Preamble
Requests for proposals are not intended to be prescriptive or exhaustive. The community is encouraged to submit proposals that expand upon the ideas presented in this post. The scope of the project may change based on the proposals received. The primary intent of this document is to provide a starting point to achieve the outlined goals, and the final implementation may differ from the initial proposal.
All applications will follow the standard Grants DAO process. This request should not be interpreted as an offer.
Simple Summary
We seek proposals for integrated block exploration and transaction analysis tools for the CoW Protocol Playground.
Goal
Developers currently rely on external services (Etherscan, Tenderly) for transaction inspection and debugging. We need local tools integrated into the playground for exploring blocks, analyzing transactions, and debugging with source code.
Deliverables
We are looking for solutions that provide:
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Block explorer - Local web-based block and transaction explorer
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Contract verification - Source code verification and display
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Transaction debugging - Step-through debugging and trace analysis
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Frontend integration - Update playground frontend to use local explorer
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Documentation - Usage and integration guides
Specification
Problems to Solve
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External block explorers don’t work with local/forked chains
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No source code available for debugging
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Cannot inspect transaction traces locally
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Frontend links point to external services
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Difficult to debug failed transactions
Desired Capabilities
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Browse blocks and transactions
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View verified contract source code
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Debug transaction execution
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Analyze gas usage
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Decode function calls and events
Integration Requirements
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Work with both fork mode and offline mode
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Integrate with playground docker-compose
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Support existing monitoring infrastructure
Method
We are open to different approaches (Otterscan, Blockscout, custom solutions). Proposers should explain their choice and capabilities. Contract verification approach should be detailed.
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated on:
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Feature completeness
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User experience
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Performance
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Maintenance requirements
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Integration approach
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Cost and timeline
Values of Grants DAO and its Grants
These values may evolve and are listed in no particular order:
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Open Source: Integrations should be open source.
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Milestones: Milestones should be attainable and well-defined to ensure easy verification of completion.
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Price Transparency: Pricing should be broken down into optional and core metrics/deliverables to allow selective implementation.
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Sustainability: Address the sustainability of deliverables (e.g., who will manage, maintain, and for how long, including associated costs).
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Simplicity: Aim for simplicity. Completion is often more valuable than striving for perfection—except for critical components, which must meet the highest standards.
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Documentation: Provide solid documentation to ensure that others can build on your work smoothly, where applicable.
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Flexibility: We recognize that some processes require flexibility (e.g., adding new features, adapting to changes in technology or infrastructure). Open communication is encouraged to adapt to these changes. Scope extensions and pricing changes typically require a committee vote.
Call for Action
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Community: Community members are encouraged to provide feedback on desired debugging features.
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Applicants: Proposals should be submitted by November 17, 2025 using the standard Grants Program template.
Additional Resources
Selection Process
The selection will be made by the Grants DAO committee at their discretion. The committee will consider the above values, cost, timing, quality, and scope in their decision-making. Committee members may ask questions or make a decision independently. The committee can also decide to close or extend the timeline or go with none of the submitted proposals.
Currently, there are no official rejection criteria. If the forum discussion does not provide a clear outcome, an applicant can post their proposal to the Grants DAO Snapshot space and request a committee vote if needed.