Performance-Linked Asset Finance Reference Stack for Canton
Author: Richard Brown
Status: Submitted
Created: 2026-04-09
Objective and Scope
This proposal requests Canton Development Fund support to build a reusable reference stack for performance-linked asset finance on Canton, where trusted machine-originated operational data can drive financing, servicing, and settlement workflows.
The project combines three elements:
- Integritas (built by Minima AG) as the proof and provenance layer for machine-originated operational data
- Tenzro as the Canton implementation partner for workflow and smart-contract development
- Canton’s privacy-preserving coordination and settlement environment
The purpose of the proposal is not to fund proprietary Integritas product development. The purpose is to create shared Canton ecosystem value through a reusable reference architecture, proof-ingestion pattern, workflow design, and demonstration implementation that other Canton ecosystem participants can learn from and adapt.
The initial use case is industrial and mobility asset finance, beginning with electric commercial fleets and adjacent physical asset financing scenarios. In these environments, verified data such as utilization, uptime, maintenance compliance, and other operational events can improve risk assessment, covenant monitoring, servicing, and payment or settlement logic.
The same reference pattern can also support a broader class of machine-mediated financial workflows, where verified machine activity or autonomous system actions trigger financing, servicing, settlement, or other contractual events.
This proposal is intended to contribute to the Canton ecosystem as:
- a reference implementation
- infrastructure that can be reused by multiple participants
- a commercially meaningful adoption wedge for Canton in real-world institutional finance
Technical Approach
The technical approach is to create an end-to-end reference workflow in which verified machine data is used as an input into Canton-based financing logic.
Workflow Overview
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A financed physical asset generates operational data at source. This may include:
- uptime
- utilization
- maintenance adherence
- output or throughput
- energy efficiency
- other machine-originated performance indicators
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Integritas captures this data and generates a verifiable proof package, including hashing, timestamping, and provenance metadata.
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Minima is used as the edge-native blockchain layer to anchor and independently verify those proofs.
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A Canton-side ingestion and attestation adapter consumes verified events and maps them into a financing workflow context.
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Canton smart-contract or workflow logic uses those verified events to trigger or inform actions such as:
- pricing-band adjustments
- covenant checks
- payment-release conditions
- servicing escalations
- settlement logic
- risk-tier changes
-
Canton then coordinates the financing workflow and associated settlement actions in a privacy-preserving and institutionally suitable manner.
Grant-Funded Technical Outputs
The proposed shared outputs are:
- a public reference architecture for proof-to-finance workflows on Canton
- a proof-ingestion and attestation pattern for Canton applications consuming verified external machine data
- a reference workflow for performance-linked asset finance
- a working Canton-side implementation for the demonstration flow
- public documentation and implementation guidance for reuse by other ecosystem participants
What Is Not in Scope
The following are not the subject of the grant request:
- funding for general proprietary Integritas product development
- funding for private enterprise deployments unrelated to shared Canton ecosystem value
- funding for purely internal Minima commercial work
Integritas remains closed source. The ecosystem value being requested for funding is the reusable Canton-side pattern, workflow design, reference implementation, and implementation guidance.
Architectural Alignment
This proposal is aligned with the Development Fund’s stated focus on reference implementations, critical ecosystem infrastructure, shared utility, and work that benefits multiple Canton participants.
The project is architecturally aligned with Canton because it uses Canton for what it is well suited to support:
- multi-party coordination
- privacy-preserving workflow execution
- institutionally oriented financial logic
- settlement processes linked to verifiable state transitions
- composable financial infrastructure
This proposal also expands Canton’s practical application footprint into a new category of real-world financial workflows:
- performance-linked asset finance
- machine-triggered servicing and settlement
- operationally informed asset underwriting and monitoring
- financing logic tied to trusted external data
- future machine-mediated and agent-coordinated financial workflows driven by trusted external activity
Beyond the initial industrial asset-finance use case, this reference pattern is relevant to an emerging class of workflows in which verified machine behavior and autonomous system activity can drive financial actions. As industrial systems become more software-defined and increasingly coordinated by autonomous agents, the ability to connect trusted operational truth to private, institutionally suitable financial workflows becomes more strategically important. This gives Canton a pathway into machine-mediated financial infrastructure, not just static asset-finance processes.
Rather than positioning Canton as a generic integration target for a proprietary product, this proposal treats Canton as the financial workflow and settlement layer in a reusable reference architecture that can be extended to multiple asset-finance and real-world financing use cases.
Milestones and Deliverables
Milestone 1: Reference Architecture and Requirements Definition
Objective
Define the reference architecture, workflow boundaries, data model, and financing logic requirements.
Deliverables
- reference architecture document
- event taxonomy for machine-originated financing triggers
- proof-ingestion and attestation model
- electric fleet / physical asset finance workflow definition
- system interaction and trust-boundary map
Expected Outcome
A reviewable design package that clearly shows how verified machine events can be consumed by Canton-based financing logic.
Milestone 2: Canton-Side Integration and Workflow Implementation
Objective
Build the Canton-side workflow and contract logic needed to consume verified machine events and translate them into financing-state changes.
Deliverables
- working Canton-side workflow implementation
- smart-contract or workflow logic for defined financing actions
- proof-ingestion adapter or interface layer
- test environment with simulated verified events
Expected Outcome
A functioning workflow in which verified external events can alter financing-state logic within a controlled Canton implementation.
Milestone 3: End-to-End Demonstration Use Case
Objective
Deliver an end-to-end demonstration based on electric commercial fleets or a comparable physical asset-finance scenario.
Deliverables
- end-to-end demonstration environment
- sample asset-finance scenarios
- simulated operational events and resulting financing actions
- demonstration script and walkthrough materials
Expected Outcome
A clear, demonstrable proof point showing that trusted machine-originated data can drive financing and settlement consequences on Canton.
Milestone 4: Documentation and Ecosystem Reuse Pack
Objective
Make the work reusable by other Canton ecosystem builders and stakeholders.
Deliverables
- implementation guide
- architectural walkthrough documentation
- extension notes for adjacent use cases
- assumptions, limitations, and adaptation guidance
- public explainer materials for ecosystem review
Expected Outcome
A reusable ecosystem-facing package rather than a one-off private build.
Milestone 5: Adoption Validation and Next-Phase Roadmap
Objective
Validate external relevance and produce a practical roadmap for broader Canton ecosystem adoption.
Deliverables
- at least one ecosystem or design-partner validation engagement
- structured feedback summary
- roadmap for extension into adjacent industrial-finance and physical-asset use cases
- maintenance and next-step recommendations
Expected Outcome
Evidence that the work has ecosystem relevance beyond the initial demonstration and can support broader Canton adoption.
Acceptance Criteria
Milestone 1 Acceptance Criteria
- architecture document completed and shared for review
- event and attestation model clearly documented
- workflow definition completed for initial use case
- trust boundaries and system interactions explicitly mapped
Milestone 2 Acceptance Criteria
- verified test events can be ingested into the Canton-side workflow
- financing-state transitions occur correctly based on defined logic
- workflow implementation is demonstrable in a reviewable environment
Milestone 3 Acceptance Criteria
- end-to-end demonstration successfully shows machine event to financing consequence flow
- use case is documented clearly enough for reviewers to assess practical value
- demonstration materials are complete and review-ready
Milestone 4 Acceptance Criteria
- implementation guide published
- reusable architecture and adaptation guidance published
- public-facing ecosystem materials prepared for review and reuse
Milestone 5 Acceptance Criteria
- at least one external validation discussion or review completed
- feedback documented
- roadmap for broader adoption and maintenance completed
Funding Request and Milestone Breakdown
Funding is requested on a milestone basis in Canton Coin (CC), in line with Development Fund process.
Proposed Funding Structure
- Milestone 1: Architecture, requirements, and design package — 340k CC
- Milestone 2: Canton-side implementation and workflow build — 340k CC
- Milestone 3: End-to-end demonstration use case — 340k CC
- Milestone 4: Documentation and ecosystem reuse pack — 340k CC
- Milestone 5: Adoption validation and next-phase roadmap — 340k CC
Total Requested Funding: 1.7m CC
If the project duration exceeds six months, the team is open to re-evaluation of milestone values in line with Development Fund guidance on price volatility and longer-duration projects.
Team and Delivery
Minima / Integritas
Minima will lead the project, define workflow requirements, provide the proof and provenance architecture, and manage overall delivery. Integritas will be the initial proof-layer implementation used in the reference flow.
Tenzro
Tenzro will act as Canton implementation partner and Minima subcontractor for Canton-side workflow and smart-contract development.
Champion Requirement
As an external proposal, the team understands that support from a Tech & Ops Committee champion is required and will work to secure appropriate sponsorship as part of the submission and review process.
Why This Proposal Matters
Many proposals naturally focus on technical tooling. This proposal is designed to contribute not only technical value but also a meaningful business proposition for the Canton ecosystem.
It introduces a commercially relevant category of Canton-enabled workflow:
- financing and settlement informed by trusted real-world machine data
This matters because it can help attract:
- lenders and lessors
- industrial finance stakeholders
- OEM finance organizations
- mobility and equipment-finance participants
- ecosystem builders looking for real-world asset-finance use cases
It also creates a pathway for a broader class of machine-mediated financial workflows, where verified machine activity and autonomous system behavior can coordinate and trigger financial actions within institutionally suitable Canton-based environments.
