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Open Grant Proposal: SaaS token gating platform with SDK #1617

Closed jonasesr closed 9 months ago

jonasesr commented 11 months ago

IPFS / Filecoin

Open Grant Proposal: SaaS token gating platform with SDK

Project Name: Whal3s

Proposal Category: Developer and data tooling, Applications

Individual or Entity Name: Whal3s GmbH

Proposer: jonasesr

(Optional) Filecoin ecosystem affiliations: Outlier Ventures x Protocol Labs accelerator program

(Optional) Technical Sponsor:

Do you agree to open source all work you do on behalf of this RFP under the MIT/Apache-2 dual-license?: Yes

Project Summary

The Whal3s SDK allows any web2 developer to integrate NFT technology into websites, apps, and games - to build connected / "interoperable" brand experiences within e-commerce, content platforms and in real life.

To reduce the development time from a few months to a few minutes Whal3s offers

  1. Whal3s SDK: Similar to the Stripe SDK, it enables developers to incorporate token-based experiences into any app or website i.e. access control
  2. Whal3s UI components: Similar to the Stripe checkout page, it facilitates the process of users claiming utility from their tokens. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7SIqmxJZiw) test out here: https://whal3s.xyz/demo
  3. Whal3s App - Analytics and utility dashboard: Provides insights into user engagement, on chain activity and utility consumption.

We are currently live with Ethereum and Polygon and are now looking to become, the leading provider of token gated experiences on the Filecoin network.

Impact

The Filecoin Network especially the FVM part is still very confusing for developers. Especially for Web2 developers. Developers have to understand the concept of FVM, what role EVM plays, how to access NFT attributes, how to interact with Smart Contracts, where to get IPFS hosted data from, etc. . That is way too much knowledge that is assumed. An adaptation into the mainstream will not be able to take place in this way.

Whal3s eliminates this complexity and takes the user by the hand. He can implement token gated experiences for FVM NFTs using tools he already knows (Web App, API Endpoints and JavaScript SDK).

With Whal3s, users now have a compelling reason to embrace the Filecoin Network and leverage its advantages. By enabling more users to create NFTs on Filecoin, the project aims for every NFT and application working on this network to be considered a success. This approach not only streamlines the development process but also facilitates wider adoption of Filecoin for NFT-related ventures.

Outcomes

The Whal3s App serves as the primary platform for creating token gates (utilities) effortlessly. In addition to Ethereum and Polygon, both their test networks are available options for users. Excitingly, the Filecoin Network, encompassing calibration and spacenet, will also be integrated, providing users with more choices and opportunities.

To ensure seamless functionality, all API endpoints are being adapted to fully support the Filecoin Network. Furthermore, the SDK is undergoing a meticulous rework, ensuring that developers can effortlessly incorporate the Filecoin network into their projects, just as effortlessly as they currently do with the existing two networks. This enhancement promises a smoother and more versatile implementation process, enabling developers to harness the potential of Filecoin alongside Ethereum and Polygon with ease.

Adoption, Reach, and Growth Strategies

Whal3s has got some strong traction with 350 developers on the platform that have been helping and testing our infrastructure since its launch. These individual developers will not make revenue for now, instead make up the core of our community and help find bugs, test the infra etc. Instead, Whal3s concentrates on winning lighthouse customers across key industries that are converting into customers throughout late 2023.

Whal3s has already secured 12 launch customers that are going to build with our solution in late 2023, including agencies, white-label platforms, a German liquor brand, a first league football club, and a creator community with more than 100 million followers. The company has also signed letters of intent with 15 other businesses and has a sales funnel of 50 companies that it is currently in contact with.

Adding to that we are particularly targeting agencies and NFT consultancies as multipliers as we call it. Multipliers are companies and or organisations that sell our product indirectly to the brands they are working with.

Development Roadmap

Implement Filecoin Network to Whal3s Validation Engine

Implement Filecoin Network to Whal3s App + API

Implement Filecoin Network to Whal3s SDK

Documentation and promotion

Total Budget Requested

Milestone # Description Completion Time Funding
1 Implement Filecoin Network to Whal3s Validation Engine 30 days 14.000 €
2 Implement Filecoin Network to Whal3s App + API 21 days 8.000 €
3 Implement Filecoin Network to Whal3s SDK 21 days 7.000 €
4 Documentation and promotion 21 days 5.000 €

Total budget request: 34.000€

Maintenance and Upgrade Plans

With Whal3s, we have laid the foundation for token gated infrastructure. In the future we will focus on developing it into an open source protocol to establish a standard for token gated utility. But also the area of usability must not be neglected. Together with our customers we want to extend the value chain by minting and analytics. Also the lowering of hurdles for Web3 foreign users is an important inventory. We will make onboarding as easy as possible to make NFTs and token gates tangible for the mainstream.

Team

Team Members

Luca Post (CEO)

Florian Zeise (COO)

Jonas Esser (CTO)

Team Member LinkedIn Profiles

https://www.linkedin.com/in/luca-post-546508127/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/florian-zeise-27786715b/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonas-esser/

Team Website

https://www.whal3s.xyz/

Relevant Experience

Co-founders profiles:

  1. Luca Post (CEO): Luca's background in economics, coupled with his three years of experience at Hertha Berlin, a German first league soccer club, has given him valuable insights into the world of web3 offerings and NFTs. His leadership in the new business department, reporting directly to the CFO, involved overseeing web3 initiatives, building an internal metaverse, and developing NFT offerings, licensing deals, and 3D fan experiences. His experience and expertise in this domain provide us with a strong foundation in understanding the potential and practical applications of NFT technology.
  2. Jonas Esser (CTO): Jonas's journey as a full-stack developer and tech lead in an agency for the past seven years equips him with extensive technical knowledge and problem-solving skills. His exposure to diverse client projects across various industries allows him to approach challenges with a broad perspective. Moreover, his passion for crypto, starting with IOTA (as a contributor to some community projects) and later embracing Ethereum since 2016, ensures that he is at the forefront of the latest developments in the blockchain and crypto space. This invaluable experience positions him as a key asset in architecting and implementing cutting-edge solutions within our NFT-focused venture.
  3. Florian Zeise (COO): As the third co-founder, he brings a background in venture capital at Earlybird and Richmond View Ventures with a particular focus on web3 and B2B SaaS companies. His experience over the last three years has provided him with an understanding of emerging technologies and trends in the web3 space. Prior to this venture, Jonas and Florian co-founded Dayone, a social media fitness platform empowering fitness creators to monetize their audience. This prior entrepreneurial experience enables him to contribute insights into building and scaling platforms while keeping the end-users' needs at the forefront.

Team code repositories

https://github.com/Whal3s-xyz

Additional Information

ErinOCon commented 9 months ago

Hi @jonasesr, thank you for your proposal and for your patience with our review. Unfortunately, we will not be moving forward with a grant at this time. Wishing you the best as you continue building!