# EchoForge

> EchoForge is a trust infrastructure company building sovereign identity, verifiable credentials, and governance tooling for the Cardano blockchain ecosystem.

## Products

### EchoFamily

- [EchoCert](https://echocert.echoforgellc.tech): On-chain certificate issuance. Mint verifiable NFT certificates anchored on Cardano for courses, achievements, and institutional recognition. PlutusV3 smart contract, 5 ADA per certificate.
- [EchoID](https://echoid.echoforgellc.tech): Decentralized identity protocol. Individuals and organizations establish sovereign, verifiable digital identities on Cardano. Five-tier system from Shadow to Infinity (individuals) and Startup to Nexus (institutions).
- [EchoDash](https://echodash.echoforgellc.tech): Identity and credential dashboard. Connect a Cardano wallet to view your EchoID profile, tier progression, issued certificates, and organizational memberships in real time.
- [EchoUploader](https://uploader.echoforgellc.tech): ANCHOR-first on-chain file anchoring. Compute file hashes locally in your browser and anchor them directly on Cardano. Supports individual (Per) and organizational (Org) modes, with anchoring operations contributing +1 EUP for EchoID tier progression.
- EchoVote (planned): On-chain governance. Sybil-resistant voting weighted by EchoID tier and organizational membership.

### ForgeCard

- ForgeCard V0 (in development): Hardware NFC card reader demo device. Tap a Cardano NFC card to display your ForgeCard — Tier, ADA payment, and identity — on screen in under 3 seconds. Bridges EchoForge's digital identity layer into physical space.

## Website

- [EchoForge Home](https://echoforge.echoforgellc.tech)
- [Blog / Engineering Articles](https://echoforge.echoforgellc.tech/blog)
- [Credits](https://echoforge.echoforgellc.tech/credits)

## About EchoForge

EchoForge is a trust infrastructure startup on Cardano, founded by Charles Tao. We create simple tools that help people prove what they have created, achieved, and contributed.

Our philosophy is: **All for simple. Long-termism.**

Technology should reduce complexity, not create it. Every product we build aims to make decentralized systems more accessible without sacrificing security or ownership.

### Our Mission

How can trust survive in an increasingly digital and AI-generated world? As information becomes easier to generate, trust becomes more valuable. We are building tools that help individuals, communities, and organizations create verifiable signals of authenticity, contribution, and reputation — one proof at a time.

## Founder

- **Charles Tao**: Student builder and writer. Founder of the Stickman Charles personal brand (https://stickmancharles.com). Work focuses on systems thinking, long-term learning, and the future of trust in a digital world.

## Key Technical Details

- Blockchain: Cardano (Preprod testnet + Mainnet)
- Smart Contract Language: Aiken (PlutusV3)
- Frontend: Next.js, deployed on Vercel
- Backend: Node.js / Express, deployed on DigitalOcean
- Identity Storage: Supabase (off-chain metadata), Cardano ledger (on-chain anchors)
- Wallet Support: Eternl, Nami, Flint, and other CIP-30 compatible wallets

## Philosophy

EchoForge believes trust in Web3 should not depend on trusting any single company. Every EchoID profile hash, every EchoCert NFT, and every organizational affiliation is permanently readable from the Cardano ledger — independent of EchoForge's continued existence.

## Community & Contact

- Organization: EchoForge
- Website: https://echoforge.echoforgellc.tech
- Email: simple@echoforgellc.tech
- GitHub: https://github.com/EchoForge-Dev
- X / Twitter: https://x.com/EchoForgeEF
- Discord: https://discord.gg/W8rw4gFtwN
- Telegram: https://t.me/c/3871325796/1
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@echoforgeef
- Substack: https://substack.com/@echoforge