This proposal seeks annual funding for the maintenance and enhancement of Ply, a CIP-57 helper library. Ply allows Plutarch scripts to be serialized with inferred parameter types and read off-chain into fully typed scripts, facilitating the on-chain/off-chain split while preserving type safety. Funding covers maintenance to track Plutarch/Plutus changes, CIP-57 updates, bug fixes, and minor enhancements to improve developer experience.

Ensuring type safety between on-chain Plutarch scripts and off-chain Haskell code is crucial for robust dApp development. Ply, as a CIP-57 helper library, addresses this by enabling serialization of scripts with inferred types and reading them back off-chain without losing type information. To maintain this vital link and adapt to changes in Plutarch, Plutus, and potential CIP-57 evolution, Ply requires ongoing maintenance and minor enhancements. This proposal seeks funding for that purpose.

This proposal ensures developers using Plutarch continue to benefit from Ply's type-safe bridge between on-chain and off-chain code. The primary benefit is increased developer confidence, reduced runtime errors related to script interfacing, and potentially faster development due to improved type checking. The ROI is higher quality, more robust dApps built with Plutarch, contributing to the overall security and reliability of the Cardano ecosystem. Its wide adoption alongside Plutarch demonstrates its value.

Maintenance Deliverables: Regular maintenance releases addressing bugs;Compatibility updates for specified Plutarch/Plutus versions;Adherence to latest relevant CIP specifications (e.g., CIP-57). DoD: Releases published (e.g., on GitHub/Hackage);Compatibility tests passed. Enhancement Deliverables: Implementation of minor enhancements based on community feedback or to improve type safety / developer experience (within the scope of 100 hours). DoD: Enhancement code merged, tested, documented, and included in a release. Community Receives: Regularly updated, stable, and documented versions of the Ply library throughout the 12-month funding period.

Total: $31,200 USD / 45,217 ADA. Example Structure based on 260 total hours: Developer Effort (Maintenance - 160 hrs ): approx. $19.2k Developer Effort (Enhancements - 100 hrs ): approx. $12k
Project Management / QA Overhead (Estimate % or $): 10% $3120 or 4521 ADA (Ensure breakdown totals match $31,200 USD and 45,217 ADA)

Duration Estimate: 12 months Resourcing Estimate: Estimated 260 hours total effort over 12 months. This will involve 1 core developer(s) from MLabs LTD part-time, with expertise in Haskell, Plutus, Plutarch, and type systems.

MLabs LTD is the primary developer and maintainer of Ply. Our team possesses deep expertise in Haskell, Plutus, Plutarch, type systems, and developing core Cardano tooling, evidenced by the successful delivery and maintenance of Ply and related ecosystem tools.

This proposal is for ongoing maintenance. If funded, MLabs LTD will provide continuous support including maintenance releases, bug fixes, and compatibility updates for Ply throughout the 12-month funding period. Future maintenance beyond this requires subsequent funding.

Ply is widely adopted alongside Plutarch, indicating strong community endorsement through use. Known adopters include: MLabs, Genius Yield, DCSpark, AADA Finance, Liqwid Finance, Agora, Muesli Swap, TxPipe, Clarity, Midgard, Axo Trade, DJED, Kwarxs, Lenfi, Pisa Fees, Optim Finance, Zamarad, Ikigai, SingularityNET.

GHC version, Plutarch version, Plutus library versions, other Haskell libraries