{"signature": "0xf45ace52777b5a14cec5a2cd37f73345761611357b9a2b9272d7fd5b7df2d88604b6cc186f9eac8a0130bad2d3bdfb581cb3c2d20a897f2a94f803cee837e1221b", "application": {"round": "0x2d4d59757d5a7c3c376fc47b9f4501c347b9654d", "answers": [{"type": "email", "hidden": true, "question": "Email Address", "questionId": 0, "encryptedAnswer": {"ciphertext": "oJoukr7ibLYaKulUT5G7go5sFCaWsz/h1Xs3PVySukc=", "encryptedSymmetricKey": "8cb93f236ec458a5849d05977bb6b9fd54c43bc01105d6500d201ebd83dd54c83ee6a909bb2ef7d6295ef18e542e3f0905b682178c0738e9094411adf23e7e5b8dbb709ed84f35e986744b81b12e8a113d9378ea5754636381ae3c1e286b42b73503d10bf1a032e3528c9fc16fda80f4830b1bdc2483223566747166f6f8d8060000000000000020895edcade3d0d1136fb291d2a56bc50f3c66f4dec8b2f934f26d57069b7d9b88b864731431a394ef6547c659bbe66f8b"}}, {"type": "short-answer", "hidden": true, "question": "Telegram Handle", "questionId": 1}, {"type": "short-answer", "answer": "https://github.com/orgs/ethereum-tag-service", "hidden": true, "question": "Project GitHub Repo", "questionId": 2}, {"type": "short-answer", "hidden": true, "question": "Link to your Public Group Chat", "questionId": 3}, {"type": "short-answer", "answer": "Gitcoin Grants 20 - Web3 Infra round and ENS round", "hidden": true, "question": "Have you participated in a previous Gitcoin Grants Round? If so, please name the rounds or link the builder profile to prior rounds.", "questionId": 4}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "The global tagging ecosystem is fragmented and siloed, with redundant infrastructure and wasted developer hours due to duplicated efforts. Social media giants favor this disjointed structure.\n\nEthereum Tag Service (ETS) aims to solve these issues by creating a unified, blockchain-based tagging protocol that connects fragmented tagging systems. Similar to ENS but specifically for tagging, ETS brings a groundbreaking approach to provenance, attribution, and ownership, establishing a verifiable, decentralized tag graph. How does it work?\nETS introduces a unique design where tags, content tagging, and tagging data graphs are treated as composable units and services.\nIn ETS, tags themselves are ERC-721 non-fungible tokens, allowing any participant to reuse a tag across multiple tagging records. This creates flexible, many-to-many data relationships, with the tokenized tag acting as the core connector in the resulting tag graph. Known as \"CTAGs,\" these composable tags have the potential to become data hubs linking people, places, and entities across Web3.\nTagging records in ETS differ from ENS in structure. While ENS records are controlled by the namespace owner, ETS records are stored in ETS core for the signing tagger via a relayer. These relayers are independently owned smart contracts, created through the ETS Relayer Factory contract, enabling developers to seamlessly integrate ETS into their systems.\nIntegrations with platforms like Farcaster, Lens, and Mirror will be essential for demonstrating ETS’s practical applications and fostering widespread adoption, enhancing user interactions across decentralized social media.\nThe ETS Protocol involves further intricacies, including tag ownership and revenue sharing for participants from fees on tagging record creation.", "hidden": true, "question": "How does your project contribute significantly to the Ethereum network's infrastructure? Please provide specific examples and metrics if available.", "questionId": 5}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "Ethereum Tag Service introduces several pioneering developments to enhance privacy, interoperability, and user experience across Web3 applications.\nPrivacy through Tokenized Tags: ETS utilizes ERC-721 non-fungible tokens (NFTs) to represent tags, giving users verifiable ownership and control over their tagging records. This tokenization supports data provenance and privacy by decentralizing control, allowing users to manage and verify their tags independently of centralized platforms. Each tagging interaction is recorded immutably on-chain, which prevents tampering and ensures that tagging data remains private and secure, while still accessible in a decentralized way.\n\n\nInteroperability with Composable Tags (CTAGs): ETS innovates by creating \"Composable Tags\" (CTAGs), which can be reused across various records and applications within the blockchain ecosystem. This many-to-many relationship with tokenized tags promotes interoperability by enabling connections across multiple Web3 platforms (such as Farcaster, Lens, and Mirror) and facilitating a more unified tagging infrastructure. This model supports a truly interconnected ecosystem where data tagging transcends individual platforms, fostering a cohesive experience for users across Web3.\nEnhanced User Experience with a Decentralized Tag Graph: ETS offers a global, decentralized tagging graph that allows users to view, search, and interact with tags comprehensively, reflecting the \"who, what, where, when, and why\" of tagging interactions. By decentralizing tagging data, ETS simplifies and enriches the user experience, allowing users to navigate a freely accessible tagging graph that mirrors the collaborative spirit of Web3. This graph can be integrated across various applications, enabling consistent user interactions and promoting a seamless experience across decentralized platforms.", "hidden": true, "question": "Describe any pioneering development work in your project, particularly in enhancing privacy, interoperability, or user experience.", "questionId": 6}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "The Ethereum Tag Service (ETS) addresses several key problems in the Ethereum ecosystem, particularly concerning data fragmentation, redundant infrastructure, and lack of a universal tagging system. Here’s how ETS tackles these challenges and improves upon existing alternatives:\nFragmented Tagging Ecosystem and Data Siloing\nCurrently, tagging across decentralized applications is fragmented and isolated, making it difficult for developers to build cross-platform solutions and for users to engage with a cohesive data graph. Platforms like Farcaster, Lens, and Mirror often operate in silos, with no standardized tagging system, leading to isolated data pools and reduced interoperability.\nSolution: ETS introduces a unified tagging protocol based on a decentralized graph where tags are tokenized as ERC-721 NFTs. These tokenized tags, or “Composable Tags” (CTAGs), are reusable across different applications and platforms, facilitating a many-to-many relationship that connects people, places, and content across Web3. This approach offers a streamlined and standardized way for applications to interact with a shared tagging infrastructure, promoting a cohesive data experience throughout the ecosystem.\nRedundant and Costly Tagging Infrastructure\nWithout a universal tagging standard, developers often need to create custom tagging solutions for each application, duplicating efforts and inflating development costs. This redundancy wastes developer hours, increasing costs and slowing innovation.\nSolution: ETS’s unified protocol standardizes tagging infrastructure, allowing developers to leverage pre-built, composable tagging units instead of constructing new systems from scratch. By treating tags as composable NFTs, ETS reduces infrastructure redundancy, saving developer time and enabling them to focus on higher-value work. Additionally, the integration of a relayer system for tagging records simplifies implementation, making it easy for developers to integrate ETS into their platforms with minimal setup.\nLack of Provenance, Attribution, and Ownership in Tagging\nMost existing tagging systems lack transparency and accountability, as tags are typically owned by the platform rather than the user. This lack of ownership limits users’ ability to control and verify how tags are used or attributed across platforms.\nSolution: ETS leverages blockchain’s inherent transparency and decentralization to provide verifiable ownership of tags. By tokenizing tags as NFTs, ETS gives users clear attribution, provenance, and control over their tags. Each tagging record is tied immutably to its creator, providing a transparent history of \"who tagged what, with what, where, when, and why.\" This innovation empowers users and developers alike, ensuring that tags are not only reusable but also traceable across the Web3 landscape.\nLimited Integration with Existing Decentralized Social Media\nDecentralized social platforms lack a cohesive way to enhance user interactions with a shared tagging system. Existing solutions like ENS focus on naming but lack a tagging layer that could connect content across these networks.\nSolution: ETS builds a bridge between decentralized social media platforms (e.g., Farcaster, Lens, and Mirror) by providing a shared tagging protocol that enhances user engagement and interaction across networks. This cross-platform integration supports a more dynamic and interconnected social ecosystem, allowing users to easily discover and interact with tagged content across multiple applications, improving the overall user experience.", "hidden": true, "question": "What specific problems or challenges in the Ethereum ecosystem does your project address? How does your solution improve upon existing alternatives?", "questionId": 7}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "Depending on the amount of funding we manage to raise, this will be the allocation of the funds:\nPhase 1: Prototype Development and Testing (Current Phase)\nGoal: Complete the proof-of-concept and conduct testnet deployment on Arbitrum Sepolia.\nActivities:\nBuild and deploy tagging records as ERC-721 tokens.\nImplement the relayer system for streamlined tagging record creation.\nConduct initial testing on key functionalities and address any technical issues.\nBegin gathering developer and user feedback on the testnet version.\nTimeline: Currently underway, aiming for completion in the next 2 months.\nFunding Allocation: Minimal, as this phase is largely self-funded.\nPhase 2: Public Testnet Launch and SDK Development\nGoal: Launch a public testnet and release a minimal Software Development Kit (SDK).\nActivities:\nFinalize testnet deployment with improved user experience and functionality.\nDevelop an SDK to simplify ETS integration for developers on various platforms.\nBegin preparing documentation and educational resources for the SDK.\nContinue gathering community feedback to refine features and identify areas for optimization.\nTimeline: Planned for completion within 3-4 months after receiving grant funds.\nFunding Allocation:\nDevelopment: 40% of grant funds will support finalizing the SDK and ensuring stability in the public testnet.\nUser Research: 10% to fund feedback loops with early adopters and gather insights to guide future improvements.\nPhase 3: Ecosystem Integration and Community Building\nGoal: Establish initial integrations with decentralized social media platforms (e.g., Farcaster, Lens, and Mirror) to demonstrate ETS’s utility.\nActivities:\nCollaborate with partner platforms for ETS integration, showcasing its tagging functionality and enhancing user engagement.\nExpand community-building efforts through workshops, AMAs, and webinars for developers.\nDevelop tutorials and case studies to highlight the advantages of using ETS across decentralized applications.\nTimeline: 5-8 months post-grant.\nFunding Allocation:\nIntegration Development: 20% to support developer partnerships and technical integration.\nCommunity Building: 10% for educational events, content, and user support to grow the ETS user base.\nPhase 4: Mainnet Launch and Open-Source Release\nGoal: Transition from testnet to mainnet and release the ETS protocol as fully open-source.\nActivities:\nPrepare the protocol for mainnet deployment on the selected Ethereum Layer 2 solution.\nExecute a security audit to ensure robust and reliable tagging infrastructure.\nOpen-source the ETS codebase, encouraging community involvement and third-party development.\nDevelop a long-term roadmap that includes enhancements based on initial adoption feedback.\nTimeline: 10-12 months after initial grant funds.\nFunding Allocation:\nMainnet Launch Preparation: 10% for auditing and preparing smart contracts.\nOpen-Source Transition: 10% to cover documentation and repository maintenance to support community-driven development.\n", "hidden": true, "question": "Outline your project's roadmap and how the grant funds will be used to achieve your development goals.", "questionId": 8}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "The Ethereum Tag Service (ETS) contributes to the decentralization and security of the Ethereum network in several impactful ways:\n1. Decentralized Tagging Infrastructure\nETS introduces a decentralized, universal tagging system that removes dependency on centralized platforms for managing and sharing tag data. Unlike traditional tagging managed by centralized social media giants, ETS stores tags as ERC-721 tokens on Ethereum, making them accessible and verifiable across any platform that integrates with ETS. This open, permissionless infrastructure:\nEmpowers users with ownership and control over their tags.\nMitigates risks associated with data monopolies and censorship by providing a decentralized alternative.\nEnhances cross-platform interoperability, promoting a more open and cohesive ecosystem where tagging data flows freely among decentralized applications.\n2. Enhanced Data Security through Immutability and Verifiability\nBy recording tags as NFTs on Ethereum, ETS ensures that every tagging record is immutable and cryptographically verifiable. This structure significantly enhances the security of tagging data by:\nPreventing tampering and unauthorized modifications, as each record is securely stored on-chain and cannot be altered post-creation.\nCreating a transparent and auditable history of tags and interactions, allowing users and applications to verify tagging information without reliance on centralized authorities.\nReducing the risk of data manipulation or misuse, as each tag’s provenance, ownership, and usage history are transparent and verifiable on-chain.\n3. Decentralized Relayer System for Improved Security and Reliability\nETS employs a decentralized relayer model to facilitate the creation and management of tagging records. Relayers, independently managed smart contracts deployed from the ETS Relayer Factory, allow developers to integrate ETS into their platforms without compromising security. This relayer system:\nDistributes the responsibility of creating and maintaining tagging records across multiple independent entities, reducing single points of failure and enhancing the network’s resilience.\nEncourages diversity and reliability, as developers can deploy their own relayers, maintaining control over how ETS interacts with their platforms while adhering to the same security standards.\nStrengthens the security model by decentralizing record handling, making the ETS system harder to compromise as it scales.\n4. Open-Source Commitment and Community-Driven Development\nETS is committed to becoming fully open-source, inviting the developer community to audit, contribute, and build upon the protocol. This commitment to open-source:\nIncreases transparency and trust in the security of ETS, as community contributions help identify and resolve potential vulnerabilities before they become threats.\nEnables collaborative improvements to ETS’s security and functionality, allowing the protocol to evolve in response to real-world needs and innovations.\nSupports decentralization by reducing reliance on a central team and fostering a shared ownership model where contributors across the ecosystem can drive ETS’s growth.\n5. Supporting Decentralized Identity and Content Provenance\nBy integrating tagging with ENS for identity verification, ETS bolsters decentralized identity within the Ethereum network. Users can verify the origin of tagging records and link them to ENS names, adding an additional layer of provenance and security for content tagging. This integration:\nReduces anonymity-related risks by associating tags with verifiable digital identities, increasing accountability in tagging interactions.\nEnhances the integrity of tagging data, as users can link tags to trusted identities, creating a secure, community-vetted tagging ecosystem on Ethereum.\n", "hidden": true, "question": "How does your project contribute to the decentralization and security of the Ethereum network?", "questionId": 9}, {"type": "paragraph", "hidden": true, "question": "For any project deploying smart contracts on blockchain networks, please list all your deployer addresses and their corresponding blockchain networks. Use this format for each entry: [deployer_address], [chain_id]—for example, 0x123abc..., 42161 (This represents a deployer address on the Arbitrum network). Please include a separate line for each unique deployer address and blockchain combination.", "questionId": 10}], "project": {"id": "0x5f2c3482a5972b262dce982a43c04fa04e9e8457ac9f6b1ac2b22a8b22370235", "title": "Ethereum Tag Service", "logoImg": "bafkreifjjfnmoqfda72s6xrak3allgusku6ofs265c76qwunx5ja6eifp4", "metaPtr": {"pointer": "bafkreigk3zdea55ni5yidigvvumpblucbkglprjppytx6whtp6jdsfkkd4", "protocol": "undefined"}, "website": "https://ets.xyz/", "bannerImg": "bafkreicwribpyytspamqaa767mqz25vetnw6egy25belwge6oba6qdeka4", "createdAt": 1730226227636, "userGithub": "mhpaler", "credentials": {"github": {"type": ["VerifiableCredential"], "proof": {"jws": "eyJhbGciOiJFZERTQSIsImNyaXQiOlsiYjY0Il0sImI2NCI6ZmFsc2V9..VjjjrFnQ_NmlkFm35XlLaBb7imqrfNvTmvG2kZoG4ylmcDJ3cVlTL1VbDMHQtp_YRSoRTUhDFFBW8yhupFbFAA", "type": "Ed25519Signature2018", "created": "2024-10-29T22:36:01.331Z", "proofPurpose": "assertionMethod", "verificationMethod": "did:key:z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC#z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC"}, "issuer": "did:key:z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC", "@context": ["https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1"], "issuanceDate": "2024-10-29T22:36:01.331Z", "expirationDate": "2025-01-27T22:36:01.331Z", "credentialSubject": {"id": "did:pkh:eip155:1:0xa3C8a1A8c6acC55360a1b96CeBDE92fE1937547e", "hash": "v0.0.0:mcv2XlxXtFHAJqdh4Dc4emMcYTz2yUd2r2228ZdV8kU=", "@context": [{"hash": "https://schema.org/Text", "provider": "https://schema.org/Text"}], "provider": "ClearTextGithubOrg#ethereum-tag-service#85291604"}}, "twitter": {"type": ["VerifiableCredential"], "proof": {"jws": "eyJhbGciOiJFZERTQSIsImNyaXQiOlsiYjY0Il0sImI2NCI6ZmFsc2V9..NdvhUkUDZwqujEIr9WqD_rwOk1btTWwoBO7pjByfdk7VPdFrrRKXnR6ldvyuyyTGaBvyz77_8t0KonJSscJcCQ", "type": "Ed25519Signature2018", "created": "2024-10-29T22:29:05.390Z", "proofPurpose": "assertionMethod", "verificationMethod": "did:key:z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC#z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC"}, "issuer": "did:key:z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC", "@context": ["https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1"], "issuanceDate": "2024-10-29T22:29:05.389Z", "expirationDate": "2025-01-27T22:29:05.389Z", "credentialSubject": {"id": "did:pkh:eip155:1:0xa3C8a1A8c6acC55360a1b96CeBDE92fE1937547e", "hash": "v0.0.0:JsfXg18g1vma8WOfHzt9TTWBFyE7D4lRX/fC+vt47Sc=", "@context": [{"hash": "https://schema.org/Text", "provider": "https://schema.org/Text"}], "provider": "ClearTextTwitter#etsxyz"}}}, "description": "**TL;DR**\n\nEthereum Tag Service (ETS) introduces a universal tagging system to address redundancy and data silos in existing tagging frameworks. Leveraging blockchain, ETS creates a decentralized, verifiable tag graph where tags are ERC-721 NFTs, enabling flexible reuse and many-to-many data relationships. This standardized tagging infrastructure aims to reduce developer time and costs while boosting data connectivity and user engagement across decentralized social networks. Currently, in the testnet phase, ETS plans to expand by integrating with prominent decentralized platforms.\n\n![image1](https://skilled-lime-cow.myfilebase.com/ipfs/QmPnt1xUUeWokR1qoEtz51dQTSvaSYhaKove2A7dPQHGdS)\n\n**Project Summary:**\nThe Ethereum Tag Service (ETS) aims to address inefficiencies in current web tagging by establishing a universal tagging system. This system seeks to reduce fragmentation and redundancy prevalent due to the monopolistic structures of large social media platforms. Through blockchain technology, ETS provides a decentralized, verifiable tag graph where tags function as ERC-721 NFTs, reusable across records and applications to improve interoperability and user experience on the web.\n\n**Objectives:**\n- **Build a Decentralized Tagging Protocol:** Develop a universal, blockchain-based tagging system—similar to the Ethereum Name Service, but for tags—to streamline developer workflows and minimize duplicated effort.\n\n- **Increase Interoperability:** Enable tags to be composable and reusable across various platforms (e.g., Farcaster, Lens, and Mirror), fostering a connected digital ecosystem that links people, places, and things across Web3.\n- **Enhance User Experience:** Offer a global, accessible tagging graph for a comprehensive view of “who tagged what, where, when, and why.”\n\n**Innovation:**\nETS introduces Composable Tags (CTAGs) as dynamic data hubs within the decentralized web, connecting diverse content and entities across the blockchain. This design supports a many-to-many relationship between tags and content, significantly improving web tagging’s efficiency and utility.\n\n**Implementation:**\nTagging Infrastructure: Tags operate as ERC-721 NFTs, granting unique, verifiable ownership and usage rights.\n\n- **Relayer System:** Uses independently owned smart contracts to record tagging data, providing flexibility and adaptability for developer integrations.\n\n- **Cross-Platform Integration:** Plans to enable compatibility with major decentralized platforms, showcasing ETS’s functionality and encouraging widespread adoption.\n\n**Current Status:**\n\n- **Prototype:** Currently operating a proof-of-concept on Arbitrum Sepolia, with ongoing expansion in use cases and functionality. \n- **Funding:** Self-funded with additional support from grants; no venture capital has been accepted, nor have tokens been issued. Additional funding is being sought to further development. \n- **Open Source Commitment:** While the project is currently closed source, we are fully committed to open-sourcing it upon testnet launch to drive community involvement and collaborative development.\n\n![image2](https://skilled-lime-cow.myfilebase.com/ipfs/QmcbpUxpu42u31wsY9efPD2sE6J6z7SJDekPXsy1ZEcURK)\n\n**Use of Funds:**\n\n- **Development:** Advancing the ETS protocol and expanding integration with other blockchain layers and applications.\nCommunity Building and Management: Growing the team and fostering an engaged community around ETS for support and continuous feedback.\n\n- **Outreach and Education:** Initiatives aimed at educating developers and users on the advantages of a decentralized tagging system.\n\n**Impact on the Ethereum Ecosystem:**\n\nETS aims to emulate the success of the Ethereum Name Service, creating a new Web3 primitive that enhances privacy, interoperability, and user experience. By decentralizing tagging, ETS will support seamless interactions and integrations across the Ethereum ecosystem, building a more robust and user-friendly digital environment for developers and users alike.\n\n**Team Members:**\n- MHPALER: Co-founder & Lead Architect\n- Sero: Co-founder, Project Manager & Software Engineer\n- Vid: Frontend Software Engineer\n- Sasquatch: Financial Manager\n\nWith an experienced team and a visionary approach, Ethereum Tag Service is well-positioned to revolutionize web tagging and make a meaningful contribution to the Ethereum ecosystem. We believe that with support from Gitcoin Grants, ETS can reach its full potential, advancing a more open, interoperable, and user-centric web.\n", "lastUpdated": 0, "projectGithub": "ethereum-tag-service", "projectTwitter": "etsxyz"}, "recipient": "0x8eD2BD43b9769eBc22873474ED347D2799d241F0"}}