Proposal Update: This submission builds on the initial Corven proposal and incorporates committee feedback by strengthening the technical architecture, addressing the scalability and cost of isolated development environments, expanding persistent workspace capabilities, improving CKB development tooling, and introducing an initial AI-assisted development experience.
Category: CKB Community Fund DAO
Project: Corven
Applicant: Jimleston Osoi
Role: Founder & Full-Stack Developer
Project Type: CKB Developer Infrastructure
Project Status: Working Prototype / Active Development
GitHub: GitHub - lestonEth/corven-platform: Corven – Cloud Development Infrastructure for CKB · GitHub
Website: https://corvan.vercel.app/
Demo: corvan v1.0 progress | Loom
Contact: Discord: leston2640
Timeline: 4 months
Requested Funding: USD 24,000 — CKB equivalent
1. Executive Summary
Corven is a cloud-based development platform designed to make CKB smart contract development accessible directly from a web browser.
Today, developers who want to build on CKB are required to configure a local development environment containing Rust, Cargo, CKB tooling, RISC-V targets, Docker and other dependencies. This creates unnecessary friction, particularly for developers who are new to the CKB ecosystem.
Corven provides an alternative approach:
Open a browser → create a CKB workspace → write a smart contract → compile → test → debug
without requiring the developer to configure the complete CKB development toolchain locally.
The initial development work has validated the core concept and established a working prototype with the foundations of browser-based development, authentication, workspace management, runtime services, Docker integration, and database connectivity.
This proposal represents Phase 1 of Corven’s broader development roadmap.
The objective of Phase 1 is to transform the existing prototype into a reliable, persistent, and publicly accessible CKB cloud development infrastructure platform.
Phase 1 will focus on:
- Persistent cloud development workspaces
- Workspace lifecycle and runtime orchestration
- Resource-efficient isolated environments
- CKB/Rust development tooling
- Project templates
- Compilation and testing workflows
- Developer diagnostics and debugging
- Integrated terminal improvements
- Initial AI-assisted development inside the code editor
- Infrastructure security and hardening
- Public deployment and developer onboarding
The goal is not simply to build another browser IDE.
The goal is to provide reusable cloud infrastructure that makes CKB development easier to start, easier to maintain, and easier to scale.
2. Problem
CKB development currently requires developers to manage a number of local dependencies and environment-specific configurations.
A typical developer may need to install and configure:
- Rust
- Cargo
- RISC-V targets
- CKB development tooling
- Docker
- CKB nodes or related infrastructure
- Contract build dependencies
- Additional ecosystem tooling
This creates several problems.
2.1 High setup friction
New developers can spend significant time configuring their environment before writing their first contract.
2.2 Environment inconsistency
Different operating systems and local configurations can result in different build environments and debugging experiences.
2.3 Difficult onboarding
Developers interested in experimenting with CKB may abandon the process before completing their first successful contract build.
2.4 Infrastructure complexity
As CKB development expands into more sophisticated workflows, developers may eventually need access to nodes, testing environments, transaction tooling, and other infrastructure.
Corven aims to abstract this infrastructure away from the developer.
3. Proposed Solution
Corven provides an isolated cloud development workspace specifically designed around CKB development.
Each workspace contains the development environment required to build and test CKB projects.
The platform consists of:
- Browser-based IDE
- Code editor
- Integrated terminal
- CKB project templates
- Rust development environment
- RISC-V development environment
- CKB development tooling
- Contract compilation
- Contract testing
- Build output
- Error reporting
- Persistent project storage
- Workspace lifecycle management
- Runtime isolation
- Resource controls
- Developer diagnostics
- Initial AI-assisted development
The longer-term platform will extend this foundation with:
- Improved runtime orchestration
- Workspace scaling
- CKB node environments
- Transaction simulation
- Debugging workflows
- Fiber development environments
- Additional ecosystem tooling
- Developer environment templates
4. Current Project Status
Corven is not a concept-only proposal.
A working prototype has already been developed.
The current architecture contains:
- API Gateway
- Authentication Service
- Workspace Service
- Runtime Service
- Docker integration
- Database connectivity
The existing backend foundation provides the basis for the cloud workspace infrastructure.The current proposal builds on that foundation rather than restarting development.
5. Technical Architecture
Corven uses a modular architecture.
Corven uses a modular cloud architecture that separates the developer interface from workspace infrastructure. The API Gateway coordinates authentication, workspace management, templates, files, and usage services, while the Workspace Orchestrator manages isolated Docker/Kubernetes development environments. PostgreSQL and object storage provide persistent project data, while Redis and the job queue support sessions, caching, and asynchronous workspace operations. This architecture allows workspaces to be provisioned, stopped, restored, and extended with additional CKB and future Fiber development environments.
Workspace Provisioning Flow
The diagram illustrates how Corvon provisions an isolated development workspace. When a user creates a workspace, the request is validated and stored as
PENDING, then dispatched through the job queue. The orchestrator processes the job by creating isolated runtime containers and updating the workspace to RUNNING. The frontend can then poll or subscribe to the workspace status until the environment is ready.
6. Phase 2 Infrastructure
6.1 Workspace Orchestration
Develop a more robust workspace lifecycle system supporting:
6.2 Runtime Isolation
Improve container-based isolation through:
- Resource limits
- Workspace-specific storage
- Runtime lifecycle controls
- Network restrictions
- Process isolation
- Workspace cleanup
The goal is to establish a safer foundation for multi-user development environments.
6.3 Persistent Workspaces
Develop persistent workspace infrastructure where:
The developer should not lose their development environment when the runtime is stopped.
7. CKB Development Environment
The platform will provide preconfigured CKB development environments containing the necessary tooling.
The environment will support:
- Rust
- Cargo
- RISC-V development
- CKB development tooling
- Contract compilation
- Contract testing
- Build output
- Error reporting
The objective is to make the cloud environment reproducible and independent of the developer’s local operating system.
8. Future Fiber Development Infrastructure
One of Corven’s longer-term objectives is to support Fiber development environments.
The infrastructure developed in this phase will provide a foundation for:
- Fiber node development environments
- Node provisioning
- Network testing
- Fiber application development
- Runtime monitoring
- Development/debugging workflows
Fiber support will be treated as an extension of the cloud infrastructure rather than being forced into the initial MVP.
This allows the project to validate the core CKB development environment first.
9. Milestones
The project will be implemented over four months.
Milestone 1 — Cloud Workspace Infrastructure
Timeline: Month 1
Activities
- Improve workspace lifecycle management
- Improve runtime provisioning
- Implement resource controls
- Improve workspace persistence
- Improve runtime monitoring
- Implement workspace recovery
- Implement automatic cleanup
Deliverable
A reliable cloud workspace can be created, started, stopped, restored, and monitored.
Milestone 2 — CKB Development Environment
Timeline: Month 2
Activities
- Improve CKB toolchain integration
- Improve Rust/RISC-V environment
- Implement CKB project templates
- Improve build workflows
- Improve test workflows
- Build log handling
- Error reporting
- Integrated terminal improvements
Deliverable
A developer can perform the core CKB development workflow entirely inside a Corven workspace.
Milestone 3 — Developer Tooling and AI Assistant
Timeline: Month 3
Activities
- Runtime diagnostics
- Improved terminal experience
- Build failure diagnostics
- Workspace logs
- Development debugging workflows
- AI assistant integration
- Code-editor AI interface
- Workspace-aware code assistance
- Compiler error analysis
- Basic code and test generation
Deliverable
Developers can troubleshoot development problems and receive contextual AI assistance directly within the Corven development environment.
Milestone 4 — Infrastructure Hardening and Public Release
Timeline: Month 4
Activities
- Infrastructure hardening
- Security review
- Performance improvements
- End-to-end testing
- Documentation
- Public deployment
- Developer onboarding
- Public testing
- Demonstration
- Final verification
Deliverable
A publicly accessible Corven cloud development platform capable of supporting the defined CKB development workflow.
10. Deliverables & Acceptance Criteria
Deliverable 1 — Workspace Infrastructure
Acceptance Criteria
- User can create a workspace.
- Workspace can be started.
- Workspace can be stopped.
- Workspace can be restarted.
- Workspace status is visible.
- Workspace resources are isolated.
- Workspace can be restored.
- Inactive workspaces can release compute resources.
Deliverable 2 — CKB Development Environment
Acceptance Criteria
- CKB/Rust development environment is available.
- RISC-V tooling is available.
- CKB development tooling is available.
- Developer can open the integrated terminal.
- Developer can execute CKB development commands.
- Developer can compile a contract.
- Developer can run tests.
- Build output is displayed.
Deliverable 3 — Persistent Workspace
Acceptance Criteria
- Project files survive workspace shutdown.
- Developer can reopen a workspace.
- Previously saved files are restored.
- Workspace state is correctly associated with the developer.
- Runtime compute can be released without deleting project data.
Deliverable 4 — Developer Diagnostics
Acceptance Criteria
- Runtime logs are accessible.
- Build failures provide useful output.
- Terminal errors are visible.
- Workspace status can be inspected.
- Test output is accessible.
- Common runtime failures can be diagnosed through the platform.
Deliverable 5 — AI Development Assistant
Acceptance Criteria
- AI assistant is accessible from the Corven code editor.
- Assistant can work with relevant project context.
- Assistant can explain CKB/Rust code.
- Assistant can analyze compiler errors.
- Assistant can suggest fixes.
- Assistant can generate basic code.
- Assistant can assist with basic test generation.
Deliverable 6 — Public Developer Platform
Acceptance Criteria
- Public deployment is accessible.
- Documentation is available.
- Source code is publicly available.
- Demonstration workflow is recorded.
- A developer can complete the defined CKB development workflow without installing the complete CKB toolchain locally.
11. CKB Ecosystem Impact
Corven addresses developer infrastructure rather than a single end-user application.
Its primary ecosystem value is reducing the friction required to build on CKB.
For new developers
They can begin development without spending significant time configuring their local machine.
For experienced developers
They can access reproducible cloud environments for CKB projects.
For educators
Corven can provide a standardized environment for teaching CKB development.
For ecosystem projects
Projects can potentially use standardized cloud environments for development and testing.
12. Funding Request
Total Requested Funding: USD 24,000
The requested funding covers four months of development and the infrastructure required to deliver the Phase 1 milestones.
| Category | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Development Team | $20,800 | Four developers × $1,300/month × 4 months |
| Cloud Infrastructure | $800 | Runtime hosting, compute, storage and infrastructure |
| Security & Testing | $1,200 | Runtime isolation, security hardening, QA and validation |
| Documentation & Deployment | $1,200 | Public deployment, documentation, onboarding and ecosystem testing |
| Total | $24,000 |
Development Team
The largest portion of the budget is allocated to development.
The project will support four developers at USD 1,300 per developer per month for four months:
4 developers × $1,300 × 4 months = $20,800
The development team will contribute across:
- Backend infrastructure
- Workspace orchestration
- Frontend development
- CKB tooling
- Runtime infrastructure
- AI integration
- Testing
- Security
- Deployment
The remaining $3,200 will support the cloud and operational requirements needed to deliver and publicly deploy the platform.
13. Risks & Mitigation
| Risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Cloud infrastructure costs | Use lightweight runtime architecture and stop inactive workspaces |
| Container isolation | Apply resource limits and workspace isolation |
| CKB tooling changes | Keep the development environment modular and versioned |
| Runtime failures | Implement workspace monitoring and recovery |
| Storage failures | Separate persistent storage from runtime containers |
| Infrastructure complexity | Build incrementally from the existing MVP |
| Low initial adoption | Provide public access, documentation and demonstration workflows |
Funding and Milestone Structure
The requested funding is directly connected to measurable development outcomes.
Progress will be demonstrated through:
- Source code changes
- Completed functionality
- Public deployments where applicable
- Demonstration videos
- Documentation
- Technical milestone reports
The four-month implementation is structured as:
| Milestone | Period | Primary Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| M1 | Month 1 | Cloud workspace infrastructure |
| M2 | Month 2 | CKB development environment |
| M3 | Month 3 | Developer tooling and AI assistance |
| M4 | Month 4 | Hardening and public release |
This structure provides clear verification of how the grant translates into technical progress.
Risks and Mitigation
| Risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Cloud infrastructure costs increase | Use lightweight runtimes, resource limits, automatic shutdown, and persistent storage separation |
| Container isolation issues | Apply workspace-specific resource limits, process isolation, and network restrictions |
| Persistent storage failures | Separate project storage from temporary runtime containers |
| CKB tooling changes | Maintain modular and versioned development environments |
| Runtime failures | Implement monitoring, recovery, and workspace lifecycle controls |
| AI infrastructure costs | Begin with a focused AI feature set and controlled usage |
| AI-generated incorrect code | Treat AI as an assistant rather than an autonomous execution system and require developer validation |
| Low initial adoption | Provide public access, documentation, examples, and demonstrations |
| Infrastructure complexity | Build incrementally on the existing working prototype |
14. Long-Term Roadmap
Phase 1 — CKB Cloud Development Infrastructure
This proposal focuses on this phase.
Capabilities:
- Browser-based development
- Persistent workspaces
- Runtime orchestration
- Resource management
- Runtime isolation
- CKB/Rust tooling
- Project templates
- Compilation
- Testing
- Debugging
- Developer diagnostics
- Initial AI assistance
- Public cloud infrastructure
Phase 2 — Advanced CKB Infrastructure
Future capabilities:
- CKB node environments
- Transaction simulation
- Development networks
- Advanced testing environments
- Transaction tooling
- Automated deployment workflows
- Additional ecosystem integrations
Phase 3 — Fiber Development Infrastructure
Future capabilities:
- Fiber node provisioning
- Fiber development environments
- Network testing
- Monitoring
- Debugging
- Fiber application development workflows
Phase 4 — Advanced AI Developer Infrastructure
Future capabilities:
- Advanced contract generation
- Automated test generation
- Contract analysis
- Security analysis
- AI-powered debugging
- Project-level development agents
- Automated development workflows
One-Year Vision
Phase 1 is the foundation for Corven’s broader one-year objective.
Over the following year, the goal is to evolve Corven from a cloud-based IDE into a broader CKB developer infrastructure platform.
The long-term vision is to provide developers with reusable cloud infrastructure across the CKB development lifecycle.
The longer-term development lifecycle is:
Create → Develop → Compile → Test → Debug → Deploy → Monitor
The objective is to make these capabilities available through a reusable cloud infrastructure layer rather than requiring every developer or ecosystem project to independently assemble and maintain the underlying environment.
15. Conclusion
Corven aims to make CKB development accessible through a cloud-native development environment.
The initial MVP establishes the fundamental workflow:
Create → Code → Compile → Test
This proposal takes the next step by developing the infrastructure required to make that workflow reliable, persistent and extensible.
The long-term vision is a CKB-focused cloud development platform where developers can access CKB development environments, tooling, testing infrastructure and eventually Fiber environments directly from the browser.
Rather than requiring every developer to build and maintain their own local infrastructure, Corven provides a shared, reproducible and open-source foundation for CKB development.
The project will remain open source and will prioritize practical, verifiable deliverables throughout the funding period.
Corven’s goal is to provide the infrastructure that makes building on CKB easier.
Create. Code. Compile. Test. Debug. Build on CKB — directly from the browser.