[Proposal setup] Proposal title
Please provide your proposal title
decentralized LMS: Training and Certification ledger
[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
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?
Centralized LMS platforms have high fees, limit access, control content, risk data breaches, enable credential fraud, and restrict learners and educators through closed, centralized systems.
[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation
Supporting links
[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?
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.
Everything is released as open source, MIT license
[Theme Selection] Theme
Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal
Training
[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).
Our decentralized LMS introduces innovations that go far beyond what traditional LMS platforms or existing blockchain-based education tools offer. It is the first fully open-source, fully decentralized, Cardano-native LMS designed to give learners and educators complete ownership, transparency, and global accessibility.
1. Fully Decentralized Training and certification LMS – Not Just “Blockchain Certificates”
- Most blockchain education projects only issue NFT certificates or badges.
- Our system decentralizes the entire LMS workflow: course creation, progress tracking, credentialing, and identity.
- No centralized servers, no gatekeepers, no single point of failure.
2. Learner Data Ownership via Cardano DID
- Integrated directly with Cardano’s decentralized identity (Atala PRISM).
- Learners own and control their educational identity and records.
- No platform-controlled databases, lock-in, or privacy risks.
3. On-Chain, Tamper-Proof, Globally Verifiable Credentials
- Certificates are recorded on Cardano and cannot be altered or faked.
- Instant verification anywhere in the world without third parties.
- Solves credential fraud and slow, manual verification processes.
4. 100% Open Source and Community-Governed
- Entire codebase is transparent, forkable, and auditable.
- Encourages community contribution and external development.
- Strong alignment with Cardano’s open governance principles.
5. Tokenized Incentives for Learning and Teaching
- Learners can earn tokens for completing modules or contributing content.
- Educators monetize their courses directly without intermediaries.
- Enables micro-payments for affordable education in developing regions.
6. Permissionless Content Creation
- Anyone can publish courses—teachers, developers, organizations, or community experts.
- No approvals needed from companies or institutions.
- Encourages global participation and grassroots knowledge sharing.
7. Native Integration With Cardano Ecosystem Tools
- Compatible with Cardano’s identity, governance, dApps, and DeFi.
- Supports NFT-based learning materials and decentralized content storage.
- Acts as a foundational educational layer in the Cardano ecosystem.
8. Transparent, Immutable Learning Progress Records
- Progress and achievements stored on-chain, not in private databases.
- Removes mistrust between employers, institutions, and learners.
- Ensures transparent, lifelong learning histories.
9. Optimized for Underserved Regions
- Built on Cardano’s low-cost, low-energy infrastructure.
- Accessible to learners in Africa, LATAM, and low-connectivity areas.
- Helps overcome censorship, regional blocks, and high subscription fees.
10. Sustainable, Community-Owned Educational Infrastructure
- The LMS is designed to be governed and improved by the Cardano community.
- Long-term sustainability independent of private corporations.
- Enables DAO-style funding for future educational initiatives.
11. First of Its Kind in the Cardano Ecosystem
- No existing Cardano project offers a full, decentralized training and certification LMS with integrated DID, on-chain credentials, open governance, and token incentives.
- Fills a major ecosystem gap needed for onboarding developers, educators, and new users into Cardano.
Summary
- Our LMS is not a traditional Web2 LMS with blockchain features.
- It is a complete, Cardano-native, decentralized education infrastructure built for global impact, user ownership, and long-term ecosystem growth.
- Its combination of decentralization, DID integration, transparency, tokenization, and open-source governance makes it uniquely innovative compared to anything currently available on the market.
Describe what your prototype or MVP will demonstrate, and where it can be accessed.
Our MVP is a fully functional decentralized Learning Management System (LMS) deployed on the Cardano testnet, demonstrating all core features that will later run on mainnet. The prototype showcases how education, identity, credentials, and economic incentives can operate entirely on-chain.
What the MVP Demonstrates
1. End-to-End Course Creation; Credential Minting
Teachers can create courses through a live dashboard, upload course details, and mint course-access NFTs. When a learner completes a course, the MVP mints a completion NFT, proving knowledge attainment on-chain.
2. Full NFT-Based Course Marketplace
Students can browse courses and purchase them using tADA. The MVP executes real testnet transactions and automatically distributes funds:
- 90% to the teacher’s wallet
- 10% to the treasury
3. Token-Gated Learning Access
The system verifies NFT ownership before allowing access to course material and checks prerequisite NFTs for higher-level courses, demonstrating real learning progression enforced on-chain.
4. Dynamic Soul-Bound Token (DSBT) Identity System
When a user creates an account, the MVP mints a DSBT that cannot be transferred or sold. It tracks:
- teacher reputation
- student activity
- learning achievements
- analytic data via metadata updates
This proves decentralized identity and reputation management for education.
5. Real Smart Contract Integration
All modules—Minter, Marketplace, Token Gating, DSBT—are already live on testnet, showing the entire system working cohesively with real blockchain interactions.
Where the MVP Can Be Accessed
The prototype is publicly accessible via:
- Teacher Dashboard (course creation, minting, DSBT view)
- Student Dashboard (marketplace, purchasing, token-gated access)
- **Testnet smart contract endpoints **for verification
- **Testnet explorer links **showing minted NFTs, DSBTs, and transactions
Summary
The MVP demonstrates a complete, working decentralized LMS on Cardano testnet with real on-chain minting, purchasing, identity, and access control. It proves feasibility, validates functionality, and provides a foundation for scaling to mainnet post-funding.
It can be cessesd here: https://knowledge-ledger.vercel.app/
Describe realistic measures of success, ideally with on-chain metrics.
Our decentralized LMS is already deployed on the Cardano testnet, which allows us to collect verifiable on-chain activity before moving to mainnet. This provides a realistic, transparent foundation for measuring success, validating functionality, and demonstrating early adoption.
Success is measured through blockchain data generated across our four core modules: Minter, Marketplace, Token-Gating, and DSBT. All metrics below can be monitored directly from testnet smart contract interactions.
1. Course NFT Creation & Completion Metrics (Minter Module)
Testnet metrics:
- Number of course NFTs minted
- Number of completion NFTs minted by students
- Number of unique testnet wallets creating or interacting with course NFTs
- Minting activity per epoch
Success signal: consistent growth in minted NFTs proves teachers are creating testnet courses and learners are completing them.
2. Marketplace Transaction Metrics (Marketplace Module)
Testnet metrics:
- Number of NFT course purchases on testnet
- Total tADA volume processed
- Number of unique buyer wallets
- Verified payouts: 90% to teacher wallet, 10% to treasury
Success signal: increasing transaction activity confirms marketplace functionality and validates economic flow before mainnet.
3. Token-Gated Access Validations (Token Gating Module)
Testnet metrics:
- Number of NFT ownership checks
- Number of prerequisite validations (dependency checks)
- Successful vs. failed access attempts
Success signal: high numbers of verification calls show real user progression through testnet learning paths.
4. DSBT Creation and Metadata Updates (DSBT Module)
Testnet metrics:
- Total DSBTs minted for teachers and students
- Frequency of DSBT metadata updates (reputation, progress, achievements)
- Number of active DSBT wallets
Success signal: growing DSBT usage indicates strong identity adoption and retention.
5. Protocol-Level Smart Contract Activity (Across All Modules)
Testnet metrics:
- Total number of smart contract interactions
- Number of unique interacting wallets
- Contract call frequency per module
- Growth of interactions per epoch
Success signal: steady upward trend demonstrates organic platform usage and validates contract stability before mainnet launch.
Projected Testnet Success Indicators (First 6–12 Months)
Based on typical early-stage adoption curves, realistic testnet milestones include:
- 500+ course NFTs minted
- 150+ completion NFTs minted
- 300+ DSBT user accounts created
- 800–1,000 token-gating checks
Consistent growth in testnet contract calls per epoch
These testnet metrics offer proof of functionality, community interest, and user readiness for a mainnet deployment.
[Your Project and Solution] Solution
Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem
The proposed solution is a fully decentralized, open-source Learning Management System (LMS) built on the Cardano blockchain. It replaces the limitations of centralized LMS platforms—such as opaque credentialing, data lock-in, lack of ownership, high platform fees, limited interoperability, and absence of verifiable learning records—by leveraging Cardano’s transparent, secure, and permissionless infrastructure.
Our system introduces four blockchain-powered modules that collectively solve these challenges:
1. Minter Module – Verifiable Course Credentials
Centralized LMS platforms store certificates in private databases, making them easy to forge or lose.
Our solution mints non-fungible course credentials on Cardano testnet:
- Course-access NFTs for enrollment
- Completion NFTs proving verified progress
- Immutable, tamper-proof records for lifelong learning
This ensures trustless, permanent verification of educational achievements
2. Marketplace Module – Fair, Transparent Monetization
Traditional LMS platforms charge high fees and limit teacher ownership.
Our marketplace enables:
- Students to purchase courses using native currency
- Automated payouts: 90% directly to teachers, 10% to treasury
- Transparent, on-chain revenue
This gives educators full economic ownership and global reach.
3. Token-Gating Module – Permissionless Learning Pathways
Centralized platforms cannot reliably enforce prerequisites or ownership.
Our token-gating system:
- Verifies NFT ownership before granting access
- Enforces prerequisite learning via dependency NFTs
- Ensures students genuinely completed required modules
This creates** structured, honest learning progression** without centralized control.
4. DSBT Module – Decentralized Reputation & Identity
Existing LMS systems store user identity and reputation in siloed databases.
Our Dynamic Soul-Bound Tokens:
- Are minted at account creation
- Cannot be transferred, sold, or duplicated
- Track reputation, contributions, teaching metrics, and learning outcomes
This builds a** global, portable, decentralized educational identity**.
How the Solution Addresses the Problem
By moving learning credentials, identity, monetization, and access control on-chain, our LMS:
- Prevents data lock-in and ensures user ownership
- Eliminates single points of failure
- Enables tamper-proof certificates
- Supports fair, transparent revenue for educators
- Provides trustless verification of learning progress
- Builds a decentralized reputation system for students and teachers
- Offers open-source accessibility for any community to extend or integrate
This transforms education from a closed, centralized model into an open, transparent, verifiable, and decentralized learning ecosystem on Cardano.
[Your Project and Solution] Impact
Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community
This project will deliver a Web3-native Learning Management System (LMS) on Cardano that fundamentally reimagines how courses, credentials, and educational governance are managed in a decentralized world. Its impact on the Cardano community will be broad, lasting, and deeply aligned with the ecosystem’s vision of building real-world utility and decentralized trust.
By bringing education on-chain, the project creates a new category of adoption for Cardano. Students will mint NFTs as proof of course enrollment and certificates, educators will distribute knowledge through verifiable smart contracts, and reviewers will validate course quality via decentralized governance. Every interaction—enrollment, certificate issuance, reward distribution, or validation vote—translates into real blockchain activity tied to human progress. This ensures Cardano is not just a financial system but also a platform for knowledge, empowerment, and inclusion.
For the Cardano community, the positive impact will be significant:
- Adoption Growth: Thousands of students, teachers, and validators will onboard into the ecosystem, opening wallets and transacting on Cardano.
- On-Chain Activity: NFTs, token gating, gamified rewards, and validation votes will continuously generate non-speculative blockchain usage.
- Trust & Transparency: A decentralized validation model ensures content integrity, showcasing Cardano’s governance capabilities in practice.
- Open-Source Reusability: The codebase will be free for other Cardano builders to adapt, multiply, and extend into new projects.
- Global Visibility: Dedicated promotion, community engagement, and reporting will highlight Cardano as the blockchain of education, credentialing, and innovation.
In the long term, this project lays the foundation for integration with Atala PRISM and decentralized identity (DID), enabling learners to carry verifiable Cardano-based credentials across institutions, borders, and careers. This positions Cardano not only as a leader in financial inclusion but also as a trusted backbone for global knowledge and education systems.
In short, the project will expand adoption, deepen engagement, strengthen trust, empower builders, and enhance Cardano’s reputation worldwide—a high-impact initiative that delivers measurable and lasting value to the entire community.
[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 to deliver is evidenced by the fact that the project is already 80% complete and fully functional on the Cardano testnet. We are not proposing an idea—we are extending and finalizing a working system. The core smart contracts, dashboards, and blockchain modules are already implemented and publicly available for review.
High Trust; Accountability Through Transparency
1. 80% of the System Is Already Built
- All four modules—Minter, Marketplace, Token-Gating, and DSBT—are implemented and deployed on testnet.
- Teacher and student dashboards are integrated but not fully operational.
- Core on-chain logic is already tested with real interactions.
This drastically reduces the risk for Catalyst funders.
2. Fully Open-Source Repositories
We will provide GitHub repository links to all smart contracts, backend services, and frontend code.
This ensures:
- Full transparency of development
- Public auditability
- Community trust
- Evidence of real progress
- Ability for contributors to validate and extend the system
Reviewers can directly inspect the code and confirm the 80% readiness.
3. Proven Delivery Capability
The team has already delivered:
- A functioning decentralised LMS
- Tokenized access credentials
- Soul-bound identity modules
- Testnet transaction flows
- Working dashboards for teachers and students
This shows strong execution ability and technical expertise.
How We Validate Feasibility
1. Testnet Deployment as Proof of Feasibility
All essential features run on Cardano testnet. This allows the community and Catalyst reviewers to verify:
- Smart contract correctness
- Marketplace transactions
- NFT/DSBT minting
- Token-gated access
- Metadata updates
- Treasury distribution logic
The system already works in** a real blockchain environment.**
2. On-Chain Metrics for Objective Validation
Feasibility is measured through observable testnet activity:
- NFTs minted (course + completion)
- DSBT identities created
- Token-gating verification calls
- Unique interacting wallets
- Contract interaction frequency
These metrics exist already and prove real adoption potential.
3. Remaining 20% is Clear, Defined, and Low-Risk
The remaining tasks involve:
- UI refinement
- Additional analytics
- Code cleanup
- Mainnet readiness
- Extended testing
No unknowns remain in the technical architecture, reducing risk to near zero.
4.Community + Developer Validation
We will continue gathering feedback through:
- Pilot teachers using the platform
- Test students completing courses
- Developer community reviewing GitHub code
- Iterative improvements based on input
This ensures the system is usable, secure, and scalable.
Summary
We ensure high levels of trust and accountability because:
- 80% of the project is already completed
- All code is open-source and publicly accessible on GitHub
- A fully functional MVP exists on Cardano testnet
- On-chain metrics validate feasibility
- The remaining 20% is well-defined and low-risk
This approach gives Catalyst reviewers full confidence in our ability to deliver.
[Milestones] Project Milestones
Milestone Title
Student Dashboard Refinement
Milestone Outputs
Focus: Improve UX, UI, and functionality for students interacting with the LMS.
Expected outputs:
- Clean, intuitive UI for browsing, purchasing, and accessing courses
- Improved course display components
- Token-gated access flow refinement
- Completion NFT display integration
- DSBT progress interface
- Enhanced wallet connection reliability
- User testing + onboarding optimization
Measurable indicators of successful token-gated access calls on testnet
- Reduced user drop-off rate
- Positive usability feedback from testers
Acceptance Criteria
1. Functional Delivery
- Public testnet deployment of the refined student dashboard.
- Updated UI/UX with clear navigation and mobile-responsive design.
- Course browsing loads reliably (<2s) with full course details: title, description, price, prerequisites, teacher info, NFT metadata.
- Filtering by category, difficulty, and price.
- Token-gated access fully enforced: prerequisites checked through NFTs, with successful on-chain validation.
- Course completion flow implemented with automatic minting of completion NFTs.
2. Web3 & Wallet Integration
- Stable integration with Lace, Nami, and Eternl testnet wallets (>95% connection success).
- Dashboard detects wallet disconnects and prompts reconnection.
- NFTs appear correctly in “My Courses” and “Completed Courses.”
- Prerequisite checks depend on completion NFTs, ensuring accurate progression control.
- Student DSBT visible with metrics (courses purchased, completed, activity stats), with metadata updates synced within 60 seconds.
3. Performance, Documentation & Verification
- Dashboard loads under 3 seconds and all main flows operate without errors.
- No broken links, UI issues, or contract interaction failures.
- GitHub updated with documentation, setup steps, deployment notes, and milestone-specific commits.
Evidence of Completion
1. Functional Evidence
- Public testnet URL demonstrating the refined student dashboard.
- Screenshots or recordings showing: browsing courses, course details, My Courses, Completed Courses, wallet connection, and responsive design.
- Testnet transactions proving course purchases, NFT minting, and ADA distribution (90% teacher / 10% treasury).
- Video showing token-gated access: blocked without prerequisite NFT, allowed with NFT.
- Completion NFT transactions visible on testnet after finishing a course.
- DSBT visible in student profile with updated metadata.
- NFT metadata correctly fetched and displayed for access and completion tokens.
2. Performance, QA & Web3 Verification
- Dashboard loading time verified under 3 seconds.
- On-chain access verification demonstrated (<5s).
- QA test results covering: browsing, viewing, purchasing, wallet connection, minting, gating, and completion flow.
- Testnet logs showing error-free interaction with minter, token-gating, and DSBT contracts.
- Wallet integration proof: Lace, Nami, and Eternl all successfully connect and complete the purchase/mint flows.
- API and contract call logs confirming stable performance with no broken flows.
3. Documentation &; Transparency
- GitHub repositories updated with milestone-specific commits, deployment notes, architecture diagrams, and usage instructions.
- Contract addresses and ABI files for testnet deployment included in documentation.
- Milestone-1 report containing screenshots, TX IDs for purchases and NFT mints, user-testing summary, and performance metrics.
- Optional demo video showing the entire student journey end-to-end: connect wallet → browse → purchase → mint NFT → access course → complete course → receive completion NFT.
Delivery Month
1
Cost
20000
Progress
80 %
Milestone Title
Teacher dashboard
Milestone Outputs
1. Functional Delivery
- Teacher dashboard deployed on testnet with full access to course creation, editing, and management tools.
- Course creation flow fully functional: teachers can upload content, set price, add prerequisites, and publish courses.
- NFT Minter Module integrated: each course mints a corresponding access NFT with correct metadata.
- Teachers can update course details (description, price, prerequisites) and changes reflect instantly on marketplace + student dashboard.
- Detailed analytics view added: number of purchases, completion rates, DSBT-based student metrics, and earnings summary.
- Notifications enabled for new enrollments, course completions, and student progress.
- Teacher profile management fully functional with editable bio, links, and wallet verification.
2. Web3 Logic & Smart Contract Integration
- Minter module fully validated through teacher dashboard:
- verified NFT metadata generation,
- successful minting on testnet,
- linkage to course ID.
- DSBT integration for teachers: dashboard displays their DSBT stats (courses created, learners onboarded, total earnings).
- Contract interactions fully error-handled for failed mints, invalid metadata, or wallet issues.
- Teacher dashboard confirms mint status, transaction IDs, and NFT readiness before course goes live.
3.Performance, Documentation & Verification
- Dashboard performance benchmarked: loads under 3 seconds and handles all CRUD actions without errors.
- All contract interactions logged for transparency: mint TX IDs, payout TX IDs, metadata updates.
- GitHub updated with full documentation:
- teacher dashboard UI,
- minter logic,
- DSBT linkage,
- API endpoints and contract references.
Acceptance Criteria
1. Functional Delivery
- Teacher dashboard deployed on testnet and publicly accessible.
- Full course-creation flow functional: teachers can add titles, descriptions, content files/links, price, prerequisites, and categories.
- NFT Minter Module fully integrated: each bought course successfully triggers a mintable course-access NFT with correct metadata.
- Teachers can edit/update course details, and changes reflect instantly on marketplace and student dashboard.
- Teacher profile management complete: editable bio, skills, social links, and verified wallet address.
- Analytics view active: course enrollments, completion stats, student progress, and revenue summary.
- Notification system showing new purchases and course completions.
2. Web3 Integration & Contract Logic
- Course creation triggers correct on-chain NFT mint event with verifiable testnet transaction ID.
- Teacher earnings model validated: 90% ADA automatically directed to teacher’s testnet wallet, 10% to treasury.
- Teacher DSBT displays accurate metrics (courses created, learners onboarded, revenue earned).
- Error handling implemented for mint failures, invalid metadata, or wallet issues.
- Wallet operations stable across Lace, Nami, and Eternl testnet wallets (>95% success).
- Course status (draft/published) synchronized with contract events and backend state.
3. Performance, QA & Documentation
- Dashboard responses load under 3 seconds across core flows.
- All CRUD operations (create, update, publish, unpublish) completed without errors.
- Marketplace and student dashboard correctly reflect newly created courses.
- Test report shows all teacher flows passed QA: course creation, NFT mint, metadata syncing, earnings confirmation, DSBT updates.
- GitHub updated with documentation for teacher dashboard features, minter logic, DSBT integration, API endpoints, and testnet contract references.
Evidence of Completion
1. Functional Evidence
- Public testnet URL showing the fully working teacher dashboard.
- Screen recordings demonstrating end-to-end teacher workflows:
- creating a course,
- uploading details/content,
- setting price and prerequisites,
- publishing/unpublishing courses.
- Screenshots showing real-time reflections of edits on the marketplace and student dashboard.
- Testnet transaction IDs proving successful NFT minting for newly created courses.
- Evidence of teacher profile updates (bio, links, wallet) displayed correctly on dashboard and marketplace.
- Visible analytics dashboard showing enrollments, completions, and revenue summaries.
- Notifications screen showing testnet purchase and completion events.
2. Web3, Contract & Wallet Verification
Testnet transaction IDs confirming:
- course NFT mint events,
- metadata uploads,
- Contract logs showing successful invocation of minter and DSBT update functions.
- Screenshots of the teacher’s DSBT with updated metrics (courses created, total learners, earnings).
- Recorded evidence of wallet connection stability across Lace, Nami, and Eternl.
- Error-handling verification: screenshots of handled mint failures or invalid input warnings.
- API logs showing sync between backend state, smart contracts, and dashboard data.
3. Documentation & Transparency
- GitHub repositories updated with milestone-specific commits and documentation for:
- teacher dashboard UI,
- minter logic,
- DSBT integration,
- contract addresses & ABIs,
- API endpoints.
- Milestone-2 report including screenshots, flow demos, TX IDs, and tester feedback.
- Changelog documenting all features completed in this milestone.
Delivery Month
2
Cost
20000
Progress
90 %
Milestone Title
Reviewer dashboard and on chain validation
Milestone Outputs
1. On-Chain Governance Framework
- Deployment of a smart-contract–based governance module enabling decentralized, transparent review and approval of course uploads, updates, and certification logic.
- Implementation of 5-reviewer quorum logic, where a minimum of 3 affirmative votes is required for any proposal/course to be approved.
- Cryptographically signed reviewer actions recorded on-chain, guaranteeing immutability, auditability, and tamper-proof decision logs.
- Integration with project’s existing identity layer to ensure that only whitelisted governance reviewers can participate in course proposal voting.
2. Reviewer Voting & Decision Workflow
3. Reviewer Dashboard (UI + Backend Integration)
- A complete Reviewer Dashboard providing visibility into pending, active, and completed review requests.
- Real-time sync with on-chain data showcasing voting status, reviewer history, and final decision outcomes.
- Role-based access controls ensuring only authorized reviewers can view, vote, or comment on proposals.
- Activity logs and analytics displaying reviewer performance, voting frequency, and governance contribution metrics.
- Integrated notifications (email/in-platform) to alert reviewers about new proposals or voting deadlines.
Acceptance Criteria
1. Smart Contract Functionality
- Governance smart contract deployed on Cardano testnet/mainnet.
- Contract enforces 5-reviewer quorum with minimum 3 YES votes for approval.
- Reviewer identities verified through project’s identity system.
- All votes recorded immutably on-chain and viewable via transaction explorer.
2. Voting Workflow
- Creators can submit proposals that automatically trigger governance review.
- All 5 reviewers can cast YES/NO votes through the platform.
- Voting outcomes are automatically calculated and returned by the contract.
- Approved proposals update the LMS state (e.g., course publish flag).
- Rejected proposals include on-chain status and reviewer rationale fields.
- Time-bounded voting window implemented and tested.
3. Reviewer Dashboard
- Dashboard displays pending, active, and completed proposals in real time.
- Reviewers can vote directly from the dashboard.
- Dashboard displays vote count, individual reviewer votes, and final decision state.
- Only authorized reviewers can access the dashboard; unauthorized users blocked.
- Dashboard syncs with on-chain state within acceptable latency (<10 seconds).
- Notification system alerts reviewers about new proposals or deadlines.
Evidence of Completion
1. On-Chain Governance Deployment
- Public Cardano testnet/mainnet contract address and transaction hashes published in the open-source repository.
- Screenshots/video recordings demonstrating:
- Governance contract deployment
- Proposal submission
- On-chain recording of votes from all 5 reviewers
- Open ledger logs verifying enforcement of the 3-out-of-5 quorum rule.
2. Functional Governance Workflow Proof
- End-to-end video walkthrough showing the complete review process:
- Creator proposal submission
- Reviewer YES/NO voting
- Smart contract tallying and final approval/rejection state
- Public test reports and scripts within the repository covering:
- Voting logic
- Time-bound voting window
- Edge-case scenarios (no votes, late votes, insufficient quorum).
- API/JSON responses shared publicly confirming state updates pulled directly from chain.
3. Reviewer Dashboard Evidence
- Screenshots and video demo of the fully functional open-source Reviewer Dashboard:
- Pending, active, completed proposals
- Real-time vote counts and status indicators
- Final on-chain decision states
- Logs demonstrating role-based reviewer access in the open-source backend.
- Frontend ↔ blockchain synchronization logs included in the repo.
4. Open-Source Repository Artifacts
- Public GitHub repository containing:
- Full smart contract code, frontend, backend, and integration layers
- Changelogs, commit history, and tagged release for Milestone 3
- Technical documentation: contract specification, API docs, dashboard usage guide
- Deployment scripts, test suites, and configuration files
- Public issue tracker showing governance review test cases, bug reports, and resolutions.
Delivery Month
3
Cost
35000
Progress
100 %
[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs
Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources
Our funding request supports four core contributors, external testers, and community engagement activities required to successfully deliver all three milestones. The budget is structured to align with the scope, complexity, and delivery effort of each phase.
Milestone Allocation
Milestone 1 – Student Dashboard Refinement (20,000 ADA)
- Core development team (frontend refinement, UX improvements, token-gated access flow stabilization)
- Testnet deployment costs and QA
- Testers compensation for structured user testing
- Community onboarding sessions for initial testnet users
- Documentation & GitHub updates
Rationale: Although much of the foundational system is already built, extensive refinement, UI/UX improvement, student-facing flows, and wallet integration stability require coordinated development and testing resources.
Milestone 2 – Teacher Dashboard enhancement (20,000 ADA)
- Backend + smart contract enhancement for course minting, DSBT updates, and dependency mapping
- Frontend buildout for the teacher interface
- Testers verifying minting flows, data accuracy, and creator permissions
- Educator outreach to bring in early pilot teachers for validation
Rationale: Teacher dashboards involve higher complexity, multi-step minting flows, and metadata management, requiring deeper technical work and increased QA cycles.
Milestone 3 – Reviewer Dashboard & On-Chain Validation (35,000 ADA)
- Smart contract development for decentralized validation mechanism
- Reviewer dashboard buildout with multi-vote logic
- Expert Rating system integration
- Extensive testnet simulations with real reviewers
- Governance, documentation & public testing process
- Community engagement budget for recruiting reviewers and expert validators
Rationale: Milestone 3 is the most technically complex, requiring new smart contracts, multi-party validation logic, advanced on-chain orchestration, and rigorous community-driven testing. This phase also includes governance and expert engagement costs.
Resource Justification
Core Team (4 members)
Project Manager: Coordination, reporting, communication with Catalyst reviewers, milestone tracking, documentation.
3 Developers (Frontend, Backend, Smart Contract): Implementing all milestone features, fixing bugs, maintaining the testnet environment, and updating GitHub repos.
Testers
- External testers funded to simulate real users across student, teacher, and reviewer workflows.
- Required for validating token-gating, NFT minting, marketplace purchases, DSBT updates, and reviewer voting.
Community Engagement
- Hosting workshops, onboarding educators, reviewer recruitment, and user feedback collection.
- Crucial for validating feasibility and ensuring the platform’s real-world readiness.
[Final Pitch] Value for Money
How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?
The proposed Web3 Learning Management System (LMS) represents a strategic and high-value opportunity for the Cardano ecosystem. By funding this project with 75,000 ADA, Cardano is not only supporting the development of a novel decentralized education platform, but also investing in a scalable infrastructure that directly translates into increased blockchain usage, visibility, and long-term adoption.
1. Strengthening Cardano’s Web3 Identity
- A Web3-native LMS positions Cardano not just as finance/DeFi, but as a leader in education on-chain.
- NFTs for courses and certificates = real-world credentialing on Cardano.
- Token gating, reviewer validation, and gamification show unique blockchain utility beyond hype.
2. Sustainable Adoption & Demand
- Every course purchase = NFT mint on Cardano, driving on-chain activity and transaction fees.
- Certificates and rewards = recurring NFT issuance linked to real learner achievements.
- Reviewer validation = DAO-style governance, boosting ecosystem trust and showcasing Cardano as a platform for decentralized decision-making.
3. Community Growth & Engagement
- 10,000 ADA dedicated to promotion, engagement, and reporting ensures Cardano’s brand visibility.
- Brings students, educators, and institutions into the Cardano ecosystem.
- Open-source code means other Cardano builders can reuse and expand the LMS modules.
4. Transparent & Accountable Delivery
- Budget clearly broken down across phases and roles (65k ADA).
- Extra 15k ADA allocated for community, promotion, and reporting ensures transparency.
- Open-source repo + on-chain transactions = provable evidence of progress.
5. Long-Term Ecosystem Value
- A decentralized education system = global showcase project for Cardano.
- Future potential: integration with Atala PRISM for DID-based identity + certificate verification.
- Drives network activity, showcases Cardano tech, and strengthens real-world utility.
Value-for-Money Summary
By funding with 95,000 ADA, Cardano gains:
- A flagship Web3 education use case on-chain.
- Increased NFT + transaction volume.
- A trusted credentialing system that showcases real-world adoption.
- Open-source modules that other Cardano projects can adopt.
- Strong community reporting & transparency, ensuring accountability.
[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