Proof of attendance protocol (POAP) is the infrastructure that facilitates the creation of POAPs. POAPs are digital collectibles typically created to commemorate a milestone or verify attendance at a special event.
What is POAP, the ecosystem?
The Proof of Attendance Protocol is host to teams building products, issuers running programs, and service providers of all stripes. As a curated ecosystem, POAP maintains the spirit of the protocol by curating POAP Drops for quality and craftsmanship.
The POAP ecosystem has two main actors:
Issuers: People or institutions that create a POAP and distribute it to collectors to further build or add to their community value, and encourage engagement.
Collectors: People that receive POAPs and collect them as an immutable record of their greatest and most special moments, digitized into a collectible and trackable token.
What is POAP, Inc?
POAP, Inc. is a company, conceived in 2019 and formally established in 2021, that created the proof of attendance protocol — the standard for collectible proofs of attendance — that allows POAP NFTs to exist.
According to POAP Inc, "The Proof of Attendance Protocol turns precious moments into collectibles. Using blockchain technology, POAP tokenizes your memories, so they can last forever and be truly yours. Making memories durable has deep implications for how people organize. From entertainment, to direct funding, to fostering belonging, we're building a better world with POAP.”
Established in 2019, the protocol allows collectibles to be minted, dropped, and gifted to commemorate milestones or attendance at special events. POAPs are standard ERC-721 tokens minted on the POAP smart contracts. The smart contracts are currently governed by POAP Inc which allows them to be tamper-resistant. POAP’s website created a user-friendly interface that allows anyone to create their own POAP drop.
POAPs are collectibles
POAPs are collectible tokens that represent experiences. Each user's POAP collection can serve as a scrapbook and a passport: it's a way to capture memories and even unlock potential benefits in the future.
POAP is an ecosystem
The Proof of Attendance Protocol is host to teams building products, issuers running programs, and service providers of all stripes.
What are POAPs?
POAPs are collectibles issued to celebrate a specific event, whether personal (a birthday party) or professional (a networking event) or something like a project’s major milestones. Creators or event holders can decide to drop POAPs through QR codes, specific URLs, direct delivery, or by using a secret code. Issuers will typically consider an event audience’s size and privacy expectations before deciding how to distribute the collectibles.
While POAPs are compatible with Ethereum wallets, they are first minted on Gnosis Chain, an Ethereum-based sidechain. Every POAP has a unique serial number that cannot be changed, and once a user receives a POAP, they have the option to either reserve it with their email address or to mint and store it on their crypto wallet. The first option makes it possible to receive a POAP without having a crypto wallet.
What are the use cases for POAPs?
POAPs can commemorate a special moment or milestone. For some, these colelctibles can help celebrate more intimate moments, for instance, a birthday or a podcast launch.
In other cases, POAPs are an easy way to reward a community for attending a conference, a concert, or a virtual event. A POAP can honor or verify someone’s participation in a specific moment and unite a community. They can also be used for token-gating or to create a loyalty program because it allows a brand or entity to understand who has interacted with them or attended their events in the past.
Notable POAPs
The first POAP was created in 2019 and given to those participating in ETHDenver’s hackathon. To mint the POAP, attendees were instructed to go to a special link that was only accessible over the hackathon’s wifi.
In October 2019, the POAP team tested a new way of distributing POAPs. During DevCon 2019, they partnered with a software company and agreed that when each attendee walked into the DevCon event space, they would receive a luggage tag that had a unique QR code on the back. The QR code would then take each attendee to a special link where they would be able to redeem their POAP.
Since 2019 the use of POAPs across industries, events, and community-building experiences has only grown. During the holiday season in 2021, One37PM (a media company) hosted 25 days of POAPs for their community. Each day, they would share hints across their social media platforms that, when cracked, would unlock a certain amount of POAPs.
During NFT NYC 2023, Wrangler partnered with artist Jeremy Booth. Booth and Wrangler designed a jacket that doubled as a chip-enabled wearable with a patch that allowed those who ran into him at the conference to collect a POAP.
Are POAPs soulbound (non-transferrable)?
Soulbound NFTs are non-transferrable NFTs that are bound to a single person or wallet. While POAPs are meant to verify attendance only for the individual who participated in the event, the majority of POAPs are not actually soulbound, which means they can be sold or transferred if the holder chooses. Some POAPs grant holders access or benefits beyond proof of attendance, which is why those who didn’t attend the event may want to purchase one.
Can I create my own POAP?
Yes, anyone can create their own POAP. All you need is an image or design for your collectible and to follow the steps on POAP’s website.
You can also buy and sell your POAPs using OpenSea once you’ve migrated them from Gnosis to your Ethereum-compatible crypto wallet.
🧠 Q&A
Yes! POAP Inc. created the proof of attendance protocol (POAP). The NFTs made using the protocol are also commonly referred to as POAPs.
NFTs operate on blockchain technology, making it possible to verify their ownership and easily transfer them from one owner to the next. Ethereum, Solana, and Klaytn are three examples of blockchains that store NFTs.
A blockchain is a digitally distributed ledger that records transactions and information across a decentralized network. Most blockchains are verified by many nodes (read: computers), which is why you’ll hear them described as “decentralized.” Different blockchains may verify their transactions using different methods but ultimately operate similarly.
Blockchain technology allows users to easily transfer, collect, and verify their NFTs. The provenance of an NFT is one of its biggest advantages.
Web3 technology is still new and constantly evolving, so while no single action guarantees protection, there are best practices that can help. The best rule of thumb is that if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Never share your wallet’s seed phrase, be careful when taking actions using your wallet, and make sure to thoroughly evaluate NFTs before buying.
OpenSea also has an icon visible via a blue checkmark badge on a collection or account. A blue checkmark badge on an account means that account has been verified. A blue checkmark badge on a collection means the collection belongs to a verified account and has significant interest or sales. (OpenSea does not endorse verified accounts or badged collections, and OpenSea makes no representations regarding the NFTs in a verified account or badged collection.)
OpenSea makes no representations or guarantees regarding the collections highlighted in this article. Users must do their own research and use their own judgment before buying any NFT, including those included in the collections highlighted in this article. The descriptions of the collections highlighted in this article were adapted from descriptions provided by the NFT creators, not OpenSea.
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