Talent3X: Cardano Skill & Contribution Credential Layer

[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

Talent3X: Cardano Skill & Contribution Credential Layer

[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

10

[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 lacks a standard way to verify skills, student work, and real contribution. Without a shared credential layer, learning outcomes and work records stay off-chain, blocking adoption.

[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. Talent3X is fully self-contained. All components (profiles, credential logic, APIs, and UI) will be developed by our core team and deployed independently on Cardano testnet.

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

No

Please provide details on the intellectual property (IP) status of your project outputs, including whether they will be released as open source or retained under another licence.

The prototype will follow open standards (DID, W3C Verifiable Credentials, and CIP-based identifiers) and publish non-sensitive components such as credential schemas and API specifications. Core application logic, UX, and operational layers will remain proprietary to protect security and long-term sustainability. All functionality will be accessible for testing on Cardano testnet.

[Theme Selection] Theme

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

Identity & Verification

[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).

Talent3X introduces a standardized, portable on-chain credential layer for verifying skills, task outcomes, and contribution records across education, startups, and AI ecosystems - something currently missing in Cardano.

Existing DID or identity efforts focus on authentication, not verifiable work, learning outcomes, or contribution logs.

Our innovation lies in three areas:

• Skill & Contribution Credentials (SCCs): A new credential primitive enabling universities and organizations to issue verified learning outcomes and task completions directly on-chain (W3C VC + Cardano-native structure).

• Human+AI Contribution Graph: The system supports contribution logs from both humans and AI agents - enabling future agent coordination and reputation models. This is unique within Cardano today.

• Cross-ecosystem portability: Credentials are designed to be readable by any Cardano app (jobs, education, DAOs) without platform lock-in, solving the fragmentation of talent data.

While other ecosystems explore verifiable learning or contributor reputation, no Cardano solution currently provides a unified, on-chain layer for portable skills and contribution proofs.

Talent3X fills this gap with a practical, interoperable prototype ready for testnet deployment.

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

The MVP will demonstrate a fully functional credential issuance and verification pipeline on Cardano testnet:

• Issuer Interface: Universities, organizations, and project owners can create and issue Skill & Contribution Credentials (SCCs).

• Learner/Contributor Wallet View: Users receive credentials in their wallet, tied to a DID, with full verifiability and portability.

• Verifier Endpoint: Any Cardano app can validate SCCs via an open API and schema definitions.

• Testnet Deployment: All smart contracts, schemas, and credential structures will be deployed to Cardano testnet for public access, verification, and integration testing.

The MVP will be accessible through:

• A web interface for issuers and contributors

• Published API documentation and example verification scripts

• Open testnet endpoints so builders can experiment with SCCs

• A demo repository showing end-to-end credential creation and proof validation

This prototype validates the core value: Cardano gains a shared, verifiable layer for skills, learning outcomes, and real contribution data - usable by education, startups, and AI-agent systems.

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

Success will be measured using both on-chain and off-chain indicators:

On-chain metrics:

• # of SCC credentials issued on Cardano testnet - Goal: 300+ credentials across learning outcomes and task contributions

• # of unique DIDs registered - Goal: 150+ learner/contributor identities

• # of verification calls via the verifier endpoint - Goal: 500+ credential verification events

• Smart contract performance metrics (cost per credential issuance, verification efficiency, error-free operation)

Off-chain adoption indicators:

• Participation from universities/startups using the prototype - Goal: At least 3 institutions/organizations actively issuing credentials

• Integration interest from Cardano builders - Goal: 5+ ecosystem builders testing SCCs for hiring, learning, or contributor reputation

• User feedback from contributors and issuers confirming usability, clarity, and portability

The core measure of success is clear: Cardano gains a functioning, testnet-verified credential layer that proves the viability of portable skills and contribution credentials across the ecosystem.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

Talent3X provides a unified credential layer for Cardano by enabling organizations to issue verifiable skill, learning, and contribution records on-chain.

The system includes three core components:

1. Identity & Credential Engine (DID + VC compatible): Generates tamper-proof, portable records for skills, learning outcomes, and task-based contributions.
2. Issuer & Verification Portal: Allows universities, startups, and contributors to issue and verify credentials using open standards, accessible on Cardano testnet.
3. Credential Registry & API Layer: Provides a queryable on-chain index for applications to consume verified credentials (e.g., education, hiring, DAO tooling, agent systems).

This solution directly addresses Cardano’s gap in identity, verification, and portable contribution records, enabling new use cases in education, workforce development, and decentralized collaboration.

Although the architecture has been previously validated through a small self-funded pilot on Polygon, the full credential engine, APIs, registry, UI, and verification components will be developed from scratch for Cardano using DID, VC, and CIP standards. This ensures that all deliverables in this proposal are new, forward-funded, and aligned fully with Cardano’s technical ecosystem.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

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

Talent3X creates a foundational identity and verification layer that can be adopted across the Cardano ecosystem.

Key impacts:

• Universities gain the ability to issue verifiable learning credentials on Cardano.
• Startups + builders can verify contributor reputation and skills without relying on off-chain data.
• DAOs + communities can recognize on-chain contribution, improving trust and collaboration.
• Developers can build new tools and applications on top of portable, verified credentials through the public API.
• AI agents can reference validated human and agent contributions, enabling emerging human-AI coordination use cases.

Early small-scale pilots conducted outside Cardano demonstrated strong interest from universities, contributors, and builders in adopting a standardized credential layer. By building Talent3X natively on Cardano, we bring validated demand directly into the ecosystem - accelerating usage, reducing adoption friction, and giving Cardano a first-class credentialing capability ahead of other chains.

By enabling portable, verifiable identity and contribution data, Talent3X unlocks Cardano’s potential in education, work, and decentralized reputation systems - driving long-term network adoption. This turns Cardano into an early home for verifiable learning, contribution reputation, and human-AI task credentials.

[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?

The Talent3X core team combines blockchain engineering, identity research, and long-term systems execution.

• Founder (CEO): 16+ years driving strategy, systems design, and transformation programs across large enterprises. Responsible for project direction, delivery oversight, and ensuring alignment with ecosystem needs.
• CTO: 10+ years of professional IT experience, including 5 years specializing in blockchain, smart-contract development, backend engineering, and full-stack architecture. Has delivered multiple decentralized identity and coordination prototypes across EVM and emerging chains. Leads all technical implementation for Cardano.
• CIO (Dr. Bilyaminu Auwal Romo): Senior Lecturer in Computer Science (University of East London, UK) with expertise in decentralized systems, trust frameworks, and AI-supported coordination. Provides research leadership, standards alignment, and academic validation. Supports institutional pilots and ensures methodological rigor.
• Technical Contributors (academic collaboration): Access to engineering and testing support through the Univesity of East London ecosystem, accelerating integration, validation, and prototyping.

Feasibility is supported by:

• A validated architecture tested through early MVP pilots.
• Clear milestones for Cardano testnet deployment.
• Use of open standards (DID, Verifiable Credentials, CIP-based identifiers).
• A delivery team with mature engineering experience and academic reinforcement.

This combination of engineering capability, research depth, and execution maturity ensures the project can be delivered reliably within the 10-month roadmap.

Existing Early Prototypes and Pilots (Self-Funded, Architecture Only):

Talent3X has already executed early pilots on the Polygon testnet with a limited number of contributors and organizations. This work was fully self-funded and focused solely on validating the architecture, schema models, and contribution-log logic.

This prior pilot work does not overlap with the deliverables in this Catalyst proposal. None of the Cardano components, including DID/CIP identifiers, credential engine, registry layer, APIs, verifiers, UI, or testnet deployment, have been built yet.

Instead, the early pilot provides three major feasibility advantages:

• Proven market demand: Students, contributors, and institutions have already validated the need for portable, verifiable contribution credentials.
• Reduced architectural risk: Early design choices were stress-tested, enabling a faster and more reliable Cardano implementation.
• Cardano-first build: The full system will be re-implemented natively using Cardano’s DID, VC, and CIP identity standards - not a port or reuse of Polygon code.

This validated foundation strengthens delivery confidence and ensures a high-quality Cardano-native implementation.

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Architecture Finalization & Credential Schema Design

Milestone Outputs

• Complete, validated system architecture for the Talent3X credential layer on Cardano, covering all components required for credential issuance, verification, revocation, identity binding, and wallet interoperability.
• Finalized credential schemas for skills, contribution logs, and institutional attestations, aligned with W3C Verifiable Credentials (VC), DID standards, and CIP-based identifiers.
• API integration blueprint including endpoint definitions, authentication flows, expected payloads, and lifecycle diagrams.
• Updated system diagrams and data models illustrating trust flows, interactions between backend, identity wallet, issuer UI, and credential storage.
• Documentation package describing design rationale, scalability assumptions, and compatibility with Cardano identity frameworks.

Acceptance Criteria

• Architecture is reviewed and approved in a joint technical session by the core team (CEO, CTO, CIO), confirming correctness, completeness, and deployment feasibility.
• Credential schemas validated using W3C VC validators and manually checked for DID and CIP-identifier compliance.
• API integration blueprint validated against all intended use cases (issuance, verification, revocation) and confirmed to support frontend and pilot needs.
• System diagrams updated, internally reviewed, and confirmed to reflect end-to-end credential lifecycle.
• Documentation confirms readiness to begin backend implementation without unresolved design gaps.

Evidence of Completion

• GitHub repository containing the architecture specification, diagrams, credential schema files (JSON/JSON-LD), and the full API blueprint in OpenAPI/Swagger format.
• VC schema validation output logs included in repository.
• Internal architecture approval note signed by CEO/CTO/CIO and included in documentation folder.
• A short recorded walkthrough demonstrating the architecture package and rationale for final design choices.
• Timestamped commit history showing completion before milestone date.

Delivery Month

2

Cost

30000

Progress

20 %

Milestone Title

Credential Engine & Core API Development (Testnet-Ready)

Milestone Outputs

• Fully implemented credential engine capable of issuing, verifying, and revoking credentials following the schemas defined in Milestone 1.
• Core backend services deployed in a controlled testnet-ready environment, including secure key management, issuer authentication, and audit logging.
• Complete REST API set (issue/verify/revoke/get-status) with authentication middleware, correctly handling all credential lifecycle requests.
• Smart-contract interaction layer prepared if required by testnet operations, with endpoints or logic stubbed for Cardano interoperability.
• Backend documentation including endpoint definitions, error codes, lifecycle charts, and examples for integrators.
• Preliminary test suite validating API stability, schema compliance, and expected response formats.

Acceptance Criteria

• Credential engine successfully issues, verifies, and revokes credentials in a local or testnet-ready environment using schema-compliant payloads.
• API endpoints return correct success/failure codes, process malformed inputs safely, and log all credential operations.
• Verification logic must confirm credential authenticity and schema integrity using W3C VC validation paths.
• Internal QA confirms that all endpoints follow the integration blueprint defined in Milestone 1.
• Backend services pass performance smoke tests and demonstrate stable operation under repeated credential lifecycle operations.
• Documentation reviewed for completeness and correctness.

Evidence of Completion

• GitHub repository containing backend code, API routes, credential engine modules, and initial smart-contract interaction stubs (if included).
• Recorded test logs demonstrating issuance, verification, and revocation operations with example payloads.
• QA checklist report confirming endpoint behavior and schema validation compliance.
• Postman or similar API collection included for external verification.
• GitHub release tag indicating milestone completion and summary of changes.

Delivery Month

5

Cost

45000

Progress

50 %

Milestone Title

Identity Wallet Integration & Credential Dashboard UI

Milestone Outputs

• Functional user-facing dashboard enabling talents, contributors, and students to view received credentials and verify their authenticity.
• Issuer dashboard allowing authorized institutions or organizations to issue credentials through a minimal but functional UI workflow.
• Wallet integration with Nami, Lace, or compatible Cardano wallets enabling user authentication, credential retrieval, and identity binding.
• Frontend–backend integration enabling issuance, verification, listing, and viewing of credentials directly from the UI.
• UX flows covering onboarding, credential display, issuer interaction, and error handling, validated with early pilot testers.
• Documentation describing UI architecture, integration steps, and instructions for both issuers and recipients.

Acceptance Criteria

• Users can connect a Cardano wallet and authenticate successfully through supported wallet adapters.
• Issuers can sign in using wallet authentication or predefined access methods and issue credentials that appear correctly in the recipient dashboard.
• Credential lists must display accurate, verifiable data fetched from backend APIs without inconsistencies or missing fields.
• All UI flows must handle invalid wallet states, missing credentials, and backend failures gracefully.
• A pilot group (minimum 2–3 testers) confirms usability and functional correctness through documented feedback.
• Frontend code reviewed and validated by the CTO for API alignment and security.

Evidence of Completion

• GitHub repository containing all frontend code, components, wallet adapters, UI logic, and integration layers.
• Screen recordings demonstrating wallet connection, credential viewing, issuer issuance flow, and error case handling.
• Pilot testing summary including tester feedback, screenshots, and notes confirming functional correctness.
• API request/response logs demonstrating end-to-end flows.
• GitHub release tag with documented changes.

Delivery Month

7

Cost

35000

Progress

70 %

Milestone Title

Testnet Deployment, Pilot Validation & QA

Milestone Outputs

• Full deployment of the Talent3X credential system to Cardano testnet, including backend services, integrated frontend, and testnet-ready credential engine.
• Comprehensive pilot test with at least one university and one contributor group issuing and verifying real credential data in a controlled environment.
• QA regression suite covering authentication flows, credential lifecycle operations, UI flows, performance checks, and error handling paths.
• Bug tracking and resolution logs documenting all discovered issues and fixes.
• Updated documentation covering installation, deployment scripts, testnet configuration, user guides, and issuer onboarding.
• Monitoring dashboards or logs demonstrating stable performance across multiple credential operations and test cycles.

Acceptance Criteria

• Testnet deployment accessible publicly, with working frontend and backend endpoints operating under real testnet conditions.
• University and contributor pilot groups successfully issue and verify credentials, documented through logs and signed confirmations.
• All critical and major issues discovered during testing are resolved; remaining minor issues must have known remediation paths.
• QA regression tests pass with stable results, confirming correctness of credential lifecycle operations and UI interactions.
• Documentation reflects the deployed system, matches testnet behavior, and enables external testers to reproduce flows independently.
• Deployment reviewed and validated by CTO and CIO for readiness.

Evidence of Completion

• Public testnet deployment link and repository with deployment scripts and configs.
• Pilot test report with screenshots, logs, and confirmations from participating institutions.
• Full QA regression suite results and bug resolution logs.
• Updated user, issuer, and developer documentation in GitHub.
• A recorded walkthrough showing testnet interactions and successful credential verification.
• GitHub release tag for the deployed testnet version.

Delivery Month

9

Cost

30000

Progress

90 %

Milestone Title

Final Documentation, Release Package & Project Close-Out

Milestone Outputs

• Complete and polished documentation suite, including developer docs, issuer guides, user onboarding, integration guides, and identity-wallet instructions.
• Public testnet release package containing stable backend services, frontend UI, credential engine, and deployment instructions for institutions.
• Final integration and architectural documentation summarizing all design decisions, changes, and implementation details across the project.
• Catalyst Close-Out Report detailing project execution, milestones achieved, challenges, and learnings.
• Final demonstration video showing end-to-end credential lifecycle on testnet.
• Administrative handover documentation enabling future maintainers or contributors to continue development.

Acceptance Criteria

• All documentation must be complete, consistent, reviewed by the full team, and published publicly in the project repository.
• Public release package must be functional, reproducible, and aligned with the testnet deployment completed in Milestone 4.
• Catalyst Close-Out Report must follow official guidelines and summarize all milestones, outputs, and acceptance conditions met.
• Final demo video must demonstrate issuance, verification, UI operation, and correct interaction with testnet.
• All previous milestones must have been approved by reviewers before the final milestone can be accepted.

Evidence of Completion

• GitHub repository links to all final documents, guides, and release packages.
• Final demonstration video uploaded and linked.
• Completed Catalyst Close-Out Report submitted through official process.
• Repository tags and commit history showing finalization.
• Internal team review note confirming documentation completeness and quality.

Delivery Month

10

Cost

25000

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

The total requested budget is ₳165,000, allocated strictly to the work required to design, implement, test, and deploy the Talent3X Credential Layer for Cardano.

1. Architecture and Credential Layer Design - ₳23,000

Scope:

• Final credential architecture
• DID/VC/CIP schema design
• Contribution log model
• API interaction blueprint
• System diagrams and verification logic

Includes: research, modeling, schema drafting, reviews, documentation.

2. Core Development (Credential Layer, APIs, Identifiers) - ₳50,000

Scope:

• Implementation of credential logic (VC/DID/CIP-based identifiers)
• API endpoints for issue/verify/revoke
• Contribution attestation model
• Integration connectors for future partners
• Error handling, data validation, security layer

Includes: backend/infra development and deployment.

3. Integration and Testnet Deployment - ₳23,000

Scope:

• Deployment to Cardano testnet
• Node setup and credential registry environment
• Test data injection
• Institutional pilot preparation
• Performance testing for credential operations

Includes: infrastructure costs, testnet maintenance, debugging, load tests.

4. QA, Testing, Schema Validation and Security Review - ₳20,000

Scope:

• VC/DID schema validation
• CIP compatibility checks
• End-to-end test scenarios for credential lifecycle
• Security review of API and credential flow
• Automated QA scripts

Includes: internal test cycles + external lightweight audit.

5. Documentation, Standards Alignment and Pilot Support - ₳15,000

Scope:

• Full technical documentation
• User/API manuals
• Integration handbook for universities and orgs
• Standards alignment (VC, DID, CIP)
• Support for early institutional pilots

Includes: writing, formatting, examples, schema libraries.

6. Project Management & Delivery Oversight - ₳9,000

Scope:

• Coordination of all milestones and deliverables
• Weekly execution oversight
• Team alignment & task tracking
• Ensuring on-time delivery within the 10-month roadmap
• Risk tracking & mitigation

Includes: project tracking, leadership, and coordination.

7. Catalyst Reporting, Milestone Evidence & Compliance - ₳6,000

Scope:

• Preparing Statements of Milestones during onboarding
• Delivering Proof of Achievement for each milestone
• Compiling project close-out report & final demonstration video
• Publishing progress updates transparently

Includes: administrative overhead required by the Catalyst process.

8. Community Engagement & Pilot Coordination - ₳10,000

Scope:

• Coordinating with pilot universities and startup contributors
• Gathering structured tester feedback
• Running guided evaluation sessions
• Managing integrations and verifying institutional use

Includes: human engagement needed to validate the credential layer.

9. Infrastructure & Cloud Services - ₳9,000

Scope:

• Hosting of API and credential registry
• Cloud compute and storage
• CI/CD pipeline
• Monitoring and logging

Duration: Throughout entire 10-month execution.

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

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

Talent3X delivers strong value for the Cardano ecosystem by allocating ₳165,000 exclusively to engineering, testnet deployment, QA, documentation, and Catalyst-required reporting - with no marketing expenses, no unrelated overhead, and no speculative use of funds.

The project builds a fully functional, standards-aligned credential layer for Cardano, covering identity (DID), verifiable credentials (VC), contribution logs, issuer/learner interfaces, and public APIs. Every budget item is tied to a milestone with verifiable outputs and testable infrastructure.

A major source of value is that the Talent3X model has already been validated off-chain through pilots with two universities and one real-world deployment in Nigeria. This reduces execution risk, shortens the timeline, and ensures Catalyst funding accelerates a system that already demonstrates user demand and institutional interest.

The resulting infrastructure delivers:

• A Cardano-native credential engine (DID/VC/CIP aligned)
• Public testnet deployment for ecosystem builders
• Issuer and recipient interfaces for education and contributor use cases
• Verifier APIs for startups, employers, DAOs, and agent systems
• Complete documentation for onboarding institutions and developers

If built separately by universities, startups, or DAOs, these components would require far higher combined investment. Talent3X consolidates them into a single, reusable layer that elevates identity, reputation, and contribution verification across the ecosystem.

Because the team has already delivered working prototypes in other environments, Catalyst funding produces outsized impact: a production-ready credential layer for Cardano with reduced risk, faster delivery, and high long-term ecosystem value.

Talent3X therefore represents excellent value for money, transforming a focused Catalyst investment into a durable identity and verification asset for Cardano.

[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