Please describe your proposed solution

Cardano's fragmented libraries and services create multiple dependencies for dApp development, leading to excessive boilerplate code and slower onboarding for new developers.

Our solution will offer a lightweight**, containerized solution** which will act as a one-stop API utility that abstracts away the complexities of Cardano integration. It will include developer-friendly documentation and examples to help users start quickly.

Developers can avoid use of multiple libraries and boilerplate coding by just running the container in their dev/prod environments and gain quick access to the following functionalities over REST APIs.

1. Account and Wallet Management: High-level REST APIs to manage HD wallets, generate mnemonics, keys and derive addresses. This simplifies wallet interactions, making it easy for developers to integrate with Cardano without delving into cryptography.
2. APIs to streamline Transaction Creation and Submission:
3. Stake pool and stake management (pool registration/retirement, delegation. reward withdrawal).
4. Transfer native assets to addresses
5. Governance transactions (e.g., dRep registration, vote submissions).
6. Support to extend to custom smart contract interactions.
7. Token and Asset Management: Simplify native asset management with APIs to mint, burn, and transfer tokens, along with metadata handling and query policy/asset details.
8. Fee Estimation and Optimization: APIs to Evaluate Transaction, calculate execution units.
9. Querying the ledger: APIs for fast querying of the blockchain data such as transaction histories, address balances, block information, protocol parameters, datum, tx metadata. Support for various Cardano querying services like Koios, Ogmios, Blockfrost.

This will be a fully open source repository, All the APIs will have test cases on Cardano testnet to demonstrate their functionality.

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

Unified tooling: Developers can avoid dealing with multiple libraries, boilerplate code and other dependencies by using a single API container.

Time-Efficiency: With ready made REST APIs handling key tasks, development times are significantly reduced, speeding up onboarding for new developers.

Production-Ready: The containerized solution can be deployed across dev and production environments with minimal configuration.

Community-Driven: The fully open-source nature encourages contribution and innovation.

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?

Our team has been actively developing on Cardano for the past 3 years and comprises a diverse group of highly skilled Cardano engineers, senior software developers, and experienced project managers. We have successfully delivered Cardano projects, both for clients and the broader ecosystem. Our capabilities include:

1. Cardano Integrations: We have experience in assisting clients with Cardano integrations, helping them build and deploy decentralized solutions on the blockchain.
2. Open-Source Contributions: We have developed multiple open-source libraries to support the Cardano developer community.

Our public GitHub repository: <https://github.com/lambdacc>

Catalyst track record: We have a proven track record with Catalyst-funded projects.

Fund-9: Completed: Open-source library for Plutus off-chain

Link to project repository: https://github.com/lambdacc/plutus-rest-wrapper

Fund-12: In-progress: CIP-1694 and Cardano Governance workshop

The milestones we propose have an even distribution of funds throughout the project timeline. Starting with the first milestone, the outputs will be functional and verifiable. The project repository will be open source throughout the lifecycle of the project.

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

Milestone 1: Account and Wallet Management APIs

A: Outputs

1. A set of REST APIs for managing hierarchical deterministic (HD) wallets, mnemonics and key generation, address derivation.
2. A public Github repository for the containerized solution.
3. Initial documentation explaining the API usage.

B: Acceptance Criteria

1. All wallet/account management APIs must be fully functional, enabling wallet creation, mnemonic generation, key management, and address derivation.
2. The container must be runnable in both local and production environments without external dependencies.
3. All APIs to be covered by integration tests.
4. The GitHub repository must contain clear setup instructions to allow developers to easily run the container and use the APIs.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion

1. Link to tagged release on GitHub with wallet and account management APIs.
2. Link to documentation published on GitHub, covering API usage for wallet and account management.
3. Link to results/screenshots from running test cases for APIs.

Timeline: 4 weeks

Milestone 2: Token and Asset Management, Ledger Querying APIs

A: Outputs

1. Containerized REST APIs for minting, burning, and transferring tokens.
2. APIs for querying ledger data (transaction details, address balances, block information, protocol parameters, tx metadata).
3. Expanded developer documentation, including examples of token management and ledger querying.
4. Updated GitHub repository with new APIs.

B: Acceptance Criteria

1. Token management APIs (minting, burning, transferring) must be fully functional, with transactions successfully processed on-chain.
2. Ledger querying APIs must accurately retrieve data, including transactions, address balances, and block details.
3. Integration tests must cover all token and asset management APIs.
4. Successful minting and burning transactions must be confirmed on the blockchain.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion

1. Link to tagged release on GitHub with token management and ledger querying APIs.
2. Link to updated documentation on GitHub, including instructions for using token management and ledger querying APIs.
3. Link to results/screenshots from running test cases for token minting, burning, and querying functions.
4. Link to transaction logs or screenshots of successful token minting and burning, verified on a Cardano blockchain explorer.

Timeline: 4 weeks

Milestone 3: Transaction Creation, Submission, and Fee Estimation APIs

A: Outputs

1. REST APIs for transaction creation and submission.
2. REST APIs for transaction fee estimation and optimization.
3. Finalized containerized solution with all API functionalities (wallet management, token management, transaction submission).
4. Developer documentation and usage guides.

B: Acceptance Criteria

1. Transaction creation and submission APIs must be fully operational, enabling users to create and submit transactions to the Cardano blockchain.
2. The fee estimation API must provide accurate fee calculations and optimizations based on network conditions.
3. The containerized solution must be ready for deployment.
4. Integration tests must cover all new APIs.

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion

1. Link to tagged release on GitHub containing the complete containerized solution with transaction creation, submission, and fee estimation APIs.
2. Link to finalized developer documentation on GitHub, including detailed guides for transaction creation, submission, and fee estimation.
3. Link to results/screenshots from test cases demonstrating successful transaction creation, submission, and fee estimation.
4. Link to logs or screenshots showing successful transaction submissions verified on the Cardano blockchain.

Timeline: 6 weeks

Final Milestone: Project Close-out Report and Video

A: Outputs

1. A project close-out report summarizing all completed milestones, outcomes, and learnings.
2. A video presentation demonstrating the final product, with demonstrations of key features and API functionalities.
3. Documentation updates and final GitHub repository review.

B: Acceptance Criteria

1. The close-out report must cover all project milestones, highlighting completed deliverables, challenges, and outcomes.
2. The video presentation must demonstrate key functionalities such as wallet management, token management, and transaction submission.
3. The final GitHub repository must include all source code, documentation, and test cases, tagged as "Project Complete."

C: Evidence of Milestone Completion

1. Link to Project close-out report published as a PDF, available on GitHub or a public platform.
2. Link to Video uploaded to YouTube or a similar platform, showcasing the working API suite.
3. Link to GitHub repository updated with final code, documentation, and a release tag indicating project completion.

Timeline: 2 weeks

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

Our team, Lambdac, is an unincorporated volunteer collective comprising experienced Cardano engineers, Senior Software engineers and Project Managers, aiming to make meaningful contributions within the Cardano ecosystem. We have successfully delivered Cardano integrations for clients, Catalyst projects and open source libraries for the broader ecosystem. Our public GitHub repository: <https://github.com/lambdacc>

Here are the Catalyst projects we have received funding for in the past:

Fund-9: Open-source library for Plutus off-chain – Status: Completed

Link to project repository: https://github.com/lambdacc/plutus-rest-wrapper

Fund-12: CIP-1694 and Cardano Governance workshop – Status: In progress

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

All costs involved are for software development.

Cardano engineer (FTE) @ 9000 x 4 months = 36000 ADA

Senior Software engineer (0.5 FTE) @ 4000 x 4 months = 16000 ADA

Project management/reporting costs @ 300 x 4 months = 1200 ADA

Total budget = 53200 ADA

No dependencies.

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

By offering a containerised suite of restful APIs, we will reduce the complexity and development time for dApps, making the Cardano ecosystem more accessible to developers of varying experience levels.

1. Developer Tooling: The API suite will streamline the development process, enabling faster and more efficient dApp creation. This will help attract new developers to Cardano and retain existing ones by providing them with practical tools that cut down on repetitive tasks.
2. Easier Cardano Integrations: Currently, Cardano developers must integrate multiple libraries and write boilerplate code, which slows down development. Our solution will eliminate these inefficiencies, delivering long-term benefits to the ecosystem by enhancing developer productivity and reducing the time-to-market for new dApps.
3. Open Source: The project will be fully open source, ensuring that the Cardano community and ecosystem can benefit from continuous improvements and innovations. This contributes to the ecosystem's sustainability and reduces future costs for developers by providing a freely available resource.

Cost Justification: The developer costs for this project are below the average local industry rate for developers with commensurate experience.