Update 2026-04-Obsidian-DAML Training - Scope Rationale and Proposal …

Development Fund Proposal

Field	Details
Author	ryanwishnow-obsidian
Organization	Obsidian Systems
RFP	N/A
Champion	N/A
Total Funding Request	5,290,000 CC
Project Duration	34 weeks
Status	Approved
PR	#32
Created	2026-02-27
Approved	2026-03-23

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Why this is a rebuild, not a content update

The APIs, libraries, and tooling taught by the existing training have been removed in Daml 3: JSON API v1 is gone; @daml/ledger and @daml/react no longer exist; the daml CLI has been replaced by dpm. On top of that, Daml 3 introduces entirely new capabilities (Smart Contract Upgrades, Participant Query Store, multi-synchronizer architecture) with no coverage anywhere in the existing library. Even content such as the Daml philosophy module, the conceptual foundation upon which every other module builds, was written for a pre-mainnet architecture that no longer reflects how Canton actually works.

Attempting to update the existing content would mean replacing every code example, rewriting every tutorial, and rebuilding every exercise repository, while adding new modules for capabilities that have never been taught. A genuine update, editing what exists without rebuilding, would not produce developers ready to build on Canton.

Obsidian will reuse content wherever possible, however, most if not all will need to be recreated.

Why this matters

The Canton Network's growth depends on developers being able to learn Daml 3 effectively. This program delivers a complete, role-based, institutional-grade curriculum across four developer tracks, from onboarding through certification.

Why Obsidian Systems

Obsidian is the best-positioned firm in the world to define what an institutional Daml developer needs because we have led the most complex, highest-risk Canton deployments in production. Ryan Trinkle sits on the Canton Foundation board. Obsidian holds active seats on five Canton Network governance committees. We have direct, hands-on experience with the Daml 2→3 transition at institutional scale.

Why the proposal changed

First, the original proposal used a CC valuation of $0.10, below market rate at the time of submission. This revision prices CC at $0.14, a conservative rate slightly below current market to reduce exposure to price volatility over the 34-week program.

Second, we reviewed the scope and made a genuine reduction. Phase 4 video production was trimmed from 37 to 22 videos, deferring Path C and lower-priority Path B to a future add-on. This reduces total hours from 5,298 to 4,232 - a 20% reduction in scope and cost.

The result: $740,600 USD (5,290,000 CC), versus $927,150 USD (9,271,000 CC) in the original. The full written training program - all modules, exercises, and certifications - is intact.