Grant Application: CoW Playground Offline Development Mode

This is a reduced version, full version available in the forum: https://forum.cow.fi/t/grant-application-cow-playground-offline-development-mode/3262

Team: @bleu @yvesfracari @ribeirojose @mendesfabio @lgahdl

About Us: bleu is a web3 technology and UX partner. Our CoW work includes: Python SDK, Framework Agnostic SDK, Hook dApps (cow-shed module), and Solver Infrastructure improvements.

Simple Summary

Self-contained offline development mode for CoW Protocol backend engineers, eliminating blockchain forks and archive node dependencies. Enables testing autopilot/driver changes with realistic DEX liquidity without external dependencies.

Problem & Solution

Current barriers:

• High infrastructure costs (archive node access ~$500-1000/month)
• Network dependency and latency
• Difficult scenario reproduction
• Complex setup for new developers

Benefits:

• Lower entry barriers for backend engineers
• Deterministic, reproducible testing
• Cost reduction (eliminate archive node costs)
• Faster development cycles with instant state

Milestones & Funding

Milestone	Duration	Payment
M1 — Proof of Concept	COMPLETED	1,800 xDAI
M2 — Core Infrastructure & Periphery	4 weeks	12,000 xDAI
M3 — Frontend & Documentation	1 week	3,000 xDAI
Maintenance	1 year	16,800 COW

Total: 16,800 xDAI + 16,800 COW vesting | Duration: 5 weeks

Key Deliverables

M1 - Completed PoC:

• Local Anvil blockchain with core contracts
• Basic tokens (WETH, USDC, DAI) and Uniswap V2
• Auto-generated configs (driver.toml, baseline.toml)
• State persistence (dump/load)
• Successful end-to-end order settlement

M2 - Core Infrastructure (4 weeks):

• Additional tokens (USDT, GNO)
• Comprehensive Uniswap V2 pairs with realistic liquidity
• Periphery contracts: CoWHooksTrampoline, CoWShed, ComposableCoW, ERC1271Forwarder
• Watch Tower for conditional orders
• CoinGecko API mock for offline prices
• Complete backend testing capabilities

M3 - Frontend & Documentation (1 week):

• CoW Swap UI adapted for local chain (chain ID 31337) and tokens deployed offline
• Setup guides and configuration reference
• Testing scenarios and Forge script examples
• Architecture overview and troubleshooting

Technical Approach

Architecture:

• Anvil local blockchain (no forking)
• Foundry deployment scripts with CREATE2
• Docker Compose orchestration
• JSON-based state management
• One-command startup: docker-compose -f docker-compose.offline.yml up

Smart Contracts:

• Core: GPv2Settlement, VaultRelayer, AllowListAuth, Balances
• Periphery: CoWHooksTrampoline, CoWShed, ComposableCoW, ERC1271Forwarder
• DEX: Uniswap V2 (full coverage), minimal Balancer V2 Vault mock
• Tokens: WETH, USDC, DAI, USDT, GNO with realistic liquidity

Services:

• Autopilot, Driver, Orderbook API, Baseline Solver, Watch Tower
• CoinGecko API mock for offline operation

Why This Matters

For Backend Engineers:

• Test autopilot/driver changes instantly
• No infrastructure setup required
• Reproducible test scenarios
• Fast iteration cycles

For Solver Developers:

• Realistic liquidity for strategy testing
• Compatible with existing solvers (no code changes)
• Quick environment reset for testing

For the Ecosystem:

• Lower onboarding friction
• Reduced development costs
• Faster innovation cycles
• Open-source community benefit

Evaluation Against RFP Criteria

Technical Approach: Anvil + Foundry + Docker-compose = fast, deterministic

Resource Efficiency: Minimal footprint (~MB storage), fast startup (seconds), no archive node costs

Ease of Use: One-command startup, works alongside fork mode, pre-configured, simple state reset

Solver Compatibility: No code changes needed, realistic liquidity, standard interfaces

DEX Configuration: Uniswap V2 pairs full-cover, realistic mainnet-based liquidity, sufficient depth

Maintenance: 1-year COW vesting (16,800 COW) for updates, bug fixes, community support

Documentation: Backend-focused guides, architecture overview, Forge examples, troubleshooting

Cost & Timeline: 16,800 xDAI over 5 weeks, PoC de-risks delivery, transparent breakdown

Alignment with Grants DAO Values

• Open Source: All code in CoW Protocol repositories from day 0
• Clear Milestones: 3 focused phases with verifiable deliverables
• Price Transparency: Phase-by-phase breakdown aligned with scope
• Sustainability: 1-year maintenance through COW vesting
• Simplicity: Focused on core needs, no over-engineering
• Documentation: Enables immediate productivity
• Responsiveness: Revised scope based on DAO feedback

Budget Breakdown

M1 - PoC (COMPLETED): 1,800 xDAI

• Core contracts, basic tokens, Uniswap V2, state persistence, end-to-end test

M2 - Core Infrastructure: 12,000 xDAI (4 weeks)

• Additional tokens and pairs, periphery contracts (hooks, CoWShed, ComposableCoW)
• Watch Tower, CoinGecko mock, complete backend testing

M3 - Frontend & Documentation: 3,000 xDAI (1 week)

• Configuring Frontend to work with offline mode, documentation, testing examples

Maintenance: 16,800 COW (1-year vesting)

• Bug fixes, security updates, documentation updates, community support

Total CAP: 16,800 xDAI + 16,800 COW

Payment Information

Gnosis Chain Address: 0x554866e3654E8485928334e7F91B5AfC37D18e04

Payment Schedule: Upon approval of each milestone

Terms

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