Proposal Overview

The goal of this proposal is to strengthen Cardano’s marketing infrastructure while directly supporting ecosystem adoption and business growth. Through continued development of the AdaLink platform and the launch of a business accelerator initiative in partnership with Business Atelier, this proposal creates a strategic loop between platform development and the success of the businesses that will use it.

Background

AdaLink is a blockchain-based affiliate network powered by Cardano. The platform enables businesses to:

• Launch trackable, on-chain affiliate campaigns
• Reward marketers based on actual conversions
• Track marketing ROI transparently and in real time

With support from Catalyst Fund 11 & 12, we successfully built a working MVP that includes:

• Token campaigns
• SPO campaigns
• Affiliate program listings

We’re now ready to evolve the platform and drive growth by onboarding new, market-ready businesses into the ecosystem.

You can test our MVP on the preview test-net: https://adalink.io/#platform
We’re preparing for main-net launch in the coming months — and with your vote, we can keep building!

What This Proposal Delivers

This proposal consists of two components:

1. Platform Development

We will expand the AdaLink platform with the following high-priority features:

a) DRep Campaign Tools

Modeled after our existing SPO campaign system, this feature will allow governance participants to launch promotional campaigns that:

• Encourage voter participation
• Incentivize affiliates to promote active DReps

b) Content Campaign Manager

This feature enables Cardano projects to collaborate with creators and marketers in a structured way. Businesses will be able to:

• Launch and manage content campaigns
• Set delivery incentives
• Distribute rewards directly

c) Delegation Commission Scoring System

We will develop a new algorithm that supports more equitable and flexible SPO campaign funding while encouraging sustained affiliate engagement.

• Enables SPOs to launch campaigns with smaller budgets
• Provides long-term commissions to affiliates based on active stake retention

2. Business Growth Initiative: Partnership with Business Atelier

To nurture our user base and accelerate ecosystem maturity, we will launch a parallel business readiness program designed to:

• Educate emerging projects
• Improve market readiness
• Support the launch of their first marketing campaigns and encourage strategic usage of AdaLink

a) Business Readiness Program

A curated series of interactive, high-impact workshops designed to provide participating ventures with the tools and knowledge needed to professionalize their operations and scale effectively.

Topics include:

• Growth mindset and entrepreneurship fundamentals
• Business models and value proposition
• Marketing and sales funnels
• Corporate and financial structuring
• Business operations fundamentals

Up to 50 Cardano-based businesses and entrepreneurs will be selected for their potential to generate ecosystem value and social impact.

b) Group Mentoring – Strategic Guidance Track

In parallel to the workshops, participants will join weekly group mentoring sessions tailored to their project needs. This dual-track structure reinforces learning with real-time guidance and accountability.

Key focus areas:

• Business development strategies
• Financial planning and forecasting
• Marketing and sales implementation support
• Launch readiness and AdaLink integration planning

Mentorship is delivered by experienced business consultants and Web3 strategists to ensure ventures receive the strategic and operational support required for long-term success.

c) Marketing Toolkit Awards (3 Projects)

At the end of the program, the top 3 high-performing projects will be awarded a comprehensive Marketing Toolkit to accelerate their go-to-market efforts and promote adoption through AdaLink.

Top 3 performing businesses will receive:

• A marketing consultation
• A tailored marketing plan
• A custom brandbook
• Landing page design & UI/UX redesign (up to 15 pages or screens)
• Social media content pack
• A small paid ad budget to launch their campaign

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Platform Performance KPIs

• Feature Integration Completion – All 3 features (DRep Campaign Tools, Content Campaign Manager, Delegation Commission System) deployed by Q2 2026
• User Growth – 200+ registered users within 6 months of launch
• Active Campaigns – At least 25 affiliate campaigns launched within 6 months
• Conversions Tracked – Minimum of 500 on-chain conversion events (delegations, token purchases, signups) within 6 months
• Commission Rewards Distributed – At least 10,000 ADA paid out in affiliate commissions within 6 months
• On-Chain Transactions – At least 2,000 successful on-chain transactions generated via AdaLink within 6 months

Growth Initiative Impact

Program Participation

• Number of businesses attending workshops
• Number of businesses completing mentorship sessions
• Number of businesses launching campaigns post-program

Satisfaction & Readiness

• Participant feedback on program quality, relevance, and value
• Self-reported improvements in business readiness and marketing confidence

Cardano-based businesses lack performance-driven marketing tools and structured growth support, making it difficult to launch, attract users, and scale. Current marketing efforts are fragmented and lack on-chain measurability. Additionally, early-stage projects often struggle with business readiness due to gaps in strategy, branding, and execution.

This proposal addresses both challenges by continuing development of AdaLink -a Cardano-native affiliate marketing platform- and launching a business readiness initiative to equip ecosystem projects for sustainable growth and adoption.

Proposal Benefit to the Cardano Community

• For Builders: Tools to drive product adoption, launch campaigns, and track marketing ROI transparently.
• For SPOs: Access to campaign tools that reward affiliates based on delegation growth.
• For Marketers & Creators: A new way to earn income through on-chain, performance-based rewards.
• For the Ecosystem: A stronger pipeline of market-ready projects with branding, marketing, and go-to-market strategies.

Key Impact

• More delegations to SPOs
• More active users for dApps
• More token sales and real adoption for Cardano-based projects
• Direct business development and marketing support for Cardano Builders.

Development Scope

• DRep Campaign Functionality – Expand SPO campaign logic to support DRep/governance campaigns.
• Content Campaign Management – Tools for projects to collaborate with creators and influencers.
• Commission Scoring System – Allow SPOs to fund campaigns with smaller budgets and reward affiliates for sustained delegation periods.

Business Growth Initiative

(In partnership with Business Atelier)

Key Deliverables:

• 5 Business Workshops for up to 50 selected Cardano-based projects
• 5 Group Mentoring Sessions
• 3 “Marketing Toolkit” Awards, including:
  • Custom marketing plan & consultation
  • Brandbook design
  • Landing page design
  • UX/UI redesign
  • Social media kit
  • Starter ad budget for top projects

Definition of Done (Milestones)

1. Platform Development

• Launch content campaign type
• Launch DRep campaign type
• Implement affiliate reward scoring system

2. Growth Initiative

• Deliver 5 business workshops
• Deliver 5 group mentoring sessions
• Award 3 marketing toolkits

Business Growth & Marketing Infrastructure for Cardano Budget:

1. Platform Development - $78,000
2. DevOps Stack - $8,000
3. Marketing & Community Management - $30,000
4. Workshop Development & Distribution - $15,000
5. Group Mentoring Sessions - $10,000
6. Marketing Toolkit Production & Distribution - $38,600
7. Project Management - $26,400 TOTAL: $206,000

Team Size

AdaLink Core Team (7 Members)

Includes: Project Managers, Marketing Specialist, Community Managers, Senior Developer, Junior Developer, and Business Advisors.

Business Atelier (23 Collaborators)

A business consulting firm with a 90% success rate in preparing startups for market entry and funding. Their team provides expertise in finance, accounting, human resources, and strategic development—combining business rigor with human-centered design to deliver tailored mentorship and growth strategies.

Marketing Kit Partners (4 Contributors)

A creative team of marketers, brand designers, and UI/UX specialists supporting visual identity and campaign development.

Project Timeline

• Platform Development: 12 months
• Growth Initiative (Workshops, Mentorship & Marketing Support): 6 months

Experience

AdaLink has delivered successful projects within the Cardano ecosystem, combining expertise in blockchain, content creation, and marketing. We’ve launched MVPs on testnet and completed two Catalyst-funded projects.

To scale our impact, we’ve partnered with Business Atelier, an established accelerator with deep expertise in business development, finance, and marketing. Their proven track record supporting both startups and established ventures makes them an ideal partner for empowering Cardano-based businesses.

AdaLink’s business model includes:

• Transaction-based fees on campaigns

• Subscription services for affiliate listings, analytics and premium features

This ensures long-term sustainability and continued platform development without recurring funding requests.

No dependencies