TECHNICAL GRANT APPLICATION - Conflux Cross Chain NFT Bridge

1) Funding Tier

Funding Tier: Tier 3
Total Grant Amount Requested: $30,000

2) Project Overview

a) Project Title: Conflux Cross Chain NFT Bridge

b) Description: Conflux Cross Chain NFT Bridge is a project aimed at developing a cross-chain NFT bridge on the Conflux network. The bridge will enable users to seamlessly transfer their NFTs between different blockchain networks, expanding the interoperability and utility of NFTs on Conflux. The project will contribute to the growth of the Conflux ecosystem and provide users with a seamless experience for bridging and using their NFT assets in Conflux Ecosystem

c) Team Interest: Blockdudes is interested in creating this project to address the current lack of a cross-chain NFT bridge on the Conflux network. By enabling NFT transfers across different blockchains, the project aims to unlock the full potential of NFTs and provide users with more flexibility and options for managing their digital assets.

3) Project Details

The proposed project aims to develop a bridge that connects all EVM chains to the Conflux network, enabling users to transfer their NFTs seamlessly between different chains and Conflux. The bridge consists of three key components: the interface, bridge contracts, and the relayer service.

Interface:
The interface serves as the user-facing frontend of the bridge, allowing users to interact with the bridge and initiate NFT transfers. It provides a user-friendly and intuitive interface where users can connect their wallets, select the NFTs they wish to transfer, specify the destination chain on Conflux, and initiate the transfer process. The interface will also provide real-time status updates and transaction details to ensure transparency and a smooth user experience.

Bridge Contracts:
The bridge contracts form the backbone of the bridge infrastructure. These smart contracts facilitate the secure and trustless transfer of NFTs between chains. When a user initiates a transfer, the bridge contracts handle the necessary steps to lock the NFT on the source chain, verify the transaction, and mint a corresponding NFT representation on Conflux. The bridge contracts ensure the seamless and reliable transfer of NFT ownership while maintaining the integrity and security of the assets throughout the process.

Relayer Service:
The relayer service plays a crucial role in enabling communication between the Conflux network and other EVM chains. It acts as the intermediary that relays information and transactions between chains, ensuring interoperability. The relayer service monitors and listens for transfer requests from the bridge contracts on the source chain, verifies the transactions, and initiates the corresponding actions on Conflux to complete the transfer. It ensures the efficient and timely processing of transactions, maintaining a smooth and uninterrupted flow of NFTs between chains.

Major Security Risks:

  1. Smart Contract Vulnerabilities: The bridge contracts that facilitate the transfer of NFTs between different blockchain networks can be susceptible to various smart contract vulnerabilities, including reentrancy attacks, unchecked user inputs, and improper access control. These vulnerabilities can potentially lead to the loss or manipulation of NFT assets.
  2. Malicious Relayer: The relayer service acts as an intermediary between different blockchain networks, making it a potential target for attackers. A compromised or malicious relayer can manipulate transaction data, disrupt the transfer process, or steal NFT assets during the transfer.

How we are tackling them:

  1. Smart Contract Vulnerabilities: Given the paramount importance of security at present, we are fully committed to ensuring the utmost safety of our contracts. To achieve this goal, we will be engaging a team of expert auditors who specialize in contract security. Their rigorous auditing process will thoroughly evaluate our code to verify its safety and reliability, assuring that it can be confidently used in our project. By prioritizing security and conducting comprehensive audits, we aim to provide a secure and trustworthy environment for our users.

  2. Malicious Relayer: Our rigorous selection process ensures that all relayers undergo comprehensive checks to establish trust and credibility. While we strive to minimize the risk of malicious behavior, we recognize the need for an added layer of protection. Our code is designed to ensure that even in the presence of a malicious relayer, the bridge’s functionality and security remain unaffected. The implementation of stringent security measures, such as multi-signature approval and continuous monitoring, guarantees that any malicious attempts will be rendered ineffective.
    Moreover, as part of our long-term vision, we are committed to achieving full decentralization and permissionless operation. By transitioning towards a decentralized model, we aim to eliminate any reliance on individual entities, including relayers. This approach not only enhances the security and resilience of the bridge but also fosters a transparent and open ecosystem that is resistant to the influence of malicious actors.

4) Team

Our team at Blockdudes has a proven track record in the blockchain space. We have developed and contributed to a multitude of projects, enhancing the infrastructure and applications of various chains and platforms.

Amrit Kumar Jain - CEO and Founder, Project Lead

GitHub: amritkumarj

LinkedIn: Amrit Kumar Jain

Amrit Kumar Jain, the founder of Blockdudes and the lead for this project, brings a wealth of experience and a wide network to the project. His vision for aiding blockchains in building robust infrastructure has shaped Blockdudes trajectory and he has established strong connections within the industry, including notable figures such as Vitalik Buterin, the founder of Ethereum.

Team Members

Four other members of the Blockdudes team will contribute to this project, bringing their diverse skills and experience. Their roles include developers, designers, and blockchain specialists who will collaboratively ensure the project’s success.

As a collective, the Blockdudes team has successfully executed a range of significant projects, a few of which are:

  1. Decentralized Bridge: Worked with Vitalik Buterin to develop a decentralized layer 2 bridge.
  2. Mask Network: Integrated new features into the Mask Network browser extension.
  3. Unstoppable Domains: Assisted in integrating their service into various DeFi projects like Balancer, Enkrypt,zksync wallets, etc.
  4. Messari: We have worked with Messari on multiple projects, including developing several DeFi subgraphs that can be viewed at subgraphs.messari.io, this website is also built by us. We are currently working with them on building a large data project like Dune tables for multiple chains from scratch, which includes all Cosmos Chains, Filecoin, etc.
  5. Reserve: Developed DeFi collateral plugins.
  6. Verge: Developed ISO 20022 Application for Verge. Helping them integrate Smart Contracts in their chain
  7. Vetoken Finance: Constructed the project’s website and data graphs.
  8. Osmosis: Collaborating to build DeFi Vaults and strategies.

These examples represent a fraction of our work. We’ve completed several other projects, and our collective experience and success will be instrumental in the development and success of our proposed NFT bridge on the Conflux network.

5) Development Roadmap

Task 1: Planning the Architecture of Bridge Contracts and Relayer Service

Deliverable: Creation of a comprehensive and well-documented architecture plan for the bridge contracts and relayer service, outlining the technical components, their interactions, and the overall system design.

Team member(s) involved: Entire Development Team

Estimated Completion Time: T0 + 5


Task 2: Creating Detailed Wireframes for Frontend Website Development

Deliverable: Development of detailed wireframes capturing the visual structure, layout, and user interface elements for the frontend website, guiding the frontend design process.

Team member(s) involved: Frontend Designers

Estimated Completion Time: T0 + 7


Task 3: Finalizing Frontend Design and User Interface

Deliverable: Implementation of the approved frontend design, ensuring a visually appealing and user-friendly interface that aligns with the wireframes and project requirements.

Team member(s) involved: Frontend Designers

Estimated Completion Time: T0 + 10


Task 4: Frontend Development and Implementation of Functionality

Deliverable: Writing code and building the frontend of the website/application based on the finalized design, integrating the necessary functionality and ensuring optimal user experience across different devices and platforms.

Team member(s) involved: Frontend Developers

Estimated Completion Time: T0 + 15


Task 5: Bridge Smart Contract Development and Deployment

Deliverable: Development of smart contracts that enable the bridge functionality, ensuring secure and reliable transfer of assets between different blockchain networks.

Team member(s) involved: Blockchain Engineers

Estimated Completion Time: T0 + 30


Task 6: Testing, Quality Assurance, and Security Audit of Smart Contracts

Deliverable: Thorough testing, quality assurance, and security audit of the bridge smart contracts to identify and fix any potential issues or vulnerabilities, ensuring the contracts function as intended and are secure.

Team member(s) involved: Blockchain Engineers, Quality Assurance

Estimated Completion Time: T0 + 35


Task 7: Relayer Service Development for Cross-Chain Transactions

Deliverable: Development of the relayer service, which facilitates the smooth transfer and verification of transactions between different blockchain networks, enabling seamless cross-chain functionality.

Team member(s) involved: Backend Developers

Estimated Completion Time: T0 + 50


Task 8: Comprehensive Testing, Optimization, and Performance Evaluation of Relayer Service

Deliverable: Comprehensive testing, optimization, and performance evaluation of the relayer service to ensure its reliability, security, and optimal performance under different network conditions.

Team member(s) involved: Backend Developers, Quality Assurance

Estimated Completion Time: T0 + 55


Task 9: Deployment of Bridge Contracts and Relayer Service on Testnet Environment

Deliverable: Deployment of the bridge contracts and relayer service on the test network for initial testing, validation, and integration testing with other components.

Team member(s) involved: Blockchain Engineers

Estimated Completion Time: T0 + 60


Task 10: Thorough Testing, Validation, and Bug Fixing on Testnet

Deliverable: Thorough testing, validation, and bug fixing of the deployed system on the testnet to ensure its functionality, interoperability, and adherence to the specified requirements.

Team member(s) involved: Quality Assurance

Estimated Completion Time: T0 + 65


Task 11: Deployment of Bridge Contracts and Relayer Service on Mainnet

Deliverable: Deployment of the bridge contracts and relayer service on the mainnet, enabling real-world cross-chain transactions and interactions for public use.

Team member(s) involved: Blockchain Engineers

Estimated Completion Time: T0 + 70

6) Milestones:

Milestone 1: Frontend Development (Task 1 - 4) : $5k [ETA - 15 Days]

Milestone 2: Smart Contract Development and Testing (Task 5 - 6): $5k [ETA - 20 Days]

Milestone 3: Relayer Service Development & Testing (Task 7 - 8) : $5k [ETA - 20 Days]

Milestone 4: Audits + Launch on Testnet (Task 9 - 10): $3k + $7k(Audit Cost) [ETA - 10 Days]

Milestone 5: Launch on Mainnet (Task 11): $5k [ETA - 5 Days]

Total Estimated Time - ~2.5 Months
Total Cost - $23k + $7k (Estimated Audit Cost) = $30k

7) Team Long-term vision

Blockdudes long-term vision is to become a catalyst for the growth and success of the Conflux Network.

We aim to build a thriving ecosystem of innovative blockchain projects that demonstrate the unique capabilities of Conflux and drive widespread adoption of decentralized technologies.

Through our projects, we will showcase the scalability, high throughput, and low transaction costs of Conflux, demonstrating its potential to revolutionize industries such as finance, gaming, supply chain, and more. We will actively engage with the Conflux community, fostering collaboration and encouraging the development of new ideas and solutions.

By achieving our long-term vision, Blockdudes aims to position Conflux Network as a frontrunner in the global blockchain landscape, attracting widespread adoption and investment.

2 Likes

Hi. Thank you for your application. Below are few questions:

  1. You mentioned that your team of experts will be auditing the smart contracts. Are you planning to use any third-party service as well to get the contracts audited? I do see there is an Audit cost added to the proposal.
  2. What is the maintenance plan that you provide for this?
  3. Have you worked on a Bridge with relayer service before? How is Decentralized bridge different from this one?
  4. What is the current plan for relayer implementation?
  5. Who do you think will be your competitors in terms of NFT bridge implementation?
  6. Are you going to develop the Front-end and smart contracts from scratch? Can we not reuse existing EVM implementations for this?
  7. Is there a preliminary idea of what the technical architecture for the bridge contracts and relayer would be?

Thank you.

1 Like

Hello @nelaturuk, Thanks for the questions!

  1. Smart Contract Auditing: Yes, the audit will be done by external auditors

  2. Maintenance Plan: We are committed to ensuring the ongoing maintenance and support of the Conflux Cross Chain NFT Bridge. Following the project’s completion, we will allocate resources for continuous monitoring, bug fixing, and updates to ensure the bridge operates smoothly and securely. Our team will actively address any identified vulnerabilities, implement upgrades, and provide timely user support to maintain the bridge’s functionality and security.

  3. Experience with Bridges and Relayer Services: Yes, we have previous experience working on bridge projects with relayer services, we are currently even developing a similar type of Bridge for Verge. However, the Conflux Cross Chain NFT Bridge is unique in its focus on NFTs and its integration with the Conflux network.
    The decentralized bridge I mentioned in our previous projects is bit different because it was bridging assets between L2 Chains on Ethereum, and was fully decentralized - you can check the full info about the bridge here

  4. Relayer Implementation: Our current plan for the relayer implementation involves developing a robust and efficient service that facilitates smooth communication and transaction verification between the Conflux network and other EVM chains. We are thinking to use golang or rust for the implementation, this service will be made up of trusted relayers in the starting phase but we will soon switch to fully decentralized consensus in later stages

  5. Competitors in NFT Bridge Implementation: We have researched about this but was not able to find anyone offering similar service on Conflux, so for now I don’t think we have any competitors here

  6. Development Approach: We plan to develop the front-end from scratch to ensure maximum customization and compatibility with the Conflux network, plus providing users with new experience. About smart contracts we will try to use already audited external code as much as possible and ensure proper code safety for any customization we add.
    While there are existing EVM implementations available, building this way allows us to tailor the solution specifically for the Conflux Cross Chain NFT Bridge, optimizing performance, security, and user experience.

  7. Technical Architecture: As this project will be developed from ground-up, the full technical architecture is not completely ready yet. As the project progresses, we will share a comprehensive and well-documented architecture plan that outlines the technical components, their interactions, and the overall system design in further detail.
    But the basic architecture will look the same:
    a. Bridge Smart Contracts - For holding and minting NFTs
    b. Relayer Service - For passing and executing messages securely over cross-chain

We are excited about the opportunity to contribute to the Conflux ecosystem and look forward to addressing any further inquiries you may have.

2 Likes

Thank you for your response. A few more follow-up questions:

  1. Can you share how the Verge bridge is being built? Any technical architecture documents that you are using for that project?
  2. I am more interested in understanding how the “trusted relayers” setup would work? Can you explain this may be with a picture or more details.
  3. When you say you will reuse smart contracts already audited, which ones are you planning to reuse? Can you share them with us for review?
  4. Is there any modification you can do to the current proposal to move it from the current Tier to lower Tier?
1 Like

Sorry for the delay.

After some more research and taking everything into consideration, I believe it would be more beneficial for Conflux to utilize the Celer IM Network.

Given that Celer already supports Conflux for Cross-chain transfers, it would be a straightforward process for Conflux to request Celer to enable support for the Celer IM Network as well.

This approach would be more efficient and cost-effective for Conflux, as compared to developing and launching a complete relay network independently.

Once the Celer IM Network is integrated, we can assist you in building the NFT Contracts and Frontend, at a lower price than previously quoted.

Next Steps:

  1. Please contact the Celer team to request IM Network integration with Conflux.
  2. Once integrated, we can begin discussing about the IM NFT contracts and frontend development.

We hope to hear from you soon so that we can move forward with this exciting project and in the meantime we will look for more projects that we can help BUIDL on Conflux Network!

2 Likes