Talent Fund: A Decentralized Skill-Based Financing Platform

Project Overview

Talent Fund is a decentralized finance (DeFi) platform designed to help students secure funding for education and skill development. Instead of relying on traditional loans, students receive funding by completing skill-based freelance tasks assigned by investors. The platform ensures transparent loan approvals, milestone-based repayments, and on-chain reputation tracking using NFTs.

Key Features

1. Decentralized Loan Requests – Students create funding requests with details about their skills, required amount, and work type.

2. Investor-Driven Approvals – Investors review requests and approve funding based on proposed work tasks.

3. Smart Contract-Based Agreements – Funds are locked in escrow and released based on milestone completions.

4. Reputation NFTs – Students earn and upgrade NFTs that represent their reliability and work history.

5. On-Chain Transparency – All transactions and agreements are recorded on the blockchain.

6. Investor Exit Options – EduTokens provide liquidity and staking opportunities for investors.

Tech Stack

• Blockchain: Solidity (EVM-compatible), EduChain (Open Campus Codex L3)

• Storage: IPFS (Pinata) for metadata & reputation tracking

• Frontend: React.js, Next.js, Tailwind CSS, Framer Motion

• Web3 Interaction: ethers.js, MetaMask, WalletConnect

• Backend & Indexing: Node.js, TheGraph

Smart Contract Architecture

1. UserRegistry.sol (User Management)

• Manages user roles (Student, Investor, Admin).

• Ensures only verified users can interact with the platform.

2. LoanApproval.sol (Loan & Task Management)

• Allows students to create loan requests.

• Investors approve requests by locking funds and assigning tasks.

• Handles investor selection and fund refunds if tasks are not selected.

3. SmartWorkContract.sol (Escrow & Milestone Verification)

• Manages escrowed funds.

• Releases payments upon milestone verification.

• Ensures compliance with work agreements.

4. ReputationNFT.sol (On-Chain Reputation Tracking)

• Issues NFTs to students upon loan approval.

• Upgrades NFTs as students complete more verified tasks.

• Stores NFT metadata on IPFS.

Workflow

1. Student Registration – A student registers on the platform via UserRegistry.

2. Loan Request Creation – The student creates a loan request using LoanApproval.sol, specifying skills and required funding.

3. Investor Approval & Fund Locking – Investors approve requests by locking funds and assigning skill-based tasks.

4. Investor Selection – The best offer is selected via SmartWorkContract.sol, and other investors get refunds.

5. Work Execution & Payment Release – The student completes assigned work, and payments are released via smart contracts.

6. Reputation NFT Upgrade – Upon successful task completion, the student’s ReputationNFT is upgraded.

Future Enhancements

• AI-Based Exam Proctoring & Loan Risk Assessment.

• Liquidity Options for Investors.

• Open Campus ID (OCID) Integration for Secure Authentication.

Conclusion

Talent Fund offers an innovative way for students to access funding while proving their skills in real-world tasks. By integrating blockchain and smart contracts, it ensures trust, transparency, and efficiency in education financing.