Detalhes da Discussão
Cexplorer.io – Developer-Focused Blockchain Explorer for Cardano
cexplorer
Descrição
Cexplorer.io is a high-performance, feature-rich blockchain explorer designed specifically for the Cardano ecosystem. It offers deep on-chain insights, real-time data access, and powerful tools for developers, stake pool operators, and users. With over 50,000 monthly users and millions of processed data requests, Cexplorer.io has become a trusted resource in the Cardano community.
This proposal seeks funding to ensure the long-term sustainability of the platform through infrastructure maintenance and continuous improvement. It includes two key areas:
BAU/Maintenance – Covering costs for server infrastructure, backend/frontend development, and bug fixes to ensure stability, uptime, and security.
Enhancements & New Features – Expanding the team with additional developers and a UI designer to deliver a better user experience, improved performance, and new developer-oriented features.
Our mission is to provide a scalable, developer-friendly explorer that empowers the Cardano community with transparent, accessible, and actionable data. By supporting this proposal, Intersect and the broader community invest in critical infrastructure that enhances transparency, encourages innovation, and reduces friction for anyone building on or interacting with Cardano.
Declaração do Problema
The Cardano ecosystem lacks a powerful, developer-friendly explorer with advanced features, real-time insights, and flexible tools for building on-chain apps. Cexplorer.io aims to fill this gap by providing deep data access, improved UX, and ongoing enhancements to support the growing needs of users and developers.
Benefício da Proposta
Cexplorer.io serves over 50,000 monthly users and processes millions of data requests, providing real-time, in-depth insights into Cardano’s blockchain. It supports developers, SPOs, researchers, and everyday users with tools for exploring transactions, addresses, tokens, and stake pools. By improving transparency and accessibility, it reduces friction in dApp development, stake pool monitoring, and ecosystem analysis. The return on investment is a proven, high-traffic platform that continuously evolves to meet the growing demands of the Cardano community.
Principais Entregas da Proposta
This proposal is focused on two parallel tracks: maintaining the stability of the current platform (BAU) and delivering meaningful enhancements. The deliverables and target outcomes for this tranche include:
- BAU / Maintenance
- Continuous uptime of core services (>99.9% availability)
- Timely updates aligned with Cardano protocol changes (e.g., new eras, hard forks)
- Bug fixes, security patches, and performance optimizations
- Scalable infrastructure management (servers, DB, APIs)
Definition of Done: Ongoing, stable operation of Cexplorer.io with no major service interruptions, tracked monthly.
- Enhancements / New Features
- Deployment of 2–3 major feature updates (e.g., improved address/token views, expanded smart contract data, UX/UI refinements)
- Integration of a UI/UX designer to improve usability and visual clarity
- API enhancements and better developer-facing tooling
Definition of Done: Public release of new features on the live platform, with changelogs and announcements, within the funding period.
Detalhamento de Custos
Milestone 1 (Month 1–3): Platform maintenance, protocol update support, infrastructure stability improvements, and setup of usage reporting tools. Funding: $50,000 USD / 66,667 ADA
Milestone 2 (Month 4–6): Implementation of advanced address and token views, performance optimizations, and first phase of API improvements. Funding: $50,000 USD / 66,667 ADA
Milestone 3 (Month 7–12): Delivery of developer-focused tools, expanded stake pool and reward insights, and backend scalability upgrades. Funding: $50,000 USD / 66,667 ADA
Milestone 4 (Month 13–18): Final rollout of new features, publication of changelogs and documentation, and setup for long-term maintenance. Funding: $50,000 USD / 66,666 ADA
Recursos & Duração
Team Size:
- 2 Backend Developers (1st full time, 2nd full/part-time)
- 1 Frontend Developer
- 1 UI/UX Designer (part-time)
- 1 DevOps / Infrastructure Support (part-time)
- 1 Project Coordinator (part-time)
Duration: 12 to 18 months – covering both ongoing maintenance and delivery of new features as outlined.
Experiência
Cexplorer.io (formerly Adapools) has been live since 2020, serving over 50,000 monthly users and handling millions of data requests each month.
- The team has strong experience in backend systems, frontend development, API design, and DevOps, specifically tailored to Cardano’s architecture (e.g., DB-Sync, Cardano Node, CIPs).
- Proven ability to maintain high availability, fast performance, and implement continuous improvements based on real user feedback.
- The team is fully equipped to ensure long-term support, stability, and delivery of new features in a rapidly evolving ecosystem.
Manutenção & Suporte
Cexplorer.io is already live and actively maintained by an experienced team of backend, frontend, and infrastructure developers. This proposal includes funding for ongoing maintenance, including server infrastructure, performance monitoring, bug fixes, and updates aligned with Cardano protocol changes.
The platform will continue to be supported by the same team, with a focus on long-term sustainability. Future updates will be driven by community needs, ecosystem growth, and emerging standards (e.g., new CIPs). Usage metrics, user feedback, and ecosystem developments will guide our roadmap to ensure Cexplorer remains a reliable and evolving resource.
Endosso Suplementar
Alinhamento com o Roadmap
Sua proposta se alinha com algum dos Comitês da Intersect?
Technical Steering Committee
Esta proposta está alinhada com o Roadmap do Produto e os Objetivos do Roadmap?
Developer / User Experience
Administração e Auditoria
Você gostaria que a Intersect fosse seu Administrador designado, incluindo atuar como auditor, conforme a Constituição Cardano?
Sim
Informações de Propriedade
Enviado em Nome de
CompanyPerfis Sociais
https://x.com/cexplorer_ioPrincipais Dependências
This proposal has no major external dependencies and can begin immediately upon funding. However, the following ongoing inputs are essential for continued success:
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Access to reliable Cardano node and DB-Sync services
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Timely updates from the Cardano core and tooling ecosystem (e.g., new protocol versions, CIP implementations)
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Stable API access to third-party services (e.g., market data for token pricing)
All technical and operational dependencies are already managed internally by the Cexplorer.io team.
Links de apoio
Comentários (10)
I appreciate the value Cexplorer.io brings to the Cardano ecosystem — especially its depth of data and developer-focused features, which in my view still stand out compared to other explorers like Cardanoscan or AdaStat.
For that reason, I am generally supportive of this proposal. Losing free access to Cexplorer or seeing it move to a paid model would likely create friction for many developers and SPOs who rely on it.
However, I would like to understand the long-term sustainability plan. Will Cexplorer continue to rely on treasury funding in the future, or is there a roadmap toward becoming self-sustaining? Clarifying this point would help ensure the project aligns with the broader goal of building resilient infrastructure for Cardano.
Thank you for the great work so far, and I look forward to your response!
Questions about Business Model and Sustainability
- What business model have you been operating under since your launch in 2020?
- After this funding of 266,667 ADA, do you have specific plans to establish sustainable operations without additional support from the treasury in the future?
- Could you provide a breakdown of your current revenue streams (advertising, paid API plans, stake pool operations, etc.) and explain what percentage of your operating costs they cover?
- What is your funding strategy to ensure continuous operation of the service after the 18-month funding period ends?
- How many monthly active users and what level of API usage do you believe are necessary for the project to become financially self-sufficient?
Questions about Community and Governance
- How do you collect and incorporate feedback from the community into your product development?
- How do you address the potential conflict of interest between your role as a stake pool operator and your role as an explorer service provider?
With regards to transparency, I've asked on several ocassions over the years for them to disclose the details of their "native" pool rankings (that they show on site as well as serve up via APIs to some of the wallets, that seem to disproportionally favour some of their own pools and possibly their paying client base) but have been ignored / blocked. While they do have some useful data collation pages on their site and provide some educational articles from time to time, this requested amount seems like a bit much given the amount of improvements I've seen to the site over the past year or two. (also worth noting Cardanians group have ~6 stake pools and Cardano Foundation delegation currently, collecting ~ 17.5k Ada in pool fees per calendar month.)
Not sure if "help my failing business model" due to being unable to keep up with necessary changes to remain relevant and competitive, is an appropriate usecase for the Treasury. You say "Meaningful enhancements" under which you list "updates aligned with Cardano protocol changes (e.g., new eras, hard forks)" - something that happened months ago and you missed to care about. "Bug fixes, security patches, and performance optimizations" and "Continuous uptime of core services" is default behaviour for any service. Im sorry, but if this needs funding, you have no idea what you are doing.
Imagine if every company asks the Treasury for funding basic operations. Or at the very least.. Will we now pay all explorers 150k a year?
Further...
- As the treasury funds your operations, will cexplorer.io also be ad-free following acceptance of this proposal?
- Will cexplorer.io always rely on subsidies going forward?
- Is there any guarantuee that cexplorer.io will remain operational and accessible after funding? Especially for the mentioned time span of 18 months.
- How do we know the mentioned "developer-focussed" features are unique, and valuable and not just keeping up with cardanoscan and ada.stats?
- Does "maintenace" in your timeline suggest that you catch up with Governance in the first 3 months? And start on the vaguely mentioned new features afterwards?
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