Grant Application: Internationalization Setup for CoW Swap App

Grant Title

Grant Application: Internationalization Setup for CoW Swap App

Author(s)

Main Point of Contact - Juan Manuel Faya - BD Manager - Mail: juan.faya@protofire.io - TG handle: @juanmafaya

UI Developer - Gerardo Barboni - Github

Senior Blockchain Fullstak Developer - Ramiro Vazquez - Github

Experiences and qualifications

Regarding Ramiro Vazquez, he has worked in sync with the CoW Protocol team in the rebranding, development, and testing of a web trading interface built on top of the protocol, which allows users to buy and sell tokens using gas-less orders.

Assisted in the development of the SDK, the Explorer, the Batch Viewer integration (CowSwap and CoW Protocol Explorer), UI maintenance and UX improvements, and The Graph integration.

Regarding Protofire, we are a Developer DAO with 70+ seasoned engineers from America and Europe, expanding to Asia with a mission to accelerate innovation across the Web3 ecosystem.

We provide: Full-stack JS Dapp Development, Mobile development, Smart Contract Development, UX/UI Design, DevOps (Focused on Deployment Automation), SRE (Maintenance of Web3 infrastructure), The Graph Cluster deployment, Subgraph development and hosting, Business Analysis and Product Design, Quality Assurance and Testing (manual and automation), smart contract audit, token design, wallet solutions, Safe deployments, TVL Growth Solutions, Developer Tools.

Since 2016, the Protofire team has had the privilege of working with some amazing projects in this space, including Gnosis (FairDex, Omen, Safe), MakerDAO (CDP Insurance, Governance Dashboard), AragonDAO (official payroll dApp), POA Network (Token Bridge, Identity dApps, Token Wizard, BlockScout), Tezos (Developer adoption, won 2 grants), 0x (LaunchKit), xDai Chain (built part of the stack, participate as a validator), Enigma (Genesis Nodes - Block Explorer), The Graph Protocol (build most of the official subgraphs), Opyn (Insurance Interface and smart contracts), Livepeer (Livepeer.tools), Formatic (Wallet integration), GoodDollar(dApp), Bzx and Colu, Etherisc (Flight Delay DApp, General Insurance Framework), Synthetix (working on a new open-source frontend for the Synthetix GrantsDAO, and a Gnosis Safe App MVP), AAVE, Filecoin, among others.

Grant Description

Purpose

This project aims to implement a robust internationalization (i18n) framework within the CoW Swap app, enabling support for multiple languages and making the platform accessible to a global, non-English-speaking audience. This initiative directly addresses user requests, aligns with CoW Protocol’s mission of inclusivity, and positions CoW Swap for broader adoption.

Objectives

  • Integrate Internationalization Framework: Architect and implement a scalable i18n solution in the CoW Swap frontend codebase.

  • UI/UX Adaptation: Ensure all user interface components dynamically support language switching and gracefully handle text expansion, contraction, and formatting differences.

  • Language Switching: Add an intuitive language selector within app settings, allowing users to seamlessly switch between supported languages.

  • Quality Assurance: Collaborate with the frontend team to test, review, and refine the implementation, ensuring a bug-free, high-quality user experience.

  • Documentation & Handover: Deliver comprehensive documentation and a smooth handover process to the CoW Swap team for future maintenance and language additions.

Intended Outcomes

  • Broader Accessibility: Non-English speakers can comfortably use CoW Swap, reducing friction and increasing global user engagement.

  • Enhanced User Experience: Multilingual support improves trust and satisfaction, particularly for users in rapidly growing DeFi markets.

  • Foundation for Growth: Establishes a technical foundation for easily adding more languages in future updates.

Technologies & Methodologies

  • i18next & Lingui: Industry-standard i18n libraries for React applications that support dynamic loading of translations, already integrated into the platform without the need to migrate to new libraries.

  • Modular Translation Files: Use JSON or YAML files for language resources, enabling easy updates and community-driven translation in the future.

  • Automated & Manual QA: Leverage both automated UI tests (e.g., Cypress, Jest) and manual reviews to ensure quality and catch edge cases.

  • Flexible UI Design: Collaborate with CoW Swap’s design team to ensure UI components are responsive to language changes and formatting (LTR support, if required).

  • CI/CD Integration: Integrate i18n checks into the build pipeline to prevent regressions.

Goal: Make CoW Swap accessible to users worldwide, regardless of language.

Ecosystem Impact:

  • For Users: Lowers barriers to entry, especially for those in non-English-speaking regions.

  • For the Community: Encourages broader participation, feedback, and community-driven localization in the future.

  • For the Protocol: Positions CoW Protocol as an inclusive, global DeFi leader, fostering growth and adoption.

Sustainability & Handover

The project will be delivered as a stand-alone initiative, with full documentation and a clean handover to the CoW Swap team. Maintenance and support will be provided during the testing and feedback phase, with all bug fixes addressed within the grant scope.

Type of Grant

Milestones-based

Mockups

Figma: https://www.figma.com/design/SGZz6cY7XtYXe3e4MmzAIO/RFP--Internationalization-setup?node-id=1-2

Scope of Work and Timeline

Milestones Tasks and Deliverables Outcomes FTE Due Date Funding
M1:
Design Phase
Tasks
1. A figma file will be delivered with the new function integrated into the existing interface design in both light and dark mode.
2. Changes to the design will be accepted based on feedback received from cowswap.

Deliverable
Figma file
UX/UI design approved by cowswap team UI/UX dev 1 day 2,000 xDAI
M2:
Scaffold phase
Tasks
1. Analysis of internationalization tools to be used.
2. Analysis of existing code, and tools currently used for smooth integration or continued use of the tool for internationalization.

Deliverable
Report with the possible tool(s) to be used and the one considered as the best option

We anticipate that Cow will provide a full figma (dapp) or a file to know all the words/texts to be translated and select the appropriate tool. If not, it will be necessary to scrape all the texts in the dapp.
Selection of the internationalization tool to be used Front-End dev 1-2 days 2,500 xDAI
M3:
Integration phase
Integration of the New Functionality:
1. Implement the design as previously agreed upon
2. Utilize the selected translation tool
3. Incorporate automatic detection of the user’s language
4.Store the user’s language preference per browser for automatic switching
5.Enable language-switching options based on the user’s geographic location
6. Adjust the user interface to account for potential issues resulting from text translation
7.Provide all necessary translation files

Deliverable
A PR with detailed new features
A PR with detailed new features Front-End dev 10 days 8,500 xDAI
M4:
QA phase
Automated & Manual testing of the language selector and its correct translation.

Deliverable
Videos with manual tests
Automated tests files
Correction of possible errors Front-End dev + QA 1 day 2,000 xDAI

Length

We anticipate project delivery within 2 to 3 weeks and are ready to begin as soon as the grant is approved

Funding Request

Prices consider a Time-based engagement of a dedicated team allocated to the Customer.

We are requesting 15,000 xDAI + 15,000 COW to deliver the outlined scope of work.

7,500 xDAI to be distributed after 1 week.

7,500 xDAI to be distributed upon delivery and review approval.

15,000 COW to be distributed upon delivery review approval subject to a 6-month lock.

Gnosis Chain Address: gno:0x9a359f0E1E84d73b8ca0496C235Ce01Fe2e1a1A5

Other Information

You can check some great projects we have worked on and developed in this link, including the COW Swap Dex case study HERE.

Terms and Conditions

By submitting this grant application, I acknowledge and agree to be bound by the CoW DAO Participation Agreement and the CoW DAO Grant Agreement Terms.

Hi @JuanManuel ,

Thank you for your submission.

As mentioned in the RFP, the proposal will be reviewed after the 1st of July 2025. In the meantime, I would like to kindly point out that the RFP outlines a milestone-based grant structure, in which payments are issued upon the successful completion of defined milestones.

With this in mind, would you be so kind as to revise your proposal accordingly? We appreciate your attention to this and look forward to receiving the updated version.

Kind regards,