Surge: Boost Cardano Volume and MAUs

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Surge: Boost Cardano Volume and MAUs

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

200000

[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?

Cardano has low transaction volume and MAUs (Monthly active users)

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://docs.surgecardano.com/surge-platform/what-is-surge
,
• https://surgecardano.com/
,
• https://x.com/SurgeCardano/status/1967673673302601981?s=20
,
• https://x.com/SurgeCardano

[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.

All outputs from the deployment of Catalyst funds (increase in daily DEX volume and MAUs) will be publicly verifiable on the Cardano blockchain and reported regularly.

[Theme Selection] Theme

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

Infrastructure

[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).

This proposal is innovative as it aims to use Catalyst funds to directly increase two of the three most important metrics of the Cardano blockchain:

1. Transaction volume
2. Monthly Active Users.

Increasing these metrics is widely recognized as the most critical objective of the ecosystem at this point in time. The 200k ADA requested will be used to increase these metrics as efficiently as possible, with a goal of achieving a 500x multiple of the requested Catalyst funding in on-chain volume generated over the lifetime of the initiative. Transactions will serve to capture price spreads and/or arbitrage opportunities with the goal of profitable trading while maximizing daily trading volume. This will be executed through the use of the Surge protocol, a new Cardano native trade automation platform detailed in the following section.

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

Surge is the first fully non-custodial trade automation platform on Cardano. It allows holders of ADA or any Cardano native asset to deploy algorithmic trading strategies directly from their personal device in a private and permissionless environment.

Over 90% of trading volume in both traditional finance and decentralized finance is executed by computers rather than manually. Surge brings this power and volume potential to Cardano - and more precisely to every person in Cardano - as the individuals and teams that make up the ecosystem hold vast amounts of ADA and native assets and therefore have the power to create the on-chain activity that can change how Cardano is perceived, the extent to which it is invested in, and the speed at which it is adopted.

Surge is uniquely accessible. Cardano users of any skill level are able to deploy and manage trading strategies on Surge. For this reason, the acceleration of Cardano’s metrics such as MAUs and transaction volume can be a community effort, where individuals and teams contribute to the expansion of chain activity with their own resources and likewise mutually and constructively benefit from the efforts of their peers.

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

Goals:

1. 500,000 to 5 million daily Cardano DEX Volume accross 1 or more CNT pairs for a duration of 3 to 8+ months (15 million to 150 million monthly Cardano DEX volume)
2. 500 to 5000 monthly active Cardano wallets

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

The requested 200k ADA will be deployed on the Surge protocol. Strategies are planned to include capturing price spreads and arbitrage opportunities among Cardano native assets on Cardano DEXs with the goal of profitable trading while maximizing daily transaction volume. These trades should serve to increase market efficiencies, including potential asset price stabilization and stablecoin peg stability, while increase overall usage of the Cardano network.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

Transaction Volume, MAUs, and TVL are the most important factors for a blockchain when it comes to garnering capital investment and attracting new users. More users and more investment usually equates to financial, entrepenerial, and creative success for the users and builders of a blockchain ecosystem. Surge aims to use Catalyst funds to increase two of these metrics as efficiently as possible per Catalyst-ADA-used.

To quote Charles Hoskinson directly:

“MAUs, TVL, and transaction volume. That is what the VCs care about. I sat down with the a16z people, the Electric Capital people, the Pantera people, the Ark people. I sat down with about twenty-five VCs and asked, ‘If you could only pick three things, what do you care about?’ These are the guys who deploy billions of dollars of capital, and they said, ‘your MAUs, your TVL, and your transaction volume. That is what we care about.’ So that is our market feedback. So what are we going to do to make those better?”

[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?

We have already used Surge to conduct over 50 million ADA in trading volume in a single day on the Cardano Pre-Production testnet on Minswap DEX, which is operationally equiavlent to cardano mainnet. Our development team has extensive experience on Cardano, including making core contributions to eUTXO, native assets, and smart contract architecture of Cardano. We are advised by highly regarded developers beyond the core team. We are well funded, efficient, and fully aligned with the mission of this Catalyst proposal. Core team members and advisors are well-known figures and long-time contributors within the Cardano community.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Finalize Strategies

Milestone Outputs

One to three trading strategies will be finalized, with full definition of their operational parameters. This will include the selection of asset pairs, the logic governing trade execution, and the specific spreads or price differentials to be targeted in the case of arbitrage. Each strategy will be clearly outlined, tested, and prepared for deployment.

Acceptance Criteria

• One to three trading strategies are fully defined with complete operational parameters.
• Each strategy is forecasted and simulated to demonstrate financial soundness.
• Simulations show that strategies contribute to reasonable price stability for the selected Cardano assets.
• Strategies demonstrate the ability to maintain a stable fund balance within the Surge account associated with the Catalyst allocation.
• All strategy models and simulation results are documented and stored for verification.

Evidence of Completion

• Provide documented strategy specifications detailing all parameters and logic.
• Provide simulation outputs demonstrating financial soundness and expected performance.
• Provide analysis showing each strategy’s effect on price stability for the selected assets.
• Provide balance-tracking records confirming that simulated strategies maintain a stable fund balance.
• Provide a compiled report containing all models, data, and results for independent review.

Delivery Month

1

Progress

70 %

Milestone Title

Secure Deposit and Wallet Backup Completion

Milestone Outputs

ADA is deposited into Surge and all associated wallets are securely generated, stored, and backed up by the team using established best practices. Every necessary security measure is implemented to ensure that funds remain protected, recoverable, and never lost.

Acceptance Criteria

• ADA is deposited into Surge without error.
• Wallets are securely generated using approved methods.
• Wallets are backed up through a verified, redundant process.
• All security measures required to prevent loss of funds are implemented.
• Funds remain fully recoverable under all expected operating conditions.

Evidence of Completion

• Provide verifiable on-chain records of ADA deposits and strategy activity.
• Provide cryptographic proofs or logs confirming wallet generation and backup procedures.
• Provide internal security audit results confirming all required safeguards were implemented.
• Provide a final report documenting that all acceptance criteria were met and that all funds remained secure and recoverable throughout the process.

Delivery Month

1

Progress

100 %

Milestone Title

Deploy Strategies

Milestone Outputs

Begin running strategies. Maintain local device function and power supply. Monitor strategy performance. Gradually ramp volume to the maximum stable limit. Tune parameters. Continuously check for stability.

Acceptance Criteria

• Strategies initiate without errors.
• Local device remains functional with uninterrupted power.
• Strategy performance is monitored at regular intervals.
• Trading volume is increased gradually and reaches the maximum stable limit without instability.
• Strategy parameters are tuned as required based on observed performance.
• Stability checks are performed continuously and show no critical failures.

Evidence of Completion

• Provide on-chain records showing strategies executed successfully.
• Provide system logs confirming uninterrupted device operation during strategy runs.
• Provide monitoring logs showing consistent performance tracking.
• Provide volume records demonstrating a controlled ramp to the maximum stable limit.
• Provide tuning change logs documenting parameter adjustments.
• Provide stability reports showing no critical errors throughout operation.

Delivery Month

2

Cost

200000

Progress

10 %

Milestone Title

Boost Cardano Metrics and Report all Results

Milestone Outputs

Improve Cardano transaction volume and MAUs. Target 1 to 5 million ADA in daily DEX volume and 500 to 5,000 MAUs added to Cardano. Report all strategy results and measure the impact of the 200k ADA on overall chain activity. Provide guides enabling the community to deploy similar strategies. Evaluate the effect on Cardano adoption. Identify risks and hurdles. Refine the product. Continue driving Cardano’s growth.

Acceptance Criteria

• Daily DEX volume attributable to the initiative reaches 1 to 5 million ADA.
• MAUs attributable to the initiative reach 500 to 5,000.
• All strategy results are recorded and reported.
• A quantitative analysis of the impact of the 200k ADA on Cardano activity is completed and published.
• Community guides for deploying similar strategies are produced and publicly available.
• An assessment of the initiative’s effect on Cardano adoption is completed.
• All risks and hurdles are documented.
• Product refinements based on findings are implemented.
• Demonstrable evidence shows increased Cardano growth driven by the initiative.

Evidence of Completion

• Provide on-chain data confirming daily DEX volume reached the 1–5 million ADA range.
• Provide analytics confirming 500–5,000 MAUs attributable to the initiative.
• Provide a full report containing all recorded strategy results.
• Provide a published impact analysis detailing the effect of the 200k ADA on Cardano activity.
• Provide publicly accessible community guides for replicating the strategies.
• Provide a documented assessment of adoption effects supported by measurable data.
• Provide a written risks and hurdles report.
• Provide documentation of product refinements performed.
• Provide a final growth report demonstrating measurable increases in Cardano activity linked to the initiative.

Delivery Month

6

Progress

10 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Strategy finalization, strategy operation, ongoing maintenance, monitoring, stability checks, tuning, data collection, and full reporting: 0 ADA

(all covered internally by the Surge team at no cost to Catalyst)

Deployment of 200k ADA into Surge for live strategy execution, on-chain volume generation, and measurement of ecosystem impact: 200k ADA

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

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

The 200k ADA should be turned into roughly 10 million to 100+ million ADA in Cardano DEX volume over the span of 2 to 8+ months. This may attract attention, new users, and investment to the ecosystem.

[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