Please describe your proposed solution

This section provides a detailed description of our proposed solution, aimed at enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of the Cardano DApp development process. Our approach involves creating an open-source reference batcher for DApps. Batchers are used in various Cardano protocols and often perform similar tasks, and hence it makes sense to unify the development of these batchers and incorporate best practices in a reference implementation.

Problem Identification: The primary issue we seek to address is the inefficiency currently plaguing the development of Cardano batchers. At present, developers of each DApp are often tasked with redeveloping substantial portions of the off-chain code independently. This redundant effort leads to increased development time and decreased consistency across projects.

Proposed Solution: To overcome these challenges, we propose the development of a robust and efficient framework of reference implementations. The introduction of a reference batcher will provide developers with a blueprint, enabling them to build specialized batchers that not only streamline transactions but also integrate best practices in Cardano development. This approach will significantly reduce development time and ensure higher quality and uniformity across DApps.

Engagement and Impact: Our project will engage Cardano developers by providing them with tools and documentation necessary to utilize and adapt the reference batcher for their specific needs.

Unique Aspects and Benefits: What sets our solution apart is its universality and open-source nature, allowing for broad adaptation and collaboration within the Cardano community. Beneficiaries of this project include not only current and future DApp developers but also the end users who will experience improved performance and reliability of Cardano-based applications.

Additional Development: Building on this reference implementation, we will also develop an open-source linkage batcher specifically tailored for the Linkage protocol. This specialized fund-batcher will serve as a practical example of how to implement a batcher based on our reference off-chain solution, promoting a more streamlined and efficient development process for Cardano DApp developers.

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

Our project will significantly enhance the Cardano community's capabilities by reducing transaction costs and improving processing efficiency through the implementation of an open-source reference batche. This tool will serve as a practical reference and model for developers, fostering innovation and collaboration across the ecosystem.

The impact will be measured quantitatively by tracking the adoption rate of the batcher implementation, the reduction in development cost, and the feedback from developer engagement surveys. Qualitatively, we will assess the community's feedback through forums and direct interactions to gauge the improvement in user and developer experiences.

We will share the outputs of our project through GitHub for widespread access, supplemented with detailed documentation and tutorials

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?

Linkage Finance has a dedicated team of experienced developers with a deep understanding of blockchain technology and expertise in building decentralized applications. We are committed to delivering high-quality projects with transparency, accountability, and adherence to best practices.

What are the key milestones you need to achieve in order to complete your project successfully?

Milestone 1: A. Milestone Outputs:

• Comprehensive design document detailing the architecture of the reference batcher.
• Selection of tools and libraries to be used in development.

B. Acceptance Criteria:

• Approval of design document by the project technical lead.
• Finalization of tools and libraries as documented in the project repository.

C. Evidence of Milestone Completion:

• Uploaded design document to GitHub.
• Documented list of selected tools and libraries in the project repository.

Milestone 2: A. Milestone Outputs:

• Functional core of the reference batcher enabling transaction batching.
• Initial test suite for core functionalities.

B. Acceptance Criteria:

• Core functionality meets design specifications.
• Passing all initial tests for core features.

C. Evidence of Milestone Completion:

• Code commits on GitHub showing functional implementation.
• Test results documented and published in the project repository.

Milestone 3: A. Milestone Outputs:

• Starting implementation of linkage fund batcher.
• Comprehensive documentation and user guide for reference batcher.

B. Acceptance Criteria:

• Prototype of linkage fund batcher.
• Documentation covers all features and provides clear usage instructions.

C. Evidence of Milestone Completion:

• GitHub repository with linkage fund batcher.
• Online access to the complete documentation on GitHub or project website.

Final Milestone: A. Milestone Outputs:

• Deployment of the fund batcher to a test environment.
• community announcements to educate developers and gather feedback.

B. Acceptance Criteria:

• Successful deployment with no critical issues.
• Wrote at least two articles and a twitter post.

C. Evidence of Milestone Completion:

• Transaction batch with fund batcher.
• Link to community announcements.

Who is in the project team and what are their roles?

Project Lead (Marius):

• Responsibilities: Overall project management, stakeholder communication, and strategic decision-making.
• Tasks: Managing timelines, budget, and reporting on project progress.

Lead Developer (Chris):

• Responsibilities: Core software development, including architecture and implementation of the fund batcher.
• Tasks: Coding, integrating feedback, and maintaining the repository.

UI/UX Designer & Tester (to be hired):

• Responsibilities: Designing the user interface and conducting both UI and functionality testing.
• Tasks: Creating design prototypes, improving user experience, and validating design and functional aspects through rigorous testing.

Community Manager (Evan):

• Responsibilities: managing community engagement, and support.
• Tasks: hosting community workshops, and interacting with users on social media

Documentation & Support Engineer (to be hired):

• Responsibilities: Managing deployment environments, project documentation, overseeing continuous integration and delivery, and technical support.
• Tasks: Setting up CI/CD pipelines, ensuring system stability, and providing technical support to end users and writing documentation

This compact team ensures effective communication and engagement through active participation in technical group channels like Discord and Telegram, directly linking with the broader Cardano community for continuous feedback and collaboration. This approach not only simplifies management but also covers all critical functions necessary for successful project completion within a smaller team structure.

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

<u>Personal Cost: 97,000 ADA</u>

Project Lead: 9,000 ADA

• Responsibilities: Management, oversight, and stakeholder communication.

Lead Developer: 29,000 ADA

• Responsibilities: Core development, implementation, and integration.

Blockchain Developers: 42,000 ADA

• Responsibilities: Blockchain integration, core development, smart contract integration

Community Manager: 8,000 ADA

• Responsibilities: managing community interactions, and user support.

Documentation &amp; Support Engineer: 9,000 ADA

• Responsibilities: System deployment, CI/CD, and support, writing project documentation

<u>Infrastructure and Tools: 15,000 ADA</u>

• Development Tools: 4,000 ADA
• Includes software licenses, IDEs, and testing frameworks.
• Server and Hosting Costs: 7,000 ADA
• Cost for cloud services for hosting the development and testing environments.
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment Systems: 4,000 ADA

<u>Marketing and Publicity: 3,000 ADA</u>

• Marketing Materials: 3,000 ADA
• Development of digital marketing materials like announcements and reports.

No dependencies.

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

1. Industry Standard Rates: We've based our budget on the typical wages and freelance rates that align with industry standards.
2. Open Source Efficiency: By developing an open-source fund batcher, we minimize ongoing development and maintenance costs. This approach encourages community contributions, maximizing utility and adaptability across the ecosystem.
3. Scalable Impact: The tool is designed to reduce transaction costs and improve efficiency for a broad range of users within the Cardano community, enhancing its value across various applications.
4. Strategic Resource Allocation: Resources are allocated to maximize the impact of key development phases, ensuring efficient use of funds and tangible advancements in the project.
5. Long-Term Benefits: The project sets a standard for future developments within the ecosystem.

This streamlined budget approach and strategic planning ensure that the investment in our project is cost-effective and beneficial to the wider Cardano community.