Hey Humans,
you already know how to add a POAP to your wallet, now I want to go more into detail what a POAP actually is.
Proof of Attendance Protocol
POAP is short for Proof of Attendance Protocol. It is a digital collectible created as a NFT (non-fungible token), powered by the blockchain. Their initial idea is to enable a new way of keeping long-lasting records of life experiences.
All POAP badges follow the ERC-721 Standard:
A Non-Fungible Token (NFT) is used to identify something or someone in a unique way. This type of Token is perfect to be used on platforms that offer collectible items, access keys, lottery tickets, numbered seats for concerts and sports matches, etc. This special type of Token has amazing possibilities so it deserves a proper Standard, the ERC-721 came to solve that!
This makes it not only possible for POAPs to be visible in all Ethereum-based wallets, but also makes them easy to integrate with dApps in the Ethereum ecosystem. This way they give ownership to the token-holders.
POAP Taxonomy
Of course all POAPs are collectibles in their nature. They are meant to evoke memories of different events or moments in time on their holders.
Beyond that, a single POAP can serve different functionality across its lifetime. The Team behind POAP created a taxonomy to equip issuers with some thoughts on how to enhance the experiences in their communities.
The framework consists out of three different ideas:
Collectible 💍(private usage)
A collectible POAP is enjoyed despite how many of them exist, because for the collector it’s just an item to remember a past event. Scarcity is not a concern.
Reward 🎖️(private/public usage)
A Reward POAP may or may not need to be scarce, depending on how the incentives have been laid out by the issuer. The POAP is able to unlock special features, bonus content or access to events.
Recognition 🏆(public usage)
A recognition POAP fundamentally needs scarcity, because its bragging rights strengthen the more exclusive it is. It's all about flexing. 💪
Notable Examples
There were already loads of different prominent events that made use of POAPs. Here are my top 3 of them:
3) The Bankless Badge
Bankless is probably one of the most famous podcasts in the crypto universe. They announced the Bankless Badge as a passport to their Bankless Nation. Every paying subscriber of their newsletter and podcast is able to claim a unique Token Badge, that allows access to features like community raffles, special Discord channels, voting rights on governance proposals and early access to premium episodes.
2) Stoner Cats Minting Fail
The release of Ashton Kutcher's and Mila Kunis' Stoner Cats NFT was just mental. The Ethereum network got so badly congested, that hundrets of transactions failed and about 350 $ETH where lost in transaction costs. To lessen the pain, danner.eth had an idea:
1) POAP Clean Up Experiment
Logicbeach.eth is coming from another direction and wants to make the world a better place. Everyone who posts a photo of them cleaning up the world will get a POAP. This POAP will reward their holders with access to a raffle. You can check the address: MakeTheWorldABetterPlace.eth
Endless Use Cases
You can see, POAPs go far beyond being collectible memories. All kinds of Event Organizers and communities are able to utilize them for their own needs. No matter if it's a fair, convention, online event, concert, party, secret rave, or art gallery opening - you name it. There are endless opportunities waiting to be explored. The Taxonomy framework should give you some ideas where to start.
You can browse all recent POAPs on their Gallery to get an idea what this is all about.
Cheap Minting on xDai
As Gas Fees are sometimes high, and POAPs aren't intended to be traded by value, you have the option to mint (deploy) them on the xDai blockchain. The xDai chain is a stable payments blockchain, designed for fast and inexpensive transactions. POAP uses xDai to mint POAPs at a very low cost (it's free for the user - no costs for you). To mint on xDai make sure, you have the little box checked. Usually it is suggesting to mint on xDai by default.
Where is it coming from?
POAP was built by Ethereum enthusiasts from Argentina and Germany during the ETHDenver Event in 2019. Their plan was to accelerate the growth of their ecosystem, so they made it a free protocol without any provisions or profit motivations. Everything is open source and you have to take them by their word, that it will stay that way. Every developer is allowed to thrustlessly build using POAP data and mechanics. They are calling for everyone to get in touch, if you have any ideas or want to build anything on, or with POAP.
A POAP to Celebrate The First 50 Followers!
I got my first POAP through the Banano Community. They are holding a Community Call every couple of weeks, where they give updates about their ecosystem, and everybody is invited to participate. I've missed the 3rd community call, and with it its POAP - so my life will never be complete again. :D Thanks to Oops.ETH for introducing me to this great technology! Personally I'm in love with their open source attitude, the idea behind the concept and all the possible use cases. If I can, I will try to get involved in future and maybe even adopt POAPs for some events in Hamburg.
Let me know what you think about POAPs and show off your badges in the comments below. I have created a POAP for my first 50 followers. Check the comments for the claim links, and make sure to claim your POAP. I can't make you follow me, but I would be very happy if you would do! I will keep the list updated as best as I can. Who knows - maybe there will be a raffle for the holders of the POAP in future.
POAP Badge Artwork by Zexsoft
Update:
It looks like the first 50 POAPs where claimed, and we've had some bots taking the fun from the others. Because of that, I have requested some new codes. If you want to have one of the POAPs, please leave a comment and I will send you a link. Hopefully this way everyone who wants to have one, can get one. :)
Find out more:
Website: https://poap.xyz
Twitter: https://twitter.com/poapxyz
Discord: http://poap.xyz/discord
Github Repo: https://github.com/poapxyz
Token Address:
xDai chain: 0x22C1f6050E56d2876009903609a2cC3fEf83B415
Ethereum Mainnet: 0x22C1f6050E56d2876009903609a2cC3fEf83B415
Disclaimer: Please do not mint the POAP on Ethereum, as it will cost you gas fees.
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