Kusama RFP#3: Kusama.App - Gateway for Newcomers to the Ecosystem

[olanod]

kusama.app

Kusama is the gateway for entrepreneurs and builders to the Polkadot ecosystem and Web3. It is the perfect place for creative communities who want to bring new ideas to life. However, newcomers to the ecosystem, particularly hackers/builders and entrepreneurs with innovative ideas, often face a steep learning curve when it comes to understanding and utilizing blockchain technology.

This RFP seeks to fund the development of kusama.app, a comprehensive application targeted at newcomers to the Kusama ecosystem. The application will enable users to quickly and easily create organizations (DAOs), hire developers, install programs in their provided server, explore and connect with others in the ecosystem - all without requiring extensive knowledge of Web3 and blockchain technology.

The selected team will work closely with Virto to leverage their Kreivo parachain technology that together with Kusama’s AssetHub will serve as the decentralized backend for kusama.app. Many of the required functionalities are already available in the Kreivo parachain, and this project will focus on creating an intuitive, user-friendly frontend that makes these capabilities accessible to newcomers without requiring specialized knowledge or software like blockchain wallets.

Background

This RFP builds upon previous initiatives in the Kusama ecosystem:

• Previous RFPs demonstrating the community’s commitment to funding innovative projects through the RFP model.
• The Kreivo parachain and the Virto Operating System developed by the Virto team, provides a robust infrastructure for account abstraction, organization management, governance, payments, marketplaces and more.
• The kusama.app domain, owned by the RFP creator, will serve as the home for this application

The goal is to create an application that serves as an entry point for newcomers to the ecosystem, reducing barriers to entry and enabling more people to contribute to and benefit from the Kusama network.

Project Scope

The kusama.app application will be a comprehensive platform that enables users to: (see user stories)

1. Explore and Connect with the Ecosystem

   • Browse and search for existing DAOs/communities
   • View DAO activities, members, and purposes
   • Filter DAOs by various criteria (keywords, categories, membership requirements)

2. Create and Manage DAOs

   • Easily create new DAOs with customizable settings
   • Configure membership requirements and governance structures
   • Manage members and renew memberships
   • Customize DAO frontpage with relevant information and widgets

3. Participate in Governance

   • Create and browse proposals/initiatives
   • Vote on proposals with intuitive interfaces
   • Understand governance tracks and voting methods
   • Provide feedback on initiatives

4. Execute “Actions”

   • Browse and execute pre-defined code bundles (actions)
   • View details of underlying code/logic
   • Use natural language with AI assistance to execute actions

5. User-Friendly Authentication

   • Connect using passkeys for secure and passwordless experience(e.g. virto-connect)
   • Simple authentication without requiring specialized Web3 knowledge
   • Link existing Kusama accounts

6. Asset Management

   • View and manage assets in Kusama AssetHub
   • Simple interface for top-up, withdrawal, and transfer of assets
   • View transaction history with links to block explorer

7. Communication*

   • Secure messaging within and across organizations
   • Integration with Matrix for encrypted communications

8. Marketplace*

   • Platform for developers to publish and sell apps/integrations
   • Browse and purchase functionality for DAO founders
   • Ratings and reviews system

9. Developer Tools (Hacker Playground)*

   • Access web terminal connected to personal virtual machine
   • Create scripts, deploy contracts, and interact with Kusama blockchains
   • Use code editor for creating smart contracts and programs
   • Publish and sell apps/integrations for DAOs

* Extended scope for future milestones

Technical Requirements

Frontend Requirements

1. User Interface

   • Mainstream! simple language for non-crypto users, don’t talk about parachains, cores, etc. Blockchain specific functionalities and language are hidden away as advanced features(e.g. even displaying a SS58 address).
   • Modern, responsive design that works on both desktop and mobile devices
   • Intuitive navigation and user flows
   • Support for multiple languages (initially English, with capability to add more)

2. Authentication

   • Implementation of passkey/oauth-based authentication
   • Integration with virto-connect or similar solution
   • Support for linking existing Kusama accounts

3. DAO Management Interface

   • Visual tools for DAO creation and configuration
   • Dashboard for DAO management and monitoring
   • Member management interface
   • Customizable frontpage with widgets

4. Governance Tools

   • Proposal creation and management interface
   • Voting interface with visual representation of results
   • Governance track visualization and explanation

Backend Integration and Infrastructure Requirements

An App backend will be provided by the Virto team in the form of the Virto Operating System accessible via the <virto-connect> web component.

VOS is a runtime that provides the app with the needed high level APIs abstracting the use of wallets, blockchain clients or creation of ZK proofs, it will be hosted by each DAO or run decentralized in-browser.

Deliverables and Milestones

The project can be divided into milestones for each remaining quarter of the year, the exact deliverables will be adjusted after discussion with the curator(s) and selected team.

Milestone 1: Design and Prototype (Q2 2025)

• Detailed application design and architecture
• User experience flows and wireframes
• Visual design system
• Interactive prototype of key user journeys
• Detailed definition of backend API requirements

Deliverables:

• Design documentation and assets
• Interactive prototype
• API specification
• Integration plan

Milestone 2: Core Functionality Development (Q3 2025)

• User authentication system
• DAO creation and management features
• Governance tools
• Basic asset management

Deliverables:

• Working application with core functionality
• Source code and documentation
• Integration test results with backend

Milestone 3: Advanced Features and Refinement (Q4 2025) (possible future improvements - not requried in the initial scope)

• Initial version of developer environment
• Marketplace functionality
• Matrix integration for secure messaging
• Basic AI assistant implementation

Deliverables:

• Production ready application with listed features
• Source code and documentation
• Guide on how to self-host and customize

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1. Technical Expertise and Experience (40%)

   • Experience with relevant technologies (React/Vue, Rust, Substrate, etc.)
   • Previous work on blockchain applications and DAO governance tools
   • Understanding of Kusama/Polkadot ecosystem

2. Design and User Experience (30%)

   • Portfolio of previous UX/UI work
   • Approach to creating intuitive interfaces for complex functionality

3. Project Management (15%)

   • Detailed project plan with realistic timelines
   • Team composition and roles

4. Innovation and Vision (15%)

   • Creative approaches to solving user problems
   • Vision for the future of the application
   • Additional features or improvements not specified in the RFP

Submission Requirements

Proposals should include:

1. Team Information

   • Team members and their roles
   • Relevant experience and qualifications
   • Previous projects and references

2. Technical Proposal

   • Detailed approach to meeting the requirements
   • Technology stack and architecture

3. Project Plan

   • Detailed timeline with milestones
   • Resource allocation
   • Risk management strategy

4. Budget

   • Budget breakdown by milestone
   • Additional resource requirements

Bounty Details

• ID: 34
• Budget: 8000 KSM (~$100K)
• Payment Schedule: Payments will be made upon successful completion of each milestone, subject to approval by the bounty curators.

The Virto team will work closely with the selected development team to assist with integration with the backend connected to Kreivo and Kusama AssetHub.

Submission Process

Reply on this post with your team details and a link your project plan. Questions regarding this RFP can be ask here or directed to the public Kreivo matrix channel: #kreivo:virto.community

Additional Information

• The kusama.app domain is owned by the RFP creator and will be used for the application.
• The selected team will have access to the Virto team for guidance on Kreivo integration.
• The application should be designed with future expansion in mind, allowing for additional features and integrations to be added over time.
• All code developed for this project should be open source under an appropriate license (e.g., MIT, Apache 2.0).

[olanod]

I have created bounty 34 for 8K KSM and the relevant treasurer proposal to approve the bounty and add a proxy account as curator. Please reach out if you are interested in joining as curator of the project.

[sukiko]

Hi Daniel! I like your proposal, can you clarify what the role of curator involves here?

[olanod]

In the context of this project curators would use their expertise to evaluate whether the milestones have been achieved with the right deliverables, for example the curator would review designs or that the software behaves as expected, so it might require a bit of technical skills to evaluate properly. When milestones are completed and curators are happy with the results they can pay the team.

[florentina57]

Hi Daniel, thank you for proposing this idea. Recently, as a newcomer to the community, I wished something like this Kusama.app already existed! I am convinced it has so much potential and I would be honored to join as a curator

[BCpowerup]

Daniel is Jose, i would like to be curator for this bounty DUE to the fact that we are also building a DAO parachain and i know what We want and need. I want to move this forward with noticeable results.

[olanod]

Thanks for the interest, I added you to the multisig. Happy to hear more about your use cases and work together