What is a Blocklive Act?

Rather than just a ticketing solution, think of Blocklive as an operating system for live events. Blocklive spans the lifecycle of your events, not just a single transaction. Like your computer's operating system, which coordinates hardware and software resources continuously, Blocklive manages hardware (like check-in scanners, payment terminals, QR and NFC devices) and software (including checkout UX, management dashboards, and connections between organizers, artists, and fans). Blocklive now extends this operating system metaphor by offering a platform for third parties to enhance their events with mini apps. Each app functions in its own sandbox, interacting with the Blocklive event operating system solely through the API.

We call these app extensions 'Acts.' An Act is a mini-app within our live events operating system. Acts can access critical event and attendee data, controlled by strict attendee permissions. Much like your computer's operating system, you decide what an app can access. Attendees can choose to share specific data pieces, such as attendee questions, profile data, or event history. Some of this data is public, and Blocklive makes it easily accessible to Acts via our APIs.

Technically, Acts are built on the frame specification introduced by Farcaster. This spec addresses gaps that browsers and the web did not—areas where iFrames fell short. Nothing like this has been possible with previous events platforms. Either you build an entire custom side companion native app, a full custom website, or just take what the events platform gives you out of the box. Something is clearly missing.

How do Blocklive Acts fill these gaps in delivering a custom, composible solution for 3rd parties?

1. Style and Responsiveness: Acts control style and responsiveness, loading in a defined style and space. The frame design focuses on delivering data, not managing layout and logic.

2. Data Integration: Frames receive data from the parent site, enabling unique actions based on this data. For example, we inject event and ticket data, which third-party frames use for advanced actions. Access to this data is limited to public or permissioned information, ensuring user security isn't compromised.

3. Performance: By only loading essential data rather than an entire HTML/CSS/JS payload, and by imposing timeouts, we ensure frames remain responsive.

4. Security: Frames have streamlined functionality (e.g., pressing buttons, inputting data, getting responses, presenting images with additional button data), which reduces complexity but increases security and trust for users interacting with Acts.

5. Composability: Acts allow third parties to seamlessly integrate their own logic into the event’s broader ecosystem. This composability means that developers can craft custom functionalities that not only interact with other Acts but also tie directly into the event’s main flow, enhancing and personalizing the overall event experience.

While mini-apps as frames have been effective in social feeds through Farcaster, we believe the power of a persistent, location-specific frame with contextual data about that location will open a new world of possibilities and use cases we haven't seen in any previous models.

Event hosts and organizers have never had the ability to extend their events so simply and directly. They previously had to build their own fully custom applications to get this level of functionality. From experience, we've found that organizers spend so much time building the core functionality of an event management app, they never get around to building the useful and powerful extensions they initially envisioned for their audience. By covering the intricate core of event management, we let organizers play and have fun with extensions that will make their events unique and differentiated.

At a high level, Frames function by connecting a simple button/image interface to your own custom backend. Since you're fully in control of your backend and what it delivers, you have complete creative control over what is displayed and what actions a user can take. For more detailed information, check out the link to our technical docs and the frame spec at the bottom of the page.

Without constraining the idea space, here are some of the Acts we've already built and experimented with:

• Unique swag scan for merch claims

• Choose your own topping at the Global Pizza Party event to dynamically update your NFT image based on your choice (Pizza Day)

• Token drops on check-in (ATX DAO Hacker Club drops $REP based on attendance)

• Pick a winner at the 2024 Presidential Debate - view stats on who everyone is choosing in real-time, in Augmented Reality (Debate party)

• Encrypted, onchain raffle

• QR scans that unlock traits on your onchain ticket for attending a session at a conference - forever marking your attendance to a given speaker (Stable Summit)

• Unique physical art distributed to the first 100 scans at an art booth (Stable Summit)

As user-defined mini-apps with app logic controlled entirely by third-party developers, the limits on capabilities are really up to your imagination. We can't wait to see the creative use cases.

Stay tuned for our next post on our onchain auto-trigger/action system for live events. Built on the Acts system, we implement some out-of-the-box function Acts with simple triggers and actions. For example, a trigger might be Attendee Check In, with an action of Airdrop Token or Call Webhook.

You'll be able to set up an Act like this with just a few clicks and no coding knowledge! With pre-built templates and drag-and-drop features, you can easily customize your event apps.

Acts provide a platform for anyone to embed specialized functionalities directly into live events. This framework allows for direct API access to essential event and attendee data, enabling developers to create targeted features without the extensive overhead of running their own platforms. Third-party integrators can use Acts to deploy interactive elements that respond in real-time to event dynamics, utilizing limited, safe data scopes. We encourage developers to use our APIs and Frame specs to build and iterate on these mini-apps. You can directly influence the evolution of event technology, making each event a uniquely interactive experience for your audience. Dive into the Blocklive docs to start creating with Acts today.

Welcome Live Protocol

After over two years in production and successful operation across hundreds of live events, we are thrilled to announce that we are opening up the Live Protocol to the community. The Live Protocol is designed to bring both crypto and non-crypto users onchain by providing each attendee with their own onchain record of live event participation. By doing so, we aim to initiate a network of onchain touchpoints linked to individual identities, creating a foundational web of interactions within the blockchain space. This approach not only enhances user engagement with blockchains but also leaves a trail of valuable data points for anyone to compose their own experiences and apps on top.

We begin with a straightforward system for onchain record-keeping that covers tickets, discounts, and attendee interactions. Our vision extends far beyond simple event management. We plan to expand into areas where crypto excels: implementing staking mechanisms for rewards and financing, enabling permissionless secondary markets for ticket resale, and developing secure access gates.

The decision to open source the Live Protocol stems from our commitment to transparency, community engagement, and collaborative growth. By making our codebase publicly available, we empower developers, event organizers, and innovators to contribute to, modify, and extend the protocol, ensuring it remains at the bleeding edge of delivering events onchain.

The Live Protocol is designed to streamline the organization and execution of live events through a decentralized framework, offering features such as:

• Multi-Token Support: Utilize ERC1155 for issuing various ticket types within a single contract, enhancing flexibility and efficiency.

• Dynamic Pricing and Discounts: Implement flexible pricing strategies with support for multiple currencies and customizable discount mechanisms via Merkle proofs and ECDSA signatures.

• Robust Access Control: Leverage OpenZeppelin’s Access Control to manage permissions and roles securely, ensuring operational integrity.

• Automated Payouts and Royalties: Integrated ERC2981 standards support automatic royalty distributions, while customizable split arrangements ensure fair revenue sharing among stakeholders.

• Onchain Proof of History: Every transaction and interaction is recorded on the blockchain, offering undeniable proof of history for analytics and verification purposes.

• Decentralized Interaction Graph: Build a comprehensive graph of attendee interactions to analyze behavior patterns and enhance future event planning.

Transitioning to onchain event management enables event organizers to create a detailed ledger of attendee interactions. These touchpoints allow for sophisticated retargeting strategies that surpass traditional marketing efforts, giving traditional techniques like email and ads superpowers. Organizers can analyze attendee behavior to gain insights into their interaction patterns with different types of events, frequency of attendance, and spending habits. This information facilitates the personalization of marketing messages based on past attendance, ensuring that promotional efforts are directly aligned with user interests and behaviors, ultimately increasing engagement by keeping past attendees informed and involved in future events.

The implementation of an onchain rules engine allows us to apply rules for pricing and accessibility based on an attendees onchain history. Onchain history could include interactions with sponsors' contracts or receiving airdrops from speakers, providing a holistic view of each attendee's engagement. It supports automated rewards, setting rules to automatically offer frequent attendees and active onchain users discounts, exclusive access, or personalized perks, enhancing loyalty and retention.

By combining retargeting capabilities with a sophisticated rules engine, event organizers not only enhance operational efficiency but also foster deeper relationships with attendees. Recognizing and rewarding loyalty can boost repeat attendance by turning occasional visitors into regulars and expanding the audience base through referral bonuses or social sharing incentives. This organic growth increases the event’s reach and continuously improves event offerings based on attendee data. Each event becomes more appealing than the last, driving higher ticket sales and enhancing the overall attendee experience. Attendees are uniquely rewarded at your event.

The onchain rules engine also serves as an effective anti-scalping technology. By leveraging the verifiable history of each attendee’s interactions, such as previous event check-ins and onchain activities, organizers can prioritize ticket sales to verified fans. Early bird tickets can be offered exclusively to individuals who have demonstrated genuine engagement by attending past events that the organizer values. This approach ensures that tickets are sold to actual fans rather than scalpers, significantly increasing the likelihood that those attending the event are true enthusiasts. This not only supports a fair ticket distribution but also fosters a more authentic and dedicated fan base at each show.

Onchain ticketing systems enable organizers to recognize and reward loyal fans by directly accessing their event attendance history. Unlike traditional systems where fans are often just another login in the queue, blockchain technology allows for a decentralized profile that accumulates and reflects each attendee's engagement over time. This recognition can lead to personalized rewards, such as early access to tickets, special discounts, or exclusive content, tailored specifically to reward ongoing loyalty.

Onchain ticketing with Live Protocol cuts out intermediaries, allowing attendees to pay the list price directly to event organizers. This system minimizes or eliminates additional fees often imposed by traditional ticketing platforms, ensuring that funds go directly into enhancing the event rather than covering third-party overhead. By utilizing blockchain technology, transactions are transparent and efficient, reducing the need for costly intermediaries and enabling a fairer pricing model. This direct transaction not only makes events more affordable for fans but also increases financial transparency, strengthening trust between attendees and organizers.

We encourage developers, UI/UX designers, event organizers, and blockchain enthusiasts to dive into our codebase and explore its potential. Whether you’re looking to contribute code, propose features, or simply learn about onchain event management, there’s something for everyone. Here’s how you can get started:

• GitHub Repository: Visit our GitHub page to clone the repository, explore the code, and start contributing.

• Documentation: Check out the Blocklive platform docs for interacting with Blocklive as an event organizer or attendee.

• Community Channels: Join our Discord or Telegram to discuss with other community members and get support from the development team.

As the Live Protocol continues to evolve, we look forward to seeing how the community will take these tools to innovate and transform the world of live event management. Your contributions and feedback are invaluable to us as we strive to build a more open, connected, and eventful world.

Join Blocklive in shaping the future of live events.

If instead, you’re looking for a no-code way to deploy your event into a Frame, follow on below! We make it super easy to create your event and push it right into your feed.

Head over to the invite link and sign into the event management portal. Grab an invite code from me @spatializes on Farcaster if you don’t already have one.

Event creation is only a few clicks. Once you’ve signed in through the invite link, you’ll be on our Event Management Portal.

Click ‘Create event’ to launch directly into your event page.

Your page is almost ready, just fill out your title, date, and throw in an event image.

Get fancy and add tickets, token gates, sessions, sponsors, speakers, and promo codes! Or keep it simple and move on to publish.

You can publish with points using our backend wallet system or using your self-custody wallet. Here I’ll show you how to use your self-custody wallet. Ensure you have a crypto wallet installed in your browser, or connect with mobile using Wallet Connect.

Press the ‘Publish Event’ button, which will connect your self-custody wallet.

Confirm the transaction, and if you have enough Eth to cover the gas costs of whichever blockchain you published to, you’ll be live!

Onto the part we’ve all been waiting for, launching your Farcaster Frame! Press the ‘Continue editing’ button above to stay on your event page. Scroll down to your event ticket. Expand the menu on the ticket to see the ‘Launch Frame’ button.

This will open Warpcast to post your frame directly.

Publishing events, along with other quests, will give you points. Unlike many platforms, points have direct utility on Blocklive. You can use them to access paid platform features. But you can also climb the Blocklive leaderboard by being one of our top event organizers!

Follow us on Farcaster or X, new features are shipping daily. This is our earliest release of Frames, many more improvements will be coming quickly.