Project #03: Full-Stack Sponsored dApp (Capstone)

Difficulty: Expert | Lessons: 1–10

Build a complete full-stack Cardano application that combines smart contracts, a web frontend, social login, and transaction sponsorship.

Choose Your Application

Pick one of the following ideas (or propose your own):

• Sponsored NFT Marketplace: Users mint and trade NFTs without holding ADA
• Donation Platform: Users donate to verified causes with on-chain receipts
• Ticket System: Event organizers issue NFT tickets, attendees claim with social login

Requirements

Regardless of the application chosen, your project must include:

1. Smart Contract

At least one Aiken validator deployed to preprod with:

• Full test suite passing via aiken check
• Blueprint used for off-chain code generation

2. NextJS Frontend

A web application with:

• Wallet-as-a-Service integration (social login via UTXOS or similar provider)
• A clean UI where users can interact with your smart contract
• Transaction status feedback (pending, submitted, confirmed)

3. Transaction Sponsorship

A server-side sponsorship flow where:

• Users pay zero fees for at least one transaction type
• API keys and signing keys are kept server-side
• The Blockfrost proxy pattern from Lesson 10 is used

4. Hydra Integration (Bonus)

For extra credit, add a Layer 2 component:

• Use Hydra for a high-frequency interaction (rapid voting, game moves, or batch processing)
• Demonstrate the open, transact, close lifecycle
• Show final settlement on Layer 1

Skills Demonstrated

• Full Mesh SDK proficiency (Lessons 1–2)
• Smart contract development and testing (Lessons 3–5)
• Blueprint-driven off-chain code (Lesson 6)
• Application-level contract patterns (Lessons 7–8)
• Layer 2 scaling with Hydra (Lesson 9)
• Web3 services and user onboarding (Lesson 10)