[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

[IndieNexus] Community-Owned Indie Game Platform on Cardano

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

165000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

9

[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?

Indie devs face 30% fees, zero resale revenue. Players own nothing. Web3 gaming is too complex. No platform combines browser access, transparent NFT ownership, FIAT payments & community governance.

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://github.com/Odiobill/NmkrGodot
,
• https://github.com/Odiobill/YASG
,
• https://github.com/Odiobill/web2wallet
,
• https://indienexus.io/
,
• https://github.com/IndieNexus/Research

[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.

Our Fund12 NMKR SDK (https://github.com/Odiobill/NmkrGodot) and YASG (https://github.com/Odiobill/YASG) are already MIT-licensed. The Frictionless Onboarding backend (https://github.com/Odiobill/web2wallet) is also under the MIT license. All IndieNexus code will follow this precedent—MIT license from Month 1, public repositories, documented READMEs, and tagged releases for each milestone. This enables community audits, forks, and contributions, maximizing the ecosystem multiplier effect.

[Theme Selection] Theme

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

Games

[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).

Innovation for Cardano & Market

Indie devs lose 30% to Steam and 100% of resale value. Players own nothing. Web3 gaming is too complex.

IndieNexus fixes this with a browser-native, FIAT-ready, community-governed platform — where devs earn 90%, players own NFTs via social login, and governance is earned through play.

Players will not even know that they are using a blockchain service, because everything is handled automatically, to offer a complete frictionless experience.

Built by a proven team with self-funded code, live SDKs, and a playable game — this is not a prototype. It’s the launchpad.

1. First Truly Integrated Gaming Ecosystem

Unlike fragmented solutions where marketplaces, wallets, and games exist as disconnected components, IndieNexus delivers a unified browser-native platform where every layer is engineered for seamless interaction:

• End-to-end flow: Social login → auto-wallet creation → NFT purchase → instant gameplay → governance participation happens in one continuous session, without leaving the platform. This eliminates the 5-7 step onboarding funnel that kills 90% of mainstream Web3 conversions.
• Browser-first architecture: While jpg.store and other Cardano NFT platforms require external downloads or extensions, our web-based infrastructure (leveraging WebAssembly builds from Godot, Unity, Unreal) makes games playable instantly on any device—even low-spec Chromebooks or budget smartphones common in emerging markets. This is critical for indie developers targeting global audiences without AAA hardware requirements.
• Vertical integration: Our self-built "Frictionless Onboarding" backend (developed post-Fund14 without funding) + Fund12 NMKR SDK + new governance layer creates a proprietary stack that cannot be replicated by simply combining existing tools. We own the critical path where user experience lives or dies.

2. Progressive Wallet Ownership: Frictionless Entry, True Self-Custody

Our innovation is a hybrid custody model that eliminates upfront friction while respecting blockchain's core principle: user-controlled keys.

• Seamless first-touch: Players authenticate via Google/Discord/X OAuth 2.0. Our backend (open-source, MIT-licensed, available for audit) instantly generates a Cardano wallet via NMKR's API and displays the seed phrase once during onboarding. Users can copy it or ignore it—either way, they proceed directly to gameplay in under 30 seconds with zero blockchain knowledge.
• Security-first architecture: We do not store private keys on our servers. The seed phrase is client-side only. This prevents centralized honeypot attacks and aligns with Cardano's self-custody ethos. Users who save their phrase can import their wallet into any Cardano app at any time. Those who don't can continue playing normally—their assets remain in their wallet, accessible only through our platform's managed session.
• Graceful upgrade path: For users who initially skip seed phrase storage, our Phase 2 implementation leverages NMKR's infrastructure to transfer all NFTs/assets to a new self-custody wallet. This solves the "lost key" problem without compromising launch simplicity.
• Proven, self-funded execution: This model was developed and open-sourced after our Fund14 proposal. Reviewers can verify the GitHub repository to confirm our ability to deliver sophisticated wallet logic without upfront funding.

This approach maximizes conversion (no seed phrase barrier to entry) while preserving sovereignty (keys never touch our servers, true exportability). It's a pragmatic bridge from Web2 convenience to Web3 ownership that no Cardano gaming project has implemented.

3. Play-to-Govern: Meritocracy Over Plutocracy

Traditional blockchain governance (including most gaming DAOs) is token-weighted, giving wealthy speculators more power than actual players. Our system inverts this:

• Achievement-based power: Players earn governance points (non-transferable, on-chain via metadata) for verifiable in-game actions: completing levels, unlocking rare items, participating in beta tests. These points grant voting rights that cannot be bought, only earned.
• Anti-sybil framework: Points are tied to soulbound NFT achievements that require proof-of-play verified through our SDK's anti-cheat telemetry. This prevents bot farming and ensures genuine engagement drives platform decisions.
• Pre-token governance for MVP: Since token launches are prohibited in this category, our Phase 1 uses a points system that migrates 1:1 to $INDIE tokens in Phase 2. This satisfies the "no giveaways" rule while future-proofing our tokenomics.

4. Quantified Advantages vs. Incumbents

Steam/Epic Games Store:

• Revenue: 90% to devs vs. 70%/88% (extra 20-40% income for indies)
• Secondary market: 2-5% perpetual royalties vs. 0% (new revenue stream that compounds as player base grows)
• Ownership: Transferable NFTs vs. revocable EULA licenses (legal portability if platform ever shuts down)
• Censorship: No centralized delisting risk (governance decides content policy)

itch.io/Game Jolt:

• Discovery: Community-voted curation vs. algorithmic obscurity (small devs can earn visibility through player engagement)
• Web3 integration: Native NFT minting vs. manual, developer-implemented contracts (our SDK reduces 40+ hours of blockchain work to 3 API calls)
• Monetization: FIAT + crypto seamless vs. FIAT-only (access to Cardano's $15B+ liquidity)

Cardano Gaming Projects (Paima Engine, Unreal Plugin):

• Scope: Full platform vs. development tools (we're the distribution layer, not just the engine)
• User base: Targets players directly vs. requiring devs to build their own audiences (we solve the chicken-egg problem through community incentives)

5. Evolution from Prior Work: Activation, Not Repetition

• Fund12 NMKR SDK: Created the minting API for Godot games. Now we're activating it in a live marketplace where real transactions occur, with Unity/Unreal support expanding its utility beyond single-engine limitations.
• Self-funded Frictionless Onboarding: Was a standalone backend module. Now it's the gateway to a complete gaming economy, handling 100% of user acquisition flows instead of being an optional integration.
• YASG adaptation: Our Fund12 example game becomes the reference implementation for developers, demonstrating end-to-end integration. It's no longer a demo—it's a production game earning real ADA sales, proving the stack works at scale.

6. Novel On-Chain Utility for Cardano

This project will generate 4 distinct transaction types absent from current gaming use cases:

• Soulbound achievement NFT mints (player progression on-chain)
• Royalty-enforced game NFT trades (recurring revenue for devs)
• Governance vote transactions (via metadata embedding)
• Automatic wallet provisioning transactions (first-touch blockchain interactions for mainstream gamers)

These transactions target Cardano's underutilized metadata capabilities and will stress-test NMKR's infrastructure at volumes unseen in current Cardano gaming.

In summary: We're not iterating on existing models—we're synthesizing proven non-blockchain paradigms (browser gaming, community curation) with genuinely novel Web3 mechanics (invisible wallets, merit governance) in a way that Cardano's ecosystem has never seen, while leveraging our self-funded technical foundation to de-risk delivery.

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

MVP Demonstration and Access

What the MVP Demonstrates:

• End-to-end player journey: Social login (Google/Discord/X) → auto wallet creation → browse storefront → purchase YASG (our Fund12 example game) via credit card or crypto → instant browser gameplay → earn governance points for achievements
• Developer integration flow: Upload web-based game builds (Godot/Unity/Unreal) → configure NFT minting (games, DLCs, assets) → set 2-5% royalties via NMKR-powered dashboard → access sales analytics
• Invisible blockchain mechanics: All Cardano interactions (wallet provisioning, NFT minting, transaction signing) abstracted via our open-source backend. Players experience a Web2 interface; blockchain happens transparently
• Merit-based governance prototype: Points awarded for verifiable actions (completing YASG levels, beta testing) grant voting power on platform decisions. Pre-token system ensures fair distribution, not wealth-based control
• SDK v0.1: Godot plugin for game-assets acquisition (NFT minting), achievement tracking, and inventory (wallet verification). Includes documentation, video tutorials, and YASG reference implementation

Where to Access:

• Primary domain: https://indienexus.io (already acquired)
• Secondary domain: https://indienexus.gg (under evaluation, it may redirect to .io)
• GitHub repository: MIT-licensed code on GitHub (contains backend, SDK, and any additional smart contracts that may be required)
• Developer portal: dev.indienexus.io (sandbox environment for testing integrations)

Demonstration Timeline:

• Month 3: Private alpha accessible to 10-15 beta testers (Catalyst community members via Discord)
• Month 6: Public beta at indienexus.io with YASG + 2 additional indie games
• Month 9: Mainnet launch with full storefront, governance system active, SDK publicly available

Live Features at Launch:

• 3-5 browser-playable indie games (including YASG)
• 100% functional FIAT/crypto payment flow via NMKR
• On-chain NFTs for YASG
• Community voting dashboard for game curation
• Open-source SDK with 3+ working code examples

The MVP proves technical feasibility, user adoption potential, and on-chain utility before token launch or scale investments.

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

Realistic Measures of Success and Metrics

User Adoption Projections (Conservative, Data-Based)

• Month 3 (Alpha): 25-50 registered players, 1-3 active game developers. Basis: Direct outreach to 50+ Cardano community members via Discord/X, targeting 25-30% conversion from beta sign-up list. Focus on quality feedback over quantity.
• Month 6 (Beta): 100-200 registered players, 3-5 games live. Basis: itch.io's launch trajectory for niche platforms (0.5% weekly organic growth), amplified by European Cardano Community game jam participation (estimated 50 attendees, 20% retention). No paid marketing.
• Month 9 (MVP Launch): 200-500 registered players, 5+ developers, 5-7 games. Basis: Comparable to Paima Engine's first-year user base (1,100 active players across all games). Our frictionless onboarding reduces barriers, justifying a modest 30-50% uplift for our focused indie niche.

Benchmarking Against Cardano Network and Similar Projects

• Cardano capacity: Current network processes ~60,000 daily transactions. Our MVP represents 0.006% of daily capacity—extremely conservative. NMKR's batching reduces actual network load by ~60%.
• jpg. store gaming category: Averages 800-1,200 daily transactions. Our 9-month projection of 15-20 daily transactions is 1.5% of the existing market volume, a humble entry point.
• Paima Engine games: Individual titles like Tarochi process ~50-100 daily active users. Our multi-game platform target of 40-60 DAU by Month 9 is realistic for a lean, 2-person team.
• Comparison to off-chain: Immutable X (Ethereum L2) reports 250+ games but requires 3-6 months of studio onboarding. Our browser-first, single-SDK approach targets solo devs (50,000+ on itch.io), a larger market with faster integration (2-4 weeks).

Milestone-Specific Success Metrics

Month 3 (Alpha)

• ✅ 40+ wallets created via social login
• ✅ 50+ achievement NFTs minted in YASG
• ✅ 10+ successful FIAT-to-ADA purchases via NMKR

Month 6 (Beta)

• ✅ 150+ active wallets with on-chain transaction history
• ✅ 300+ total NFTs minted (games + achievements)
• ✅ 20+ secondary sales recorded on-chain
• ✅ 5+ developers registered on dev portal with testnet activity

Month 9 (MVP Launch)

• ✅ 350+ users with >$1,500 total sales volume (1,500-2,000 ADA)
• ✅ 800+ primary NFT mints, 150+ secondary trades
• ✅ 1,000+ governance votes cast via on-chain metadata
• ✅ SDK downloaded 50+ times, 8+ developers with active testnet deployments

On-Chain Value Proposition Validation

• Transaction diversity: Our MVP introduces four novel transaction types: (1) game ownership NFTs with embedded royalties, (2) soulbound achievement NFTs, (3) governance votes via CIP-1694-style metadata, (4) automatic wallet provisioning. This expands beyond typical marketplace swaps.
• Recurring utility: Royalty payments create ongoing transaction volume from a single mint, unlike one-time NFT art sales. Each game sold generates potential for 2-3 subsequent royalty transactions over 12 months.
• Mainstream onboarding: 60% of our projected users will be first-time Cardano wallets, directly growing the active addresses metric (currently ~4.3M). Each represents a new entry point to broader DeFi/NFT ecosystem usage.

Conservative Confidence Factors

• Team capacity: 2 developers average 15-20 hours/week each = 30-40 dev hours/week. Our velocity projection (3-4 features/week) matches this capacity.
• Marketing constraints: Organic growth only (Discord, X, game jams). No paid ads, aligning with our lean budget and avoiding inflated user claims.
• Conversion realism: 70% purchase rate assumes highly engaged early adopters. Standard Web3 gaming conversion is 15-25%; we target 2-3x due to frictionless onboarding and curated game selection, but remain cautious.

Failure threshold: If we achieve <100 users or <500 transactions by Month 9, the MVP still proves technical viability but indicates market fit needs iteration. All code remains open-source for community continuation.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

A Frictionless, Browser-Based Web3 Gaming Platform for Indie Developers and Players

How We Perceive the Problem

The indie gaming market is dominated by rent-seeking platforms that strip developers of revenue and players of ownership. Simultaneously, Web3 gaming remains inaccessible—complex wallet setups, high technical barriers, and speculative tokenomics alienate the very audiences who would benefit most from true digital ownership. We see this as a two-sided market failure: developers need low-cost distribution and recurring revenue, while players demand instant access and genuine asset control without blockchain complexity. Existing Cardano gaming tools are powerful but fragmented; no integrated solution exists that abstracts away Web3 friction while delivering measurable on-chain utility.

Our Approach: Build the Minimal Viable Ecosystem

We’re launching IndieNexus MVP—a fully functional browser storefront that proves a community-owned gaming economy can exist on Cardano without compromising user experience. Our approach prioritizes technical delivery over hype, leveraging self-funded foundational work to de-risk execution:

1. Activate Proven Building Blocks: We already built the critical "Frictionless Onboarding" backend (post-Fund14 rejection, open-source, MIT license) and delivered the Fund12 NMKR SDK for Godot. Instead of starting from zero, we’re integrating and productizing these components into a cohesive platform—reducing MVP risk by 60%.
2. Progressive Web3 Adoption: Users receive a seed phrase once at signup, but aren’t forced to manage it. They can play instantly; sovereignty is optional, not mandatory. This respects Cardano’s self-custody ethos while maximizing mainstream conversion.
3. Meritocracy Before Tokenomics: Governance power is earned through gameplay achievements, not purchased. This avoids speculative bubbles and aligns with Cardano’s philosophy of fair, decentralized participation. Points are non-transferable and migrate 1:1 to future $INDIE tokens.
4. Developer-First Economics: A sustainable 10% fee (vs. Steam’s 30%) plus 2-5% secondary royalties creates immediate financial incentive. Our Founding Developer Program provides technical support, co-marketing, and beta testers—not fee waivers, ensuring compliance with Catalyst rules.

Who This Project Engages

• Primary Users: Solo indie developers (1-3 person teams) already publishing on itch.io/Game Jolt but seeking revenue uplift and ownership features. Target: 50,000+ global solo devs, 5-10 early partners for MVP.
• Secondary Users: Cardano-native players aged 18-35 familiar with NFTs but frustrated by complex wallets. Target: 200-500 early adopters via Discord/X outreach.
• Ecosystem Contributors: European Cardano Community (game jams), NMKR (technical partnership), Catalyst reviewers (feedback loop), open-source developers (SDK contributions).

How We Demonstrate Impact

Impact is measured exclusively through verifiable on-chain metrics:

• User Growth: 25→50→200-500 registered players (Months 3/6/9), tracked via NMKR wallet activations on-chain.
• Transaction Volume: 2,500-4,500 total interactions (NFT mints, secondary sales, governance votes, royalty distributions), benchmarked against jpg.store gaming category (15-20 daily transactions = 1.5% of market volume).
• Developer Adoption: 5→10→15+ developers deploying games, measured by SDK downloads and testnet game submissions.
• Revenue Generation: $1,500-2,000 ADA in primary sales, 120-180 secondary trades generating 4% royalties, proving economic sustainability.
• Governance Participation: 1,000+ on-chain votes cast via achievement-based points, demonstrating active community control.

What Makes This Solution Unique

• Self-Funded Foundation: Built the core onboarding module without Catalyst funding—a rare proof of execution capacity. Reviewers can audit GitHub commits.
• Browser-Native Web3: Instant gameplay via WebAssembly builds; no installs, no extensions, no seed phrases required to start.
• Four Novel Transaction Types: Game ownership NFTs with embedded royalties, soulbound achievement NFTs, governance metadata votes, automatic wallet provisioning—all expanding Cardano’s gaming utility beyond simple marketplace swaps.
• Merit-Based Governance: Power earned through play, not wealth. Anti-sybil via achievement verification prevents bot farming.
• Zero-Trust Architecture: We never store private keys. Seed phrases are client-side; NMKR handles transaction signing via secure APIs.

Why This Is Critical for Cardano

• Onboards New Wallets: 60% of projected users will be first-time Cardano addresses, growing the active user base.
• Generates Sustained Transactions: Royalty mechanics create recurring revenue for devs and recurring transaction fees for the network—unlike one-time NFT art sales.
• Ecosystem Moat: A unified gaming platform attracts developers who’d otherwise build on Polygon/Immutable. Our NMKR integration and low fees make Cardano competitive.
• Open-Source Multiplier: MIT-licensed SDK, backend enable other projects to fork/adopt, accelerating Cardano gaming innovation beyond our MVP.

Final Deliverable

A production-ready platform at indienexus.io with 5-7 browser-playable games, 200-500 active players, 2,500+ on-chain transactions, and a developer toolkit that reduces Web3 integration from 40+ hours to 3 API calls—proving community-owned gaming is viable, scalable, and ready for Cardano mainnet.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

Impact on the Cardano Community

1. Value Proposition: Why Cardano Benefits

• New User Onboarding: 200-500 registered players in MVP, with 60% (120-300) being first-time Cardano wallets. Each represents a new active address and potential entry point to broader DeFi/NFT ecosystem usage, directly growing Cardano's 4.3M address base.
• Sustained On-Chain Activity: 2,500-4,500 transactions featuring four novel types absent from current gaming: (1) Game ownership NFTs with embedded royalties (CIP-25), (2) Soulbound achievement NFTs (CIP-68) for verifiable player progression, (3) Governance votes via on-chain metadata (CIP-1694-style), (4) Automatic wallet provisioning events via NMKR. This expands Cardano's utility beyond simple asset swaps and creates recurring transaction volume through royalty mechanics.
• Developer Ecosystem Multiplication: MIT-licensed SDK reduces Web3 integration from 40+ hours to 3 API calls. If 15 developers deploy games, that's 600+ hours saved—equivalent to 4 months of full-time blockchain dev work freed for game creation.
• Cardano Gaming Moat: A unified platform prevents developer attrition to Polygon/Immutable X. Our 10% fee + 2-5% royalties make Cardano financially competitive while its eco-friendly consensus addresses gamer skepticism.
• NMKR Infrastructure Validation: High-volume transactions stress-test NMKR's APIs, benefiting their entire partner ecosystem (jpg.store, Cardano ecosystem projects).
• Open-Source Multiplier Effect: Backend, SDK, and smart contracts are MIT-licensed. Other projects can fork, adapt, or contribute—accelerating Cardano gaming innovation beyond our MVP scope.

2. Impact Measurement

Qualitative Metrics

• Developer Satisfaction: Post-launch survey of 10+ founding developers on SDK ease-of-use, documentation clarity, and revenue impact vs. itch.io/Steam.
• Player Retention: DAU/MAU ratio tracked via platform analytics (target 25-30% for indie gaming platforms).
• Community Governance Health: Vote participation rate (target 40% of active users), proposal quality, and absence of sybil attacks.

Benchmarking & Realism

• jpg.store gaming category: Our 15-20 daily transactions target = 1.5% of their volume—humble market entry.
• Paima Engine: Our 40-60 DAU target aligns with individual game performance, realistic for a 2-person team.
• Failure threshold: <100 users or <500 transactions triggers open-source handoff—ensures no wasted Catalyst funds.

3. Sharing Outputs & Opportunities

Open-Source Deliverables (MIT License)

• GitHub Repository: All code on GitHub from Month 1 (backend, SDK, any required additional smart contracts). Commit history public for transparency.
• Developer Portal: dev.indienexus.io with live API docs, SDK installation guides, video tutorials (YouTube playlist), and YASG reference implementation.
• Technical Blog: Monthly development updates on indienexus.io/blog covering architecture decisions, NMKR integration patterns, and Cardano best practices for gaming.

Community Engagement & Feedback Loop

• Monthly Town Halls: Discord voice sessions (recorded) showing live demos, sharing transaction metrics, gathering developer/player feedback. Minutes posted on GitHub Discussions.
• European Cardano Community Game Jam: Host a 48-hour event (Month 5) where 20-30 devs build on our SDK; winners featured on homepage. Drives testnet usage and real-world validation.
• Catalyst Reporting: All milestone reports submitted on time via the Catalyst dashboard with on-chain transaction proofs, GitHub release tags, and user analytics screenshots.
• X & Discord Updates: Weekly progress threads (@studiomalaka) with dev diaries, gameplay snippets, transaction count milestones. Tag Cardano community (NMKR, IOG) for ecosystem visibility.

Developer & Player Opportunities

• Founding Developer Program: Technical support package including 1-on-1 SDK integration calls, co-marketing via our X/Discord, and beta tester access from the Cardano community. No fee waivers or giveaways —purely technical enablement to comply with Catalyst rules.
• Player Beta Rewards: Early access to games, exclusive achievement NFTs (soulbound, non-transferable, no monetary value) for feedback providers. Rewards are engagement-based, not financial incentives.
• SDK Adoption Grants: Allocate ₳5,000 from the budget to fund 3-5 small developers (₳1,000 each) to port existing web-based games to IndieNexus. Selection via community vote, funds cover development time only—not token airdrops or liquidity.

Knowledge Dissemination

• Case Studies: Publish post-mortem reports (Month 10) analyzing YASG's sales data, transaction costs, and developer ROI compared to itch.io. Includes anonymized metrics for transparency.
• Conference Presentations: Submit talk proposals to Cardano Summit 2025 and blockchain game dev conferences showcasing our open-source stack and on-chain results.
• Academic Partnership: Share anonymized user behavior data with blockchain research groups (e.g., IOG's universities) to study frictionless onboarding adoption patterns.

Long-Term Sustainability

• Revenue Transparency: Monthly public report of platform fees collected (10% of sales) and allocation to treasury. Demonstrates self-funding potential post-grant.
• Governance Handoff: By Month 9, the community votes via achievement points control: featured game selection, fee structure proposals, and treasury spending priorities. Platform direction is no longer centralized.

In Summary: Every line of code, every transaction metric, and every developer success story is public and verifiable. We’re building a public good that onboards users, generates on-chain utility, and equips the Cardano community with reusable tools—measured transparently and shared openly.

[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?

Capabilities & Feasibility: Proven Delivery, Validated Architecture, Transparent Accountability

1. Capability to Deliver with Trust

Proven Track Record & Self-Funded Execution

• Davide Lucchesi (Lead Proposer): 30 years of IT experience, successful Catalyst proposer (Fund12: NMKR SDK for Godot—delivered on time, open-sourced). Self-built Frictionless Onboarding backend, after Fund14 rejection, publicly committed to GitHub. This demonstrates execution capacity independent of funding.
• ZannaKonda: Senior full-stack engineer with 15+ years in Web3 backend and integrations. Verifiable portfolio includes shipped blockchain dapps and open-source contributions.
• NMKR Partnership: Confirmed technical support and API access. NMKR powers jpg.store (Cardano's largest NFT marketplace), validating scalability.

Technical Risk Mitigation

• Backend: base is complete (self-funded Frictionless Onboarding module). Code is MIT-licensed on GitHub from Month 1 for community audit.
• SDK: Fund12 Godot SDK is production-ready.
• Smart Contracts: NMKR handles all minting/royalty logic; we only integrate their APIs, eliminating audit risk.
• Game Assets: YASG is a complete, playable title—not a prototype. Adapting it to the IndieNexus API is a 2-week task.

Accountability Mechanisms

• Lean Team = Lean Risk: A 2-person team means no overhead, 95% budget to development. Startup-level efficiency.
• Open-Source Transparency: Every commit, transaction metric, and budget expense is public. Community can fork and continue—zero vendor lock-in.

2. Feasibility Validation: Evidence-Based Verification

Phase 1: Technical Proof (Months 1-3)

• GitHub Milestone Tracking: Public project board with issues tied to commits. Reviewers verify delivery in real-time.
• Alpha Testing: 25-50 beta testers from Cardano Discord/X. Success: 80% complete purchase + gameplay loop.

Phase 2: Market Validation (Months 4-6)

• Developer Onboarding: European Cardano Community game jam (Month 5). Target: 5 developers submit playable web builds. If <3 participate, pivot to direct outreach to itch.io creators.
• Transaction Metrics: On Preprod, track NFT mint success rate (target: >95%), FIAT payment conversion (target: >60% of attempts), and average session duration (target: >15 minutes).
• Community Feedback Loop: Monthly Discord town halls with live demos. If governance votes drop below 30% participation, simplify UI and clarify mechanics.

Phase 3: Launch Feasibility (Months 7-9)

• Mainnet Soft Launch: Deploy to indienexus.io with 3 games (including YASG). Monitor daily: (1) Active Wallets (target: 20-40 DAU by Month 8), (2) Transaction failure rate (target: <2%), Royalty distribution accuracy (target: 100% of secondary sales).
• External Validation: Once 200+ users are registered, commission an independent community member to audit on-chain data and publish a verification report on GitHub.

3. Technical Architecture Validation

Pre-MVP Proofs

• Wallet Flow: Fund14 backend shows OAuth → wallet derivation → NMKR activation. Reviewers can test it today at https://github.com/Odiobill/web2wallet
• YASG Integration: Screenshots/video of YASG running in browser

Risk Monitoring

• Technical Debt: Weekly code review sessions identifying refactors needed.
• Budget Burn Rate: Public spreadsheet updated bi-weekly showing ADA spent vs. tasks completed. If we exceed 70% budget before Month 6, scope-cut non-core features to protect MVP.
• Third-Party Dependencies: NMKR API downtime risk. Mitigation: 24-hour caching layer for storefront listings; if NMKR is down >2 hours, platform remains playable (purchases paused, gameplay continues).

4. Feasibility Thresholds & Pivot Triggers

If low developer adoption (<3 games by Month 6), we pivot to direct outreach to 20 itch.io devs with small technical grants from the budget. If slow user growth (<100 users by Month 6), we focus on 1-2 " killer indie games; with built-in audiences instead of platform breadth. If technical scalability issues emerge (>5% API failures), we implement request queuing and migrate to the NMKR premium tier (budgeted contingency). If governance apathy occurs (<20% vote participation), we simplify to a like/dislike system and gamify with achievement badges.

5. Compliance & Accountability

• No Retroactive Funding: All budget is for future development only (Months 1-9). Pre-Fund15 work is self-funded, not claimed.
• No Incentives/Giveaways: " Founding Developer Program; is technical support + co-marketing, not fee waivers or token drops. Game jam prizes are achievement NFTs, not ADA.
• Catalyst Good Standing: All prior milestone reports submitted on time. Dashboard shows 100% compliance.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Core Infrastructure & Alpha Launch

Milestone Outputs

• Production-ready Frictionless Onboarding backend (social login → wallet creation) integrated with NMKR APIs
• Alpha storefront UI/UX (mobile-responsive) deployed
• YASG game adapted to IndieNexus API with NFT achievement minting functionality
• 1-2 additional indie games integrated via web builds
• Developer portal v0.1 with API documentation and SDK installation guides

Acceptance Criteria

• ✅ 15-25 wallets created via social login
• ✅ YASG is playable in a browser with 3-5 achievement types
• ✅ 1-2 partner games successfully upload and configure NFT sales via the developer dashboard
• ✅ GitHub repository public with MIT license and documented README

Evidence of Completion

• GitHub release tag v0.3-alpha
• Screencast demo: full player journey (login → purchase → gameplay → achievement mint)
• Cardanoscan link showing 15+ wallet addresses created via our backend
• Signed statement from 1-2 partner developers confirming functional integration

Delivery Month

3

Cost

45000

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

SDK Expansion & Beta Community

Milestone Outputs

• SDK v0.2 released for Godo(NFT minting, wallet verification, achievement tracking)
• Beta platform at indienexus.io with 3-4 playable games (including YASG)
• European Cardano Community game jam hosted (48-hour event)
• Community governance prototype live (points-based voting on game curation)
• 5-8 developers registered on the dev portal

Acceptance Criteria

• ✅ SDK downloaded 5+ times with 3+ developers deploying test games
• ✅ 25-50 registered players with on-chain transaction history
• ✅ Game jam results in 2+ playable web builds submitted and integrated
• ✅ 100-150 governance votes cast via achievement points
• ✅ 40-60 primary NFT sales

Evidence of Completion

• GitHub release tag v0.6-beta with SDK package downloads analytics
• Cardanoscan link showing 50+ addresses with NFT purchase history
• Recorded game jam livestream + submitted game repository links
• Screenshot of governance dashboard showing vote counts and proposal outcomes
• Developer testimonials (2+ quotes) posted on GitHub Discussions

Delivery Month

6

Cost

52500

Progress

60 %

Milestone Title

Mainnet Launch & Ecosystem Activation

Milestone Outputs

• Deployment at indienexus.io with full storefront and payment processing
• 3-5 browser-playable indie games generating real ADA sales
• The Founding Developer Program is active with 5-6 partners receiving technical support
• SDK v1.0 is stable with comprehensive tutorials
• 200-300 governance votes cast on mainnet via achievement-based points

Acceptance Criteria

• ✅ 100-200 registered players on mainnet with 300-500 primary NFT mints
• ✅ 5-6 developers with live games
• ✅ 200+ governance votes cast with <5% spam/bot activity
• ✅ Platform revenue: 500-800 ADA in total sales (10% fee = 50-80 ADA to treasury)

Evidence of Completion

• Live URL indienexus.io with 3+ playable games
• Cardanoscan mainnet link showing NFT mints
• GitHub release tag v1.0-mainnet with SDK v1.0 package
• Screenshots of the developer portal showing live game listings
• Video walkthrough of player earning governance points and voting

Delivery Month

9

Cost

52500

Progress

90 %

Milestone Title

Project Close-out & Knowledge Transfer

Milestone Outputs

• Comprehensive close-out report detailing all on-chain metrics, challenges, and learnings
• ~5-minute video demo showcasing the full platform, SDK usage, and community governance
• Post-mortem blog post analyzing YASG's on-chain performance vs. traditional platforms
• Handoff documentation for community continuation (architecture diagrams, deployment guides)

Acceptance Criteria

• ✅ Close-out report submitted
• ✅ Video uploaded to YouTube and linked in report
• ✅ GitHub repository includes detailed CONTRIBUTING.md and ARCHITECTURE.md
• ✅ Community feedback survey completed with 25+ responses

Evidence of Completion

• Catalyst milestone report
• YouTube video URL
• GitHub documentation commits tagged docs-final
• Survey results summary posted to GitHub Discussions

Delivery Month

10

Cost

15000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Budget & Costs: Comprehensive 9-Month Development Plan (Targeting ₳165,000 Total)

Core Philosophy: Every ADA is allocated to future development only (Months 1-9). No retroactive costs, no token giveaways, no re-granting. Budget is below market rate for senior engineers for EU talent and includes NMKR's per-minute fees.

1. Development & Engineering (₳109,200 | 66%)

Davide Lucchesi (Lead Dev): ₳54,600

• 780 hours × 70 ADA/hr (20 hrs/week × 39 weeks)
• Gaming ecosystem integration (YASG, Godot SDK), system architecture, and developer relations

ZannaKonda (Blockchain Dev): ₳54,600

• 780 hours × 70 ADA/hr (20 hrs/week × 39 weeks)
• NMKR API integration, backend scalability, wallet provisioning, security layers

Why 70 ADA/hr? This reflects senior EU developer expertise while acknowledging the grant-funded nature. Market rate for comparable talent in Italy/Germany is €80-120/hr; we're discounting significantly to maximize delivery value.

2. Infrastructure & Tools (₳7,000 | 4%)

Hosting and Domain(s): ₳4,500

• Examples: Vercel for storefront, AWS for backend/API servers, CDN, blob storage for game assets, server management
• Duration: 24 months
• indienexus.io, evaluating indienexus.gg

NMKR Premium API Tier: ₳2,500

• Higher rate limits, dedicated support, batch transaction processing
• Critical for 1,000+ NFT mints

Open-Source or free-tier Tools Only to avoid license costs.

3. Third-Party Services & Compliance (₳12,000 | 7%)

Legal Consultation (GDPR, ToS): ₳4,000

• EU gaming platform requires GDPR compliance, privacy policy, and terms of service review
• 5 hours of expert counsel

Accounting & Tax Advisory: ₳2,000

• ADA revenue recognition, VAT on FIAT payments via NMKR, and treasury management
• 3 hours consultation

Security Code Review: ₳4,000

• Independent audit of wallet derivation logic and OAuth integration
• Focus on seed phrase handling validation (we don't store keys, but need expert verification)
• 1-week review by Cardano security researcher

NMKR Transaction Fees: ₳2,000

• API usage fees for FIAT conversions and high-volume calls

4. NMKR Minting Costs (₳2,000 | 1%)

Per-NFT Minting Fee: ₳2,000

• 1,000 NFTs projected (games, achievements, DLCs) × 2 ADA per mint
• Direct cost passed to NMKR infrastructure

5. Marketing & Community Engagement (₳12,000 | 7%)

Social Media Management: ₳4,000

• 5 hrs/week × 40 weeks
• X/Discord posts, engagement, dev diaries

Content Creation: ₳3,000

• Video tutorials for SDK (2-3 videos), gameplay trailers, milestone announcements
• Tools: Screen recording, basic editing software

Game Jam Organization: ₳3,000

• ECC partnership, promotion, livestream setup, and judging time
• Prizes are soulbound achievement NFTs (non-monetary)—cost covers design time only

Community Moderation: ₳2,000

• Part-time Discord moderator (5 hrs/week) for beta community support, FAQ management

Influencer Outreach: ₳0

• Handled within social media management hours

6. Documentation & Reporting (₳7,000 | 4%)

Technical Writing: ₳3,000

• SDK docs, API reference, architecture diagrams
• 30 pages of polished documentation for developers

Video Documentation: ₳2,000

• 5-6 tutorial videos (SDK installation, game integration, publishing flow)

Catalyst Reporting: ₳1,500

• 4 milestone reports × 5 hours each = 20 hours
• Screenshot compilation, transaction proof gathering

Community Updates: ₳500

• Monthly blog posts, X threads, Discord announcements

7. Project Management & Operations (₳6,000 | 4%)

Project Coordination: ₳3,500

• Weekly syncs, milestone tracking, and budget management
• 3 hrs/week × 40 weeks
• Davide leads; ensures Catalyst compliance

Beta Tester Coordination: ₳1,500

• Recruiting 15-25 alpha/beta testers, distributing access, and collecting feedback
• 2 hrs/week during testing phases

Miscellaneous Operations: ₳1,000

• Unexpected costs: testnet faucet management, API keys, community event tools

8. Contingency Buffer (₳14,800 | 9%)

Contingency Fund: ₳14,800

• 9% buffer for scope changes, NMKR API price adjustments, slower SDK adoption, or extended development time
• Ensures delivery even if 1-2 categories exceed estimates

Total Budget: ₳165,000

Category Breakdown:

• Development & Engineering: ₳109,200 (66%)
• Infrastructure & Tools: ₳7,000 (4%)
• Third-Party Services & Compliance: ₳12,000 (7%)
• NMKR Minting Costs: ₳2,000 (1%)
• Marketing & Community Engagement: ₳12,000 (7%)
• Documentation & Reporting: ₳7,000 (4%)
• Project Management & Operations: ₳6,000 (4%)
• Contingency Buffer: ₳14,800 (9%)

Third-Party Products & Services Detail

• NMKR: Premium API tier for NFT minting, FIAT payments, and wallet management. Proven at scale (jpg.store). Cost: ₳2,500 (infrastructure) + ₳2,000 (transaction fees) + ₳2,000 (per-mint fees).
• Hosting (example: Vercel/AWS): Production-grade hosting for low-latency global access. Cost: ₳3,500 over 9 months.
• Legal/Accounting: EU-compliant data protection and crypto tax advisory. Cost: ₳6,000 total.
• Security Review: Independent audit of critical wallet logic. Cost: ₳4,000.
• No Hardware Purchases: 100% cloud-based. No software licenses beyond the open-source stack (Next.js, Godot, NMKR APIs).

Budget Shortfall Coverage

No shortfall expected: ₳165,000 is a realistic ceiling for a 9-month MVP with senior EU developers. However, if costs exceed the projection:

• Options: Reduce scope (defer Unity SDK v0.2 to post-MVP), extend timeline by 2-3 weeks (saves ₳5,000 in dev hours), self-fund infrastructure (team covers hosting)
• Commitment: We will never request additional Catalyst funds. The scope will be adjusted to fit the budget, ensuring delivery.

What Most Applicants Forget—But We Didn't

• ✅ Publicity/Marketing: ₳12,000 (7% of budget) for organic growth, game jam, social media
• ✅ Community Engagement: ₳2,000 for Discord moderation, FAQ building, and direct dev support
• ✅ Project Management: ₳3,500 for milestone tracking, budget oversight, Catalyst compliance
• ✅ Documentation: ₳5,000 for SDK docs, video tutorials, API references
• ✅ Reporting: ₳1,500 for 4 milestone reports with on-chain proofs

This is a senior-level, execution-focused budget where 66% funds core development and 34% ensures professional delivery, legal compliance, community growth, and ecosystem transparency.

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

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

Value for Money: Maximizing Cardano's Return on Investment

The ₳165,000 budget for IndieNexus MVP represents exceptional value for the Cardano ecosystem—delivering a production-ready gaming platform, 3,000+ on-chain transactions, and reusable open-source infrastructure at 85% lower cost than comparable Web3 gaming projects, while compensating senior EU developers fairly and building sustainable, long-term utility.

1. Senior Developer Costs: Below Market Rate, Above Average Delivery

Market Rate Justification (Italy/Germany)

• Industry Standard: Senior full-stack developers in Italy/Germany command €80-120/hour (₳240-360/hr). Blockchain specialists add 20-30% premium.
• Our Rate: ₳70/hour = 70-80% discount vs. market rate. This reflects our grant-funded, public-good commitment while ensuring fair compensation.
• Total Hours: 1,560 hours combined (780 hrs each over 9 months). At the market rate, this would cost ₳374,400-561,600. We deliver at 29-44% of market cost.
• Evidence: LinkedIn profiles (both team members) show 10+ and 30+ years of experience, respectively. GitHub commits demonstrate production-level code quality—this isn't junior developer output.

Why This Matters for Value

• No Learning Curve: Our experience with Godot, Unity, NMKR APIs, and Cardano infrastructure means zero ramp-up time. We're productive on Day 1.
• Higher Velocity: Senior developers deliver 2-3x more value per hour than mid-level contractors. Our 1,560 hours = 3,000+ equivalent hours of typical grant-funded development.
• Risk Reduction: The Self-funded Fund14 module proves that we deliver regardless of payment. This isn't speculative—it's proven execution capacity.

2. Infrastructure & Third-Party Services: Lean, Production-Grade, Necessary

NMKR Integration (₳6,500 Total)

• Premium API Tier (₳2,500): NMKR powers jpg.store (Cardano's largest NFT marketplace, 60K+ daily transactions). Their dedicated support and batching logic de-risks our entire minting pipeline. Building this ourselves would require 6+ months and ₳50,000+ in smart contract audits.
• Per-Mint Fees (₳2,000): 1,000 NFTs × 2 ADA = direct pass-through to NMKR. This is a non-negotiable infrastructure cost, but 60% cheaper than deploying custom Plutus contracts.
• Transaction Fees (₳2,000): FIAT conversion costs. Without this, we'd lose 90% of mainstream players who can't buy crypto.

Hosting & Domains (₳4,500)

• Professional Hosting: Production-grade CDN ensures <2s load times globally. DIY hosting would cost more in engineering time (₳5,000+ for setup/maintenance). This is infrastructure-as-a-service efficiency.
• Domains/SSL: Brand identity and security baseline. Non-negotiable for trust.

Compliance & Security (₳10,000)

• Legal/Accounting (₳6,000): GDPR compliance avoids €20M fines. Tax advisory ensures ADA revenue is clean. Essential for EU operation.
• Security Audit (₳4,000): Auditing wallet derivation logic is insurance. One exploit could cost the ecosystem millions in lost funds. This is proactive risk management—cheap at the price.

3. Comparative Value: 85% Cheaper Than Alternatives

vs. VC-Funded Web3 Gaming Platforms

• Immutable X raised $60M+ for platform launch. Our MVP delivers core functionality at 0.275% of its cost.
• The Sandbox raised $93M. Our budget is 0.18% of that—yet we deliver browser-based access, FIAT payments, and community governance (features they lack).

vs. Traditional Gaming Platforms

• Steam integration: Costs developers $100K+ in API work, 30% fees forever. Our ₳165K one-time investment creates a permanent, community-owned alternative that returns 90% revenue to devs.

4. Ecosystem ROI: Cost-Per-Impact Analysis

Conservative Projections (from Milestone 3)

350 registered players (150-250 mainnet) = ₳471 per player onboarded

Comparison: Centralized exchanges spend ₳500-1,500 per user acquisition. We're cheaper and they get a functional wallet + games.

1,000+ on-chain transactions = ₳165 per transaction birthed

Comparison: Plutus script deployment costs ₳50-200 in fees alone. Our transaction count includes four novel types (royalties, achievements, governance, and wallets).

5-6 live games = ₳27,500 per game launched

Comparison: Porting a game to blockchain typically costs ₳80,000-150,000. Our SDK reduces this to ₳1,000-2,000 per game—95% cost reduction for developers.

Long-Term Multiplier Effect

• Open-Source Value: MIT-licensed SDK, backend, and smart contracts. If 10 projects fork our code, that's ₳1,650,000 in ecosystem value from a ₳165,000 investment.
• Self-Funding: 10% platform fees generate ₳50-80 ADA/month by Month 9. By Month 24, projected revenue covers infrastructure costs—Catalyst funding seeds a permanent public good.
• New User Pipeline: 60% of players are first-time Cardano users. If 10% explore DeFi/NFTs beyond gaming, that's 21-25 new ecosystem participants at a cost of ~₳660 each—far below industry CAC.

5. Risk Mitigation Value: Proving the " Unfundable;

Self-Funded Pre-Work: Our Fund14 backend was built without funding. This ₳20,000+ value is free to Catalyst. Reviewers get proven code, not promises.

No Audit Risk: NMKR handles smart contracts. We avoid ₳30,000-50,000 in Plutus audits—cost avoided = value added.

Lean Operations: 2-person team = zero management overhead. Larger teams (5+ people) burn 40% of the budget on coordination. We spend 95% on code.

6. Why This Budget Can't Be Cut Further

• "Just Reduce Hours": Cutting to ₳100,000 means 1,000 dev hours total. At our realistic velocity (3-4 features/week), we'd deliver only the onboarding module—no games, no SDK, no governance. The platform dies without critical mass.
• "Use Junior Devs": Junior developers require 3 months of onboarding to Cardano/NMKR complexity. That's ₳15,000 in training costs with 50% slower output. False economy.
• "Skip Marketing": Organic growth is our only user acquisition channel. Zero marketing = <50 users = failed MVP. The ₳12,000 marketing spend is 7% of the budget—lean for gaming industry standards (typically 20-30%).

7. Value for Money Summary

| Metric | IndieNexus | Industry Standard | Value Advantage |

| ----------------------------- | ---------- | --------------------- | --------------------- |

| Cost per player onboarded | ₳471 | ₳500-1,500 | 68% cheaper |

| Cost per on-chain transaction | ₳165 | ₳200-500 (incl. fees) | 17-67% cheaper |

| Cost per game launched | ₳27,500 | ₳80,000-150,000 | 65-82% cheaper |

| Developer revenue share | 90% | 70% (Steam) | 20% uplift |

| Time to MVP | 9 months | 18-24 months | 50% faster |

| Audit risk | ₳0 (NMKR) | ₳30,000-50,000 | 100% cost avoided |

The Bottom Line: For 0.27% of a single Fund15 category's budget, Cardano receives:

• A production gaming platform with 5-7 live games
• 3,000+ novel transactions expanding network utility
• 350+ new wallets with self-custody
• MIT-licensed infrastructure reusable by entire ecosystem
• Self-funding path to sustainability

This is infrastructure, not just a project. It's the cheapest, fastest, lowest-risk way to establish Cardano as a credible indie gaming blockchain—and the open-source multiplier ensures the value compounds far beyond our 9-month timeline.

Every ADA is accounted for. Every deliverable is verifiable. Every risk is mitigated. This is the maximum ecosystem value for minimal grant cost.

[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