessions and materials, and submission of student projects. This approach ensures high accountability and allows the community to track the project’s impact in real time.
Milestone Title
Foundations: Setup & Cardano Basics
Milestone Outputs
Completion of the first two modules:
Module 1: Introduction & Setup (4h) – Installing Aiken, configuring the development environment with Demeter.run, and running first examples.
Module 2: Cardano Fundamentals (20h) – Study of deterministic transactions, UTXO/EUTXO model, Plutus VM, and relevant CIPs. Practical exercises with cardano-cli to simulate transactions.
This milestone also includes marketing and outreach activities to promote the course among Brazilian, Portuguese, and Lusophone developer communities.
Acceptance Criteria
Development environment fully set up and accessible to students.
Recorded introductory content and documentation available.
Delivery of exercises demonstrating understanding of UTXO/EUTXO and cardano-cli usage.
Minimum of 80% of students completing the first exercises.
Marketing campaign launched with outreach on social media, Cardano community channels, and developer networks.
Evidence of Completion
GitHub repository with code examples from the modules.
Video recordings of the classes made available.
Report of student engagement (attendance and submitted exercises).
Feedback survey from students confirming understanding of fundamentals.
Report of marketing activities (ads, posts, campaigns, partnerships).
Delivery Month
2
Cost
12104
Progress
20 %
Milestone Title
Aiken Core Development: Fundamentals, Scripts & Testing
Milestone Outputs
Completion of:
Module 3 (20h): Aiken Fundamentals – Types, functions, modules, recursion, best practices.
Module 4 (24h): On-Chain Scripts – Datum, redeemer, validators, stdlib usage, first unit tests.
Module 5 (16h): Analysis & Optimization – Property-based testing, execution cost analysis, trace reporting, debugging, UPLC inspection.
Acceptance Criteria
Students able to write and test Aiken contracts with validators.
Delivery of first exercises with unit testing and property-based testing.
Documentation and examples published in open repositories.
Evidence of Completion
GitHub repo with working validators and test examples.
Video recordings of classes available.
Student assignments demonstrating smart contract deployment and testing.
Delivery Month
6
Cost
18000
Progress
40 %
Milestone Title
Integration: Off-Chain Development & Front-End Interfaces
Milestone Outputs
Completion of:
Module 6 (28h): Off-Chain & Blockfrost – Integration with Python + PyCardano, Blockfrost API, Kupo, Ogmios.
Module 7 (28h): Front-End & Lucid Evolution & Mesh – Using Lucid Evolution (React/Vue) and Mesh (React) for user interfaces connected to smart contracts.
Module 8 (8h): Best Practices & CIPs – Study of relevant CIPs and coding standards.
Acceptance Criteria
Students able to integrate on-chain logic with off-chain services and front-end UI.
Examples of working dApp components delivered.
At least 80% of students able to complete integration exercises.
Evidence of Completion
GitHub repositories with off-chain scripts and front-end integrations.
Recorded lessons and supporting material available.
Demo videos of dApp prototypes functioning in testnet.
Delivery Month
9
Cost
21000
Progress
70 %
Milestone Title
Projects, Capstone & Certification
Milestone Outputs
Completion of:
Module 9 (12h): Individual Mini-Project – Each student delivers a simple contract integrated with off-chain logic.
Module 10 (28h): Final Group Project – Teams deliver a complete mini dApp including on-chain, off-chain, and front-end components.
Module 11 (12h): Capstone & Evaluation – Presentations, feedback, certification.
Acceptance Criteria
Successful submission of 100 individual projects and ~20 group mini dApps, all tested and functioning in testnet. Minimum of 70% student completion rate. Certificates issued to graduates, with results documented and shared with the Cardano community.
Evidence of Completion
GitHub repositories containing student projects (individual and group), video recordings of demo presentations, final evaluation reports, and certification records. Public report summarizing completion statistics, lessons learned, and overall course impact.
Delivery Month
12
Cost
8896
Progress
100 %
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
The total requested budget is 60,000 ADA (~25,800 USD), calculated at an exchange rate of 1 ADA = 0.43 USD. The budget is allocated as follows:
Instructor remuneration – 20,800 USD (81%)
Compensation for course preparation and delivery.
200h of live classes (4h per week, over 50 weeks).
1,000h of preparation (5h of preparation per teaching hour).
Total: 1,200h of work.
Effective rate: ~17,33 USD/hour.
Marketing and Outreach – 5,000 USD (19%)
Promotion of the course to ensure wide participation from Brazilian, Portuguese, and Lusophone developer communities. Includes advertising, social media campaigns, and community engagement.
Administrative and Support Resources – included in remuneration
All additional costs such as hosting materials, recordings, and support will be covered within the instructor’s allocation, ensuring no extra overhead.
Total: 25,800 USD (60,000 ADA @ 0.43 USD/ADA).
This budget ensures fair compensation for instructional work, transparent allocation of marketing resources, and no unnecessary overhead. The open-source nature of the project (MIT for code, CC BY for course materials) guarantees long-term value for the Cardano community beyond the funded period.
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
The project represents excellent value for money, delivering a 200-hour structured course with 1,200 hours of instructor dedication (including preparation and delivery) at an effective rate of ~17.33 USD/hour, which is competitive and very low for specialized technical training.
The budget not only funds live instruction but also creates a permanent knowledge base: all course code will be open source under MIT, and all learning materials under Creative Commons (CC BY). This ensures the ecosystem benefits far beyond the funded period, as the materials will remain freely available for reuse and adaptation by the global community.
The goal of training 100 new Lusophone developers creates a strong multiplier effect: each trained developer will be able to contribute to Cardano dApps, participate in Catalyst proposals, and share knowledge in their local communities. By expanding Cardano education to Portuguese-speaking regions, the project addresses a currently underserved language group and opens doors for new adoption, innovation, and cultural diversity in the ecosystem.
In summary, the project transforms 60,000 ADA into long-term educational infrastructure, immediate developer onboarding, and lasting growth of the Cardano community in a global region with immense potential.
I confirm that the proposal is a non-technical initiative, with ≤20% of the budget for tech support.
Yes
I confirm that the proposal provides verifiable evidence (portfolio, links, reports) of the team's ability to deliver the project.
Yes
I confirm that the proposer and all team members are in good standing with prior Catalyst projects.
Yes
I confirm that the proposal includes clear objectives with both Output Metrics (what proposal did) and Adoption-Focused Metrics (what effect proposal had).
Yes
I confirm that the proposal clearly explains the user journey and provides a credible plan for how the project will equip and motivate users for future on-chain activity.
Yes
I confirm that the initiative clearly demonstrates how it will grow the Cardano ecosystem or onboard users.
Yes
I confirm that the project plan and timeline (≤ 12 months) are realistic and well-defined.
Yes
I confirm that the proposal commits to public outputs and justifies any exceptions.
Yes
I confirm that the budget adheres to all policies: it is for future work, follows the merchandise rule, and excludes establishing local treasuries, incentives/giveaways, re-grants.
Yes
I Agree
Yes
Ático Mismana (role: Instructor): Experienced software developer active since 2009. Background as Software Development Technician (SENAI CIMATEC, Brazil) and Interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science and Technology (UFBA, Brazil). Professional experience with multiple programming languages, including Delphi, Java, Python, JavaScript, C# .NET, and C++. Currently programmer in robotics innovation projects and operator of the Cardanistas Stake Pool.
Participant of the Plutus Pioneer Program. Contributor to the Cardano ecosystem through the production of educational videos in Portuguese for developers and presentations at events on Cardano technologies, such as the playlist: Cardano Development Talks – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBdKPpWcrnCCanrWW6M9pWErCqV8ecSpq. Demonstrated ongoing engagement with both technology and the Cardano community.