Cardano Developer ETL & Metrics Toolkit for DeFi

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Cardano Developer ETL & Metrics Toolkit for DeFi

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

75000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

7

[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?

Cardano dApp developers lack standardized, reusable ETL tools and metrics to easily analyze on-chain data for DeFi and governance, causing duplicated effort and slow iteration speed.

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://v0-cardano-de-fi-toolkit.vercel.app/

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

Cardano Indexer/Data Source: The ETL pipelines will rely on existing Cardano indexers like DB-Sync, Yaci Store, or Blockfrost to extract raw blockchain data. Choosing a stable, well-documented indexer with accessible APIs is critical for reliable, timely data ingestion.​ On-Chain Data Availability

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

Yes

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.

Apache 2.0 License

[Theme Selection] Theme

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

Analytics

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Describe what makes your idea innovative compared to what has been previously launched in the market (whether by you or others).

The project’s innovation lies in its focused, developer-centric ETL and metrics toolkit tailored specifically for Cardano’s DeFi and governance verticals—addressing a critical gap not fully covered by existing solutions.

Unlike previous on-chain analytics or visualization projects that mostly target end-users or provide raw data APIs, this toolkit offers:

Standardized, opinionated metric schemas that directly align with common developer use cases, enabling faster integration and iteration for dApps without reinventing ETL processes.

Modular, open-source ETL pipelines designed to transform raw blockchain data from Cardano-specific indexers into actionable KPIs, bridging the gap between data sources and developer needs.

A lean prototype scope manageable by a solo developer, emphasizing rapid delivery and practical adoption rather than broad, enterprise-scale dashboards or tools.

Strong focus on supporting not just DeFi analytics but also governance and Catalyst engagement metrics, facilitating better decision-making and transparency for on-chain voting and DAO participation.

This approach improves upon and builds on prior work by shifting the target from generic dashboards or raw data provision to a reusable, extensible developer toolkit that accelerates Cardano ecosystem growth through better data accessibility, modular design, and practical developer tooling.

It uniquely blends data engineering expertise with blockchain-specific nuances, tailored for the Cardano community’s needs, providing clear utility and scalability potential beyond existing fragmented tools.​

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

The prototype will demonstrate a fully functional ETL pipeline that extracts on-chain data from a Cardano indexer (e.g., DB-Sync or Yaci Store), processes it into standardized metrics tailored for DeFi and governance use cases, and exposes these metrics through a simple REST API and a lightweight web dashboard.

Key demo features include:

Ingesting Cardano testnet data and computing core KPIs like active DeFi users, transaction volumes per wallet, and governance participation scores.

A modular schema design enabling easy extension and adaptation for other Cardano verticals.

An intuitive UI for querying and visualizing metrics, enabling developers and early adopters to validate data accuracy and utility.

The prototype will be deployed on a public Cardano testnet environment and hosted on a cloud platform (e.g., AWS or a decentralized hosting service) with open access to the API and dashboard URLs documented in the project repository.

Open-source code, documentation, and deployment instructions will be available on GitHub, encouraging community testing, feedback, and contributions from Cardano builders and researchers.

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

Number of dApps integrating the toolkit: Aim for at least 3–5 active Cardano dApps using the ETL and metrics API within 6–9 months.

On-chain transaction volume linked to integrated dApps: Track increased transactions or smart contract interactions in protocols leveraging the toolkit’s analytics, targeting a measurable uplift (e.g., 10-20% growth in tx volume).

**User engagement with governance metrics: **Monitor active participation in Catalyst or DAO governance measured by wallet voting activity and proposal interactions informed by toolkit insights.

API usage and dashboard hits: Measure the number of API calls and dashboard views from developer teams and analysts to gauge practical adoption.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

The proposed solution is an open-source, developer-centric ETL and metrics toolkit that systematically extracts raw blockchain data from Cardano indexers, transforms it into standardized KPIs designed specifically for DeFi and governance applications, and exposes these actionable metrics through easy-to-use REST APIs and a lightweight web dashboard.

This addresses the problem of Cardano dApp builders currently lacking reusable, opinionated data pipelines and metric definitions, which leads to duplicated work and slow development cycles. By providing prebuilt, extendable ETL pipelines and specialized metric packs, the solution accelerates data access and insight generation for developers.

Compared to large, enterprise-grade analytics platforms that often serve institutional users or end-user dashboards, this toolkit uniquely targets developers, enabling them to quickly integrate standardized on-chain insights directly into their dApps and governance tooling without reinventing data processing layers.

This approach promotes faster iteration, better decision-making, and increased on-chain activity within the Cardano ecosystem by empowering builders with reliable, modular, and open infrastructure tailored for the chain’s unique data characteristics.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

The project will have a positive impact on the wider Cardano community by significantly lowering barriers for dApp developers and governance teams to access, analyze, and act upon on-chain data. By providing standardized, reusable ETL pipelines and tailored metric kits for DeFi and governance, it accelerates development speed and reduces duplicated engineering effort across projects.

This toolkit empowers builders to optimize protocols and governance processes based on reliable insights, leading to smarter decision-making, enhanced on-chain participation, and better user experiences. Increased data transparency and consistent metrics also foster trust and ecosystem collaboration.

Furthermore, by being open source, the project encourages community contributions and continuous improvement, strengthening Cardano’s data infrastructure ecosystem long-term. This can attract more developers and projects to Cardano, driving sustained on-chain activity, economic growth, and innovation.

[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?

I have the technical expertise as a certified data engineer and a successful track record delivering funded Project Catalyst initiatives, which gives me confidence to execute this project solo with high accountability.

To validate feasibility, I will start by building a minimal proof-of-concept ETL pipeline on Cardano testnet data to verify data accessibility and completeness. Then, I will develop core KPI calculations early to confirm that meaningful metrics can be derived. I will deploy a simple API and dashboard prototype for developer feedback and iterate quickly based on community input gathered via GitHub and Cardano forums.

This phased approach allows me to identify and address technical challenges early, maintain transparency, and demonstrate steady progress through open-source deliverables and milestone reporting. My prior experience managing end-to-end blockchain and data engineering projects equips me to deliver on time and budget while fostering trust within the Cardano ecosystem.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Proof-of-Concept ETL Pipeline

Milestone Outputs

• Design and implement a minimal ETL pipeline extracting raw Cardano testnet data from a selected indexer (e.g., DB-Sync).
• Define standardized, opinionated schema for DeFi and governance metrics.
• Validate data completeness and transformation accuracy with initial test data.

Acceptance Criteria

• ETL pipeline runs end-to-end on Cardano testnet with documented setup and schema.
• At least five key metrics successfully computed from ingested data.
• Automated tests for data integrity and transformation correctness implemented.

Evidence of Completion

Open-source repository with ETL code, schema definitions, and test scripts published.

Demo video or documentation showing working pipeline and sample metrics output on testnet data.

Milestone report detailing architecture and initial validation results.

Delivery Month

3

Cost

20000

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

Metrics API Layer and Developer Dashboard Prototype

Milestone Outputs

Build a RESTful API exposing computed metrics to developers.

Develop a simple web-based dashboard to visualize key DeFi and governance metrics.

Integrate API and dashboard with ETL pipeline for real-time or scheduled updates.

Acceptance Criteria:

API serves cleaned, structured metrics data with documented endpoints.

Dashboard demonstrates interactive exploration of sample protocol and governance KPIs.

User documentation and deployment instructions available.

Acceptance Criteria

API serves cleaned, structured metrics data with documented endpoints.

Dashboard demonstrates interactive exploration of sample protocol and governance KPIs.

User documentation and deployment instructions available.

Evidence of Completion

Open-source code repository updated with API and dashboard.

Publicly accessible demo instance or hosted test deployment.

Milestone report with usage guide, architecture details, and adoption plan.

Delivery Month

5

Cost

30000

Progress

70 %

Milestone Title

Pilot Integrations, Community Engagement & Final Reporting

Milestone Outputs

Collaborate with 1–2 Cardano dApps or Catalyst teams for pilot adoption of toolkit.

Collect feedback and iterate on metrics, usability, and API performance.

Publish comprehensive project documentation, open-source license, and roadmap for future development.

Acceptance Criteria

Successful integration demonstrations with measurable usage or feedback from pilot teams.

Completed community engagement activities including forums, GitHub issues, and feedback loops.

Final project report covering outcomes, lessons learned, and impact metrics.

Evidence of Completion

Public documentation of pilot results and community feedback.

Updated open-source repo reflecting improvements post-feedback.

Final milestone report with technical and community outcomes, budget summary, and impact evaluation.

Delivery Month

7

Cost

25000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Detailed Cost Allocation by Resource Type

1. Development Time (65,000 ADA - 87%)

Full-time development effort across 7 months (~$50-60/hour equivalent)

ETL pipeline engineering, schema design, API development, dashboard prototyping

Testing, debugging, documentation, and iteration based on community feedback

1. Infrastructure & Hosting (5,000 ADA - 7%)

Cloud hosting for API/dashboard demo (AWS/GCP/Vercel): 2,000 ADA

Cardano testnet node/indexer access (DB-Sync/Blockfrost): 1,500 ADA

Domain, CI/CD pipelines (GitHub Actions), monitoring tools: 1,500 ADA

1. Community Engagement & Tools (3,000 ADA - 4%)

Developer outreach (forum posts, Discord bounties, demo videos): 1,500 ADA

Design tools for dashboard UI/UX (Figma/Prototypr): 500 ADA

Documentation tools and video editing: 1,000 ADA

1. Contingency & Reporting (2,000 ADA - 2%)

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

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

At 75,000 ADA (~$30,000 USD equivalent), this project delivers exceptional return on investment for the Cardano ecosystem through:

High Leverage Developer Multiplier Effect

Cost per developer served: <1,000 ADA per integration (targeting 50+ dApps/teams)

One-time investment creates reusable infrastructure benefiting hundreds of builders

Each adopting dApp saves 2-4 weeks of custom ETL development (~10,000 ADA equivalent per project)

Direct On-Chain Economic Impact

text

Investment → Better analytics → Faster dApp iteration → 10-20% tx volume increase per integrated protocol

Eliminates duplicated engineering across 20+ projects annually

Creates network effect - better data → better protocols → more TVL → higher tx fees

ROI Summary: 75,000 ADA creates infrastructure worth 500K+ ADA in avoided development costs, accelerates 10+ dApps to market, and drives sustained on-chain activity generating millions in economic value - all from a lean, focused prototype by a proven solo exe

[Self-Assessment] Self-Assessment Checklist

I confirm that evidence of prior research, whitepaper, design, or proof-of-concept is provided.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal includes ecosystem research and uses the findings to either (a) justify its uniqueness over existing solutions or (b) demonstrate the value of its novel approach.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal demonstrates technical capability via verifiable in-house talent or a confirmed development partner (GitHub, LinkedIn, portfolio, etc.)

Yes

I confirm that the proposer and all team members are in good standing with prior Catalyst projects.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal clearly defines the problem and the value of the on-chain utility.

Yes

I confirm that the primary goal of the proposal is a working prototype deployed on at least a Cardano testnet.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal outlines a credible and clear technical plan and architecture.

Yes

I confirm that the budget and timeline (≤ 12 months) are realistic for the proposed work.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal includes a community engagement and feedback plan to amplify prototype adoption with the Cardano ecosystem.

Yes

I confirm that the budget is for future development only; excludes retroactive funding, incentives, giveaways, re-granting, or sub-treasuries.

Yes

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

I Agree

Yes