Digital Dancer ID is a decentralized identity and community platform for the global ballroom dance ecosystem — serving dancers, coaches, adjudicators, event organizers, and federations. Each user receives a unique, verifiable digital identity that consolidates their roles, credentials, and achievements across federations, competitions, and services. This identity allows users to log in to affiliated platforms, share verified status, and manage a customizable public profile. The platform replaces outdated paper-based systems with a transparent, blockchain-secured environment. Federation-issued rankings, results, and certifications will be anchored on the Cardano blockchain for authenticity, while extended profile content like bios and documents will be stored off-chain via IPFS. A built-in QR code system enables instant identity and eligibility checks at competitions, streamlining on-site operations and reducing fraud. To promote blockchain utility, the platform will accept ₳ (ADA) as payment method, alongside traditional options, for event entries, subscriptions, and verification tools. With a roadmap rooted in real-world use, deep ties to the dance community, and a strong focus on adoption, this project introduces Cardano technology into a vibrant and largely unexposed cultural sector ready for innovation. (More in-depth proposal description can be found inside the document listed in the Supporting links section below)

The global dance community — encompassing amateur dancers, elite professionals, and governing federations — continues to operate using fragmented and outdated systems. Identity verification, certification records, competition results, and membership data are still largely managed through paper-based “dance passports,” spreadsheets, emails, or disconnected databases maintained by individual organizations. These methods lack standardization, interoperability, and long-term trust. Dancers often find themselves unable to prove their achievements or official status across borders or federations. They also lack a unified digital home — a place where they can build a public profile, showcase officially verified accomplishments and memberships, and connect with their community. There are some limited solutions narrowed to the members of a certain federation only. This outdated infrastructure not only creates inefficiencies but also exposes the system to errors, possible manipulation, and data loss. In a world where dance is increasingly international and digital, the lack of a secure, interoperable, and verifiable identity layer is holding the entire ecosystem back.

Unique Verified Identity On The Blockchain: Digital Dancer ID* offers a transformative solution to the structural inefficiencies facing the global dance community. By providing each dancer and dance professional with a unique, verifiable identity anchored on the Cardano blockchain, the platform creates a tamper-proof, portable record of achievements, affiliations, and roles across multiple federations.

OAuth Provider: This identity can be used not only for recordkeeping but also for logging into external dance-related services through a secure OAuth mechanism— streamlining the experience for users and partners alike.

₳ (ADA) Payments: By integrating Cardano’s native ADA payments as an option, the platform also introduces blockchain utility to the dance world, enabling secure transactions for event registrations, verification services, and premium features.

Cardano Ecosystem Expansion into the Dance World Niche and Liquidity Attraction: These touchpoints introduce the Cardano ecosystem to thousands of dancers and numerous federations and dance organizations worldwide, driving real-world adoption of decentralized identity in a dynamic and culturally rich niche — one that has, until now, remained unexposed to blockchain technology.

Project Structure & Milestones

The project is structured around four incremental milestones, each delivering tangible, working components of the Dancer Digital ID platform. Upon completion of the 12-month development cycle, the Cardano and dance communities will receive a fully operational identity and federation management system built on Cardano, along with active user adoption through partnered federations and global events.

Deliverables by Milestone:

Milestone 1: OAuth Provider Launch (2 months)

• Dancer ID website with registration and login system

• Functional OAuth provider integrated into at least one live dance-related service

• Brand identity package and marketing materials

• Infrastructure deployed with secure API layer

  ✔️ Definition of Done:
  System publicly available for login
  Cardano brand support visibly acknowledged

Milestone 2: Core Platform Delivery (5 months)

• User profiles system

• Web dashboard + mobile app MVP (iOS/Android)

• QR-based Dancer ID identity system

• On-chain identity & smart contracts deployed on Cardano (with audit)

• ₳ (ADA) payments enabled

  ✔️ Definition of Done:
  Core system usable by dancers and federations
  On-chain identity and payment systems verified
  Smart contract audit completed

Milestone 3: Marketing & Community Activation (3 months)

• Sponsored competitions and dance events with on-site physical presence
  (e.g. branded booth, Cardano-branded marketing and educational materials)

• Social media presence

• Federations onboarding and outreach campaigns

• Development of additional features and bug fixing based on early adopter feedback

  ✔️ Definition of Done:
  At least 2 federations onboarded
  At least 2 physical events attended with branded presence and working Dancer ID system

Milestone 4: Global Rollout & Finalization (2 months)

• Final features released (monetization tools, feedback-based additions)

• Legal and compliance layer completed (ToS, GDPR handling)

• Launch materials, support channels, and user documentation delivered

  ✔️ Definition of Done:
  Platform operating with real users, federations, and revenue mechanisms in place

What the Cardano Community Receives:

• A real-world, high-visibility use case of blockchain identity in a global cultural sector
• A user-facing app that brings ADA payments into everyday use
• Verified on-chain records for thousands of dancers, tied to meaningful credentials
• Open collaboration potential with Cardano identity tools, wallets, and event platforms
• Ongoing Cardano visibility through public events, federations, and cross-service integrations

📊 Milestone-Based Budget Breakdown

The project is structured across 4 milestones, each with clearly defined team allocations and deliverables.

🧩 Milestone 1 – Months 1–2 (2 months): OAuth Provider & Setup

• Senior Developer: $10,000 (₳20,000) – Full-time / $5,000/month
• Cardano Ecosystem Project Assistant: $5,000 (₳10,000) – Part-time / $2,500/month
• Project Coordinator: $4,000 (₳8,000) – Part-time / $2,000/month
• Branding, UI & Website Design: $9,000 (₳18,000) – Logo, style guide, UI components
• Infrastructure Setup: $4,000 (₳8,000) – Servers, DNS, Cloud security
• Office & Ops: $4,000 (₳8,000) – Legal, admin, equipment, rent
• Contingency (15%): $5,400 (₳10,800)
  Subtotal: $41,400 (₳82,800)
  VAT (20%): $8,280 (₳16,560)
  ➡️ MILESTONE 1 TOTAL: $49,680 (₳99,360)

⚙️ Milestone 2 – Months 3–7 (5 months): Core Platform & Blockchain Integration

• Senior Developer: $25,000 (₳50,000) – Full-time
• 2 Mid-Level Developers: $45,000 (₳90,000) – Full-time
• Cardano Ecosystem Project Assistant: $12,500 (₳25,000) – Part-time
• Project Coordinator: $10,000 (₳20,000) – Part-time
• Project Assistant: $10,000 (₳20,000) – Part-time
• UI Design Finalization: $5,000 (₳10,000) – Responsive designs
• Cardano Integration & On-Chain Fees: $10,000 (₳20,000) – Wallet flows, UTxOs
• Smart Contract Audit: $6,000 (₳12,000) – External review
• API & Infrastructure: $5,000 (₳10,000) – Hosting, services
• Office & Ops: $5,000 (₳10,000) – Workspace, rent
• Contingency (15%): $20,025 (₳40,050)
  Subtotal: $153,525 (₳307,050)
  VAT (20%): $30,705 (₳61,410)
  ➡️ MILESTONE 2 TOTAL: $184,230 (₳368,460)

📣 Milestone 3 – Months 8–10 (3 months): Marketing & Community Activation, New Features

• Senior Developer: $15,000 (₳30,000) – Full-time
• 2 Mid-Level Developers: $27,000 (₳54,000) – Full-time
• Cardano Ecosystem Project Assistant: $7,500 (₳15,000) – Part-time
• Project Coordinator: $6,000 (₳12,000) – Part-time
• Project Assistant: $6,000 (₳12,000) – Part-time
• Event Support: $15,000 (₳30,000) – Booths, logistics, travel
• Event Sponsorship: $25,000 (₳50,000) – Awards, entries
• Social Campaigns & Promo: $10,000 (₳20,000) – Ads, PR, media
• Office & Ops: $3,000 (₳6,000)
• Contingency (15%): $17,175 (₳34,350)
  Subtotal: $131,675 (₳263,350)
  VAT (20%): $26,335 (₳52,670)
  ➡️ MILESTONE 3 TOTAL: $158,010 (₳316,020)

🌍 Milestone 4 – Months 11–12 (2 months): Finalization & Global Rollout

• Senior Developer: $10,000 (₳20,000) – Full-time
• 2 Mid-Level Developers: $18,000 (₳36,000) – Full-time
• Cardano Ecosystem Project Assistant: $5,000 (₳10,000) – Part-time
• Project Coordinator: $4,000 (₳8,000) – Part-time
• Project Assistant: $4,000 (₳8,000) – Part-time
• Final Features: $5,000 (₳10,000) – Monetization, UX
• Legal & Admin: $3,000 (₳6,000) – GDPR, contracts
• Global Onboarding: $6,000 (₳12,000) – Toolkits, training
• Office & Ops: $2,000 (₳4,000)
• Contingency (15%): $8,550 (₳17,100)
  Subtotal: $65,550 (₳131,100)
  VAT (20%): $13,110 (₳26,220)
  ➡️ MILESTONE 4 TOTAL: $78,660 (₳157,320)

💰 Total Budget Request:
$470,580 (₳941,160)

♻️ Unused Funds Commitment
We are committed to responsible fund management and full accountability to the Cardano community. Any funds that remain unused after the successful delivery of the milestones will be returned to the Cardano treasury.

This includes (but is not limited to):

• Unused contingency
• Operational overheads
• Optimizations or favorable cost savings

This reflects our values of transparency, sustainability, and respect for decentralized funding mechanisms.

Team Structure & Delivery Approach

The initial phase of the project will be led and developed by a senior developer — the project’s founder — who will also serve as project coordinator, alongside a Cardano ecosystem project assistant specializing in Cardano integration. Starting with Milestone 2, the team will scale to include two additional full-time developers and a project assistant for community support and onboarding. This phased expansion allows the project to leverage existing trusted infrastructure and relationships in the early weeks, while preparing for full-scale development and adoption.

🧠 Core Team Composition:

Vihren Benev – Senior Developer (Lead) & Product Owner – full-time (12 months)

System architecture, OAuth implementation, backend APIs, on-chain integration

2 Mid-level Developers – full-time (10 months from Milestone 2)

Frontend & mobile development

Martin Marinov – Cardano Ecosystem Project Assistant – part-time (12 months)

Project Coordinator – part-time (12 months)

Timeline tracking, hiring, federation communication, documentation

Project Assistant – part-time (10 months from Milestone 2)

Support desk, user interaction, onboarding, feedback

UX/UI Designer – contract (Milestone 1 & 2)

Branding, design system, UI mockups

Smart Contract Audit Partner – Milestone 2

Third-party audit of Cardano-based on-chain identity logic

🚀 Delivery Approach:

• Bi-weekly internal dev reviews
• Milestone-based delivery for transparency & community accountability
• Feedback loops from early adopters and live event engagement

The project’s founder and current senior lead developer brings over two decades of hands-on experience in both software engineering and delivering specialized digital infrastructure for the international dance community. This includes the development and long-term operation of widely adopted tools such as Event registration system & competition management software which are currently widely used and trusted by the dance community.

The current existing users of these services will be targeted as early adopters of the new platform, providing valuable feedback and recommendations during the initial stages of development.

This strong foundation of technical expertise is matched by deep, long-standing relationships with stakeholders across the dance world, including event organizers, adjudicators, and federation officials. Their continued support, consultation, and early feedback will play a critical role in shaping the initial architecture of the platform and ensuring it meets the practical needs of the community from day one.

Post-Launch Maintenance and Support
After the initial rollout, the project will be maintained by the in-house team — ensuring deep continuity, domain knowledge, and the ability to iterate based on real user feedback.

Sustainability Through Revenue
The post-launch maintenance phase will be financially supported by revenue from:

• Basic membership fees, as well as premium features and user subscriptions for enhanced profiles, analytics, and visibility
• Commission-based revenue from handling competition entry fees on behalf of event organizers
• Federation subscriptions, backend tools, and data access fees
• Grant or ecosystem collaboration funding for Cardano integrations

These revenue streams are expected to support the core team, hosting costs, and expansion opportunities beyond the first year.

Key Operational and Strategic Dependencies

The successful execution of the proposal depends on a few key operational and strategic dependencies that affect project pacing, delivery, and continuity:

1. Milestone-Based Funding Disbursement
The project is structured around incremental milestones, each unlocking development and outreach stages. Timely and complete disbursement of funding at each milestone is essential to maintain development velocity, staffing, and partner engagement.

2. Company Incorporation and Legal Setup
To handle funding, contracts, federation agreements, and long-term sustainability, the team will formally register a new legal entity. This process must be completed early in Milestone 1 to ensure financial and operational transparency.

3. Hiring and Team Expansion
Although the lead developer and coordinator are available from the start, onboarding additional full-time developers and support staff is crucial to delivering Milestone 2 and beyond. Timely hiring is required to meet the planned 12-month delivery timeline.

4. Smart Contract Audit Partner Availability
A third-party audit of our identity anchoring smart contracts is included in the roadmap and budget. Securing a qualified Cardano audit partner within the appropriate delivery window is necessary to meet both technical standards and trust assurances expected by DReps and the wider Cardano ecosystem.

5. Federation Cooperation and Early Adoption
Engagement from key national and international dance federations/organizations will be essential during Milestones 2 and 3. While initial federation relationships are already in place, continued alignment, testing, and onboarding support will be needed to validate and scale the platform.