SIDAN - Whisky V2 - Cardano Rust SDK with Pallas

Proposal on Catalyst

Budget Requested

100,000 ADA

Duration

6 months

Language

Rust SDK

Category

Cardano Open: Developers

Problem Statement

Whisky's current CSL core limits maintainability and slows new-feature support. Moving to TxPipe's Pallas provides a Rust-native, community-maintained foundation with broader features and cleaner extensibility for faster protocol adoption.

Key Deliverables

Pallas Integration

Complete migration from CSL to TxPipe's Pallas for a Rust-native, community-maintained foundation with broader features

Dependency Injection Architecture

Flexible serializer interface allowing multiple backends while maintaining API stability and backward compatibility

Enhanced Protocol Support

Faster access to new protocol features and governance updates with reduced lag between node releases and SDK support

Ecosystem Interoperability

Improved compatibility with TxPipe tooling ecosystem including Oura, Scrolls, and other Rust-native Cardano tools

Project Milestones

Milestone 1: Preparation and Organization Setup

Month 1 20,000 ADA
20%

Initial project setup with team organization, repository structure, and comprehensive planning for the Pallas migration.

Outputs

  • Team setup with defined roles and responsibilities
  • Public announcement and communication channels
  • GitHub Projects roadmap with migration plan
  • Contributor guidelines and project structure

Acceptance Criteria

  • Maintainers and advisors listed with roles
  • Public repository with legal documents committed
  • Community announcement published with links
  • GitHub Projects board active with migration milestones

Evidence

  • README with team roles and responsibilities
  • Repository tree showing legal compliance
  • Public announcement on social media channels
  • GitHub Projects board with detailed migration plan

Milestone 2: Phase 1 - Build Transactions on Pallas

Month 2 30,000 ADA
50%

Refactor TxBuilder with interface abstraction and create Pallas-based serializer core with automated testing.

Outputs

  • Refactored TxBuilder with serializer interface
  • Pallas-based serializer core (WhiskyPallas)
  • Real example transactions with automated tests
  • Initial documentation and migration notes

Acceptance Criteria

  • TxBuilder no longer depends directly on CSL
  • WhiskyPallas serializer fully functional
  • Example transactions build successfully
  • Automated test suite passes with Pallas core

Evidence

  • Public repository with refactored codebase
  • Working example transactions and tests
  • Documentation showing Pallas integration
  • CI/CD pipeline validating new architecture

Milestone 3: Phase 2 - Parse Transactions + Remaining Tools

Month 1 30,000 ADA
80%

Implement transaction parser interface and migrate remaining utilities to Pallas with comprehensive testing.

Outputs

  • Transaction parser interface for whisky-pallas
  • Migrated utilities (addresses, scripts, datums, formats)
  • End-to-end round-trip tests
  • Comprehensive stress testing suite

Acceptance Criteria

  • Parser interface fully implemented and tested
  • All utilities successfully migrated to Pallas
  • Build→read round-trip tests pass
  • Stress tests validate reliability and performance

Evidence

  • Complete parser implementation in repository
  • Migrated utilities with test coverage
  • Round-trip test results and documentation
  • Performance benchmarks and stress test reports

Milestone 4: Phase 3 - Finish Migration & Ship

Month 1 10,000 ADA
90%

Complete SDK migration to dependency injection design, implement CSL compatibility layer, and provide migration guide.

Outputs

  • Complete SDK migration to dependency injection
  • Pallas as default with CSL compatibility layer
  • Comprehensive migration guide for users
  • Final testing and validation suite

Acceptance Criteria

  • SDK fully migrated to new architecture
  • Pallas set as default serializer
  • CSL compatibility layer functional
  • Migration guide complete with examples

Evidence

  • Released SDK with new architecture
  • Migration guide and compatibility documentation
  • User testing feedback and adoption metrics
  • Community announcements and adoption examples

Milestone 5: Documentation and Closeout Report

Month 1 10,000 ADA
100%

Comprehensive documentation update, community materials, and project closeout with detailed reporting.

Outputs

  • Updated API documentation on docs.rs
  • Task-based guides on GitHub Pages
  • Comprehensive closeout report
  • Project demonstration video

Acceptance Criteria

  • API docs auto-built and published
  • Guides site updated with migration content
  • Closeout report published with metrics
  • Demonstration video completed and shared

Evidence

  • Live documentation on docs.rs and GitHub Pages
  • Published closeout report with adoption metrics
  • Public demonstration video
  • Community feedback and adoption examples

Expected Impact

Faster Protocol Adoption

Pallas-based core enables faster access to new protocol features and governance updates, reducing lag between node releases and SDK support.

Enhanced Interoperability

Alignment with Pallas improves compatibility with TxPipe tooling ecosystem, making it easier to build explorers, wallets, and data applications.

Community Resilience

Reduces single-vendor dependency by leveraging actively maintained, community-driven base, encouraging external contributions and shared standards.