Subscan Q2/Q3/Q4 2024 Funding Proposal: Basic service fee for the Kusama Relaychain and Kusama public parachain (AssetHub, Coretime, BridgeHub, People)

Due to potential display issues with some charts in markdown format across various devices and platforms, please refer to the detailed information in this Google Document:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FEoAbIrSm6ahkJHcDfpLrRFwxkgmDraUsA6m1nAK_Jo/edit?usp=sharing

Subscan is a comprehensive and widely-used explorer and indexer within the Polkadot / Kusama ecosystem. It provides developers, validators, parachain teams, and general users with critical data insights—enabling efficient on-chain operations, debugging, and decision-making. We have previously received funding from the Kusama Treasury for infrastructure and development costs, ensuring that the platform remains stable, accessible, and continuously evolving.

Past proposals

• #229 Subscan | Infrastructure Costs of Subscan for Kusama & Statemine (from July to December 2022)
• #377 Subscan | Infrastructure Costs of Subscan for Kusama & Asset Hub (Kusama) Networks (from January 2023 to March 2024)
• #434 Subscan | Infrastructure Costs of Subscan for Kusama & Statemine Networks (from April to June 2024)

Overview and Rationale

In earlier funding cycles, we relied on a reimbursement model closely tied to API usage and traffic distribution. This often resulted in cost volatility and estimation inaccuracies. To improve fairness, predictability, and transparency, we have refined our pricing model based on storage usage—an approach that correlates more reliably with total costs and has been successfully tested over the last year.

Encouraging Community Participation
We strongly value community feedback. Stakeholders can suggest new features, raise issues, and influence development priorities via our GitHub Issue Tracker:

• https://github.com/itering/subscan-issue-tracker/issues

In the past, community feedback has led to UI improvements, enhanced token price display mechanisms, and more robust search functionalities. This iterative feedback loop ensures the ongoing alignment of our efforts with the community’s evolving needs.

Scope of This Proposal

Q2/Q3/Q4 Maintenance (5 Networks):

• Relay Chain: Kusama
• Public Parachains: AssetHub, Coretime, BridgeHub, People

These networks benefit from high-quality data indexing, stable uptime, accurate block and transaction data, NFT indexing improvements, and reliable APIs that developers and validators depend on daily.

Cost Optimization and Historical Metrics

Our previous proposal for 5 networks over 3 months totaled approximately USD 41,230.47, averaging USD 13,743.49 per month. Through targeted optimizations—improving indexing algorithms, refining caching strategies, and consolidating infrastructure—our monthly average costs have decreased by about 14.12% for the Q2 , landing at approximately USD 11,803.33 per month.

Benefits to Different User Groups

• Developers: The enhanced APIs and improved indexing accuracy allow developers to more quickly access real-time and historical data, enabling them to build more reliable dApps and automation tools.
• Validators & Parachain Teams: Up-to-date block information, node health monitoring, and clear notification pipelines help validators maintain stable operations and quickly address issues. Parachain teams receive timely insights into network performance, asset transfers, and governance activities, facilitating better decision-making.
• End-Users & Traders: Subscan’s improved UI/UX, faster data retrieval, and more accurate token pricing empower end-users to confidently explore and evaluate chain data. Improved NFT module performance enhances the experience for users and creators alike, making the platform more accessible and engaging.

Service Fee Model & Pricing Methodology

Our maintenance packages are designed to address a variety of data needs, ensuring smooth and efficient operations. Given the complexity of our overall cost structure—which includes expenses for GCP, Cloudflare, Datadog, Onfinality, Dwellir, and Subscan’s team operations—we use storage as the primary metric to determine fees. Storage usage strongly correlates with total costs and fluctuates as new blocks are produced. To maintain fairness and accuracy, we use the median storage value measured on the 15th day of each quarter to establish the quarterly baseline fee.

Pricing Tiers:
a. Basic Plan

• Up to 200 GB: $799/month
• Beyond 200 GB: $5.3/GB
• Automatically upgrades to the next tier after 350 GB

b. Advanced Plan

• Up to 500 GB: $1,699/month
• Beyond 500 GB: $5.2/GB
• Automatically upgrades to the next tier after 750 GB

c. Professional Plan

• Up to 1 TB: $2,999/month
• Beyond 1 TB: $5/GB

Monthly Service Fee Breakdown

Database Storage & Indexing

• What It Covers: Continuous indexing of on-chain data—from blocks and transactions to event logs, governance info, and NFTs—so users can reliably access both real-time and historical records.
• Why It Matters: As chain activity increases, so does data volume. By tying fees to storage needs, we accurately account for the costs of scaling infrastructure (e.g., additional database capacity).

Network Egress Bandwidth

• What It Covers: The outgoing traffic required to serve user requests quickly and consistently, including API calls, UI data retrieval, and integrations with third-party tools.
• Why It Matters: A stable, high-bandwidth connection ensures that explorers, wallets, and dApps receive timely data responses, even during peak activity.

Monitoring & DevOps

• What It Covers: Round-the-clock health checks, internal alert pipelines, CI/CD automation, and system auditing. This includes running multiple nodes, maintaining synchronization, and ensuring high availability.
• Why It Matters: These processes help detect issues early (e.g., node crashes, indexer slowdowns) and streamline updates or deployments, minimizing service disruption for the community.

Node Status Monitoring & Notifications

• What It Covers: Dedicated tools and alert mechanisms to track the real-time status of network nodes—particularly those relating to the Kusama Relay Chain and the associated parachains (Assethub, Coretime, Bridgehub, People).
• Why It Matters: Quick notifications enable parachain teams, validators, and the wider ecosystem to react rapidly to performance changes, forks, or potential security incidents.

Technical Support & Troubleshooting

• What It Covers: Responsive assistance for users, developers, and validators, including issue resolution, feature guidance, and integration help.
• Why It Matters: Timely support keeps the ecosystem running smoothly and fosters a positive development environment—especially crucial for teams building dApps, explorers, and automation tools.

 

Why We Use Storage as a Pricing Metric

• Correlation to Real Costs: Storage growth scales in tandem with block production and transaction activity, making it a more stable metric than raw API traffic.
• Quarterly Baseline: By measuring the median storage on the 15th day of each quarter, we capture a fair snapshot of usage to determine the appropriate fee tier.
• Predictable Billing: This approach reduces wild fluctuations tied to sudden traffic spikes and provides a more transparent cost basis for the community and treasury.

 

Beyond Storage: The Full Cost Landscape

Our pricing also factors in overhead for hosting and operational services such as GCP, Cloudflare, Datadog, Onfinality, Dwellir, plus Subscan’s own team efforts in maintenance, development, and user support. By pegging fees to storage usage, we ensure a straightforward, usage-based cost structure while continuing to deliver reliable, feature-rich explorer services to the Kusama ecosystem.

 

Fee Details

Q2/Q3/Q4 Maintenance Fees

• Total Maintenance Fees for Q2\&Q3\&Q4 (5 networks): USD 133,945

Network	Actual Usage/GB	Date	Package	Fees/Month	Billing Period	Fees
Kusama	2406.62	15/05/2024	Professional	9912	Q2: 01/04/2024-30/06/2024	29,736
Kusama	2942.2	15/08/2024	Professional	12590	Q3: 01/07/2024-30/09/2024	37,770
Kusama	3120.73	15/11/2024	Professional	13483	Q4: 01/10/2024-31/12/2024	40,448
AssetHub-Kusama	205.08	15/05/2024	Basic+	826	Q2: 01/04/2024-30/06/2024	2,478
AssetHub-Kusama	250.41	15/08/2024	Basic+	1066	Q3: 01/07/2024-30/09/2024	3,199
AssetHub-Kusama	271.55	15/11/2024	Basic+	1178	Q4: 01/10/2024-31/12/2024	3,535
Coretime-Kusama	10.75	01/06/2024	Basic	799	Q2: 01/05/2024-30/6/2024	1,598
Coretime-Kusama	28.94	15/08/2024	Basic	799	Q3: 01/07/2024-30/09/2024	2,397
Coretime-Kusama	46.35	15/11/2024	Basic	799	Q4: 01/10/2024-31/12/2024	2,397
BridgeHub-Kusama	108.36	01/06/2024	Basic	799	Q2: 01/05/2024-30/06/2024	1,598
BridgeHub-Kusama	121.9	15/08/2024	Basic	799	Q3: 01/07/2024-30/09/2024	2,397
BridgeHub-Kusama	141.82	15/11/2024	Basic	799	Q4: 01/10/2024-31/12/2024	2,397
People-Kusama	15.26	01/09/2024	Basic	799	Q3: 01/08/2024-30/09/2024	1,598
People-Kusama	28.12	15/11/2024	Basic	799	Q4: 01/10/2024-31/12/2024	2,397

Advertising Revenue & Offset

From August 6 to December 18, 2024, we tested advertising as a revenue source, generating USD 636.23. We will deduct this from our total requested amount to reduce the Treasury’s burden.

Ads remain optional and user-controlled, and based on community feedback, we may refine or discontinue this approach. Users who opt-in may receive future benefits or premium features.

Risk Assessment & Mitigation

• Rising Storage Costs: We employ automated data cleaning and indexing optimizations to prevent runaway growth.
• Security & Reliability: Regular audits, real-time monitoring, and DevOps best practices minimize downtime and security threats. We remain responsive to any chain or protocol updates, ensuring compatibility and smooth operation.

Long-Term Sustainability & Vision
Our long-term goal is to reduce reliance on treasury funding through multiple channels:

• Continuous optimization to limit infrastructure costs as chain data grows.
• Exploring responsible revenue streams (e.g., optional premium features or partnerships).
• Actively incorporating community suggestions to ensure value delivery aligns with user needs, increasing platform utility and potential monetization avenues without compromising openness or neutrality.

Total Requested Amount

• Q2 \&Q3\&Q4 Operations: USD 133,945
• Subtract Advertising Revenue: -USD 636.23
• Total: USD 133,308.77

We are requesting to make this payment using KSM EMA7 Price：

• 2024-12-30 03:00:00 (+UTC), Block #26425129
• KSM EMA7 Price ( USD ): 34.298126
• Number of KSM: 3886.765416

 

Conclusion
This proposal reflects our commitment to delivering stable, high-quality infrastructure and valuable features to the Kusama ecosystem. Through cost optimization, transparent reporting, continuous improvement, and a clear roadmap for future development, we strive to maintain the community’s trust and support. Our approach balances technical rigor, community engagement, and long-term sustainability—ensuring Subscan remains a cornerstone for the Kusama ecosystem’s data needs.

A heartfelt thank-you to every one of our community members for the time, patience, and continuous feedback you’ve given. With your support, we can keep improving and make our community an even better place—together!