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Knight & Dame Ecosystem
Our Ecosystem represents the technologies we use to implement our goal of establishing the Commandery and Monastery systems. Accompanying each component and tech utilized are How-To documents intended to assist installation and usage. As the Councils make decisions and technology changes, so too will the ecosystem grow and advance.
To learn more about blockchain technologies, the applications and techs utilized within the Ecosystem, and implementation instructions - click the link below to be taken to our Medium content.
We list out the exact steps and order in which to implement the Ecosystem. The link above will take you to the contents page where instructions and videos will guide you through the entire process and usage of the Ecosystem.
Below is a visual map of the K&D Ecosystem 1.0, its components and brief intro to their purpose and use case.
The foundation of most interactions revolve around one wallet or another. A wallet can be thought of as a portal into one or more blockchains or systems. They provide a user interface for transactions, secure funds, and perform other tasks. The two wallets we use for On & Off Boarding are highlighted below.
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Starting at the bottom left, the Strike app's primary purpose is in moving funds to and from a traditional bank account. It is also used as an everyday expense account, similar to a checking account. Strike is also coming out with their own debit card that will be linked to your account.
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It utilizes the Lightning Network, which is a technical layer two built on the Bitcoin blockchain. This makes fees almost non-existent. It is also utilized to buy/sell bitcoin and send it to secure wallets.
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GeroWallet provides access to the Cardano blockchain and the various services within it's ecosystem. Currently we use it to purchase Cardano's native cryptocurrency, ADA. We also purchase Knight & Dame NFTs using GeroWallet.
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In the near future, GeroWallet will act as a portal into Cardano wherein Decentralized Finance (DeFi) services can be accessed. Borrowing, lending, staking/deposits, and a number of other blockchain and traditional banking services will become available.
Next, we’ll go over the hardware, multi-signature, bitcoin and Lightning wallets we use.
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Starting at the bottom of the highlighted box, we have the Ledger hardware wallet. This type of wallet uses a physical device to send funds. It is also referred to as a cold wallet, because it is only connected to a computer or the internet when you want to send funds elsewhere. It provides some of the greatest security possible since it is rarely connected to the internet (hot).
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The Ledger hardware wallet has its own interface called Ledger Live. It provides an easy way of using the wallet - like sending and receiving cryptocurrencies (BTC, ADA, etc.). The K&D Minting proceeds are also sent to our Ledger wallet address anytime a K&D NFT is minted. Lastly, Ledger can be integrated into other wallets to provide enhanced security. We use it with GeroWallet and will discuss more below.
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Next, we have Blue Wallet. This is where we have our backup bitcoin wallet and Lightning wallet. It serves as an intermediary to the more technical components of the Catholic Crypto Commerce (3C) system. It allows us to connect to the 3C Lightning node instead of using nodes provided by others. This affords K&D more control over routing, fees, and censorship.
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Moving upwards, we encounter GeroWallet once again. The dotted line to the left shows how we will interact with DeFi, as noted previously. K&D NFTs are minted using the GeroWallet, and are then utilized to access other components of the Ecosystem, like K&Dao. It is also where royalties from resales of K&D NFTs are held.
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Multiple GeroWallet users combine to form multi-signature wallets. These kinds of wallets provide extra security, in that they require more than one signature to move funds. Our Councils use multi-sig wallets to securely hold and access the treasury funds they are responsible for. GeroWallet creates these multi-sig wallets using Round Table.
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Lastly for this section, Round Table is an open-source wallet on the Cardano blockchain. It's how we create multi-sig wallets using GeroWallet. The various Councils within the K&D project hold funds in a multi-sig wallet that act as a treasury for future endeavors.
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When Council members submit, vote on, and approve various proposals- the funds are then put to use (moved) via Round Table. The various Treasuries can be seen on the right, with the Collections & Councils to the left.
Now let's take a look at the various DeFi services and Staking pools we interact with.
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Minswap is a DEX, or Decentralized Exchange, wherein Cardano blockchain native tokens can be swapped for one another. For example, if you wanted to exchange Cardano's token $ADA for GeroWallet's token $GERO-- a user would connect their GeroWallet holding $ADA to the minswap exchange and simply choose the conversion of their choice. DEX's represent ways to exchange assets without losing custody, or giving up one's private keys.
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Staking is the act of depositing tokens in Pools in order to help maintain and secure a blockchain's Proof of Stake mechanism. For doing so, stakers receive part of the fees generated by the network. Staking represents an opportunity to earn passive income and will be a staple method for K&D Treasury funds. Currently, there are three question marks under Staking Pools. The community will vote on which pools K&D will engage with. We will also consider running our own stake pool in the near future.
At center stage are the Knight & Dame Collections and Councils. The represent the various NFT mints that have been launched or will be in the near future. The sale (minting) of the Collections grants a digital piece or art that serves multiple purposes.
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A minted NFT grants access to K&Dao (discussed below), proposal-voting-funding rights, admission to related Councils, secondary marketplace opportunities, and other benefits as voted on by the community. The proceeds (minting) of each Collection will create a Treasury for each Council. The Treasuries will serve to finance the various initiatives voted on by the Councils.
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Warriors & Ladies represent our first mint and finance the K&D project. Minting an NFT grants access to K&Dao and whitelisting opportunities for following mints. They also have proposal and voting rights to help determine the strategic direction of the project.
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Catholic art - both digital and traditional - play an important part in cultural promotion. The Artisans & Scholars collection serves to bring these two crucial elements together and form the Research Council. They will assist in creating an on-boarding avenue for Catholic artists and content creators. These talents will gain access to the various systems and marketplaces created by K&D. This group will also work on the establishment of the Catholic Crypto journal and serve as editors and contributors.
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Nuns & Monks collection serves to establish the spiritual community of the project. The collection supports the exploration of topics such as a Catholic Church DAO, transparency in giving, and partnering with Holy Orders and lay organizations. They are tasked with guiding the project from a moral, spiritual, and ethical perspective.
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The Nobles & Tycoons are responsible for the integration of material businesses with the digital ecosystem, forming the Commerce Council, and creating an overall sustainable economic model. They will provide input to the establishment of a decentralized and censorship immune payment system (3C). Transactions via the payment system, legality, and taxation concerns will be addressed by this group.
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Charity, tithing, and responsible stewardship are the charges of Dukes & Duchesses. This collection creates the Benevolence Council and works closely with the other councils to ensure the project helps those most in need. They will ensure transparency and work toward the development of consistent and sustainable models of giving.
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The Commanders collection represent the Swiss Guard of the Knight & Dame project. As a Catholic organization, we expect attacks. The Commanders collection forms the Preservation Council, and are responsible for project, culture, and defense readiness. This group is for the ever-vigilante — with a focus on security, privacy, and operational continuity.
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The King & Queen collection advises on K&D operations. They are the CEOs and Generals of the project and responsible for the real-world application of the Ecosystem. As senior stakeholders of the project, they form the Commandery Council, determine best practices, personnel and community development programs, ensure continuity amidst change, and build resilient teams.
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Saints epitomize the Catholic values of kindness, humility, honesty, courage and charity. With the successful establishment of the K&D project, much gratitude and many thanks will be in order. The Saints collection serves as a small token of appreciation to those who went above and beyond. Whoever is granted a Saint acquires legendary status among all Knights & Dames!
Moving to the top left, we have K&Dao — the Decentralized Autonomous Organization for the Knight & Dame project. It will serve as a community forum to initiate and vote on various proposals and funding. Logins, rights, and voting are conducted using the various NFTs of the project. K&Dao is where the action and strategic direction of the project takes place. We are currently in the process of determining an ideal platform from which to launch from.
Perspicua Caritas is Latin for Transparent Charity, and will be a fully transparent charitable system viewable on the blockchain. Donors will be able to track their donations for specific actions all the way to completion, with verifiable results. As with other Ecosystem components, the system will utilize K&D’s infrastructure for transparency and censorship resistance. Doing so will generate small fees, which can then be used for more charitable projects.
Knight & Dame will establish a digital asset marketplace with the preliminary name being Catholic Mercatus. It will be the primary exchange market of digital assets for a Catholic Economy using blockchain technologies.
Wallets are connected to the marketplace and allow for purchasing, selling, and trading of assets. This project will help to ensure Catholic’s have an avenue to economic participation. Similar to the transparent charity project, fees will be generated that can then be utilized for further charitable and operational initiatives.
JPG.store is a secondary marketplace on the Cardano blockchain. It is where the K&D NFT’s are housed for those who wish to buy or sell. Royalties are sent to our GeroWallet and are used to maintain and upgrade our various systems.
Lastly, in the bottom center of the map is a list of the projects associated with implementing the overall vision. We'll share more on each as progress is made.
We’ve covered a lot of ground. Thanks to all who took the time to understand a bit more what we are about and hope to accomplish. For those interested in the technical infrastructure behind the scenes, K&D will soon publish documentation and instructions concerning technical services.
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