Understanding POAPs — Proof Of Attendance Protocol
With the Metaverse picking up momentum, a few protocols have been popping up all over the show — and one of the biggest is the Proof Of Attendance Protocol. But what does it mean exactly?
POAP (pronounced Poh-ap) is a great new way to keep a reliable record of life experiences. Every time you attend an event or perform an activity in person or in the metaverse, you will receive a unique badge that is supported by a cryptographic record. These badges are represented as an NFT that is minted on Ethereum sidechain xDai and live within the user’s wallet.
All POAPs are created with the ERC-721 standard used for NFTs but in order for an NFT to be classified as a POAP it needs to meet 3 basic criteria:
1. It must be minted through the POAP smart contract
2. It needs to contain the metadata related to a specific time or date (up to one year in length)
3. It must have an associated image
Medium states that “Each event has a custom design, meaning POAPs quickly turn into a rare collection of coveted NFTs which can only be earned by traveling the world to one of Ethereum’s most sought after gatherings.”
This both proves your attendance and opens you up to a world of possibilities. The new protocol allows event organizers to engage with their audiences on a deeper level by providing more customized and tailored experiences.
The one benefit of POAP is the ability to integrate a range of services like exclusive events, private chat rooms, competitions and so on. On the user or attendee side, POAP can be used as a bragging right or to store a memento to remember an event in the years to come (basically a web3 version of storing your ticket stub of seeing your favorite band or attending the World Series).
An individual can use a POAP in a number of ways:
- As proof of attendance or bragging rights to show you attended an event
- As a ticket or entry mechanism to attend an exclusive event or be part of an elite group
- As a raffle entry (see poap.fun)
- As access to “draw” on a shared canvas with various communities (live and collaborative)
- Community polls
The POAP Collection would be a digital representation, that only requires the individual to have a wallet address. The distribution metric can then be used to distinguish what members did and are doing to achieve the POAP.
How does it work?
Simply visit the POAP platform to create your own event and to distinguish what you’ll be able to offer attendees or members. The users will then be able to look out for QR Codes in the POAP events to start collecting badges and participate in activities.
Users are continuously going to be looking for ways to brag that they were at the start of the “next big thing” and the only way to prove that would be by means of a POAP badge. Imagine if you could prove you were in the room when the iPhone was launched for the first time? With a POAP you will hold “proof” digitally and be able to showcase it publicly and be privy to the benefits that stem from attending such events.
How do I claim a POAP?
When you attend a POAP-sponsored event, the event organizer will distribute claim codes in the form of QR codes or URLs. Simply scan the QR code or enter the URL in your browser to claim the POAP using your ETH address.
Can I sell POAPs I have collected?
Although it isn’t recommended (due to it being linked to your life’s story) you can in fact sell your POAP by using epor on xDai and Opensea on Mainnet.
How much does it cost to set up a POAP?
Absolutely nothing. All costs are covered by POAP, so it is 100% free for both issuers and attendees (end users).
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There’s no doubt that POAPs are the future for events both in the real world and in the metaverse. Gone are the days of printing tickets, welcome to the new way of managing and attending events — welcome to POAP.
