Cardano Africa Starter Kit (CASK)

CASK distributes Cardano Community Tokens in the form of a 'rewards card' that can be redeemed at participating retail partners. .

Jon Saginaw: 20+ years experience in Technology Consulting with well-known companies.

WADA Skilled team of practitioners and entrepreneurs

Please reference the attached proposal for a detailed description of project objectives, approach, expectations, risks, and expenses.

-----------Overview---------------

• CASK provides incentives to Africans for performing the basic tasks of becoming Cardano stakeholders, and demonstrating the utility of the Cardano blockchain.
• The initial release will focus on providing 'rewards cards,' in the form of Cardano Community Tokens, that can be exchanged at participating retail partners. The retail partner can then return the tokens for fiat and keep the remaining ADA as profit (currently, Cardano requires that 1.59 ADA is sent in this type of Community Token transaction)
• Future releases will explore new business models made available with advancements in the Cardano blockchain. This may include stablecoins, smart contracts, and/or Babel fees to create new incentive structures that can reduce operating costs while still incentivizing users and retail partners.
• Inspiration for this initiative comes in part from the success of Bitcoin Beach in El Salvador, where a grassroots effort led to (at first) hyperlocal Bitcoin acceptance as currency, and eventually to countrywide adoption. Similar opportunities exist for Cardano in Africa where cryptocurrency/blockchain awareness is still limited. The Cardano Foundation's commitment to Africa adoption, along with existing grassroots initiatives like WADA, provide a solid foundation from which to successfully develop CASK.

-----------Impact---------------

How does this proposal's problem statement fit the challenge? (slide 2-3)

• This project directly promotes expanding Cardano's utility in Africa, and provides financial incentives to Africans that use Cardano's capabilities.

How will this proposal add value to the Cardano ecosystem? (slide 9)

• Demonstrating Cardano's utility in Africa is critical to progressing Cardano's vision on the continent. Cardano must reach critical mass in order to reach its true potential. A means of gaining traction is via establishing network effects at local levels, then expanding.

How will the proposal scale to address future challenges? (slide 7)

• While initial business models have been identified for a Phase 1 launch, CASK expects to leverage innovations in future Cardano releases to improve its financial model. This may include: Smart Contracts, Babel Fees, Stablecoins, and DeFi innovations defined by the Cardano community.

-----------Feasibility---------------

Team (slide 12-13)

• West Africa Decentralized Alliance (WADA): Skilled team of Cardano practitioners and entrepreneurs, located in hubs across West Africa and the diaspora.
• Jon Saginaw: 20+ years experience in Technology Consulting, working with some of the world's most well-known companies. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonsaginaw/
• Core team includes: Full Stack Developer (2), Cardano/CASK Operations (1), Implementation Lead in Ghana/DRC (2 part time)

Budget (slide 6, 12)

• Slide 6 shows a sample exchange of funds, demonstrating how ADA, Tokens, Fiat, & Goods move across CASK. This view describes how Rewards Card funds will be spent.

• Slide 12 shows expected time & material funds for resources and other expenses.

• Cost of $24,809 include:

• Token Distribution ($10,000)

• Development Resources ($13,709)

• Material Expenses ($1,100)

Plan (slide 11-12)

• An initial 3 month development period (with 3 FTEs and 2 part-time onsite resources) will be followed by 4 months of adoption (with reduced headcount). CASK is targeting implementation with two retail partners in Ghana and the DRC.
• Key activities include: developing the CASK website and web application (for distributing Yoroi wallets with ADA/tokens), defining the retail experience with participating retail partners, collecting and analyzing data (fraud detection, customer/store experience), and managing operations for CASK infrastructure (web application, hosting environment, Cardano wallet)

Risks (slide 14)

• Key risk include Fraud, ADA Appreciation, and Lack of Adoption
• Risk descriptions and mitigation strategies are detailed in the attached document

-----------Auditability---------------

What Success Looks Like (slide 10)

• A key goal for the initial release of CASK is to demonstrate Cardano's utility as both a store of value (ADA) and a currency of exchange (Community Tokens).

• Additionally, net-positive feedback from participants (users and retail partners) and data collected (digital, physical, onchain) will inform decisions around future project direction and expansion.

• Key milestones include:

• 3 months: working prototype

• 6 months: circulation of Rewards Cards in 2 locations

• 12 months: not applicable for this release, but Phase 2 concepts are discussed in the proposal

Metrics (slide 10)

• 750 new Cardano wallets, with 500 Cardano Native Token purchases
• 2 locations deployed with CASK rewards card solution