Abstract
We submitted our proposal in the last OBRA wave to develop a next-generation frontend based on the dSAFE SDK, which we successfully built in a previous grant. This proposal includes a UI/UX-optimized web interface and an innovative Telegram bot called NinDAO.Despite receiving significant community support, our proposal was not approved. The main feedback suggested splitting the proposal into two smaller ones and resubmitting them. After careful consideration, we have decided to first focus on developing the Telegram-based Safe interface.
Telegram is one of the most popular messenger apps worldwide and serves as a key means of communication for Web 3 communities to connect, share ideas, and collaborate on blockchain-related projects, thanks to its simple user interface and robust feature set. Therefore, we are convinced that the seamless integration of Safe into the Telegram interface represents an innovative approach, leveraging account abstraction to enhance user-friendliness, enabling voting and transaction management directly through Telegram, and thus expanding and improving the Safe ecosystem.
Aligned Strategy
Wildcard Strategy: Our initiative supports the SafeDAO strategy of driving decentralization, improving user experience, and expanding the Safe ecosystem through innovative solutions.
Funding Request
We are requesting $59,000 USDC in total.
Budget Breakdown:
- Bot UX/UI design: $5,000
- Senior Frontend Developer: $8,000 per month for 3 months = $24.000
- Product & Project Manager: $5,000 per month for 3 months = $15,000
- Senior Tech Lead & Backend Development (50% time): $5,000 per month for 3 months = $15,000
A detailed breakdown of the timeline and budget can be found here.
Relation to Strategy budget: The requested funding is 59% of the total initiative budget.
Upfront Funding
No upfront payment is requested. Funding will be streamed according to SafeDAO’s terms for mid to large projects over a duration of 12 weeks.
Payment Terms
- Initial Cliff: No payments for the first 4 weeks as per Mid to large projects (≥ 10k USDC).
- Payment Distribution: After the 4-week cliff, payments will be streamed over the remaining 8 weeks, with 7,375 USD per week.
Initiative Description
Background:
Our proposed seamless integration of Safe into Telegram is based on the dSAFE SDK we have already developed. The Safe protocol’s reliance on a centralized transaction service poses several risks. More information on this topic can be found here. To address these risks, we developed the Decentralized Safe Registry (dSAFE) SDK using Ceramic Protocol and ComposeDB. This solution provides a secure, resilient, and transparent alternative by decentralizing the storage and management of Safe transactions. Users benefit from reduced risks, improved resilience, and greater autonomy with an IPFS-hosted front-end. More information on this topic can be found here.
Building on this foundation, our next step is developing the NinDAO Telegram bot, enabling seamless governance directly through Telegram and further enhancing the Safe ecosystem.
NinDAO Telegram Bot:
With over 900 million monthly active users, Telegram is one of the most popular messenger apps worldwide. It has established itself as a central communication hub, especially within the Web3 community. Telegram serves as a crucial platform for ICOs and token sales by facilitating transparent communication, community engagement, and secure token distribution, thereby enhancing investor confidence and promoting the success of blockchain projects. One of Telegram’s standout features is the ability to develop bots. Telegram bots significantly improve user experience in Web3 projects by automating tasks and offering features like real-time market data, supporting decentralized applications, and simplifying connections through Telegram’s bot API.
Many early DAOs are formed within Telegram groups. DAO tooling facilitates the creation, management, and governance of decentralized autonomous organizations, encompassing voting, proposals, and collective treasury management. These tools fundamentally enable conversation and coordination for groups, projects, or collectives practicing self-custody over shared assets. However, most current tools are neither intuitive for seasoned DAO members nor accessible for newcomers. Currently, managing a Safe multisig requires switching between many interfaces; this experience could be significantly improved by consolidating everything into one platform without compromising security and decentralization.
NinDAO represents the next generation of DAO management by leveraging Telegram, a familiar chat interface, to transform group chats into DAOs using Safe multisig. This intuitive solution bridges Telegram, Wallet Connect, and Safe Multisig, allowing users to manage DAOs directly within the chat. Imagine being able to create a proposal, gather votes, and execute transactions all within your Telegram chat, reducing the need to navigate through multiple steps on different platforms. You can also receive real-time notifications and updates directly in your chat, keeping all members informed and engaged without additional effort.
As the next step, NinDAO could incorporate Telegram native account abstraction-based access to the Ethereum ecosystem. By incorporating account abstraction, NinDAO significantly simplifies Web3 usage, making DAO management more accessible and user-friendly. This innovative approach enhances usability for both Web3 natives and newcomers, promoting ownership in a secure and intuitive manner. Furthermore, by integrating familiar Telegram identities with Account Abstraction technology, we can greatly improve Safe usability and boost its adoption.
In a nutshell:
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Next-Generation DAO Management: Transforms group chats into DAOs using Safe multisig, allowing users to manage governance operations seamlessly within Telegram.
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Enhanced Accessibility through Account Abstraction: Simplifies web3 usage by leveraging a familiar chat interface, making Safe management accessible to both experienced users and newcomers.
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Broadening Safe Technology Adoption: By integrating with Telegram, NinDAO makes Safe technology more accessible to the general public, attracting more users and expanding the Safe ecosystem.
Current Status
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NinDAO won a Gnosis Safe bounty at the ETHLisbon hackathon. NinDAO also became SafeDAO Guardians. We have also successfully completed the backend development of the dSAFE SDK, which is currently functional and integrated with the Safe Transaction Service.
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Additionally, a feasibility study for NinDAO has been conducted and successfully tested, proving its viability. You can find a short introduction Video of NinDAO here.
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We have also developed a self-funded foundation for the Telegram bot. NinDAO is now ready for finalization and launch, ensuring a seamless and innovative DAO management experience through Telegram.
Risks
While creating a bot might seem simple at first glance, NinDAO is a highly complex system. NinDAO is a composable and integrated project, with its successful operation relying on the seamless interaction of various systems such as Telegram, WalletConnect, MetaMask, the Safe API, Safe smart contracts, and more, contributing to its high complexity.Timeline and Milestones
| What | Description | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| UI/UX Design | Create a comprehensive UX/UI design- Conduct user research, develop wireframes, prototypes, and finalize designs. | Weeks: 0-2 |
| NinDAO Bot Development | Develop the NinDAO Telegram bot, enabling seamless DAO management within Telegram. Implement core functionalities, integrate Wallet Connect and Safe Multisig, and conduct testing. | Weeks: 0-11 |
| Testing and Deployment | Ensure all components are fully functional, secure, and ready for public launch. Conduct comprehensive testing, fix bugs, optimize performance, and prepare for deployment. | Weeks: 11-12 |
Initiative Lead
The project will be led by Daoism Systems under the leadership of Arseny (Technical Director) and Ilja (Product Ownership & Project Management).Team
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Arseny, co-founder, CEO, and Technical Director - Will lead the technical project development and backend development: Arseny is a software engineer, entrepreneur, investor building in web3 since 2017. Previously, he has worked on Ocean Protocol and API3 DAO, PrimeDAO, and was a founding member of Curve Labs. Currently, he is the co-founder and CEO at Daoism Systems.
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Ilja Solomonovs, co-founder, Product and Operations Director - Will lead the project and product: Ilja is a serial entrepreneur with a background in finance and business development. He has founded several tech startups at the cutting edge of innovation. In 2021, he joined web3 as the co-founder, COO-CPO at Daoism Systems.
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Daoism Systems Developer Team / Network - Experienced developers contributing to multiple projects. More information about Daoism Systems can be found here.