The Application Level Message Protocol scalable for social, def and technical Use Cases. This proposal centres on building a robust message protocol leveraging existing Proof of Stake infrastructure including established decentralised networks composed of Stake Pool Operators, Cardano Full Node operators, Full Node Wallets and Software Wallets. Taking this approach and using Distributed Hash Table [DHT], p2p lib-type equivalent features, we propose leveraging existing infrastructure endpoints to create a messaging protocol lookup and storage infrastructure whilst providing optional transfer anonymity and including anti-spam protection. Applying a DHT Based Messaging Infrastructure, messages can be stored and retrieved based on content hashes, not specific IPs or locations. In this protocol: Messages or chat envelopes are stored in the DHT as encrypted blobs.

Keys in the DHT represent hashed topic identifiers, user IDs, or ephemeral keys.

Routing is handled by SPOs, who run full DHT nodes (like Kademlia), enabling high availability and persistence.

This protocol can also be tuned for message expiry, rate-limiting, and spam control could provide utility for social, financial and service oriented state messaging.

SPOs, Full Nodes to serve as gateways and relay nodes: They facilitate message propagation across the DHT.

Participate in gossip-type sync for higher redundancy and liveness.

Additionally offer Anonymous Data Advantages

Anonymity and censorship-resistance are achieved through: Ephemeral or one-time chat IDs derived from key exchanges (e.g., Diffie-Hellman or Noise Protocol).

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) using X3DH + Double Ratchet (like Signal) over the DHT channel.

DHT obfuscation, where content is stored under content-addressed keys (like hash(sender_pubkey + timestamp)), making it hard to trace.

Future use of mixnets or dandelion routing to obscure initial message origin.

No wallet address is exposed unless explicitly opted-in. fee-based relaying or storage, earning rewards for uptime and quality of service (QoS).

SPOs could optionally sign a PoS-based SLA with clients for QoS or storage guarantees, governed by on-chain reputation and stake-weighted scoring

Integration with Full Node, Hardware and Software Wallets Full-Node wallets e.g. Daedalus or Lace could fully participate in publishing/reading messages directly.

Software wallets can fully participate in publishing/reading messages directly.

Hardware wallets (which are constrained) rely on trusted proxies (the wallet’s host app or a privacy-preserving SPO) to:

Fetch DHT entries related to their address or ephemeral chat handle.

Push messages signed by the hardware wallet to the DHT via a proxy.

In either case, the identity is never the wallet address. Use ephemeral DIDs (Decentralized Identifiers), session keys, or zero-knowledge proof tokens to maintain anonymity.

Headline

• Cardano enters into a new era of growth needing a message protocol scalable for social, defi and technical Use Cases.
• Cardano's Network layer Ouroboros services the business of block dispersion, transaction routing, peer to peer connectivity and is optimised for transport.
• A protocol dedicated to broadening the adoption, can scale and meet the traffic demands of a decentralised ecosystem is needed. Uses Cases in Social, Governance, Marketing and more general network wellness and belonging; need a Messaging Protocol with everyday utility
• This proposal centres on addressing this Community needing an everyday problem solving protocol, this long-awaited social onboarding, building a robust understandable application level message protocol will leverage existing infrastructure.
• Cardano Proof of Stake infrastructure with its validator network, its stake pool operators, it Cardano Node Operators, Full Node Wallets and finally its wallet-holder (software, full-node) can immediately benefit from a better experience, responsive messaging, conversation, group and 1-1.

Wallet-Centric

• With this Protocol, Wallets take a central and integral role in bringing folks to the Cardano Blockchain, be it social, no-code, belonging, DeFi offering; this Protocol offers the ability for builders to easily integrate and join the Cardano Journey.

What does it include

• Optimised for Marketing Campaign broadcast, Governance updates, Events update
• Offering Toolkits for Chat
• Full Messaging in-app, group-chat
• Group and network status

How can this be done

• Leveraging Cardano's Ouroboros Genesis and adding Distributed Hash Table [DHT] we can achieve a positive outcome with addition equivalent features to enrich the User Experience.
• We propose leveraging existing infrastructure endpoints to create a messaging protocol lookup and storage infrastructure whilst providing a route to a private and secure experience.

Technical Alignment

• Augmenting the Cardano Nodes by creating a DHT indexed node based Messaging Infrastructure
• Additionally node can store and messages and retrieved based on content hashes, not specific IPs or locations.
• Additionally In this protocol, messages or chat envelopes are stored in the DHT as encrypted blobs.
• This protocol is flexible to include message expiry, rate-limiting, and throttling of control thereby providing utility for social, financial and service oriented state messaging.

Leveraging and Creating Utility

• SPOs, Full Nodes to serve as gateways and relay nodes:
• They facilitate message propagation across Genesis peers and optionally the Distributed Hash Table (DHT)
• Participate in gossip-type sync for higher redundancy and liveness.

Security and Quality of Service

• End-to-end encryption (E2EE) using Double Ratchet (like Signal) over the Genesis/DHT channel.
• No wallet address is exposed unless explicitly opted-in.

Monetisation Opportunity

• Fee-based relaying or storage, earning rewards for uptime and quality of service (QoS).
• SPOs could optionally sign a PoS-based SLA with clients for QoS or storage guarantees, governed by on-chain reputation and stake-weighted scoring

Who will we be engaging with

• Stake Pool Operators, Relay nodes, Cardano Node operators
• Full-Node wallets e.g. Daedalus or Lace could fully participate in publishing/reading messages directly.
• Software wallets can fully participate in publishing/reading messages directly

Supporting our Proposal

• Surveys by Gartner have evidence retention rates being highest on applications where chat features 1-1 and group are embedded. These applications create community and retain 20% more than DeFi.
• Cardano currently offers email like communication which could be greatly enhanced by * Application Level Message Protocol [ALMP]* would the facility to unlock a new type of app (often referred to as SuperApp)
• With a robust mechanism for applications in the Cardano Ecosystem to embed social features, bidirectional communication, topic broadcast this solution enables a new level of interactive conversation on Cardano
• Using the existing Wallet and permissionless model, also bring new utility (beyond DeFi and early stage Governance), users connecting via Wallet also brings value to the wallet community by providing access to community messaging, increase reconnect between projects and wallets holders.
• Having possibilty to converge social, governance, lifestyle and finance thru a new Applicaiton Level Message Protocol [ALMP] is a great uplift to Cardano
• we are optimising for messaging on social apps, application transactions status, governance broadcast type messages whilst enforcing anti-spam mechanisms reduces friction with moving parts of Cardano Blockchain

Acceleration of Growth

This protocol seeks to accelerate the build of inter-application messaging including

• DApps can have a 1-1
• DApps can consider non-SPAM based Group chats
• Social messaging trust reinforced wallet based security
• Introduce utility and revenue earning mesh and potential utility yield for subscription based apps based on ability to join high value subscription services
• Augment recent Governance by providing channels for Community Announcements
• Messaging with security bake-in for Micro-Purchases including Gaming /NFT minting
• Targeted positive developer experience in a messaging protocol with a smooth integration route for React, TypeScript and mobile builders

Availability and Target

• On-ramp for large scale concurrent user based by end of 2025 Q1-2026
• Ability to integrate with Chat SDK to facilitate smooth onboarding using wallet based connection
• Priority integration into Cardano Governance process to enable ‘governance updates for the masses’ including ability for - DReps to broadcast curated messages within agree message-etiquette around voting, preferences and leanings
• Ecosystem message broadcast without violating the anti-spam measurements, incorporating slashing approach where SPAM detected
• Integration of the messaging feature upgrades into Daedalus with provision of chat-sdks to other software wallets

New Sources of Value

• Use SPOs as reliable decentralized relays and store/forward nodes.
• Prevent spam through lightweight proof, rate limiting, and token bonding.
• Provide privacy through encrypted, ephemeral identities and routing obfuscation.
• Be modular enough to expand into notification services, governance signals, or collaborative DApps.

Genesis + DHT-based protocol would

• Allow full-node/software/hardware wallets (via proxy) to communicate securely and anonymously and to receive updated on app-state, governance-actions, community-updates

design proposal and sequence diagram with PoC as milestone 1 1st implementation to run on local node setup with 10 clients as milestone 2 Iterative implementation to run with various incremental slides from 3.2/5/7/10milestone 4 Iterative implementation to run on wide setup with 100 concurrent clients as milestone 4

Design and Architecture including node adoption route captures 2 Parttime - 40,000 USD PoC, research and scale model 2 Parttime- 60,000 USD Implementation of protocol, wallet integration support - 3 FTE , 120k USD - 360,000 Testing and scenario augmentation - 2 part-time - 80,000 USD User Experience / AMA/ Design review / workshops - 60,000 USD Software Audit and Remediation - 60,000 USD

4-5 people with 3 key contributors, some cryptographic and specialised network folks throughout DApp developers for maintenance centre and dashboard on performance

experience in Genesis, Cardano Node, network engineering and optimisations in TradFi and HFT team consist of former head of delivery for Cardano (having delivered Chang and Plomin HF) other members have experience in building resilient network layers of chat on gossip, p2plib, whisper experience in leading the rollout of key technology to SPOs, DApps and Community for CIP-69, CIP-30, CIP-1694 experience working with our colleagues at CF, Emurgo, IOE and IOHK drafting and reviewing of Statements fo Work to ensure smooth integration of Ouroboros Genesis, Voltaire-era

open source projects and collaborators to get involved training and key recipes will be produced to ensure positive user experience

This has been fielded with DReps and given its ability to provide a messaging protocol for the DApp community and supporting Governance this was well received.

Acceptance by Stake Pool Operator on local DHT and Application Level Message Protocol service installation Acceptance by Full Node Wallets on local DHT and Application Level Message Protocol service installation Acceptance by Software Wallets providers to implement Application Level Message Protocol service installation