
[Magic Eden](https://magiceden.io) is a trailblazing NFT marketplace, supporting multiple blockchains including Ethereum Mainnet, Polygon, and others. A key part of the Magic Eden ecosystem is [the Magic Eden Launchpad](https://magiceden.io/launchpad), a dedicated platform for projects looking to vault into the spotlight during their launch phase. Magic Eden has been instrumental in helping projects gain traction and audience engagement, and now it's set to transform how membership programs are launched and managed.

Across the Unlock Protocol Locksmith ecosystem, we've had an increasing number of teams requesting guidance on how to launch their Unlock-powered membership programs via Magic Eden's Launchpad. Based on this demand, Unlock Protocol and Magic Eden have worked together to seamlessly integrate Unlock Protocol smart contracts into the Magic Eden Launchpad and marketplace, paving the way for more projects to bring their memberships and subscriptions to market through the Magic Eden marketplace. Projects such as [the CyberKitty Playhous](https://magiceden.io/collections/polygon/0x8dcd353c28a0686a57161f63340b91fca9db5a10)e have launched using this approach.

A key aspect of this integration revolves around the unique **`purchase()`** function in the Unlock smart contracts. This function, detailed in [Unlock's documentation](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/smart-contracts-api/PublicLock#purchase), is tailored to mint NFT memberships with specific parameters such as the membership recipient, the value paid, membership managers (if applicable), a referrer address, and potentially additional data.

To streamline the purchase process, Unlock Protocol developed a backend API that simplifies the integration of these parameters for projects using Magic Eden's marketplace. In practice, this means projects can now more easily leverage the power of Unlock Protocol for their membership programs, tapping into a wider audience and unlocking new paths to community engagement and monetization thanks to increased visibility within the Magic Eden marketplace.

This partnership is more than just a technical integration; it's a shift in how NFTs are used for community engagement and membership models. By combining the strengths of Unlock Protocol's membership and subscription smart contract functionality and Magic Eden's Launchpad, we're opening up new opportunities for creators and communities to connect in novel and exciting ways.

For projects looking to explore this further, jump into the [Unlock Protocol Discord](https://discord.unlock-protocol.com)!


Prepare for launch — Unlock Protocol and Magic Eden have a new integration! 🚀

Minting Memberships with Magic Eden

<a href="https://magiceden.io">Magic Eden</a> is a trailblazing NFT marketplace, supporting multiple blockchains including Ethereum Mainnet, Polygon, and others. A key part of the Magic Eden ecosystem is <a href="https://magiceden.io/launchpad">the Magic Eden Launchpad</a>, a dedicated platform for projects looking to vault into the spotlight during their launch phase. Magic Eden has been instrumental in helping projects gain traction and audience engagement, and now it's set to transform how membership programs are launched and managed.
Across the Unlock Protocol Locksmith ecosystem, we've had an increasing number of teams requesting guidance on how to launch their Unlock-powered membership programs via Magic Eden's Launchpad. Based on this demand, Unlock Protocol and Magic Eden have worked together to seamlessly integrate Unlock Protocol smart contracts into the Magic Eden Launchpad and marketplace, paving the way for more projects to bring their memberships and subscriptions to market through the Magic Eden marketplace. Projects such as <a href="https://magiceden.io/collections/polygon/0x8dcd353c28a0686a57161f63340b91fca9db5a10">the CyberKitty Playhous</a>e have launched using this approach.
A key aspect of this integration revolves around the unique <code>purchase()</code> function in the Unlock smart contracts. This function, detailed in <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/smart-contracts-api/PublicLock#purchase">Unlock's documentation</a>, is tailored to mint NFT memberships with specific parameters such as the membership recipient, the value paid, membership managers (if applicable), a referrer address, and potentially additional data.
To streamline the purchase process, Unlock Protocol developed a backend API that simplifies the integration of these parameters for projects using Magic Eden's marketplace. In practice, this means projects can now more easily leverage the power of Unlock Protocol for their membership programs, tapping into a wider audience and unlocking new paths to community engagement and monetization thanks to increased visibility within the Magic Eden marketplace.
This partnership is more than just a technical integration; it's a shift in how NFTs are used for community engagement and membership models. By combining the strengths of Unlock Protocol's membership and subscription smart contract functionality and Magic Eden's Launchpad, we're opening up new opportunities for creators and communities to connect in novel and exciting ways.
For projects looking to explore this further, jump into the <a href="https://discord.unlock-protocol.com">Unlock Protocol Discord</a>!


Join us as we take the wraps off the [2023 Unlock Protocol Advent Calendar](https://advent.unlock-protocol.com/), an exciting journey through the world of Web3!

![Advent Calendar](/images/blog/advent-calendar-2023.jpeg)

[Last year](/blog/advent-calendar-2022), we [gifted over 200,000 NFTs](/blog/advent-infographic) to the Unlock Locksmith community as part of the Advent calendar festivities. This year, we're taking it up a notch! Each day from December 1st to 24th, open a new door on our digital calendar to claim exclusive NFTs, engage in unique experiences, and uncover special surprises.

What makes this year's calendar even more exciting are our collabs with leading names in the Web3 world: [#BuildOnBase](https://base.org/), [Privy](https://privy.io/), [Decrypt](https://decrypt.co/), [Coinage](https://www.coinage.media/), and many others. Each day is a new NFT drop with a blend of insights, fun facts, and special rewards you won't want to miss.

## Features of the 2023 Unlock Protocol Advent Calendar:

- **Unique Daily NFTs**: A new NFT every day created by artist and designer [Chiali Tsai](https://chialitsai.com/), each with its own story and design.

- **Exclusive Content**: Collaborations with Decrypt, Coinage, Privy, and others bring you the best of the Web3 world.

- **Easy Minting**: Thanks to our deployment on Base, minting is easy and virtually cost-free.

- **Surprise Rewards**: Special giveaways and bonuses hidden throughout the month.

## How to Participate:

1. Visit [https://advent.unlock-protocol.com](https://advent.unlock-protocol.com) and access our Advent calendar.

2. Daily NFT Claim: Open a new door each day and claim your NFT for that day.

3. Engage and Learn: Enjoy the content, participate in challenges, expand your crypto knowledge — and you may even get some gifts!

## Keep the Spirit Alive:

Don't worry if you miss a day! You can catch up by claiming past NFTs, ensuring you're part of this festive blockchain celebration.

We at Unlock Protocol are excited to bring this experience back to the Locksmith community for a second year. Join us in counting down the days to the holidays and uncover the many surprises we have in store!

Stay tuned for more details, and get ready to unlock the wonders of this festive season with us!


Join us as we take the wraps off the 2023 Unlock Protocol Advent Calendar, an exciting journey through the world of Web3!

Advent Calendar

Join us as we take the wraps off the <a href="https://advent.unlock-protocol.com/">2023 Unlock Protocol Advent Calendar</a>, an exciting journey through the world of Web3!
<img src="/images/blog/advent-calendar-2023.jpeg" alt="Advent Calendar">
<a href="/blog/advent-calendar-2022">Last year</a>, we <a href="/blog/advent-infographic">gifted over 200,000 NFTs</a> to the Unlock Locksmith community as part of the Advent calendar festivities. This year, we're taking it up a notch! Each day from December 1st to 24th, open a new door on our digital calendar to claim exclusive NFTs, engage in unique experiences, and uncover special surprises.
What makes this year's calendar even more exciting are our collabs with leading names in the Web3 world: <a href="https://base.org/">#BuildOnBase</a>, <a href="https://privy.io/">Privy</a>, <a href="https://decrypt.co/">Decrypt</a>, <a href="https://www.coinage.media/">Coinage</a>, and many others. Each day is a new NFT drop with a blend of insights, fun facts, and special rewards you won't want to miss.
<h2>Features of the 2023 Unlock Protocol Advent Calendar:</h2>
<ul>
<li>
Unique Daily NFTs: A new NFT every day created by artist and designer <a href="https://chialitsai.com/">Chiali Tsai</a>, each with its own story and design.
</li>
<li>
Exclusive Content: Collaborations with Decrypt, Coinage, Privy, and others bring you the best of the Web3 world.
</li>
<li>
Easy Minting: Thanks to our deployment on Base, minting is easy and virtually cost-free.
</li>
<li>
Surprise Rewards: Special giveaways and bonuses hidden throughout the month.
</li>
</ul>
<h2>How to Participate:</h2>
<ol>
<li>
Visit <a href="https://advent.unlock-protocol.com">https://advent.unlock-protocol.com</a> and access our Advent calendar.
</li>
<li>
Daily NFT Claim: Open a new door each day and claim your NFT for that day.
</li>
<li>
Engage and Learn: Enjoy the content, participate in challenges, expand your crypto knowledge — and you may even get some gifts!
</li>
</ol>
<h2>Keep the Spirit Alive:</h2>
Don't worry if you miss a day! You can catch up by claiming past NFTs, ensuring you're part of this festive blockchain celebration.
We at Unlock Protocol are excited to bring this experience back to the Locksmith community for a second year. Join us in counting down the days to the holidays and uncover the many surprises we have in store!
Stay tuned for more details, and get ready to unlock the wonders of this festive season with us!

*Editor's note: [Originally posted on the Darkblock blog](https://www.darkblock.io/news/unlock-subscriptions/).*

Today, we’re excited to announce [Darkblock](https://darkblock.io/) has integrated with Unlock Protocol to give creators more flexibility in how they deliver exclusive content to their fans. With this integration, creators can now harness the combined power of Unlock and Darkblock to sell recurring subscriptions to their content and enable other time-based access to onchain content.

NFTs have redefined digital ownership, extending far beyond the realm of digital art. The teams behind Darkblock and Unlock recognized this and have for years been building toward a shared mission — empowering creators with web3-native ways (i.e., permissionless, decentralized ways) to form and engage with their communities, moving them closer to creative sovereignty.

While Darkblock has been at the forefront of decentralizing content, freeing it from the walled gardens of web2 platforms by enabling creators to encrypt and permanently attach their multimedia files to NFTs ([creating token-bound content](https://www.darkblock.io/news/token-bound-vs-token-gated-content/)), Unlock’s unique contribution to this evolving space has been enabling creators to leverage NFTs to explore web3-native subscription and membership-based business models.

Giving creators access to both capabilities is why Darkblock’s integration of Unlock Protocol is so powerful.

## Flexibility and Customization

One of the key highlights of this integration is the freedom it provides to creators.

Stella Achenbach, founder of [The ALANA Project](https://www.the-alana-project.xyz/), sees all kinds of groundbreaking opportunities by integrating Darkblock and Unlock into her tech stack.

“The capabilities offered by utilizing Darkblock in combination with Unlock Protocol is something I’ve been seeking for a long time,” Achenbach says. “It provides us with the opportunity to build our community and sell subscriptions to exclusive content, all in a web3-native way that doesn’t rely on centralized platforms or solutions, which is a game changer for us.

“We’re beginning with selling subscriptions to ALANAmagazine and exclusive holder content, and we see the potential for so many more use cases as we continue to build and deliver value within our community.”

Watch the video below to see how creators can use Unlock Protocol to deploy a smart contract (referred to as a “lock”) and mint an NFT (referred to as a “key”) with specific conditions and time-based constraints on digital ownership, then use Darkblock’s no-code app to encrypt and attach multimedia files to those NFTs that, by virtue of a simple checkbox added to the workflow, will only be accessible to an NFT’s owner based on time constraints the creator set via Unlock.

<div style="position: relative; overflow: hidden; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6l0L7P4DtGo" title="Darkblock and Unlock Protocol Integration" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

## New Business Models Unlocked

This level of customization now available to creators empowers them to experiment with various, web3-native business models, whether it’s renting content or other digital assets or selling subscriptions or memberships that come with access to exclusive content.

### Subscription-Based Magazines

Imagine launching a subscription-based magazine powered by NFTs. With Unlock Protocol and Darkblock, creators can offer their readers exclusive content through NFT memberships. Whether it’s monthly issues, premium articles, or interactive multimedia experiences, this integration paves the way for innovative publishing models in the digital age.

### Web3-Native Patreon

Creators can take their memberships and subscriptions to the next level by building a web3-native Patreon-style platform. With Unlock Protocol’s NFTs, creators can grant members access to premium content for as long as they remain members. Darkblock’s integration ensures the content is encrypted, stored in a decentralized manner, and accessible in diverse ways.

### Time-Based Rentals

For creators such as musicians, filmmakers, or game developers, this integration introduces the concept of time-based rentals. Use Unlock Protocol to mint NFTs that grant time-based access to the token-bound music, film or 3D game assets enabled by Darkblock protocol.

## Enabling the Future of Web3 Content

The integration of Darkblock and Unlock Protocol marks a significant milestone in the world of NFTs and content distribution. It’s a powerful example of how blockchain technology can empower creators and revolutionize the way content is monetized and shared.

If you’re a creator looking to explore these exciting possibilities, we invite you to join us on this journey. Watch the video below that demonstrates how easy is it is for a creator to use Unlock to mint their membership NFTs, then use Darkblock to encrypt and attach content to those NFTs that will be accessible based on the time-based conditions set via Unlock.

With this integration, creators can now harness the combined power of Unlock and Darkblock to sell recurring subscriptions to onchain content.

Darkblock and Unlock Protocol Team Up to Enable Web3-Native Subscriptions to Content

Editor's note: <a href="https://www.darkblock.io/news/unlock-subscriptions/">Originally posted on the Darkblock blog</a>.
Today, we’re excited to announce <a href="https://darkblock.io/">Darkblock</a> has integrated with Unlock Protocol to give creators more flexibility in how they deliver exclusive content to their fans. With this integration, creators can now harness the combined power of Unlock and Darkblock to sell recurring subscriptions to their content and enable other time-based access to onchain content.
NFTs have redefined digital ownership, extending far beyond the realm of digital art. The teams behind Darkblock and Unlock recognized this and have for years been building toward a shared mission — empowering creators with web3-native ways (i.e., permissionless, decentralized ways) to form and engage with their communities, moving them closer to creative sovereignty.
While Darkblock has been at the forefront of decentralizing content, freeing it from the walled gardens of web2 platforms by enabling creators to encrypt and permanently attach their multimedia files to NFTs (<a href="https://www.darkblock.io/news/token-bound-vs-token-gated-content/">creating token-bound content</a>), Unlock’s unique contribution to this evolving space has been enabling creators to leverage NFTs to explore web3-native subscription and membership-based business models.
Giving creators access to both capabilities is why Darkblock’s integration of Unlock Protocol is so powerful.
<h2>Flexibility and Customization</h2>
One of the key highlights of this integration is the freedom it provides to creators.
Stella Achenbach, founder of <a href="https://www.the-alana-project.xyz/">The ALANA Project</a>, sees all kinds of groundbreaking opportunities by integrating Darkblock and Unlock into her tech stack.
“The capabilities offered by utilizing Darkblock in combination with Unlock Protocol is something I’ve been seeking for a long time,” Achenbach says. “It provides us with the opportunity to build our community and sell subscriptions to exclusive content, all in a web3-native way that doesn’t rely on centralized platforms or solutions, which is a game changer for us.
“We’re beginning with selling subscriptions to ALANAmagazine and exclusive holder content, and we see the potential for so many more use cases as we continue to build and deliver value within our community.”
Watch the video below to see how creators can use Unlock Protocol to deploy a smart contract (referred to as a “lock”) and mint an NFT (referred to as a “key”) with specific conditions and time-based constraints on digital ownership, then use Darkblock’s no-code app to encrypt and attach multimedia files to those NFTs that, by virtue of a simple checkbox added to the workflow, will only be accessible to an NFT’s owner based on time constraints the creator set via Unlock.
<div style="position: relative; overflow: hidden; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6l0L7P4DtGo" title="Darkblock and Unlock Protocol Integration" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<h2>New Business Models Unlocked</h2>
This level of customization now available to creators empowers them to experiment with various, web3-native business models, whether it’s renting content or other digital assets or selling subscriptions or memberships that come with access to exclusive content.
<h3>Subscription-Based Magazines</h3>
Imagine launching a subscription-based magazine powered by NFTs. With Unlock Protocol and Darkblock, creators can offer their readers exclusive content through NFT memberships. Whether it’s monthly issues, premium articles, or interactive multimedia experiences, this integration paves the way for innovative publishing models in the digital age.
<h3>Web3-Native Patreon</h3>
Creators can take their memberships and subscriptions to the next level by building a web3-native Patreon-style platform. With Unlock Protocol’s NFTs, creators can grant members access to premium content for as long as they remain members. Darkblock’s integration ensures the content is encrypted, stored in a decentralized manner, and accessible in diverse ways.
<h3>Time-Based Rentals</h3>
For creators such as musicians, filmmakers, or game developers, this integration introduces the concept of time-based rentals. Use Unlock Protocol to mint NFTs that grant time-based access to the token-bound music, film or 3D game assets enabled by Darkblock protocol.
<h2>Enabling the Future of Web3 Content</h2>
The integration of Darkblock and Unlock Protocol marks a significant milestone in the world of NFTs and content distribution. It’s a powerful example of how blockchain technology can empower creators and revolutionize the way content is monetized and shared.
If you’re a creator looking to explore these exciting possibilities, we invite you to join us on this journey. Watch the video below that demonstrates how easy is it is for a creator to use Unlock to mint their membership NFTs, then use Darkblock to encrypt and attach content to those NFTs that will be accessible based on the time-based conditions set via Unlock.


![linea-share-image.png](/images/blog/linea-launch/linea-share-image.png)

Unlock Labs is committed to ensuring that Unlock Protocol is accessible across a range of blockchain networks to meet the diverse needs of developers. 

Today, we are happy to announce that the Unlock Protocol has been deployed to the [Linea](https://linea.build) network, effective immediately.

## Why deploy on Linea?

Linea is a developer-ready zkEVM roll-up platform designed for scaling Ethereum decentralized applications (dapps). It provides low gas fees and low latency with high throughput while maintaining the security of Ethereum. 

Linea supports popular development tools and infrastructure, enabling seamless MetaMask distribution and Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) equivalence.

## Unlock Protocol on Linea

We have deployed the contracts for Unlock Protocol on Linea, and starting now, you are able to create locks from the Unlock dashboard. 

The Unlock Protocol main contract on Linea can be found at the address [0x70B3c9Dd9788570FAAb24B92c3a57d99f8186Cc7](https://lineascan.build/address/0x70B3c9Dd9788570FAAb24B92c3a57d99f8186Cc7). Linea fully supports the key capabilities of the Unlock Protocol, including contract hooks.

**Linea chain/network id:** 59144

**Native currency:** ETH

**Linea explorer:** [https://lineascan.build/](https://lineascan.build/)

We are committed to continually expanding the networks where Unlock Protocol can be used by developers to deploy subscription NFT, on-chain events and other membership NFTs. The integration with Linea marks another step towards a more decentralized web. 

We invite developers to explore the capabilities of Unlock Protocol on Linea. If you have any questions, reach out to the Unlock Protocol community at [https://discord.unlock-protocol.com](https://discord.unlock-protocol.com).


**Note:** You can always find the up-to-late list of all the production and test networks where Unlock Protocol has been deployed at [https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/unlock/networks/](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/unlock/networks/)


Unlock Protocol has been deployed to the Linea network, effective immediately.

Unlock Protocol Now Available on the Linea Network

<img src="/images/blog/linea-launch/linea-share-image.png" alt="linea-share-image.png">
Unlock Labs is committed to ensuring that Unlock Protocol is accessible across a range of blockchain networks to meet the diverse needs of developers.
Today, we are happy to announce that the Unlock Protocol has been deployed to the <a href="https://linea.build">Linea</a> network, effective immediately.
<h2>Why deploy on Linea?</h2>
Linea is a developer-ready zkEVM roll-up platform designed for scaling Ethereum decentralized applications (dapps). It provides low gas fees and low latency with high throughput while maintaining the security of Ethereum.
Linea supports popular development tools and infrastructure, enabling seamless MetaMask distribution and Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) equivalence.
<h2>Unlock Protocol on Linea</h2>
We have deployed the contracts for Unlock Protocol on Linea, and starting now, you are able to create locks from the Unlock dashboard.
The Unlock Protocol main contract on Linea can be found at the address <a href="https://lineascan.build/address/0x70B3c9Dd9788570FAAb24B92c3a57d99f8186Cc7">0x70B3c9Dd9788570FAAb24B92c3a57d99f8186Cc7</a>. Linea fully supports the key capabilities of the Unlock Protocol, including contract hooks.
Linea chain/network id: 59144
Native currency: ETH
Linea explorer: <a href="https://lineascan.build/">https://lineascan.build/</a>
We are committed to continually expanding the networks where Unlock Protocol can be used by developers to deploy subscription NFT, on-chain events and other membership NFTs. The integration with Linea marks another step towards a more decentralized web.
We invite developers to explore the capabilities of Unlock Protocol on Linea. If you have any questions, reach out to the Unlock Protocol community at <a href="https://discord.unlock-protocol.com">https://discord.unlock-protocol.com</a>.
Note: You can always find the up-to-late list of all the production and test networks where Unlock Protocol has been deployed at <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/unlock/networks/">https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/unlock/networks/</a>


![sepolia-share-image.png](/images/blog/sepolia/sepolia-share-image.png)

The [Sepolia testnet](https://moralis.io/sepolia-testnet-guide-what-is-the-sepolia-testnet/) has emerged as an important environment for developers who are creating dapps in the Ethereum ecosystem. In a move to help ensure that the Unlock Protocol is available wherever developers need it, Unlock Labs is thrilled to announce that the Unlock Protocol is now available on the Sepolia testnet, effective immediately.

## Why use a test network?

Test networks like Sepolia are crucial for experimentation and development. They function similarly to the main networks, except their coins are freely obtainable, usually via online faucets. Before deploying costly contracts and operations on a production network, it's prudent to test them in a nearly identical, yet cost-free environment.

## The Goerli testnet is scheduled to be sunset in 2023

Many developers are currently using [the Goerli testnet, which is scheduled to sunset by the end of 2023](https://docs.chainstack.com/docs/goerli-to-sepolia-transition).

Sepolia is the next primary Ethereum testnet for developers, and Sepolia is scheduled to be in operation until 2026.

## Unlock Protocol on Sepolia

The contracts for Unlock Protocol have been deployed on Sepolia and you are able to create test locks from the Unlock dashboard, starting now. The Unlock Protocol main contract on Sepolia lives at the address [0x36b34e10295cCE69B652eEB5a8046041074515Da](https://sepolia.etherscan.io/address/0x36b34e10295cCE69B652eEB5a8046041074515Da). Sepolia is an ideal environment to build custom logic for your lock, and supports key Unlock Protocol capabilities like contract hooks.

- **Sepolia chain/network id:** 11155111
- **Native currency:** ETH
- **Sepolia explorer:** [https://sepolia.etherscan.io/](https://sepolia.etherscan.io/)

## Sepolia online faucets

Here are two currently-available online faucets for obtaining Sepolia tokens for testing.

- [https://sepoliafaucet.com/](https://sepoliafaucet.com/) (Alchemy)
- [https://www.infura.io/faucet/sepolia](https://www.infura.io/faucet/sepolia) (Infura)

**Note:** You can always find the up-to-late list of all the production and test networks where Unlock Protocol has been deployed at [https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/unlock/networks/](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/unlock/networks/)


As Goerli is being deprecated, the Unlock Protocol has now been deployed on the Sepolia Ethereum Testnet for developers.

Unlock Protocol is Now Available on the Sepolia Ethereum Testnet

<img src="/images/blog/sepolia/sepolia-share-image.png" alt="sepolia-share-image.png">
The <a href="https://moralis.io/sepolia-testnet-guide-what-is-the-sepolia-testnet/">Sepolia testnet</a> has emerged as an important environment for developers who are creating dapps in the Ethereum ecosystem. In a move to help ensure that the Unlock Protocol is available wherever developers need it, Unlock Labs is thrilled to announce that the Unlock Protocol is now available on the Sepolia testnet, effective immediately.
<h2>Why use a test network?</h2>
Test networks like Sepolia are crucial for experimentation and development. They function similarly to the main networks, except their coins are freely obtainable, usually via online faucets. Before deploying costly contracts and operations on a production network, it's prudent to test them in a nearly identical, yet cost-free environment.
<h2>The Goerli testnet is scheduled to be sunset in 2023</h2>
Many developers are currently using <a href="https://docs.chainstack.com/docs/goerli-to-sepolia-transition">the Goerli testnet, which is scheduled to sunset by the end of 2023</a>.
Sepolia is the next primary Ethereum testnet for developers, and Sepolia is scheduled to be in operation until 2026.
<h2>Unlock Protocol on Sepolia</h2>
The contracts for Unlock Protocol have been deployed on Sepolia and you are able to create test locks from the Unlock dashboard, starting now. The Unlock Protocol main contract on Sepolia lives at the address <a href="https://sepolia.etherscan.io/address/0x36b34e10295cCE69B652eEB5a8046041074515Da">0x36b34e10295cCE69B652eEB5a8046041074515Da</a>. Sepolia is an ideal environment to build custom logic for your lock, and supports key Unlock Protocol capabilities like contract hooks.
<ul>
<li>Sepolia chain/network id: 11155111</li>
<li>Native currency: ETH</li>
<li>Sepolia explorer: <a href="https://sepolia.etherscan.io/">https://sepolia.etherscan.io/</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Sepolia online faucets</h2>
Here are two currently-available online faucets for obtaining Sepolia tokens for testing.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://sepoliafaucet.com/">https://sepoliafaucet.com/</a> (Alchemy)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.infura.io/faucet/sepolia">https://www.infura.io/faucet/sepolia</a> (Infura)</li>
</ul>
Note: You can always find the up-to-late list of all the production and test networks where Unlock Protocol has been deployed at <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/unlock/networks/">https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/unlock/networks/</a>


![cross-chain-share.png](/images/blog/crosschain/cross-chain-share.png)

In service to the Unlock DAO, the Unlock Labs team has been working on [an ambitious project to implement cross-chain DAO governance](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/crosschain) to ensure consistent protocol behavior across variety of EVM-compatible networks where Unlock Protocol has been deployed. 

When the Unlock DAO approves a proposal that affects the operation of the core Unlock Protocol, those changes are propagated via bridges across the various chains to keep the protocol’s behavior consistent, regardless of which chain is being used to deploy an Unlock Protocol smart contract. 

Unlock Labs partnered with [Connext](https://www.connext.network/) and [Gnosis Guild](https://gnosisguild.org/) to create this first-of-its-kind architecture that passes not only tokens between networks. *It passes code changes across bridges*. 

Here’s a quick FAQ on why this matters and how it works.

### How does this integration simplify the governance process across different blockchain networks?

The cross-chain process makes the overall DAO management process more straightforward, as the Governor contract on the Ethereum mainnet becomes the single source of truth for Unlock Protocol. Once a proposal for a change is ratified there, the change will propagate to other chains directly.

Previously, each proposal had to be sent separately to a different multisig on each network to reflect changes, which was a detailed, cumbersome, and manual process.

### How does this integration impact the overall maintenance and workflow of cross-chain governance?

The maintenance of the protocol is simplified as steps to propagate a DAO decision from mainnet to other chains is now automated. Before, the manual steps could lead to errors or mistakes.

A single DAO proposal can now lead to a version upgrade in protocol contracts or a change in protocol settings that cascades across multiple chains directly. This previously required separate manual intervention to implement a change, for each and every network.

As part of this project, Unlock Labs also developed and improved tools to write, test, and submit DAO proposals. DAO proposals can now be written in the form of a full js script, allowing for different kinds of interactions (e.g. interactions with 3rd party libraries, contract deployments, and more) as part of the [proposal](https://github.com/unlock-protocol/unlock/pull/12790).

### How does the implementation benefit the members of the Unlock DAO?

For members of the DAO, the cross-chain process allows them to gain more control and insight about what is happening across the entire protocol. Before this upgrade, the “upgrade” part of the protocol was partially centralized with Unlock Labs team. In the spirit — and action — of progressive decentralization, any Unlock DAO member can write and submit a proposal that can be reflected across the many chains where the protocol has been deployed.

### Does this implementation enhance security or efficiency in cross-chain DAO governance?

This new implementation helps the Unlock Protocol ecosystem execute more efficiently, since approved proposals will propagate more quickly across the various networks with reduced overhead. 

Security, as usual, is a double-edged sword. On one side, a single proposal can apply changes across multiple chains making audit and tracking of calls easier, and the protocol more consistent (for instance in case of an upgrade, which in the past could result in different protocol versions across different chains). 

Of course, the converse is also true — a potential error will propagate more quickly to the other chains. This upgrade includes multiple safeguards, including a cooldown process for transactions when they arrive on destination chains with the ability to cancel a malicious transaction during that cooldown period. A timelock allows quarantining a call after it has crossed the bridge. 

The main concern is to have a mechanism to prevent the execution of a malicious call in case the bridge itself is ever compromised.

### How does this implementation contribute to the broader goal of decentralization in web3?

Unlock Protocol's DAO (with a D as in “Decentralized”) aims at building tools for the community of Unlock Protocol developers, users and stakeholders to manage the protocol themselves, without intervention from the Unlock Labs core team. 

This cross-chain governance process puts management of contracts previously only managed by Unlock’s team multisig in the hands of the Unlock DAO. By doing so, Unlock also stands at the forefront of experiments in protocol governance by proposing a complete, auditable, and transparent way to make changes in the protocol when necessary.

### What was the role of Connext in this architecture?

Connext provides the bridge technology that is necessary for taking the calls contained in the DAO proposal from mainnet to the other chains. The Connext bridge effectively conveys the instructions to execute across chains.

### What was the role of Safe in this architecture?

Safe provides the receiving end of DAO proposals on destination chains. When a call is sent from the DAO’s Governor contract, it crosses the bridge towards a Safe that receives it.

Gnosis Guild’s Zodiac suite of modules allows for a Safe to 1) receive calls properly from the bridge and 2) put a call in quarantine for a cooldown period once it is received.

Unlock Protocol has historically relied on Safe for the management of the protocol contracts. By reusing and building on the same tech, the changes required for the protocol governance are kept to a minimum to avoid potential security issues.

### Things we learned along the way

There were multiple challenges along the way, as we were in radically unexplored technical territory. When we started [working on this idea earlier this summer](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/crosschain), Connext had recently been launched. At that time, each call took more than 5 hours to cross a bridge, making things a bit tedious to test sometimes. Also, the lack of some tooling on testnets made for some development challenges.

In the time since the first iteration of this architecture, Connext developed integration with the *extremely* helpful Zodiac module solution, which was audited and maintained by their own team.

We discovered a few issues integrating with the contracts during the process, and were able to work very closely with the Gnosis Guild team, who were incredibly responsive when issues arose during the development. 

### The bottom line: This is complex stuff!

As an industry, it’s clear that we are just at the beginning of this journey. There is still a long road ahead for DAO tools and lots to build, and projects like this require coordination and collaborative effort across many parts of the ecosystem.

Work on governance is hard, as tools are still in a very early stage. 

**Unlock Labs wants to give a big shout out to the teams at [Connext](https://www.connext.network/) and [Gnosis Guild](https://gnosisguild.org/), who are not only at the top of their technical game, but who are also a blast to work with!**


Unlock Labs partnered with Connext and Gnosis Guild to create this first-of-its-kind architecture that passes not only tokens between networks. It passes code changes across bridges.

Implementing Cross-Chain DAO Governance with Unlock Protocol, Connext and Gnosis Guild

<img src="/images/blog/crosschain/cross-chain-share.png" alt="cross-chain-share.png">
In service to the Unlock DAO, the Unlock Labs team has been working on <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/crosschain">an ambitious project to implement cross-chain DAO governance</a> to ensure consistent protocol behavior across variety of EVM-compatible networks where Unlock Protocol has been deployed.
When the Unlock DAO approves a proposal that affects the operation of the core Unlock Protocol, those changes are propagated via bridges across the various chains to keep the protocol’s behavior consistent, regardless of which chain is being used to deploy an Unlock Protocol smart contract.
Unlock Labs partnered with <a href="https://www.connext.network/">Connext</a> and <a href="https://gnosisguild.org/">Gnosis Guild</a> to create this first-of-its-kind architecture that passes not only tokens between networks. It passes code changes across bridges.
Here’s a quick FAQ on why this matters and how it works.
<h3>How does this integration simplify the governance process across different blockchain networks?</h3>
The cross-chain process makes the overall DAO management process more straightforward, as the Governor contract on the Ethereum mainnet becomes the single source of truth for Unlock Protocol. Once a proposal for a change is ratified there, the change will propagate to other chains directly.
Previously, each proposal had to be sent separately to a different multisig on each network to reflect changes, which was a detailed, cumbersome, and manual process.
<h3>How does this integration impact the overall maintenance and workflow of cross-chain governance?</h3>
The maintenance of the protocol is simplified as steps to propagate a DAO decision from mainnet to other chains is now automated. Before, the manual steps could lead to errors or mistakes.
A single DAO proposal can now lead to a version upgrade in protocol contracts or a change in protocol settings that cascades across multiple chains directly. This previously required separate manual intervention to implement a change, for each and every network.
As part of this project, Unlock Labs also developed and improved tools to write, test, and submit DAO proposals. DAO proposals can now be written in the form of a full js script, allowing for different kinds of interactions (e.g. interactions with 3rd party libraries, contract deployments, and more) as part of the <a href="https://github.com/unlock-protocol/unlock/pull/12790">proposal</a>.
<h3>How does the implementation benefit the members of the Unlock DAO?</h3>
For members of the DAO, the cross-chain process allows them to gain more control and insight about what is happening across the entire protocol. Before this upgrade, the “upgrade” part of the protocol was partially centralized with Unlock Labs team. In the spirit — and action — of progressive decentralization, any Unlock DAO member can write and submit a proposal that can be reflected across the many chains where the protocol has been deployed.
<h3>Does this implementation enhance security or efficiency in cross-chain DAO governance?</h3>
This new implementation helps the Unlock Protocol ecosystem execute more efficiently, since approved proposals will propagate more quickly across the various networks with reduced overhead.
Security, as usual, is a double-edged sword. On one side, a single proposal can apply changes across multiple chains making audit and tracking of calls easier, and the protocol more consistent (for instance in case of an upgrade, which in the past could result in different protocol versions across different chains).
Of course, the converse is also true — a potential error will propagate more quickly to the other chains. This upgrade includes multiple safeguards, including a cooldown process for transactions when they arrive on destination chains with the ability to cancel a malicious transaction during that cooldown period. A timelock allows quarantining a call after it has crossed the bridge.
The main concern is to have a mechanism to prevent the execution of a malicious call in case the bridge itself is ever compromised.
<h3>How does this implementation contribute to the broader goal of decentralization in web3?</h3>
Unlock Protocol's DAO (with a D as in “Decentralized”) aims at building tools for the community of Unlock Protocol developers, users and stakeholders to manage the protocol themselves, without intervention from the Unlock Labs core team.
This cross-chain governance process puts management of contracts previously only managed by Unlock’s team multisig in the hands of the Unlock DAO. By doing so, Unlock also stands at the forefront of experiments in protocol governance by proposing a complete, auditable, and transparent way to make changes in the protocol when necessary.
<h3>What was the role of Connext in this architecture?</h3>
Connext provides the bridge technology that is necessary for taking the calls contained in the DAO proposal from mainnet to the other chains. The Connext bridge effectively conveys the instructions to execute across chains.
<h3>What was the role of Safe in this architecture?</h3>
Safe provides the receiving end of DAO proposals on destination chains. When a call is sent from the DAO’s Governor contract, it crosses the bridge towards a Safe that receives it.
Gnosis Guild’s Zodiac suite of modules allows for a Safe to 1) receive calls properly from the bridge and 2) put a call in quarantine for a cooldown period once it is received.
Unlock Protocol has historically relied on Safe for the management of the protocol contracts. By reusing and building on the same tech, the changes required for the protocol governance are kept to a minimum to avoid potential security issues.
<h3>Things we learned along the way</h3>
There were multiple challenges along the way, as we were in radically unexplored technical territory. When we started <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/crosschain">working on this idea earlier this summer</a>, Connext had recently been launched. At that time, each call took more than 5 hours to cross a bridge, making things a bit tedious to test sometimes. Also, the lack of some tooling on testnets made for some development challenges.
In the time since the first iteration of this architecture, Connext developed integration with the extremely helpful Zodiac module solution, which was audited and maintained by their own team.
We discovered a few issues integrating with the contracts during the process, and were able to work very closely with the Gnosis Guild team, who were incredibly responsive when issues arose during the development.
<h3>The bottom line: This is complex stuff!</h3>
As an industry, it’s clear that we are just at the beginning of this journey. There is still a long road ahead for DAO tools and lots to build, and projects like this require coordination and collaborative effort across many parts of the ecosystem.
Work on governance is hard, as tools are still in a very early stage.
Unlock Labs wants to give a big shout out to the teams at <a href="https://www.connext.network/">Connext</a> and <a href="https://gnosisguild.org/">Gnosis Guild</a>, who are not only at the top of their technical game, but who are also a blast to work with!


It is now obvious that L2 (and side-chains before that) represent a required step to “scale” blockchains. All transactions will not happen on the same “virtual machine”, but across dozens of them. This is the reason why the Unlock Protocol has been deployed on 12 networks (and more to come), including [Ethereum mainnet](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/announcing-v0), [Polygon](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/unlock-on-polygon), [Gnosis Chain](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/xdai) (neee xDAI), [Optimism](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/optimism), [Arbitrum](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/arbitrum) and more recently [Base](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/base).

This, however, also brings a new challenge for users: their wallets need to have tokens on each an every network they wish to use to transact. This meant a lot of manual bridging and a lot of headaches.

Today, the Unlock Labs team is excited to announce, in partnership with [Decent.xyz](http://decent.xyz), a whole new feature in our “checkout” tool: the ability to make **cross-chain purchases**. 

## What is Unlock’s checkout?

The [Unlock checkout](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/tools/checkout/) is an interface that lets developers easily add the the ability to purchase memberships from their sites, without having to write too much code. It already has the following features:

- Connecting wallets (any web3 wallet)
- Handling [Unlock accounts](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/tools/sign-in-with-ethereum/unlock-accounts) for users without a wallet
- Supporting [metadata collection](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/tools/checkout/collecting-metadata) (like email addresses or full names)
- Enabling [recurring onchain subscriptions](https://unlock-protocol.com/guides/recurring-memberships/)
- [Credit card](https://unlock-protocol.com/guides/enabling-credit-cards/) support (through Stripe or [Crossmint](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/crossmint-unlock-integration))
- [Swap and Pay](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/swap-and-purchase)

and several more features that make it easy for developers to integrate memberships or subscriptions into their onchain applications.

Unlock has now partnered with the team at [Decent](https://decent.xyz) to introduce “**cross-chain checkout**”. 

## What is cross-chain checkout?

This new feature lets users send transactions from the chain of *their* choice to a different network on which a membership smart contract has been deployed. This is a major unlock (haha) to provide a better user experience. **Users do not have to bridge tokens, or even configure their wallets for that new chain**.

What to try it out by yourself on a live demo? [Use this checkout link.](https://app.unlock-protocol.com/checkout?id=cf572b45-5799-4e0d-9dce-d7f741063a5e)

![crosschain-checkout-screenshot.png](/images/blog/crosschaincheckout/cross-chain-checkout-screenshot.png)

In the example, a membership NFT smart contract has been [deployed on Optimism](https://optimistic.etherscan.io/address/0x82bc85aac5b8192d1ef835a9ae9e4bdb299a57ea#code). As a user, I want to purchase a membership, but I don’t have any tokens on Optimism. However, in my wallet, I **do** have some Ether on Arbitrum, Base and Ethereum mainnet. I also have some Matic on Polygon, but not enough to make the purchase, so this option does not show up.

Cross-chain checkout empowers me to use the tokens I do have to purchase the memberships I want, even if they are on other networks.

When I click purchase, Unlock and Decent are integrated to transparently handle all of the bridging and exchange needed to make this transaction as seamless as possible. (As you can imagine, this does have a slight gas cost and behind-the-scenes bridging time. For L2s like Arbitrum or Base, this takes less than one minute.)

At Unlock, we believe that to bring web3 to the masses, we need to remove friction wherever possible, and we’re really proud of this new feature! Please, [let us know what features](https://discord.unlock-protocol.com/) you would want to see being added to the Unlock checkout!


The Unlock Labs team has released, in partnership with Decent, the ability for users to make cross-chain purchases across the Ethereum ecosystem from the Unlock checkout.

You Can Now Do Cross-Chain Purchases with Unlock and Decent

It is now obvious that L2 (and side-chains before that) represent a required step to “scale” blockchains. All transactions will not happen on the same “virtual machine”, but across dozens of them. This is the reason why the Unlock Protocol has been deployed on 12 networks (and more to come), including <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/announcing-v0">Ethereum mainnet</a>, <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/unlock-on-polygon">Polygon</a>, <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/xdai">Gnosis Chain</a> (neee xDAI), <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/optimism">Optimism</a>, <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/arbitrum">Arbitrum</a> and more recently <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/base">Base</a>.
This, however, also brings a new challenge for users: their wallets need to have tokens on each an every network they wish to use to transact. This meant a lot of manual bridging and a lot of headaches.
Today, the Unlock Labs team is excited to announce, in partnership with <a href="http://decent.xyz">Decent.xyz</a>, a whole new feature in our “checkout” tool: the ability to make cross-chain purchases.
<h2>What is Unlock’s checkout?</h2>
The <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/tools/checkout/">Unlock checkout</a> is an interface that lets developers easily add the the ability to purchase memberships from their sites, without having to write too much code. It already has the following features:
<ul>
<li>Connecting wallets (any web3 wallet)</li>
<li>Handling <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/tools/sign-in-with-ethereum/unlock-accounts">Unlock accounts</a> for users without a wallet</li>
<li>Supporting <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/tools/checkout/collecting-metadata">metadata collection</a> (like email addresses or full names)</li>
<li>Enabling <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/guides/recurring-memberships/">recurring onchain subscriptions</a></li>
<li><a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/guides/enabling-credit-cards/">Credit card</a> support (through Stripe or <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/crossmint-unlock-integration">Crossmint</a>)</li>
<li><a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/swap-and-purchase">Swap and Pay</a></li>
</ul>
and several more features that make it easy for developers to integrate memberships or subscriptions into their onchain applications.
Unlock has now partnered with the team at <a href="https://decent.xyz">Decent</a> to introduce “cross-chain checkout”.
<h2>What is cross-chain checkout?</h2>
This new feature lets users send transactions from the chain of their choice to a different network on which a membership smart contract has been deployed. This is a major unlock (haha) to provide a better user experience. Users do not have to bridge tokens, or even configure their wallets for that new chain.
What to try it out by yourself on a live demo? <a href="https://app.unlock-protocol.com/checkout?id=cf572b45-5799-4e0d-9dce-d7f741063a5e">Use this checkout link.</a>
<img src="/images/blog/crosschaincheckout/cross-chain-checkout-screenshot.png" alt="crosschain-checkout-screenshot.png">
In the example, a membership NFT smart contract has been <a href="https://optimistic.etherscan.io/address/0x82bc85aac5b8192d1ef835a9ae9e4bdb299a57ea#code">deployed on Optimism</a>. As a user, I want to purchase a membership, but I don’t have any tokens on Optimism. However, in my wallet, I do have some Ether on Arbitrum, Base and Ethereum mainnet. I also have some Matic on Polygon, but not enough to make the purchase, so this option does not show up.
Cross-chain checkout empowers me to use the tokens I do have to purchase the memberships I want, even if they are on other networks.
When I click purchase, Unlock and Decent are integrated to transparently handle all of the bridging and exchange needed to make this transaction as seamless as possible. (As you can imagine, this does have a slight gas cost and behind-the-scenes bridging time. For L2s like Arbitrum or Base, this takes less than one minute.)
At Unlock, we believe that to bring web3 to the masses, we need to remove friction wherever possible, and we’re really proud of this new feature! Please, <a href="https://discord.unlock-protocol.com/">let us know what features</a> you would want to see being added to the Unlock checkout!


![the booth ](https://images.mirror-media.xyz/publication-images/3RVsNPK8b787RwjfGfM4A.jpeg)

_Editor's note: This is a crosspost from [Lana's original post on Mirror](https://mirror.xyz/lanadingwall.eth/AjyFa55txACpTwH6B5vzqJbI_2Kk0HlfVZ_mDbtCHV4). After reading, we highly recommend you mint & collect it there!_

## ETHGlobal New York was a 3-day, 36-hour hackathon that was jam-packed with fun builders energy

If you’ve never been, a web3 hackathon is an event where developers, designers, project managers, business development folks, product designers and innovators come together to create decentralized applications (dApps), and blockchain-based solutions, and explore the potential of web3 technologies. Participants typically collaborate in teams (of up to 5) to build innovative projects that leverage blockchain, smart contracts, and decentralized protocols. These hackathons often involve coding challenges, workshops, and opportunities to learn and network with experts in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. The goal is to foster creativity and accelerate the development of decentralized solutions for various industries and use cases.

I typically attend as a hacker, but this time had the opportunity to be an ambassador for Unlock Protocol, helping teams who wanted to learn more about their technology and how best to implement it into their project.

## Unlock Ambassador

This was a full circle moment for me, as last year I participated in the ETHGlobal New York hackathon and my team's project won a second-place prize with Unlock. Being on the other side of the booth was a new experience for me, and one I am deeply grateful for. I know what it’s like to be sleep-deprived and trying to bring everything together in time for the submission deadline. Being able to support and mentor teams with their projects was a refreshing and fun experience.

On top of getting to work with Julien and Patrick from the Unlock team, I was fortunate enough to meet Alejandro. He is a founder and Unlock community member building out a New York events dApp called [Nameless](https://nameless.nyc/) using Unlock Protocol in the backend.

One of the things I love about Unlock is that it doesn’t need to take center stage in your application. I tested out the Nameless dApp and I would have never known I was using a blockchain-powered site, just the way Alejandro built it.

In other words, you can build a normie in the front, crypto in the back application while leveraging Unlock’s tech stack.

![An event from Nameless.nyc ](https://mirror.xyz/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mirror-media.xyz%2Fpublication-images%2FHVZTFBY4UODmuzgevKZdB.png&w=3840&q=75)

_An event from Nameless.nyc_

This year ETHGlobal New York had over 990 hackers and saw 330 submissions.

Unlock Protocol arguably had the best location because the booth faced the water, thank you ETHGlobal team for that.

Julien, the Founder of Unlock Protocol also gave a workshop at the hackathon on integrating membership smart contracts which you can find [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4JnP3g6RuM).

![The view from the Unlock Protocol Booth](https://mirror.xyz/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mirror-media.xyz%2Fpublication-images%2FFFYTCgjrQg7lxXMl4w1Im.jpg&w=3840&q=75)

_The view from the Unlock Protocol Booth_

## The TLDR on Unlock Protocol

Open-source and purpose-built, with a small core team and an active DAO.

Smart contracts that are built specifically for memberships and subscriptions of all kinds.

Their dynamic smart contract NFTs allow you to add time constraints, update pricing, and handle recurring payments, either in crypto or fiat.

![A slide on what makes Unlocks tech stack so much more than just a basic NFT](https://mirror.xyz/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mirror-media.xyz%2Fpublication-images%2FK9akUlaMg_9npxcJ7CD-4.jpg&w=3840&q=75)

_A slide on what makes Unlocks tech stack so much more than just a basic NFT_

Since Unlock’s use cases include event ticketing, recurring subscriptions, time-based memberships, certifications and credentials, gaming, loyalty programs, attendance NFTs, and digital collectibles that all have crypto or fiat, wallet or email sign-up capabilities there are a number of ways you can integrate Unlock.

Here is a very simplified list of ways you could use their tech stack in your project.

1.  **Decentralized Event Ticketing Platform**: Create a platform or simply embed a feature where event organizers can sell tickets as NFTs, allowing attendees to securely own and transfer their event tickets. This could include features like secondary ticket markets and anti-scalping measures.
    
2.  **Recurring Subscription Service**: Build a subscription service where content creators or businesses can offer exclusive content or services in exchange for recurring payments in cryptocurrency. Unlock could manage subscription access.
    
3.  **Time-Based Membership Communities**: Create membership communities that grant access based on a time-based subscription model. Users pay with crypto to access exclusive content or communities for a specified duration.
    
4.  **Certification and Credential Verification**: Develop a system for verifying and sharing professional certifications and credentials as NFTs. This could be particularly useful in industries like education and job recruitment.
    
5.  **Blockchain-Based Gaming**: Incorporate Unlock into blockchain games to offer in-game items, characters, or access to special features as NFTs. Gamers can purchase, trade, and own these assets.
    
6.  **Loyalty and Rewards Programs**: Implement a loyalty program that rewards customers with loyalty NFTs. These NFTs could represent loyalty points or special privileges within a business ecosystem.
    
7.  **Attendance NFTs for Virtual Events**: Create NFTs for virtual event attendance. Attendees receive NFTs that grant them access to virtual events, and these NFTs can be traded or sold.
    
8.  **Digital Collectibles Marketplace**: Build a marketplace for digital collectibles as NFTs. Users can buy, sell, and trade digital artwork, cards, or other collectibles securely using the Unlock protocol.
    
9.  **Charity and Donation Platform**: Enable donors to receive unique NFTs as a form of acknowledgment for their contributions. These NFTs could also grant access to exclusive charity-related events or content.
    
10.  **Tokenized Certification for Online Courses**: Develop a platform for online courses where certifications are issued as NFTs. This ensures the authenticity and transferability of certifications.
    

![Some developer tooling resources](https://mirror.xyz/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mirror-media.xyz%2Fpublication-images%2F4C8amDM1L6TG0HrJBZloB.jpg&w=3840&q=75)

_Some developer tooling resources_

## 36 hours, 15 submitted projects

Within the tight timeframe of the 36-hour hackathon, Unlock Protocol received a solid turnout, with 15 projects submitted, and an impressive 14 of them directly presenting their ideas at our booth. These projects covered a diverse spectrum of categories, spanning from Defi and DAOs to healthcare and daycare solutions, as well as innovative applications in decentralized science and identity management. Additionally, one showcased a tailored React library designed specifically for integrating with the Unlock Protocol.

Here are the top three prize-winning projects.

### **[🔒 UnleashTheLock](https://ethglobal.com/showcase/unleashthelock-915uc) took home the first-place prize**

![UnleashTheLock](https://storage.googleapis.com/ethglobal-api-production/projects%2F915uc%2Fimages%2F1.png)

_UnleashTheLock_

A React library to facilitate integration with Unlock Protocol subscriptions.

Since most frontends are built using React, the most efficient way for a developer to add functionality is by installing a library. That's exactly what UnleashTheLock offers—a customizable widget that allows developers to easily integrate Unlock Protocol subscriptions into their frontends. Simply install the library and set your custom properties—no more external checkout links or mismatched HTML iframes.

In the spirit of Y Combinator, think of UnleashTheLock as the Uniswap widget for Unlock Protocol.

You can deeper into UnleashTheLock [here](https://ethglobal.com/showcase/unleashthelock-915uc).

![The UnleashTheLock team](https://mirror.xyz/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mirror-media.xyz%2Fpublication-images%2FKos3sPGizBLodQdABSvKI.jpg&w=3840&q=75)

_The UnleashTheLock team_

### **[🦄 Fixed Protocol](https://ethglobal.com/showcase/fixed-protocol-e890z) took home second-place**

![Fixed Protocol](https://storage.googleapis.com/ethglobal-api-production/projects%2Fe890z%2Fimages%2F2023-09-23%2022.16.05.jpg)

_Fixed Protocol_

Fixed is a subscription-based, zero-cost trading product on Uniswap for stable swaps designed to increase capital efficiency and limit sandwich attacks. Using Uniswap Hooks, Unbound and Safe, Fixed allows traders to pay a subscription to access 0 fee stable pools with no gas fees

You can dive deeper into Fixed Protocol [here](https://ethglobal.com/showcase/fixed-protocol-e890z).

![The Fixed Protocol team featuring Julien](https://mirror.xyz/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mirror-media.xyz%2Fpublication-images%2Fg_2Ectpw0kUslVfy27gvT.jpg&w=3840&q=75)

_The Fixed Protocol team featuring Julien_

### **[📽️ Engage](https://ethglobal.com/showcase/engage-efsd1) took home third-place**

![Engage](https://storage.googleapis.com/ethglobal-api-production/projects%2Fefsd1%2Fimages%2Fss1.png)

_Engage_

Engage provides a platform for creators to interact with their audience and track useful analytics.

Engage is an innovative platform designed to revolutionize the content creation industry by fostering deeper connections between content creators and their audiences. Engage provides a two-fold solution: a dedicated side dashboard for content creators and a dynamic viewer dashboard. This comprehensive platform aims to empower creators, enhance viewer engagement, and create a thriving ecosystem for content creation.

You can dive deeper into Engage [here](https://ethglobal.com/showcase/engage-efsd1).

![The Engage team](https://mirror.xyz/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mirror-media.xyz%2Fpublication-images%2F9OMKmYlmIMoQS_o5qOzrz.jpg&w=3840&q=75)

_The Engage team_

## Builder Energy

In my opinion what makes hackathons so exciting is all the builder energy. The ideas, the problem-solving, the inspiration and the desire to build something impactful. What was obvious from being an ambassador for Unlock and speaking with so many hackers about their projects is that there is no shortage of ways Unlock Protocol can be integrated into a project.

ETHGlobal New York 2023 embodied the fast-paced, exciting energy of the web3 ecosystem, bringing together a diverse array of talented builders and innovators. The hackathon showcased the potential of Unlock Protocol, offering a wide range of integration possibilities across industries, from Defi and DAOs to healthcare and daycare solutions, as well as innovative applications in decentralized science and identity management.

The event's top projects, including UnleashTheLock, Fixed Protocol, and Engage, demonstrated the innovative applications that can be achieved with Unlock, reaffirming its position as a versatile and impactful tool in the web3 toolkit. The hackathon's spirit of innovation, problem-solving, and collaboration left no doubt that the web3 landscape is teeming with opportunities for those willing to explore and create, making it an exciting and promising frontier for the future of technology.

_Lana Dingwall is a business coach for socially and spiritually conscious entrepreneurs and is an Unlock Ambassador. You can find Lana's full online presence at [https://lanadingwall.com](https://lanadingwall.com)_.


Unlock Ambassador Lana Dingwall shares her experience at the ETHGlobal New York 2023 hackathon, which drew over 1300 participants.

Unlock Protocol x ETHGlobal New York '23

<img src="https://images.mirror-media.xyz/publication-images/3RVsNPK8b787RwjfGfM4A.jpeg" alt="the booth ">
Editor's note: This is a crosspost from <a href="https://mirror.xyz/lanadingwall.eth/AjyFa55txACpTwH6B5vzqJbI_2Kk0HlfVZ_mDbtCHV4">Lana's original post on Mirror</a>. After reading, we highly recommend you mint &#x26; collect it there!
<h2>ETHGlobal New York was a 3-day, 36-hour hackathon that was jam-packed with fun builders energy</h2>
If you’ve never been, a web3 hackathon is an event where developers, designers, project managers, business development folks, product designers and innovators come together to create decentralized applications (dApps), and blockchain-based solutions, and explore the potential of web3 technologies. Participants typically collaborate in teams (of up to 5) to build innovative projects that leverage blockchain, smart contracts, and decentralized protocols. These hackathons often involve coding challenges, workshops, and opportunities to learn and network with experts in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. The goal is to foster creativity and accelerate the development of decentralized solutions for various industries and use cases.
I typically attend as a hacker, but this time had the opportunity to be an ambassador for Unlock Protocol, helping teams who wanted to learn more about their technology and how best to implement it into their project.
<h2>Unlock Ambassador</h2>
This was a full circle moment for me, as last year I participated in the ETHGlobal New York hackathon and my team's project won a second-place prize with Unlock. Being on the other side of the booth was a new experience for me, and one I am deeply grateful for. I know what it’s like to be sleep-deprived and trying to bring everything together in time for the submission deadline. Being able to support and mentor teams with their projects was a refreshing and fun experience.
On top of getting to work with Julien and Patrick from the Unlock team, I was fortunate enough to meet Alejandro. He is a founder and Unlock community member building out a New York events dApp called <a href="https://nameless.nyc/">Nameless</a> using Unlock Protocol in the backend.
One of the things I love about Unlock is that it doesn’t need to take center stage in your application. I tested out the Nameless dApp and I would have never known I was using a blockchain-powered site, just the way Alejandro built it.
In other words, you can build a normie in the front, crypto in the back application while leveraging Unlock’s tech stack.
<img src="https://mirror.xyz/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mirror-media.xyz%2Fpublication-images%2FHVZTFBY4UODmuzgevKZdB.png&#x26;w=3840&#x26;q=75" alt="An event from Nameless.nyc ">
An event from Nameless.nyc
This year ETHGlobal New York had over 990 hackers and saw 330 submissions.
Unlock Protocol arguably had the best location because the booth faced the water, thank you ETHGlobal team for that.
Julien, the Founder of Unlock Protocol also gave a workshop at the hackathon on integrating membership smart contracts which you can find <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4JnP3g6RuM">here</a>.
<img src="https://mirror.xyz/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mirror-media.xyz%2Fpublication-images%2FFFYTCgjrQg7lxXMl4w1Im.jpg&#x26;w=3840&#x26;q=75" alt="The view from the Unlock Protocol Booth">
The view from the Unlock Protocol Booth
<h2>The TLDR on Unlock Protocol</h2>
Open-source and purpose-built, with a small core team and an active DAO.
Smart contracts that are built specifically for memberships and subscriptions of all kinds.
Their dynamic smart contract NFTs allow you to add time constraints, update pricing, and handle recurring payments, either in crypto or fiat.
<img src="https://mirror.xyz/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mirror-media.xyz%2Fpublication-images%2FK9akUlaMg_9npxcJ7CD-4.jpg&#x26;w=3840&#x26;q=75" alt="A slide on what makes Unlocks tech stack so much more than just a basic NFT">
A slide on what makes Unlocks tech stack so much more than just a basic NFT
Since Unlock’s use cases include event ticketing, recurring subscriptions, time-based memberships, certifications and credentials, gaming, loyalty programs, attendance NFTs, and digital collectibles that all have crypto or fiat, wallet or email sign-up capabilities there are a number of ways you can integrate Unlock.
Here is a very simplified list of ways you could use their tech stack in your project.
<ol>
<li>
Decentralized Event Ticketing Platform: Create a platform or simply embed a feature where event organizers can sell tickets as NFTs, allowing attendees to securely own and transfer their event tickets. This could include features like secondary ticket markets and anti-scalping measures.
</li>
<li>
Recurring Subscription Service: Build a subscription service where content creators or businesses can offer exclusive content or services in exchange for recurring payments in cryptocurrency. Unlock could manage subscription access.
</li>
<li>
Time-Based Membership Communities: Create membership communities that grant access based on a time-based subscription model. Users pay with crypto to access exclusive content or communities for a specified duration.
</li>
<li>
Certification and Credential Verification: Develop a system for verifying and sharing professional certifications and credentials as NFTs. This could be particularly useful in industries like education and job recruitment.
</li>
<li>
Blockchain-Based Gaming: Incorporate Unlock into blockchain games to offer in-game items, characters, or access to special features as NFTs. Gamers can purchase, trade, and own these assets.
</li>
<li>
Loyalty and Rewards Programs: Implement a loyalty program that rewards customers with loyalty NFTs. These NFTs could represent loyalty points or special privileges within a business ecosystem.
</li>
<li>
Attendance NFTs for Virtual Events: Create NFTs for virtual event attendance. Attendees receive NFTs that grant them access to virtual events, and these NFTs can be traded or sold.
</li>
<li>
Digital Collectibles Marketplace: Build a marketplace for digital collectibles as NFTs. Users can buy, sell, and trade digital artwork, cards, or other collectibles securely using the Unlock protocol.
</li>
<li>
Charity and Donation Platform: Enable donors to receive unique NFTs as a form of acknowledgment for their contributions. These NFTs could also grant access to exclusive charity-related events or content.
</li>
<li>
Tokenized Certification for Online Courses: Develop a platform for online courses where certifications are issued as NFTs. This ensures the authenticity and transferability of certifications.
</li>
</ol>
<img src="https://mirror.xyz/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mirror-media.xyz%2Fpublication-images%2F4C8amDM1L6TG0HrJBZloB.jpg&#x26;w=3840&#x26;q=75" alt="Some developer tooling resources">
Some developer tooling resources
<h2>36 hours, 15 submitted projects</h2>
Within the tight timeframe of the 36-hour hackathon, Unlock Protocol received a solid turnout, with 15 projects submitted, and an impressive 14 of them directly presenting their ideas at our booth. These projects covered a diverse spectrum of categories, spanning from Defi and DAOs to healthcare and daycare solutions, as well as innovative applications in decentralized science and identity management. Additionally, one showcased a tailored React library designed specifically for integrating with the Unlock Protocol.
Here are the top three prize-winning projects.
<h3><a href="https://ethglobal.com/showcase/unleashthelock-915uc">🔒 UnleashTheLock</a> took home the first-place prize</h3>
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ethglobal-api-production/projects%2F915uc%2Fimages%2F1.png" alt="UnleashTheLock">
UnleashTheLock
A React library to facilitate integration with Unlock Protocol subscriptions.
Since most frontends are built using React, the most efficient way for a developer to add functionality is by installing a library. That's exactly what UnleashTheLock offers—a customizable widget that allows developers to easily integrate Unlock Protocol subscriptions into their frontends. Simply install the library and set your custom properties—no more external checkout links or mismatched HTML iframes.
In the spirit of Y Combinator, think of UnleashTheLock as the Uniswap widget for Unlock Protocol.
You can deeper into UnleashTheLock <a href="https://ethglobal.com/showcase/unleashthelock-915uc">here</a>.
<img src="https://mirror.xyz/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mirror-media.xyz%2Fpublication-images%2FKos3sPGizBLodQdABSvKI.jpg&#x26;w=3840&#x26;q=75" alt="The UnleashTheLock team">
The UnleashTheLock team
<h3><a href="https://ethglobal.com/showcase/fixed-protocol-e890z">🦄 Fixed Protocol</a> took home second-place</h3>
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ethglobal-api-production/projects%2Fe890z%2Fimages%2F2023-09-23%2022.16.05.jpg" alt="Fixed Protocol">
Fixed Protocol
Fixed is a subscription-based, zero-cost trading product on Uniswap for stable swaps designed to increase capital efficiency and limit sandwich attacks. Using Uniswap Hooks, Unbound and Safe, Fixed allows traders to pay a subscription to access 0 fee stable pools with no gas fees
You can dive deeper into Fixed Protocol <a href="https://ethglobal.com/showcase/fixed-protocol-e890z">here</a>.
<img src="https://mirror.xyz/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mirror-media.xyz%2Fpublication-images%2Fg_2Ectpw0kUslVfy27gvT.jpg&#x26;w=3840&#x26;q=75" alt="The Fixed Protocol team featuring Julien">
The Fixed Protocol team featuring Julien
<h3><a href="https://ethglobal.com/showcase/engage-efsd1">📽️ Engage</a> took home third-place</h3>
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ethglobal-api-production/projects%2Fefsd1%2Fimages%2Fss1.png" alt="Engage">
Engage
Engage provides a platform for creators to interact with their audience and track useful analytics.
Engage is an innovative platform designed to revolutionize the content creation industry by fostering deeper connections between content creators and their audiences. Engage provides a two-fold solution: a dedicated side dashboard for content creators and a dynamic viewer dashboard. This comprehensive platform aims to empower creators, enhance viewer engagement, and create a thriving ecosystem for content creation.
You can dive deeper into Engage <a href="https://ethglobal.com/showcase/engage-efsd1">here</a>.
<img src="https://mirror.xyz/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.mirror-media.xyz%2Fpublication-images%2F9OMKmYlmIMoQS_o5qOzrz.jpg&#x26;w=3840&#x26;q=75" alt="The Engage team">
The Engage team
<h2>Builder Energy</h2>
In my opinion what makes hackathons so exciting is all the builder energy. The ideas, the problem-solving, the inspiration and the desire to build something impactful. What was obvious from being an ambassador for Unlock and speaking with so many hackers about their projects is that there is no shortage of ways Unlock Protocol can be integrated into a project.
ETHGlobal New York 2023 embodied the fast-paced, exciting energy of the web3 ecosystem, bringing together a diverse array of talented builders and innovators. The hackathon showcased the potential of Unlock Protocol, offering a wide range of integration possibilities across industries, from Defi and DAOs to healthcare and daycare solutions, as well as innovative applications in decentralized science and identity management.
The event's top projects, including UnleashTheLock, Fixed Protocol, and Engage, demonstrated the innovative applications that can be achieved with Unlock, reaffirming its position as a versatile and impactful tool in the web3 toolkit. The hackathon's spirit of innovation, problem-solving, and collaboration left no doubt that the web3 landscape is teeming with opportunities for those willing to explore and create, making it an exciting and promising frontier for the future of technology.
Lana Dingwall is a business coach for socially and spiritually conscious entrepreneurs and is an Unlock Ambassador. You can find Lana's full online presence at <a href="https://lanadingwall.com">https://lanadingwall.com</a>.


Our partners at Coinage launched [the first onchain scavenger hunt](https://hunt.coinage.media)! You have 12 days to unlock 12 words and get a chance to win 5 ETH.

Scavenger hunts are fun because they require players to find things… blockchains are good, because they bring transparency. How could we build a scavenger hunt onchain?

In this post we’ll share the details of how we built one!

![onchain scavenger hunt](/images/blog/scavenger-hunt-onchain/coinage.png)

## The rules of the scavenger hunt

The rules are fairly simple:

- The NFTs can only be minted starting at noon ET every day. So it is only possible to mint day 2, 24 hours after the game starts, etc.
- A given user can only mint the NFT for day n, if they have previously minted day n-1, except of course for the first day!
- To mint the NFT for a day, the user must **know** the word of that day.

## The smart contracts

Unlock Protocol membership smart contracts are called “locks.” At the core they are “regular” NFT-minting smart contracts with a ton of extra features. For the scavenger hunt, there is one contract per day, and the NFTs (keys) they mint are free to claim (the user only has to pay for gas to mint an NFT), and these NFT do not expire. Finally there is an unlimited supply of these NFTs for each day as of course, we would want as many participants as possible.

The most useful feature for the scavenger hunt is the presence of “hooks.” A hook is a call to a function on an external contract, which lets developers changes the behavior of the lock contract, or change its parameters dynamically.

Each Lock includes multiple hooks, starting with one that is called when a user performs a `purchase`. There are in fact two hooks in that `purchase` function. The first one gets called to get the price that the user should pay and the second one is called once the purchase has completed to change any state.

For this scavenger hunt, this is in this hook that we are implementing most of the logic:

- First, the hook has a `start` timestamp and we store each of the 12 locks. So we know if the `purchase` function has been called too early 🙂
- Then, since we have each of the locks, it’s possible to verify for each of them that the user who’s getting the NFT has minted the previous day’s NFT.
- Finally, we leverage another key feature of the `purchase` function in Unlock Protocol: its ability to also receive an arbitrary `data` field. The Lock actually ignores it, but passes it to the Hook contract. And this is how we check that the word-of-the-day matches.

## Storing secrets on chain

We could not really store the secret word of the day onchain, because anyone could easily just look up said words in the contract (or in previous successful transactions) and submit their own transaction with it. However, it’s important to realize that we don’t need the user to submit the word itself, but a proof that they know the word. This “proof” could be something that they would be able to compute _only_ if they knew the word.

If you’ve done a bit of cryptography, this should quickly ring a bell: you want a signature generated from the “secret”, rather than the secret. The signature can prove an “origin”, without disclosing how to perform it. As a matter of fact, if you know the messages that was signed, the EVM provides the very useful `ecrecover` function who can tell you the signer of a message, based on that message and a signature.

So, what we need to store is _not_ the password, but just the “signer” generated from the password itself. And what each `purchase` transaction needs to include is not the password either, but a “signature”, by the signer, of a “known” message. In our case, we use the “recipient” of the NFT as the message.

So to summarize, here is the flow we use:

1. From the word entered by the user, we generate a private key.
2. Using that private key, we sign the address of the recipient.
3. We submit the signature as the `data` field in the `purchase` function. It is then passed down to the Hook from the Lock.
4. The Lock uses `ecrecover` on the `data` field, with the `recipient` and finds a signer. If the signer matches, the transaction succeeds… and if it does not match, the transaction fails!

Of course, it is critical that the secret word has a LOT of entropy, and that is what we recommended to the team at Coinage, because someone could quite easily run a [Dictionary Attack!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictionary_attack)

Using this technique, and with enough entropy, we can store “secrets” on chain and create a Scavenger Hunt! We’re now on Day 9 of the [Coinage Treasure Hunt](https://hunt.coinage.media/)! It is not too late to start playing for day the big prize on Day 12 :)


Scavenger hunts are fun because they require players to find things… blockchains are good, because they bring transparency.

Our partners at Coinage launched the first onchain scavenger hunt.

How to Build an Onchain Scavenger Hunt

Our partners at Coinage launched <a href="https://hunt.coinage.media">the first onchain scavenger hunt</a>! You have 12 days to unlock 12 words and get a chance to win 5 ETH.
Scavenger hunts are fun because they require players to find things… blockchains are good, because they bring transparency. How could we build a scavenger hunt onchain?
In this post we’ll share the details of how we built one!
<img src="/images/blog/scavenger-hunt-onchain/coinage.png" alt="onchain scavenger hunt">
<h2>The rules of the scavenger hunt</h2>
The rules are fairly simple:
<ul>
<li>The NFTs can only be minted starting at noon ET every day. So it is only possible to mint day 2, 24 hours after the game starts, etc.</li>
<li>A given user can only mint the NFT for day n, if they have previously minted day n-1, except of course for the first day!</li>
<li>To mint the NFT for a day, the user must know the word of that day.</li>
</ul>
<h2>The smart contracts</h2>
Unlock Protocol membership smart contracts are called “locks.” At the core they are “regular” NFT-minting smart contracts with a ton of extra features. For the scavenger hunt, there is one contract per day, and the NFTs (keys) they mint are free to claim (the user only has to pay for gas to mint an NFT), and these NFT do not expire. Finally there is an unlimited supply of these NFTs for each day as of course, we would want as many participants as possible.
The most useful feature for the scavenger hunt is the presence of “hooks.” A hook is a call to a function on an external contract, which lets developers changes the behavior of the lock contract, or change its parameters dynamically.
Each Lock includes multiple hooks, starting with one that is called when a user performs a <code>purchase</code>. There are in fact two hooks in that <code>purchase</code> function. The first one gets called to get the price that the user should pay and the second one is called once the purchase has completed to change any state.
For this scavenger hunt, this is in this hook that we are implementing most of the logic:
<ul>
<li>First, the hook has a <code>start</code> timestamp and we store each of the 12 locks. So we know if the <code>purchase</code> function has been called too early 🙂</li>
<li>Then, since we have each of the locks, it’s possible to verify for each of them that the user who’s getting the NFT has minted the previous day’s NFT.</li>
<li>Finally, we leverage another key feature of the <code>purchase</code> function in Unlock Protocol: its ability to also receive an arbitrary <code>data</code> field. The Lock actually ignores it, but passes it to the Hook contract. And this is how we check that the word-of-the-day matches.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Storing secrets on chain</h2>
We could not really store the secret word of the day onchain, because anyone could easily just look up said words in the contract (or in previous successful transactions) and submit their own transaction with it. However, it’s important to realize that we don’t need the user to submit the word itself, but a proof that they know the word. This “proof” could be something that they would be able to compute only if they knew the word.
If you’ve done a bit of cryptography, this should quickly ring a bell: you want a signature generated from the “secret”, rather than the secret. The signature can prove an “origin”, without disclosing how to perform it. As a matter of fact, if you know the messages that was signed, the EVM provides the very useful <code>ecrecover</code> function who can tell you the signer of a message, based on that message and a signature.
So, what we need to store is not the password, but just the “signer” generated from the password itself. And what each <code>purchase</code> transaction needs to include is not the password either, but a “signature”, by the signer, of a “known” message. In our case, we use the “recipient” of the NFT as the message.
So to summarize, here is the flow we use:
<ol>
<li>From the word entered by the user, we generate a private key.</li>
<li>Using that private key, we sign the address of the recipient.</li>
<li>We submit the signature as the <code>data</code> field in the <code>purchase</code> function. It is then passed down to the Hook from the Lock.</li>
<li>The Lock uses <code>ecrecover</code> on the <code>data</code> field, with the <code>recipient</code> and finds a signer. If the signer matches, the transaction succeeds… and if it does not match, the transaction fails!</li>
</ol>
Of course, it is critical that the secret word has a LOT of entropy, and that is what we recommended to the team at Coinage, because someone could quite easily run a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictionary_attack">Dictionary Attack!</a>
Using this technique, and with enough entropy, we can store “secrets” on chain and create a Scavenger Hunt! We’re now on Day 9 of the <a href="https://hunt.coinage.media/">Coinage Treasure Hunt</a>! It is not too late to start playing for day the big prize on Day 12 :)


Unlock Protocol is now integrated with [Crossmint](https://crossmint.com), expanding its credit card and other payment processing options! Working with Crossmint grants developers who are building on Unlock Protocol an additional avenue for implementing fiat transactions, specifically credit card payments. 

Crossmint is known for providing comprehensive APIs and tools for NFT creation, distribution, and custody, with a focus on exceptional user experience. Crossmint has been used by over 15,000 developers and companies, and has SDKs that support minting, payment and wallet management.

## Why Crossmint?

By leveraging Crossmint's suite of APIs and tools, there is now a new way to streamline the creation of memberships, tickets, and other related items through Unlock’s checkout. This integration also vastly improves the overall user experience. 

With Crossmint's expertise in facilitating credit card and cross-chain crypto payments, developers and other users of Unlock Protocol can now enjoy a broader range of payment options, connecting the decentralized world with other finance systems.

Crossmint works in over 180 countries all over the world and in all US states.

## How does it work?

When a user initiates a payment for an Unlock-powered transaction via Crossmint, either through credit card or another fiat method, the payment is converted into the requisite cryptocurrency. Then, the payments are transferred to the associated lock's smart contract.

This integration ensures that even though users might transact in fiat currencies, the underlying mechanics remain true to the idea of decentralization, and enable a similar user experience regardless of whether a transaction is executed using fiat or cryptocurrency.

## Availability

Unlock’s integration with Crossmint is currently in beta. A reference integration is live today, and is being used by [ETHVietnam](https://www.eth-vietnam.com/) for supporting credit card ticketing transactions.

As we continue refining the experience, we invite developers who are eager to explore this integration to reach out to either Unlock or Crossmint for guidance on setting things up. 

We value your feedback and insights during this phase. 

## What’s next?

As we progress, our goal is to transition to a fully self-serve platform, empowering developers with a seamless and autonomous experience with a focus on composability. Your early engagement is invaluable in shaping the future of this collaborative endeavor! 

As always, if you have questions, please reach out to us in our Discord at [https://discord.unlock-protocol.com](https://discord.unlock-protocol.com)


Unlock Protocol is now integrated with Crossmint, expanding its credit card and other payment processing options.

Unlock Protocol and Crossmint Partner for Payment Processing Integration

Unlock Protocol is now integrated with <a href="https://crossmint.com">Crossmint</a>, expanding its credit card and other payment processing options! Working with Crossmint grants developers who are building on Unlock Protocol an additional avenue for implementing fiat transactions, specifically credit card payments.
Crossmint is known for providing comprehensive APIs and tools for NFT creation, distribution, and custody, with a focus on exceptional user experience. Crossmint has been used by over 15,000 developers and companies, and has SDKs that support minting, payment and wallet management.
<h2>Why Crossmint?</h2>
By leveraging Crossmint's suite of APIs and tools, there is now a new way to streamline the creation of memberships, tickets, and other related items through Unlock’s checkout. This integration also vastly improves the overall user experience.
With Crossmint's expertise in facilitating credit card and cross-chain crypto payments, developers and other users of Unlock Protocol can now enjoy a broader range of payment options, connecting the decentralized world with other finance systems.
Crossmint works in over 180 countries all over the world and in all US states.
<h2>How does it work?</h2>
When a user initiates a payment for an Unlock-powered transaction via Crossmint, either through credit card or another fiat method, the payment is converted into the requisite cryptocurrency. Then, the payments are transferred to the associated lock's smart contract.
This integration ensures that even though users might transact in fiat currencies, the underlying mechanics remain true to the idea of decentralization, and enable a similar user experience regardless of whether a transaction is executed using fiat or cryptocurrency.
<h2>Availability</h2>
Unlock’s integration with Crossmint is currently in beta. A reference integration is live today, and is being used by <a href="https://www.eth-vietnam.com/">ETHVietnam</a> for supporting credit card ticketing transactions.
As we continue refining the experience, we invite developers who are eager to explore this integration to reach out to either Unlock or Crossmint for guidance on setting things up.
We value your feedback and insights during this phase.
<h2>What’s next?</h2>
As we progress, our goal is to transition to a fully self-serve platform, empowering developers with a seamless and autonomous experience with a focus on composability. Your early engagement is invaluable in shaping the future of this collaborative endeavor!
As always, if you have questions, please reach out to us in our Discord at <a href="https://discord.unlock-protocol.com">https://discord.unlock-protocol.com</a>