This proposal seeks annual funding for the maintenance and enhancement of CLB, a two-in-one Cardano emulator. CLB can function as a fast Haskell library for running cardano-ledger (often coupled with Atlas) or as a cardano-node emulator without the consensus layer. It is a successor to Plutus Simple Model and maintains compatibility with Atlas and CTL. Funding covers essential maintenance to track Cardano ledger changes, compatibility updates, bug fixes, and minor enhancements to support the developer testing workflow.

Reliable emulation tools are crucial for Cardano dApp developers to test their smart contracts and off-chain code efficiently without relying solely on live testnets. CLB provides a valuable two-in-one emulator capability (fast Haskell library or node emulator without consensus). It requires ongoing maintenance to stay synchronized with Cardano ledger updates, Plutus enhancements, and compatibility with related tools like Atlas and CTL, ensuring developers have accurate and fast testing environments. This proposal seeks funding for that essential maintenance and minor enhancements.

This proposal ensures developers have continued access to CLB, a maintained and up-to-date Cardano emulator. The benefit is faster, more efficient, and reliable local testing cycles for dApps, particularly those using Atlas and CTL. This speeds up development, helps identify bugs earlier, and reduces reliance on potentially slower public testnet infrastructure for certain testing phases. The ROI is increased developer productivity and potentially higher quality dApps entering the ecosystem.

Maintenance Deliverables: Regular maintenance releases addressing bugs;Compatibility updates for specified Cardano Ledger/Node/Plutus versions;Ensured compatibility with specified Atlas/CTL versions. DoD: Releases published (e.g., on GitHub/Hackage);Compatibility tests passed.

Enhancement Deliverables: Implementation of minor enhancements based on community feedback or to improve testing capabilities (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 CLB emulator 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 USD and 4521 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, Cardano ledger, Plutus, and testing frameworks.

MLabs LTD is the primary developer and maintainer of CLB. Our team possesses deep expertise in Haskell, the Cardano ledger, Plutus execution, emulation/testing techniques, and integration with tools like Atlas/CTL, evidenced by the successful delivery and maintenance of CLB and other core 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 CLB throughout the 12-month funding period. Future maintenance beyond this requires subsequent funding.

CLB is used within the ecosystem, particularly in conjunction with related tools like Atlas. Known adopters include: Pisa Fees (via Atlas)
Clarity (via Atlas)
Kwarxs

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