The first node in the browser; a Cardano USP
Harmonic Laboratories (HLabs for short) is an R&D firm born and focused solely on the Cardano ecosystem. Harmonic Laboratories supports and maintains a considerable portion of the TypeScript tooling for the Cardano ecosystem, which the majority of Cardano developers use, either directly, or indirectly via other libraries that depend on code written and maintained by HLabs. The mission of HLabs is for true decentralization to become the baseline of application development, not only a nice-to-have feature. This proposal funds [Gerolamo](https://github.com/HarmonicLabs/gerolamo), the first production-ready Cardano node that runs **in the browser**, at 5 FTE. Cardano's eUTxO design and low-footprint protocol make it the only major blockchain where a fully-validating, in-browser node is technically realistic. This is not a research demo or a stripped-down SPV client; it is a real, fully-validating node. Shipping it turns a latent property of the protocol into a Cardano-specific competitive advantage that no other ecosystem can replicate without redesigning their base layer. A separate proposal funds [Pebble](https://github.com/HarmonicLabs/pebble) and ongoing TypeScript tooling maintenance at 5 FTE and is voted on independently. ### Duration & Milestones This proposal spans over **12 months**, throughout which there will be several deliveries and demos. The key delivery is: - a production-ready light node that runs in the browser ([Gerolamo](https://github.com/HarmonicLabs/gerolamo)). ### Total Budget Ask The estimated USD budget is of **`$1,000,000`** (or **`₳4,000,000`**) + 15% in refundable contingency (**`₳600,000`**); for a total ask of **`4,600,000 ADA`**.
Reasoning
Written after the vote was cast
What this asks for, and from whom
4,600,000 ADA for the first Cardano node in the browser, pitched as a unique selling point for the chain.
What would have to be true for this to be a good use of treasury funds
Genuine differentiation matters. Cardano competes for developers and users against chains with far better marketing, so capabilities nobody else has are worth something, provided they are real and reachable.
What specifically concerns me
A browser node is technically impressive and its practical value depends entirely on whether anything is built with it. That is the recurring Cardano pattern that frustrates me most: we build the impressive thing and then nobody ships on it.
What I am asking of the proposer if this passes
It was dropped. If it returns, lead with the applications. Show me who has committed to using a browser node and what it lets them do that they cannot do now. The capability is not the product.