Proof of Attendance Protocol (POAP): New Trend In Web3
In-person events are back and with it new marketing strategies to integrate them into Web3. Now, the trend is to provide a virtual token to prove the user’s assistance to an event, physical or digital.
POAP is the acronym for “Proof of Attendance Protocol”. This concept was born with the idea of commemorating experiences through the collection of badges in NFT (Non-Fungible Tokens).
In this article, we explain what POAPs are, how they work and what their real use cases are so that you can integrate them into your Web3 marketing strategy.
What is a POAP?
A POAP, or Proof of Attendance Protocol, is a protocol for the creation of digital tokens that prove the attendance at an event using blockchain technology.
In other words, POAPs would be a new digital way to certify that a user has participated in an event. This way, the user can request a badge for his/her participation and receive it as a POAP token.
These badges are in a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) format. Therefore, they are unique tokens that can be collected, exchanged or sold later.
How does it work?
POAPs are minted through smart contracts on the Ethereum blockchain over the ERC-721 protocol as NFTs.
The term POAP is a registered trademark, therefore POAP protocol NFTs can only be minted through the official POAP platform. In other words, brands can offer NFTs as crypto-badges, but technically only those minted on the POAP platform are considered POAPs.
Each badge or token is unique, therefore each POAP has a unique serial number. Badges can be collected through the POAP platform app.
How can a POAP be distributed?
POAPs can be distributed in various ways, both in digital and physical format:
- Digital Distribution: this format is perfect for digital events. In this case, the participants can connect their crypto wallet and claim their badge where the event determines, for example, a kiosk. Another option would be sending the POAP through email.
- Physical Distribution: In this case, the most common way is to distribute the POAP through a QR code. For example, the event organizer can encourage attendees to download the POAP wallet, scan the QR, and thus get their badge. Another option would be to include cards with NFC chips.
Picture: POAP Dispenser on Decentraland — uploaded to Twitter by @reneil1337
Use cases
POAPs can be interpreted as the collectors universe digitalization. In the same way that there are Olympic pins, event accreditations, or concert tickets, POAPs have the same purpose of collecting, although in a digital and secure way through blockchain technology.
Investment in Web3 marketing has grown exponentially in recent years due to the need for brands to connect with the most digitized audiences. In this way, trends such as POAPs are a great strategy to attract and retain users who are already active in the Web3 world.
Also, the collection of these badges can generate curiosity to users who are not used to Web3, since it is an easy, accessible and visible way to obtain an NFT, in addition to the fact that it is not necessary to provide personal data.
Now, the use of POAP tokens goes beyond participating in events. Another use case could be paying with these badges, receiving incentives or getting rewards.
A good example of how to use POAPs is Adidas. In this case, Adidas provided a limited number of POAPs to its app users. Owners of one of these POAPs received exclusive access to purchase the brand NFTs, “Into the Metaverse”.
On the other hand, Decentraland is also known for providing POAPs within its metaverse. In fact, brands like Estee Lauder or Lottie London provide POAPs to those who visit their events at Decentraland.
As for the participants, obtaining these badges goes beyond the collecting. POAP tokens can also be used to certify attendance at an event, share it with your company or with your network of contacts.
