Small Grant: DecaNotes - Private decentralized notes

Grants Proposed
1

Introduction

Project Name: DecaNotes

Name of the organization or individual submitting the proposal: Nikita Orlov [ZrowDev]
Describe your project:
DecaNotes is a minimalist, privacy-focused mobile application for creating, updating, deleting, and syncing Markdown notes across devices, using the Sia network for decentralized storage via renterd. Built with React Native, the MVP includes:

  • Basic authentication: A Go-based server with a hardcoded login/password for a single user.
  • Note management: Creation, updating, and deletion of Markdown notes, with a custom or existing Markdown UI editor and renderer.
  • Client-side encryption: Notes are encrypted locally using the user’s password before storage.
  • Synchronization: Cross-device note syncing via the Go server, which integrates renterd.
  • Optimized storage: Efficient architecture for renterd to optimize note read/write/delete operations.
  • Server choice: Users can select a default server or run a self-hosted Go server.

Future iterations will incorporate the best features from Obsidian and Notion (e.g., workspaces, folders, rich text editing, reminders) in a minimalist approach, targeting a broad audience to make decentralized note-taking accessible and user-friendly.

How does the projected outcome serve the Foundation’s mission of user-owned data?
DecaNotes aligns with Sia’s mission by ensuring users retain full control over their notes through client-side encryption and decentralized storage in Sia. Unlike centralized platforms like Notion, notes are stored on the Sia network, preventing third-party access or censorship. Users manage their encryption keys (derived from passwords), ensuring privacy. The self-hosted server option enhances user sovereignty. The app’s minimalist design attracts a broad, non-technical audience, expanding Sia’s user base, while note storage and syncing create consistent network load. Future sharing via public nodes will leverage Sia’s infrastructure for collaborative, user-controlled data ecosystems.

Are you a resident of any jurisdiction on the FATF/OFAC list? No
Will your payment bank account be located in any jurisdiction on that list? No

Grant Specifics

Amount of money requested and justification with a reasonable breakdown of expenses:
Total: $9,000

  • Development (React Native app, Go server, renterd integration): $6,250 (core development of MVP, including Markdown editor/renderer, client-side encryption, optimized renterd storage, leveraging existing experience with renterd and Go).
  • UI/UX Design: $1,000 (minimalist interface for note management and server selection).
  • Testing and Deployment: $1,250 (cross-platform testing on iOS/Android, App Store/Play Store submission fees [$25 for Google Play, $99/year for Apple Developer Program]).
  • Documentation and Initial Marketing: $500 (user guides, open-source repo setup, self-hosting instructions).

The budget is optimized for a functional MVP, with all critical features (Markdown editor, note CRUD, syncing, authentication, server selection) achievable within $9,000.

What are the goals of this small grant? Please provide a general timeline for completion:

  • Goal: Deliver DecaNotes MVP, a cross-platform mobile app for creating, updating, deleting, and syncing Markdown notes in Sia via a Go-based server with renterd integration, basic single-user authentication, client-side encryption, optimized storage architecture, and server selection (default or self-hosted).
  • Timeline:
    • Weeks 1–2: Set up React Native project, implement Markdown UI editor/renderer, develop Go server with renterd integration and basic authentication (hardcoded login/password).
    • Weeks 3–4: Implement client-side encryption (using password), note CRUD operations, and cross-device syncing with optimized renterd storage architecture.
    • Weeks 5–6: Add server selection UI, test app and server, publish to iOS/Android stores, open-source code, and release self-hosting guide.
  • Future Vision: Incorporate the best features from Obsidian and Notion (workspaces, folders, rich text, reminders) in a minimalist approach for a broad audience, add user registration, payment systems, and note-sharing via public nodes, enhancing collaboration and competing with centralized note-taking apps.

Potential risks that will affect the outcome of the project:

  • Budget Risk: Limited budget may constrain minor UI polish or extensive testing (mitigated by focusing on core MVP functionality: Markdown editor, note CRUD, syncing, authentication, server selection).
  • Technical Risks: Minimal due to prior experience with renterd and Go, and straightforward MVP scope with existing Markdown libraries.
  • User Adoption: Slow initial adoption by non-technical users (mitigated by simple, minimalist UI and planned tutorials).

Development Information

Will all of your project’s code be open-source?
Yes, all code (React Native app, Go server) will be open-source under the MIT license to align with Sia’s community-driven ethos, including documentation for self-hosting.

Do you agree to submit monthly progress reports?
Yes, monthly progress reports will be submitted to the Sia Forum.

Contact Info

Email: [email protected]
Any other preferred contact methods: discord: stringnick6408

2

What would be the benefit of using this as opposed to something like obsidian + remotely-save (to a sia s3 node)?

3

Its more user While Obsidian is a powerful tool, the main advantage of DecaNotes is offering a seamless, privacy-focused, mobile-first experience without relying on plugins or complex setups.

Using Obsidian with remotely-save is either not feasible or extremely limited on mobile. Obsidian mobile does not support custom plugins like remotely-save.

DecaNotes is designed from the ground up for mobile, with built-in client-side encryption, renterd integration, and syncing — no manual configuration needed. The goal is to make decentralized note-taking accessible to non-technical users by removing the friction of setup, especially on mobile platforms where Obsidian’s plugin ecosystem doesn’t apply.

In the future, I plan to build a flexible foundation for features like workspaces, reminders, and eventually plugins — but starting with a clean, reliable core that works out-of-the-box on both Android and iOS. A desktop app (via React Native or a dedicated frontend) is also being considered for full cross-platform support.

4

Obsidian for mobile is a great experience and remote save explicitly says on the readme that encryption and mobile are supported out of the box.

The same amount of configuration would have to be done for this app as obsidian with sia s3. For both all you have to do is specify the endpoint you wanna back up to.

Also I’m not necessarily saying this shouldn’t be funded, I just think it’s important to know what already exists on the market and what makes your project special.

5

My devils advocate POV is that apps like these will benefit from things like IPFS/S5 (and when S5 is stable), or the indexd thing the foundation is working on.

I think developing this app in abstract is fine, but it should be done with a storage abstraction and awareness that renterd will probably not be the best onboarding method for users, which would effectively make this a prototype/hackaton type app in the end without much adoption unless it got a second grant to update it to support ecosystem changes. There have been many grants that went to a grave yard already and given the events that are in motion, how it stores to Sia should be well thought so it can get users by EOY ideally?

In short, the idea may be good, but the means to pipe the data into Sia means that needs to be taken into consideration, or consider the request bad timing and wait a few months to use rails on Sia that will be easier for the user.

Kudos.

6

You’re absolutely right that it’s important to assess what’s already available — and I appreciate that you’re not opposing the idea itself but aiming for clarity on what makes this project unique.

That said, similar reasoning could be applied to many grants. Technically, you could piece together many workflows using existing tools and Sia as a backend — but the real difference lies in native integration, UX simplicity, and architectural direction.

DecaNotes is fully open-source, privacy-first, and avoids plugin dependencies for core features like syncing, encryption, and storage. These are not optional add-ons — they’re built into the foundation of the app. In contrast, Obsidian:

  • Relies on plugins for alternative backends like remotely-save
  • Is not open-source
  • And even though it supports mobile, mobile plugin use is limited or unavailable, especially for syncing via custom S3 backends like Sia

More importantly, DecaNotes is fully decentralized:

  • All note data is encrypted client-side using a password-derived key
  • Notes are stored on Sia via renterd, not any centralized cloud
  • There’s no proprietary sync service, no vendor lock-in, and no metadata leakage

The project also introduces a small server wrapper that allows multi-user support over a single renterd node, enabling shared hosting setups or managed backends. This offers flexibility: power users can self-host, while less technical users can use a hosted option with the assurance of open-source transparency.

So while the feature list may overlap with existing tools in some areas, the architecture, user experience, and philosophy behind DecaNotes are fundamentally different. It’s about giving users a zero-setup, mobile-first experience that’s secure, decentralized, and verifiable from day one — not an ecosystem of plugins layered over a closed-source app.

7

Hey!
Yep, I definitely remember our previous conversation — and I agree with you on the bigger picture.

There’s a clear plan for a second phase, where I’d offer a hosted backend built on top of the same multi-user abstraction layer I’m already building for the MVP. This backend acts as a lightweight proxy to renterd, allowing multiple users to share a single node securely.

Once that’s in place, I’d simply deploy it publicly and integrate in-app payments (via App Store / Play Store) — so users who don’t want to self-host can just tap “Subscribe” and everything works out of the box, without sacrificing privacy or UX.
Behind the scenes, it’s still using Sia, encryption, and renterd — but the onboarding is one tap, no setup required.

That said, the majority of the work in this grant is focused on building the product itself: the app, syncing logic, client-side encryption, and a great cross-platform UI. The renterd integration is already partly abstracted and won’t block future upgrades to S5 or other storage backends.

So I see this grant as delivering something practical and usable now, with a clear path toward improved infrastructure later — and a flexible architecture that will grow with the ecosystem.

Appreciate you keeping the long-term view in mind — definitely aligned with where Sia is heading.

8

Hey, Just wanted to drop a quick follow-up after chatting with pcfreak on Discord (big thanks for the tips on tools, grants, and Sia tech!). It got me thinking about how renterd might seem like it’s not fully equipped for the bigger plans I have down the road for DecaNotes, like distributed access, workspaces, or note-sharing, kinda like Obsidian or Notion. Pcfreak mentioned checking out OrbitDB, Helia, waiting for a more stable S5, or maybe Sia’s indexd for those features. These could save a ton of time instead of building custom stuff on top of renterd for specific needs.

That said, for this first grant phase, I’m keeping it simple. The MVP is all about a clean, user-friendly mobile app with Markdown note creation, encryption, syncing, and server choice (default or self-hosted) using renterd and a Go server. It’s designed to be super easy for anyone, even non-techy folks, to jump in and start using Sia’s network, boosting its usage.

For future phases, I’ll definitely look into OrbitDB, Helia, S5, or indexd to level up features like workspaces or sharing via public nodes. I’ll outline those ideas in later proposals if there’s interest. But for now, it’s all about minimalism, ease of use, and getting more people on board with Sia.

Let me know if you have any questions or want to dive deeper!

9

I think I agree with Derick here. Building this on S5 is probably a better choice then directly on renterd. It also already has filesystem capabilities already baked in right now (if you run on a prerelease v1 branch) which would save you the work of having to do that yourself.

That said, I’m all for more high quality markdown editors! Just wanna make sure this is going in a maintainable direction.

10

Yes, agree, that is why i will integrate as they will be mature, i dont wanna over engineer or waste time on tools, that already implemented. User-System and system folders already implemented, but its small part of code, without deep and complex RBAC system, i want focus more on product and core functionality.

11

@StringNick Thanks for your proposal to The Sia Foundation Grants Program.

The committee is ready to approve your proposal but has a couple of questions first.

  • We typically don’t approve marketing expenses. While you list Marketing under your budget, the itemized list doesn’t really appear to actually be marketing but rather documentation and setup resources. Is this what you were referring to as marketing expenses, or are there other non-listed items that would qualify as marketing?
  • Can you please elaborate on why testing comes to $1,250? Your listed items sum to $124, so some info on where the extra $1,000 is allocated would be helpful.

Let us know and we’ll get back to you with a final decision!

12

Hey, @steve glad to hear it.
Thank you for the clarification — yes, you’re absolutely right. The “marketing” line in the budget refers solely to documentation-related efforts: preparing user guides, setting up the open-source GitHub repository, and writing instructions for self-hosting the backend. There are no other marketing-related expenses planned (e.g., paid ads, outreach, PR, etc.). I can adjust the label to “Documentation and Open-Source Setup” if that’s clearer.
Yeah, those are approximate costs — the $1,250 includes store fees ($124) plus time for manual testing on different devices, fixing edge cases (like syncing/encryption bugs), and getting the app store-ready. In reality, the work might go a bit over budget based on my estimates, but if any hours free up from other parts (like testing, docs, or design), I’ll put them toward core development anyway.
And i have miss match in total budget, i fixed it.