
Let’s start with the basics… Unlock’s retro-active funding is a mechanism through which Unlock Labs (the core team) allocates tokens to the community to share ownership of the DAO. These tokens are allocated by Unlock Labs, but **we do not choose who receives them**. The existing community of token holders decides who receives them.

![Retroactive funding](/images/blog/retro-retroactive-funding.png)

## What is Unlock’s Retro-active funding?

- On the first of every month, anyone is invited to submit candidates. These candidates are expected to have contributed _something (anything!)_ that the community would deem valuable in the previous month.
- One week later, applications are closed and each existing token holder is now prompted to vote for the candidates that they think contributed the most in the previous month. [Votes are quadratic](https://docs.snapshot.org/proposals/voting-types#quadratic-voting), which means that each voter’s balance counts, but the number of voters also matters: if a candidates gets 1 vote weighed with 100 tokens, they’re not going to earn as much as a candidate with 2 voters, each weighing 50 tokens.
- Voting is closed after 1 week. At that point, the Unlock Labs team will allocate tokens based on the vote’s results. Any candidate that received at least 1% of the quadratic votes will receive their share of votes in UDT tokens.

For now, Unlock Labs allocates 100 UDT every month.

## Results after 6 months

We went thru 6 rounds of retro-active funding: [november](https://unlock.community/t/retroactive-funding-november-2021/199/24), [december](https://unlock.community/t/december-2021s-retroactive-funding-recipients/236/2), [january](https://unlock.community/t/retroactive-funding-january-2022/240/10), [february](https://unlock.community/t/retroactive-funding-february-2022/260/19), [march](https://unlock.community/t/retroactive-funding-march-2022/285/9), [april](https://unlock.community/t/retroactive-funding-april-2022/294/8) (may will start today!).

We have allocated a total of 600 UDT to the community. A total of 10 of our community members have received UDT through our retro-active funding:

- David received a total of 394.98 UDT. These were mostly allocated for his payment of a YouTube video to promote the UDT tokens. He was a candidate every month and received 65% of all tokens allocated!
- Muhammad received 88.17 UDT and was a candidate for the last 5 rounds! The community appreciated his promotion work on Twitter
- Carlo received 35.14 UDT for his design work and memes that were promoted on Twitter!
- Ramit received 30.97 UDT in November and December
- Caroline received 22.12 UDT in January and February

The last 5 addresses received less than 10 UDT.

You can find all of the [results in that spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xFtDmXX3NHxafIL9H8oc2VR1t9GyV50IUM0_yEGM_Ew/edit?usp=sharing).

The voting turnout has been fairly low, given that there are currently nearly 4,478 token holders and each of these could vote without spending gas! Each month, there are between 20 and 40 voters. Given that the votes are quadratic, if a candidate was to get even 10 more voters for them, they would earn a significant amount of the tokens!

## Next Steps

Unlock Labs will continue funding the community and distributing ownership of the protocol to its contributors! However, we would love to see more turnout and of course more applications. Of course, we will want to reward community members who are consistently voting as well…

In the meantime, here are a few ideas worth exploring if you are interested in earning some of the governance tokens:

- Moderation/help on the Discord server…
- Meme, retweets, reshares on social media: Twitter, Reddit, Medium, LinkedIn… etc
- Bug fixes
- Documentation
- Translation
- Tutorials
- Promotional videos
- Outreach and business development
- … and of course, _anything that the community would deem valuable_!

We are considering increasing the number of tokens allocated, especially with increased engagement. For example, if we could get 100 voters on each of the next 3 rounds, Unlock labs could increase the number of allocated tokens to be 200 per round!


Our retro-active funding experiment is 6 months old. It is time to do a little “retro” to think about next steps and how we can improve it!

Doing a retro about our retro-active funding effort!

Retro Retro-active funding

<p>Let’s start with the basics… Unlock’s retro-active funding is a mechanism through which Unlock Labs (the core team) allocates tokens to the community to share ownership of the DAO. These tokens are allocated by Unlock Labs, but <strong>we do not choose who receives them</strong>. The existing community of token holders decides who receives them.</p>
<p><img src="/images/blog/retro-retroactive-funding.png" alt="Retroactive funding"></p>
<h2>What is Unlock’s Retro-active funding?</h2>
<ul>
<li>On the first of every month, anyone is invited to submit candidates. These candidates are expected to have contributed <em>something (anything!)</em> that the community would deem valuable in the previous month.</li>
<li>One week later, applications are closed and each existing token holder is now prompted to vote for the candidates that they think contributed the most in the previous month. <a href="https://docs.snapshot.org/proposals/voting-types#quadratic-voting">Votes are quadratic</a>, which means that each voter’s balance counts, but the number of voters also matters: if a candidates gets 1 vote weighed with 100 tokens, they’re not going to earn as much as a candidate with 2 voters, each weighing 50 tokens.</li>
<li>Voting is closed after 1 week. At that point, the Unlock Labs team will allocate tokens based on the vote’s results. Any candidate that received at least 1% of the quadratic votes will receive their share of votes in UDT tokens.</li>
</ul>
<p>For now, Unlock Labs allocates 100 UDT every month.</p>
<h2>Results after 6 months</h2>
<p>We went thru 6 rounds of retro-active funding: <a href="https://unlock.community/t/retroactive-funding-november-2021/199/24">november</a>, <a href="https://unlock.community/t/december-2021s-retroactive-funding-recipients/236/2">december</a>, <a href="https://unlock.community/t/retroactive-funding-january-2022/240/10">january</a>, <a href="https://unlock.community/t/retroactive-funding-february-2022/260/19">february</a>, <a href="https://unlock.community/t/retroactive-funding-march-2022/285/9">march</a>, <a href="https://unlock.community/t/retroactive-funding-april-2022/294/8">april</a> (may will start today!).</p>
<p>We have allocated a total of 600 UDT to the community. A total of 10 of our community members have received UDT through our retro-active funding:</p>
<ul>
<li>David received a total of 394.98 UDT. These were mostly allocated for his payment of a YouTube video to promote the UDT tokens. He was a candidate every month and received 65% of all tokens allocated!</li>
<li>Muhammad received 88.17 UDT and was a candidate for the last 5 rounds! The community appreciated his promotion work on Twitter</li>
<li>Carlo received 35.14 UDT for his design work and memes that were promoted on Twitter!</li>
<li>Ramit received 30.97 UDT in November and December</li>
<li>Caroline received 22.12 UDT in January and February</li>
</ul>
<p>The last 5 addresses received less than 10 UDT.</p>
<p>You can find all of the <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xFtDmXX3NHxafIL9H8oc2VR1t9GyV50IUM0_yEGM_Ew/edit?usp=sharing">results in that spreadsheet</a>.</p>
<p>The voting turnout has been fairly low, given that there are currently nearly 4,478 token holders and each of these could vote without spending gas! Each month, there are between 20 and 40 voters. Given that the votes are quadratic, if a candidate was to get even 10 more voters for them, they would earn a significant amount of the tokens!</p>
<h2>Next Steps</h2>
<p>Unlock Labs will continue funding the community and distributing ownership of the protocol to its contributors! However, we would love to see more turnout and of course more applications. Of course, we will want to reward community members who are consistently voting as well…</p>
<p>In the meantime, here are a few ideas worth exploring if you are interested in earning some of the governance tokens:</p>
<ul>
<li>Moderation/help on the Discord server…</li>
<li>Meme, retweets, reshares on social media: Twitter, Reddit, Medium, LinkedIn… etc</li>
<li>Bug fixes</li>
<li>Documentation</li>
<li>Translation</li>
<li>Tutorials</li>
<li>Promotional videos</li>
<li>Outreach and business development</li>
<li>… and of course, <em>anything that the community would deem valuable</em>!</li>
</ul>
<p>We are considering increasing the number of tokens allocated, especially with increased engagement. For example, if we could get 100 voters on each of the next 3 rounds, Unlock labs could increase the number of allocated tokens to be 200 per round!</p>



![may-22-banner.png](/images/blog/may-22-update/may-22-banner.png)

## Recurring memberships & subscriptions are live

- **Blog post** — [Subscription NFTs blog post and full announcement](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/recurring-subscription-nft)
- **Twitter Space** — [Subscription NFTs Twitter Space with the Unlock team and community](https://youtu.be/3JlvZ9xTODs)

## Expanded "Bring Your Own NFT" capabilities

- **Bring Your Own ERC-1155** — [Added ERC-1155 support to Bring Your Own NFT](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/bring-your-own-nft)
- **Bring Your Own ERC-20** — [Added ERC-20 support to Bring Your Own NFT](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/Tutorials/using-an-existing-nft-contract)

## Credit card handling improvements

- **Improved collection handling** — Refactored credit card handling to only collect charges on successfully submitted blockchain transactions
- **Improved duplicate charge avoidance** — Refactored credit card handling on front-end to reuse payment intent object (reduce risk of duplicate charge if user tries to purchase again/refresh page)
- **Improved gas calculation** —Improved gas calculation for credit card purchases

## Checkout and Dashboard improvements

- **Incognito mode fix** — Fixed incognito mode for Paywall and Dashboard applications
- **Multiple recipients in checkout flow** — Support for multiple recipients in checkout UI
- **CAPTCHA in checkout flow** — Support for CAPTCHA in checkout
- **Background visual improvements** — Fixed transparent background on paywall checkout modal

## Other improvements

- **Improved Subgraph handling** — Updated Subgraph to handle upgraded locks (between v10 and v11)

Want to know more and try stuff out? [Join the Unlock community in the Discord](https://discord.unlock-protocol.com/)!


Release Notes for May 2022. Unlock Protocol introduces recurring subscription NFTs, expanded Bring Your Own NFT capabilities, credit card improvements, and more.

Recurring subscriptions, expanded Bring Your Own NFT capabilities, credit card improvements, and more

Unlock Protocol Product Updates for May 2022

<p><img src="/images/blog/may-22-update/may-22-banner.png" alt="may-22-banner.png"></p>
<h2>Recurring memberships &#x26; subscriptions are live</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Blog post</strong> — <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/recurring-subscription-nft">Subscription NFTs blog post and full announcement</a></li>
<li><strong>Twitter Space</strong> — <a href="https://youtu.be/3JlvZ9xTODs">Subscription NFTs Twitter Space with the Unlock team and community</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Expanded "Bring Your Own NFT" capabilities</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Bring Your Own ERC-1155</strong> — <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/bring-your-own-nft">Added ERC-1155 support to Bring Your Own NFT</a></li>
<li><strong>Bring Your Own ERC-20</strong> — <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/Tutorials/using-an-existing-nft-contract">Added ERC-20 support to Bring Your Own NFT</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Credit card handling improvements</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Improved collection handling</strong> — Refactored credit card handling to only collect charges on successfully submitted blockchain transactions</li>
<li><strong>Improved duplicate charge avoidance</strong> — Refactored credit card handling on front-end to reuse payment intent object (reduce risk of duplicate charge if user tries to purchase again/refresh page)</li>
<li><strong>Improved gas calculation</strong> —Improved gas calculation for credit card purchases</li>
</ul>
<h2>Checkout and Dashboard improvements</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Incognito mode fix</strong> — Fixed incognito mode for Paywall and Dashboard applications</li>
<li><strong>Multiple recipients in checkout flow</strong> — Support for multiple recipients in checkout UI</li>
<li><strong>CAPTCHA in checkout flow</strong> — Support for CAPTCHA in checkout</li>
<li><strong>Background visual improvements</strong> — Fixed transparent background on paywall checkout modal</li>
</ul>
<h2>Other improvements</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Improved Subgraph handling</strong> — Updated Subgraph to handle upgraded locks (between v10 and v11)</li>
</ul>
<p>Want to know more and try stuff out? <a href="https://discord.unlock-protocol.com/">Join the Unlock community in the Discord</a>!</p>



![recurring-blog-header.png](/images/blog/subscriptions/recurring-blog-header.png)

Traditionally, using **NFTs for memberships** was a yes-or-no proposition: If someone held the NFT for a project, they had access to the project’s perks or community for as long as they held the NFT — potentially forever.

From a creator standpoint, this is ok, but not great. Every NFT sold was, in effect, giving “lifetime access” to those who held the NFT.

Unlock changed all this in 2019 by innovating **membership NFTs** that take into account the concept of time and that have an expiration date. Using Unlock, a creator can issue an NFT that grants membership for a week, a month, a year, or any other length of time.

When the NFT expires, it’s just like when the gym membership card in your old-school wallet expires. The card is still in your wallet, but anyone looking at it can instantly tell it’s expired and out of date.

Hundreds of creators, developers, brands, and projects have built on top of Unlock since we launched to manage member access to content, conversations, credentials, and ticketed events for their communities. And in listening to those building their projects and businesses on top of the open-source Unlock Protocol, there was one particular need we heard time and time again: can Unlock do NFT-based _recurring_ **subscriptions NFT** and memberships that don’t need to be manually renewed?

The answer is “yes.”

## Unlock Protocol launches Web3 recurring subscriptions

Today, Unlock is excited to announce that we’ve created the first-ever mechanism for [recurring subscriptions using membership NFTs](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/unlock/creators/recurring-memberships). This groundbreaking upgrade to the community-governed Unlock Protocol paves the way to replace legacy subscription systems that use centralized payment processors with a decentralized Web3 model.

From news to music to streaming, there are many great reasons why subscriptions have become a fundamental business model. Subscriptions are predictable, time-bound, and convenient for both the creator and the purchaser. But having a handful of Big Tech platforms acting as middlemen and locking in creators and their audiences is far from ideal.

Now, creators using Unlock have full control to flexibly monetize or provide access to their content in the ways that best suit them and their communities.

Furthermore, creators, fans, developers, and supporters all have the opportunity to [earn governance tokens in the Unlock Protocol itself every time someone uses Unlock](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/unlock/governance/frequently-asked-questions).

## How does it work?

Unlock's approach to recurring billing through NFTs uses a novel smart contract design that is the first in the industry, bringing the recurring revenue model into a decentralized web3 world. Functionally, a user begins a subscription NFT by agreeing to a smart contract transaction that recurs each month (or at whatever interval the subscription is billed), and the user’s membership NFT maintains its validity as long as the payment occurs each time.

![unlock-subscription-dashboard.png](/images/blog/subscriptions/unlock-subscription-dashboard.png)
_Example lock in Unlock Dashboard with recurring subscriptions enabled. This publication’s subscription is 30 XDAI ($30) per month. Subscription duration, price, renewal terms, and currency are all configurable by creators._

Critically, by building in this manner, the relationship between the creator and the subscriber is _direct_. There isn’t a platform determining what type of content is allowed or disallowed, there is no opaque algorithm to decide what content is surfaced or submerged, and there is no payment platform between the parties that can withhold payments from a creator based on an arbitrary policy change.

For too long, perverse attention economics have both shaped and dictated the content we consume and the way we connect online. Unlock invites and enables an alternative to the eyeballs-at-any-cost business model, so we can all read, listen to, watch, and experience what’s actually interesting to us, not just what grabs our attention the most by its shocking or outrageous nature. Creators using Unlock don’t have to conform to producing clickbait that algorithms are likely to promote, and audiences can enjoy content that’s curated by those creators on their own terms.

### Availability

- Unlock Protocol’s recurring **subscription NFT** membership NFTs are available today.
- Recurring memberships can be enabled for locks using v10 of the protocol.
- Locks using v9 can be upgraded to v10.

### Launch event

- We will be holding a [Twitter Space launch event on May 25th](https://twitter.com/unlockprotocol/).

### Documentation and demo

- Community & Support: [Join the Unlock Discord](https://discord.unlock-protocol.com/)

- Developer documentation: [Recurring Memberships](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/unlock/creators/recurring-memberships)

- Try it out on a test network: [Try out Unlock's recurring subscriptions](https://discord.com/channels/462280183425138719/974763163214032968/974765424384299058)

### Further resources

- Interview: [NFTs for Memberships: The Future of Business](https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/using-nfts-for-memberships-the-future-of-business/)

- Article: [Coindesk: NFTs are Better Paywalls](https://www.coindesk.com/layer2/paymentsweek/2022/04/28/nft-subscriptions-are-better-paywalls/)

- Videos: [NFT Membership videos](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFpwtvsk_naOwR_w-vKXw-Q)


Unlock Protocol launches recurring subscriptions using NFTs, bringing a sustainable subscription business model to the decentralized web3 world.

A sustainable business model for Web3 creators

Unlock Protocol Launches Web3 Recurring Subscriptions NFT

<p><img src="/images/blog/subscriptions/recurring-blog-header.png" alt="recurring-blog-header.png"></p>
<p>Traditionally, using <strong>NFTs for memberships</strong> was a yes-or-no proposition: If someone held the NFT for a project, they had access to the project’s perks or community for as long as they held the NFT — potentially forever.</p>
<p>From a creator standpoint, this is ok, but not great. Every NFT sold was, in effect, giving “lifetime access” to those who held the NFT.</p>
<p>Unlock changed all this in 2019 by innovating <strong>membership NFTs</strong> that take into account the concept of time and that have an expiration date. Using Unlock, a creator can issue an NFT that grants membership for a week, a month, a year, or any other length of time.</p>
<p>When the NFT expires, it’s just like when the gym membership card in your old-school wallet expires. The card is still in your wallet, but anyone looking at it can instantly tell it’s expired and out of date.</p>
<p>Hundreds of creators, developers, brands, and projects have built on top of Unlock since we launched to manage member access to content, conversations, credentials, and ticketed events for their communities. And in listening to those building their projects and businesses on top of the open-source Unlock Protocol, there was one particular need we heard time and time again: can Unlock do NFT-based <em>recurring</em> <strong>subscriptions NFT</strong> and memberships that don’t need to be manually renewed?</p>
<p>The answer is “yes.”</p>
<h2>Unlock Protocol launches Web3 recurring subscriptions</h2>
<p>Today, Unlock is excited to announce that we’ve created the first-ever mechanism for <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/unlock/creators/recurring-memberships">recurring subscriptions using membership NFTs</a>. This groundbreaking upgrade to the community-governed Unlock Protocol paves the way to replace legacy subscription systems that use centralized payment processors with a decentralized Web3 model.</p>
<p>From news to music to streaming, there are many great reasons why subscriptions have become a fundamental business model. Subscriptions are predictable, time-bound, and convenient for both the creator and the purchaser. But having a handful of Big Tech platforms acting as middlemen and locking in creators and their audiences is far from ideal.</p>
<p>Now, creators using Unlock have full control to flexibly monetize or provide access to their content in the ways that best suit them and their communities.</p>
<p>Furthermore, creators, fans, developers, and supporters all have the opportunity to <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/unlock/governance/frequently-asked-questions">earn governance tokens in the Unlock Protocol itself every time someone uses Unlock</a>.</p>
<h2>How does it work?</h2>
<p>Unlock's approach to recurring billing through NFTs uses a novel smart contract design that is the first in the industry, bringing the recurring revenue model into a decentralized web3 world. Functionally, a user begins a subscription NFT by agreeing to a smart contract transaction that recurs each month (or at whatever interval the subscription is billed), and the user’s membership NFT maintains its validity as long as the payment occurs each time.</p>
<p><img src="/images/blog/subscriptions/unlock-subscription-dashboard.png" alt="unlock-subscription-dashboard.png">
<em>Example lock in Unlock Dashboard with recurring subscriptions enabled. This publication’s subscription is 30 XDAI ($30) per month. Subscription duration, price, renewal terms, and currency are all configurable by creators.</em></p>
<p>Critically, by building in this manner, the relationship between the creator and the subscriber is <em>direct</em>. There isn’t a platform determining what type of content is allowed or disallowed, there is no opaque algorithm to decide what content is surfaced or submerged, and there is no payment platform between the parties that can withhold payments from a creator based on an arbitrary policy change.</p>
<p>For too long, perverse attention economics have both shaped and dictated the content we consume and the way we connect online. Unlock invites and enables an alternative to the eyeballs-at-any-cost business model, so we can all read, listen to, watch, and experience what’s actually interesting to us, not just what grabs our attention the most by its shocking or outrageous nature. Creators using Unlock don’t have to conform to producing clickbait that algorithms are likely to promote, and audiences can enjoy content that’s curated by those creators on their own terms.</p>
<h3>Availability</h3>
<ul>
<li>Unlock Protocol’s recurring <strong>subscription NFT</strong> membership NFTs are available today.</li>
<li>Recurring memberships can be enabled for locks using v10 of the protocol.</li>
<li>Locks using v9 can be upgraded to v10.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Launch event</h3>
<ul>
<li>We will be holding a <a href="https://twitter.com/unlockprotocol/">Twitter Space launch event on May 25th</a>.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Documentation and demo</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Community &#x26; Support: <a href="https://discord.unlock-protocol.com/">Join the Unlock Discord</a></p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Developer documentation: <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/unlock/creators/recurring-memberships">Recurring Memberships</a></p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Try it out on a test network: <a href="https://discord.com/channels/462280183425138719/974763163214032968/974765424384299058">Try out Unlock's recurring subscriptions</a></p>
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Further resources</h3>
<ul>
<li>
<p>Interview: <a href="https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/using-nfts-for-memberships-the-future-of-business/">NFTs for Memberships: The Future of Business</a></p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Article: <a href="https://www.coindesk.com/layer2/paymentsweek/2022/04/28/nft-subscriptions-are-better-paywalls/">Coindesk: NFTs are Better Paywalls</a></p>
</li>
<li>
<p>Videos: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFpwtvsk_naOwR_w-vKXw-Q">NFT Membership videos</a></p>
</li>
</ul>



[Tales of Elatora](https://talesofelatora.com/) is a game where players need an avatar to play. The Avatars are non-fungible tokens using the Unlock protocol contract. There are two factions: the Buntai and the Gundan.

Players also need weapons to play. Weapons are also NFTs, and a Buntai avatar can only use a Buntai weapon and a Gundan avatar can only use a Gundan weapon. Anyone who buys an avatar automatically receives a matching weapon, as you can see on [this transaction](https://etherscan.io/tx/0x0f61fd3cdfb520804f59bc5de2ab70c131313a55d3e692bbec4c2a66777e03b7) for example.

![2 NFT](/images/blog/dynamic-nft/transaction-2-nft.png)

# The `OnKeyPurchase` hook

The PublicLock contract is highly programmable through the use of [hooks](https://github.com/unlock-protocol/docs/tree/master/developers/smart-contracts/lock-api/hooks). These hooks are external contracts that are used to alter the behavior of a PublicLock contract or trigger actions in other contracts. Any lock manager can configure hooks on a lock using the `setEventHooks` function. Each hook needs to implement a few functions and you can also use a single hook contract with all functions.

`onKeyPurchaseHook` is one of the hooks. This hook is called when the `purchase` function of a lock is called. It needs to implement 2 distinct functions:

- `keyPurchasePrice`: this first function is called with the address of the sender of the purchase transaction, the address of the recipient of the NFT membership, as well as the `referrer` and `data` parameters of the `purchase` function. The return value is the price paid for this specific membership. If your contract wants to offer discounts to a list of addresses or change the price based on how much time has passed since the last purchase, this function is a great way to achieve that!

- `onKeyPurchase`: this second function is called with the same arguments as `keyPurchasePrice` (from, recipient, referrer and data), but also with the minimum price this user has to pay as well as the price they actually paid (this would be different in the context of tips for example). This function is called at the tail end of the `purchase` function as a way to trigger other actions.

Tales of Elatora's avatar contract uses a hook to airdrop a weapon to anyone who buys an avatar automatically! Here is the code:

```solidity
function onKeyPurchase(
  address /*from*/,
  address recipient,
  address /*referrer*/,
  bytes calldata /*data*/,
  uint256 /*minKeyPrice*/,
  uint256 /*pricePaid*/
) external {
  if (msg.sender == _avatarLock) {
    // If the sender is the avatar lock
    IPublicLock avatar = IPublicLock(_avatarLock);
    uint id = avatar.totalSupply();

    address[] memory recipients = new address[](1);
    recipients[0] = recipient;

    uint[] memory expirations = new uint[](1);
    expirations[0] = type(uint256).max; // Not expiring!

    address[] memory managers = new address[](1);
    managers[0] = recipient;

    if (id % 2 == 0) {
      IPublicLock(_buntaiLock).grantKeys(recipients, expirations, managers);
    } else {
      IPublicLock(_gundanLock).grantKeys(recipients, expirations, managers);
    }
  }
}
```

The Avatars are such that every even number is a Buntai and every odd is a Gundan. The hook calls the `grantKeys` function on the right contract based on that.
Of course, that means that the Hook contract has been previously set to be a `keyGranter` on both locks ([see more info on the roles](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/unlock/developers/smart-contracts/lock-api/access-control)).

# The `onTokenUri` Hook

An even more exciting hook that the PublicLock contract includes is the `onTokenUri` hook. This hook alters how the `tokenUri` method behaves. This method is the one in charge of yielding the URI that itself renders the JSON blob that includes the image, and other metadata for each individual Non Fungible Token.

The URI that the contract yields can in fact be a [data URL](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Basics_of_HTTP/Data_URIs). Data URLs, URLs prefixed with the `data:` scheme, are self-referrential: the URL itself contains the data that's represented by the browser. Here is an example: `data://text,hello%20unlock` is a URL which opens as a new page whose content is just "hello unlock".

By using a data URL as the `tokenUri` return, we can render metadata dynamically. The Tales of Elatora avatars are using this technique to render the image differently based on 2 things:

- whether the owner of the avatar also owns a weapon, and in which case, render the avatar along with the weapon
- whether the avatar is rendered during the day, at night, or during sunset.

Once configured, the `onTokenUri` hook will let the Public Lock contract call a 3rd party contract to generate the JSON. Given an `image` string (see below for more details), this is what the Tales of Elatora Public lock does:

```solidity
// Create the json that includes the image
// It is also possible to add more properties to the JSON object
string memory json = string(
    abi.encodePacked('{ "image": "', image, '"')
);

// render the base64 encoded json metadata
return
    string(
        abi.encodePacked(
            "data:application/json;base64,",
            Base64.encode(bytes(abi.encodePacked(json)))
        )
    );
```

We now only have to generate the `image` itself. Using the same technique, it would be perfectly possible create an SVG (or another image type!) on the fly, but Tales of Elatora used another approach: dynamically generating URLs pointing to files pre-uploaded on IPFS. Then, they use the contract's state to generate the URL that it needs to point to.

Caroline and David, leads on the Tales of Elatora project, generated images of all the possible combinations of avatars, weapons and backgrounds (including the absence of a weapon), and then uploaded all of the images to IPFS using the following pattern: `{avatar-id}-{weapon-id}-{background}.svg`.

The hook implements its own `tokenURI` method.

```solidity
function tokenURI(
  address lockAddress,
  address operator, // We could alter the rendering based on _who_ is viewing!
  address owner,
  uint256 keyId,
  uint256 expirationTimestamp // a cool trick could be to render based on how far the expiration is
) external view returns (string memory) {
  // ...
  // custom implementation
  /// ...
}
```

Specificaly, Tales of Elatora implements the hook by first checking if the `owner` of the Avatar also owns a corresponding weapon. If so, the final URL will include point to it (the `{weapon-id}` part), if not, it will use `0` for the `{weapon-id}`.

Similarly, the background of the image is dynamic and changes based on the time of the day! If the contract's `tokenUri` is called between 8am and 5pm GMT, it will render the _day_ background, if it is queried between 5pm and 9pm GMT, it will render the _sunset_ background, and if it is queried between 9pm and 8am GMT, it will render the _night_ background.

Using etherscan, you can easily [retrieve the metadata](https://etherscan.io/address/0x39aecbe181d94d721ef80924f10b77c785299397#readProxyContract). Here is what token `1` renders as I am writing this post:

```
data:application/json;base64,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
```

Opening this data URI in a new tab will yield the following JSON:

```js
{
  "image": "ipfs://QmPeCBcmWFiMrLNLtBUjaZ6yBtp1LhmDqAVXmjXRHx7qLZ/TalesOfElatoraCollection_Final_2/1-1-2.svg",
  "attributes": [
    { "trait_type": "faction", "value": "gundan" },
    { "trait_type": "momentOfDay", "value": "sunset" },
    { "trait_type": "class", "value": "Rogue" }
  ],
  "description": "Tales of Elatora is a community-driven fantasy world, written novel and an RPG. This ToE NFT grants access to the story, the game, the community and gives the holder voting rights. https://talesofelatora.com/",
  "external_url": "https://talesofelatora.com/",
  "name": "Tales of Elatora Avatar 1"
}
```

And of course the image can easily be rendered using the following. It was rendered at sunset, and the owner currently owns [this weapon](https://opensea.io/assets/0x93a9f5fa632224117802dcfbf4aa9377fb7448ab/1).

![Tales of Elatora](/images/blog/dynamic-nft/tales-of-elatora.gif)

## Dynamic contracts

The core goal of the Unlock Protocol is to build a standard for memberships, where all memberships, from Amazon Prime, to Medium's member program, or the Tales of Elatora game work the same, in the same way that every website is made of the same core protocols: HTML, HTTP and others! However, exactly like every website can also be different, we believe memberships can also look and behave differently on some aspects.

Are you interested in deploying your own custom membership? Get in touch!


By leveraging some of the important features of the Unlock contracts, it is possible to create dynamic NFTs and make the visual NFT evolve over time using on-chain data characteristics.

How Tales of Elatora is making dynamic NFT images

How to Create Dynamic NFTs Using Unlock Protocol

<p><a href="https://talesofelatora.com/">Tales of Elatora</a> is a game where players need an avatar to play. The Avatars are non-fungible tokens using the Unlock protocol contract. There are two factions: the Buntai and the Gundan.</p>
<p>Players also need weapons to play. Weapons are also NFTs, and a Buntai avatar can only use a Buntai weapon and a Gundan avatar can only use a Gundan weapon. Anyone who buys an avatar automatically receives a matching weapon, as you can see on <a href="https://etherscan.io/tx/0x0f61fd3cdfb520804f59bc5de2ab70c131313a55d3e692bbec4c2a66777e03b7">this transaction</a> for example.</p>
<p><img src="/images/blog/dynamic-nft/transaction-2-nft.png" alt="2 NFT"></p>
<h1>The <code>OnKeyPurchase</code> hook</h1>
<p>The PublicLock contract is highly programmable through the use of <a href="https://github.com/unlock-protocol/docs/tree/master/developers/smart-contracts/lock-api/hooks">hooks</a>. These hooks are external contracts that are used to alter the behavior of a PublicLock contract or trigger actions in other contracts. Any lock manager can configure hooks on a lock using the <code>setEventHooks</code> function. Each hook needs to implement a few functions and you can also use a single hook contract with all functions.</p>
<p><code>onKeyPurchaseHook</code> is one of the hooks. This hook is called when the <code>purchase</code> function of a lock is called. It needs to implement 2 distinct functions:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><code>keyPurchasePrice</code>: this first function is called with the address of the sender of the purchase transaction, the address of the recipient of the NFT membership, as well as the <code>referrer</code> and <code>data</code> parameters of the <code>purchase</code> function. The return value is the price paid for this specific membership. If your contract wants to offer discounts to a list of addresses or change the price based on how much time has passed since the last purchase, this function is a great way to achieve that!</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><code>onKeyPurchase</code>: this second function is called with the same arguments as <code>keyPurchasePrice</code> (from, recipient, referrer and data), but also with the minimum price this user has to pay as well as the price they actually paid (this would be different in the context of tips for example). This function is called at the tail end of the <code>purchase</code> function as a way to trigger other actions.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p>Tales of Elatora's avatar contract uses a hook to airdrop a weapon to anyone who buys an avatar automatically! Here is the code:</p>
<pre><code class="language-solidity">function onKeyPurchase(
  address /*from*/,
  address recipient,
  address /*referrer*/,
  bytes calldata /*data*/,
  uint256 /*minKeyPrice*/,
  uint256 /*pricePaid*/
) external {
  if (msg.sender == _avatarLock) {
    // If the sender is the avatar lock
    IPublicLock avatar = IPublicLock(_avatarLock);
    uint id = avatar.totalSupply();

    address[] memory recipients = new address[](1);
    recipients[0] = recipient;

    uint[] memory expirations = new uint[](1);
    expirations[0] = type(uint256).max; // Not expiring!

    address[] memory managers = new address[](1);
    managers[0] = recipient;

    if (id % 2 == 0) {
      IPublicLock(_buntaiLock).grantKeys(recipients, expirations, managers);
    } else {
      IPublicLock(_gundanLock).grantKeys(recipients, expirations, managers);
    }
  }
}
</code></pre>
<p>The Avatars are such that every even number is a Buntai and every odd is a Gundan. The hook calls the <code>grantKeys</code> function on the right contract based on that.
Of course, that means that the Hook contract has been previously set to be a <code>keyGranter</code> on both locks (<a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/unlock/developers/smart-contracts/lock-api/access-control">see more info on the roles</a>).</p>
<h1>The <code>onTokenUri</code> Hook</h1>
<p>An even more exciting hook that the PublicLock contract includes is the <code>onTokenUri</code> hook. This hook alters how the <code>tokenUri</code> method behaves. This method is the one in charge of yielding the URI that itself renders the JSON blob that includes the image, and other metadata for each individual Non Fungible Token.</p>
<p>The URI that the contract yields can in fact be a <a href="https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Basics_of_HTTP/Data_URIs">data URL</a>. Data URLs, URLs prefixed with the <code>data:</code> scheme, are self-referrential: the URL itself contains the data that's represented by the browser. Here is an example: <code>data://text,hello%20unlock</code> is a URL which opens as a new page whose content is just "hello unlock".</p>
<p>By using a data URL as the <code>tokenUri</code> return, we can render metadata dynamically. The Tales of Elatora avatars are using this technique to render the image differently based on 2 things:</p>
<ul>
<li>whether the owner of the avatar also owns a weapon, and in which case, render the avatar along with the weapon</li>
<li>whether the avatar is rendered during the day, at night, or during sunset.</li>
</ul>
<p>Once configured, the <code>onTokenUri</code> hook will let the Public Lock contract call a 3rd party contract to generate the JSON. Given an <code>image</code> string (see below for more details), this is what the Tales of Elatora Public lock does:</p>
<pre><code class="language-solidity">// Create the json that includes the image
// It is also possible to add more properties to the JSON object
string memory json = string(
    abi.encodePacked('{ "image": "', image, '"')
);

// render the base64 encoded json metadata
return
    string(
        abi.encodePacked(
            "data:application/json;base64,",
            Base64.encode(bytes(abi.encodePacked(json)))
        )
    );
</code></pre>
<p>We now only have to generate the <code>image</code> itself. Using the same technique, it would be perfectly possible create an SVG (or another image type!) on the fly, but Tales of Elatora used another approach: dynamically generating URLs pointing to files pre-uploaded on IPFS. Then, they use the contract's state to generate the URL that it needs to point to.</p>
<p>Caroline and David, leads on the Tales of Elatora project, generated images of all the possible combinations of avatars, weapons and backgrounds (including the absence of a weapon), and then uploaded all of the images to IPFS using the following pattern: <code>{avatar-id}-{weapon-id}-{background}.svg</code>.</p>
<p>The hook implements its own <code>tokenURI</code> method.</p>
<pre><code class="language-solidity">function tokenURI(
  address lockAddress,
  address operator, // We could alter the rendering based on _who_ is viewing!
  address owner,
  uint256 keyId,
  uint256 expirationTimestamp // a cool trick could be to render based on how far the expiration is
) external view returns (string memory) {
  // ...
  // custom implementation
  /// ...
}
</code></pre>
<p>Specificaly, Tales of Elatora implements the hook by first checking if the <code>owner</code> of the Avatar also owns a corresponding weapon. If so, the final URL will include point to it (the <code>{weapon-id}</code> part), if not, it will use <code>0</code> for the <code>{weapon-id}</code>.</p>
<p>Similarly, the background of the image is dynamic and changes based on the time of the day! If the contract's <code>tokenUri</code> is called between 8am and 5pm GMT, it will render the <em>day</em> background, if it is queried between 5pm and 9pm GMT, it will render the <em>sunset</em> background, and if it is queried between 9pm and 8am GMT, it will render the <em>night</em> background.</p>
<p>Using etherscan, you can easily <a href="https://etherscan.io/address/0x39aecbe181d94d721ef80924f10b77c785299397#readProxyContract">retrieve the metadata</a>. Here is what token <code>1</code> renders as I am writing this post:</p>
<pre><code>data:application/json;base64,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
</code></pre>
<p>Opening this data URI in a new tab will yield the following JSON:</p>
<pre><code class="language-js">{
  "image": "ipfs://QmPeCBcmWFiMrLNLtBUjaZ6yBtp1LhmDqAVXmjXRHx7qLZ/TalesOfElatoraCollection_Final_2/1-1-2.svg",
  "attributes": [
    { "trait_type": "faction", "value": "gundan" },
    { "trait_type": "momentOfDay", "value": "sunset" },
    { "trait_type": "class", "value": "Rogue" }
  ],
  "description": "Tales of Elatora is a community-driven fantasy world, written novel and an RPG. This ToE NFT grants access to the story, the game, the community and gives the holder voting rights. https://talesofelatora.com/",
  "external_url": "https://talesofelatora.com/",
  "name": "Tales of Elatora Avatar 1"
}
</code></pre>
<p>And of course the image can easily be rendered using the following. It was rendered at sunset, and the owner currently owns <a href="https://opensea.io/assets/0x93a9f5fa632224117802dcfbf4aa9377fb7448ab/1">this weapon</a>.</p>
<p><img src="/images/blog/dynamic-nft/tales-of-elatora.gif" alt="Tales of Elatora"></p>
<h2>Dynamic contracts</h2>
<p>The core goal of the Unlock Protocol is to build a standard for memberships, where all memberships, from Amazon Prime, to Medium's member program, or the Tales of Elatora game work the same, in the same way that every website is made of the same core protocols: HTML, HTTP and others! However, exactly like every website can also be different, we believe memberships can also look and behave differently on some aspects.</p>
<p>Are you interested in deploying your own custom membership? Get in touch!</p>



![apr-22-banner.jpg](/images/blog/apr-22-update/apr-22-banner.jpg)

## Dashboard improvements

- **Airdrops to multiple wallets** — Lock managers can now airdrop keys to multiple wallets at one time (huge time saver!)
- **Lock managers can expire memberships** — Lock managers can expire (cancel) memberships right from the dashboard

## Keychain improvements

- **Members can expire memberships** — Similar to the above, members can expire (cancel) memberships right from their keychain

## Checkout improvements

- **Customize recipient** — Purchasers can customize the recipient of the purchase (e.g. when purchasing as a gift)
- **Multiple recipients** — Purchasers can purchase multiple keys at once
- **CAPTCHA improvements** — Improved CAPTCHA for bot deterrence (especially useful for NFT ticket sales)
- **Extending expired membership (v10)** — Expired memberships can be reactivated from checkout

## Credit card handling improvements

- **Improved page handling** — Improved handling of page refresh to reduce the chance of transactions being submitted multiple times
- **Improved transaction sequencing** — Credit card purchases are now executed only after the blockchain transaction is successful

## Website improvements

- **Community tab** — Based on website visitor feedback, added a new "Community" tab to the Unlock website

Want to know more and try stuff out? [Join the Unlock community in the Discord](https://discord.unlock-protocol.com/)!


Release Notes for April 2022. Unlock Protocol improved credit card handling, checkout flows, the dashboard and keychain, and more.

Improvements for credit card handling, checkout, dashboard and keychain

Unlock Protocol Product Updates for April 2022

<p><img src="/images/blog/apr-22-update/apr-22-banner.jpg" alt="apr-22-banner.jpg"></p>
<h2>Dashboard improvements</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Airdrops to multiple wallets</strong> — Lock managers can now airdrop keys to multiple wallets at one time (huge time saver!)</li>
<li><strong>Lock managers can expire memberships</strong> — Lock managers can expire (cancel) memberships right from the dashboard</li>
</ul>
<h2>Keychain improvements</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Members can expire memberships</strong> — Similar to the above, members can expire (cancel) memberships right from their keychain</li>
</ul>
<h2>Checkout improvements</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Customize recipient</strong> — Purchasers can customize the recipient of the purchase (e.g. when purchasing as a gift)</li>
<li><strong>Multiple recipients</strong> — Purchasers can purchase multiple keys at once</li>
<li><strong>CAPTCHA improvements</strong> — Improved CAPTCHA for bot deterrence (especially useful for NFT ticket sales)</li>
<li><strong>Extending expired membership (v10)</strong> — Expired memberships can be reactivated from checkout</li>
</ul>
<h2>Credit card handling improvements</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Improved page handling</strong> — Improved handling of page refresh to reduce the chance of transactions being submitted multiple times</li>
<li><strong>Improved transaction sequencing</strong> — Credit card purchases are now executed only after the blockchain transaction is successful</li>
</ul>
<h2>Website improvements</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Community tab</strong> — Based on website visitor feedback, added a new "Community" tab to the Unlock website</li>
</ul>
<p>Want to know more and try stuff out? <a href="https://discord.unlock-protocol.com/">Join the Unlock community in the Discord</a>!</p>



![CDAA header](/images/blog/cdaa/cdaa-header.png)

The Certified Digital Asset Advisor (CDAA) designation is the only community-owned designation in the financial services industry. To earn the CDAA designation, financial advisors go through in-depth training and education in the core concepts of cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and decentralized finance. This knowledge enables certified advisors to provide their investor clients with an elevated level of service and education related to cryptoassets.

Once a financial advisor completes the required coursework and passes a rigorous final exam, they receive the CDAA Certification Token. CDAA is an on-chain, NFT-based professional credential, powered by Unlock Protocol, that provably shows the advisor has achieved this distinction.

[See the full case study](https://19942922.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/19942922/CDAA%20-%20Unlock%20Case%20Study.pdf).

[![CDAA thumbnail](/images/blog/cdaa/cdaa-thumbnail.png)](https://19942922.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/19942922/CDAA%20-%20Unlock%20Case%20Study.pdf)


The Certified Digital Asset Advisor (CDAA) industry certification is the first on-chain certification in the financial services industry. And it's powered by Unlock.

The Certified Digital Asset Advisor (CDAA) credential is the first on-chain certification in the financial services industry

CDAA | Unlock Case Study

<p><img src="/images/blog/cdaa/cdaa-header.png" alt="CDAA header"></p>
<p>The Certified Digital Asset Advisor (CDAA) designation is the only community-owned designation in the financial services industry. To earn the CDAA designation, financial advisors go through in-depth training and education in the core concepts of cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and decentralized finance. This knowledge enables certified advisors to provide their investor clients with an elevated level of service and education related to cryptoassets.</p>
<p>Once a financial advisor completes the required coursework and passes a rigorous final exam, they receive the CDAA Certification Token. CDAA is an on-chain, NFT-based professional credential, powered by Unlock Protocol, that provably shows the advisor has achieved this distinction.</p>
<p><a href="https://19942922.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/19942922/CDAA%20-%20Unlock%20Case%20Study.pdf">See the full case study</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://19942922.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/19942922/CDAA%20-%20Unlock%20Case%20Study.pdf"><img src="/images/blog/cdaa/cdaa-thumbnail.png" alt="CDAA thumbnail"></a></p>



![headline-header-bg.png](/images/blog/headline/headline-header-bg.png)

Unlock is happy to announce the launch of Headline, bringing publishing and newsletter subscriptions into the Web3 ecosystem. You can check it out at [https://viaheadline.xyz](https://viaheadline.xyz).

Built by Unlock and [RaidGuild](https://www.raidguild.org/), Headline utilizes technology from [Ceramic](https://ceramic.network/), a decentralized data network bringing unlimited data to Web3 applications and [Lit Protocol](https://litprotocol.com/), a distributed network for encryption to set a new standard for subscription newsletters in Web3.

![headline-fullpage.png](/images/blog/headline/headline-fullpage.png)

"Encrypted data and access control on the open and decentralized web lets creators create world class experiences for their fans, without having to rely on any web2 platform as a middle man. The composability of the open web, like how Lit Protocol and Unlock can work together, is in service of creating more value for creators and their fans," said David Sneider, CEO Lit Protocol

"We believe that the most successful Web3 projects are those building bridges across the ecosystem. Ceramic's open, decentralized data network is a natural fit for Headline, and we're excited to see how creators leverage this composable infrastructure to share their content across a multitude of communities and platforms," said Lauren Feld, Head of Business Development at 3Box Labs.

Online publishing platforms have proven time and time again to act with their own self-interest, imposing limitations on creators, such as onerous fees and other business-model decisions that benefit the platform and hinder the creators. A primary means of retaining users on these platforms is by locking members into the platform, rather than allowing creators to control those fan relationships directly. Unlock offers a new alternative for creators trapped inside the walled gardens of these Web2 platforms by enabling creators to directly manage who has access to their content, no matter where it's published.

With Headline, creators directly share their newsletters with readers who hold those creators' membership NFTs. This approach means creators don't need to rely on a third-party publication platform that forces readers to log into that site to access and subscribe to newsletters. Readers will retain the normal experience of having newsletters arrive in their inboxes, but for creators this represents a sea-change that gives them direct control and ownership over their newsletter membership.

Want to try it out? Head over to [https://viaheadline.xyz](https://viaheadline.xyz).

## Connect with others using Headline

Connect here in the [Unlock Discord #headline channel](https://discord.gg/UQPUgfsqYs).

## Screenshots of Headline

### Headline content

![headline-content.png](/images/blog/headline/headline-content.png)

### Headline article

![headline-article.png](/images/blog/headline/headline-article.png)

### Headline memberships

![headline-membershps.png](/images/blog/headline/headline-memberships.png)

## Headline documentation, how-to guides, and FAQs

See all the [Headline docs here](https://docs.viaheadline.xyz/).


Unlock is happy to announce the launch of Headline, bringing publishing and newsletter subscriptions into the Web3 ecosystem.

This is what Web3 publishing looks like

Headline is Publishing and Newsletters Built the Web3 Way

<p><img src="/images/blog/headline/headline-header-bg.png" alt="headline-header-bg.png"></p>
<p>Unlock is happy to announce the launch of Headline, bringing publishing and newsletter subscriptions into the Web3 ecosystem. You can check it out at <a href="https://viaheadline.xyz">https://viaheadline.xyz</a>.</p>
<p>Built by Unlock and <a href="https://www.raidguild.org/">RaidGuild</a>, Headline utilizes technology from <a href="https://ceramic.network/">Ceramic</a>, a decentralized data network bringing unlimited data to Web3 applications and <a href="https://litprotocol.com/">Lit Protocol</a>, a distributed network for encryption to set a new standard for subscription newsletters in Web3.</p>
<p><img src="/images/blog/headline/headline-fullpage.png" alt="headline-fullpage.png"></p>
<p>"Encrypted data and access control on the open and decentralized web lets creators create world class experiences for their fans, without having to rely on any web2 platform as a middle man. The composability of the open web, like how Lit Protocol and Unlock can work together, is in service of creating more value for creators and their fans," said David Sneider, CEO Lit Protocol</p>
<p>"We believe that the most successful Web3 projects are those building bridges across the ecosystem. Ceramic's open, decentralized data network is a natural fit for Headline, and we're excited to see how creators leverage this composable infrastructure to share their content across a multitude of communities and platforms," said Lauren Feld, Head of Business Development at 3Box Labs.</p>
<p>Online publishing platforms have proven time and time again to act with their own self-interest, imposing limitations on creators, such as onerous fees and other business-model decisions that benefit the platform and hinder the creators. A primary means of retaining users on these platforms is by locking members into the platform, rather than allowing creators to control those fan relationships directly. Unlock offers a new alternative for creators trapped inside the walled gardens of these Web2 platforms by enabling creators to directly manage who has access to their content, no matter where it's published.</p>
<p>With Headline, creators directly share their newsletters with readers who hold those creators' membership NFTs. This approach means creators don't need to rely on a third-party publication platform that forces readers to log into that site to access and subscribe to newsletters. Readers will retain the normal experience of having newsletters arrive in their inboxes, but for creators this represents a sea-change that gives them direct control and ownership over their newsletter membership.</p>
<p>Want to try it out? Head over to <a href="https://viaheadline.xyz">https://viaheadline.xyz</a>.</p>
<h2>Connect with others using Headline</h2>
<p>Connect here in the <a href="https://discord.gg/UQPUgfsqYs">Unlock Discord #headline channel</a>.</p>
<h2>Screenshots of Headline</h2>
<h3>Headline content</h3>
<p><img src="/images/blog/headline/headline-content.png" alt="headline-content.png"></p>
<h3>Headline article</h3>
<p><img src="/images/blog/headline/headline-article.png" alt="headline-article.png"></p>
<h3>Headline memberships</h3>
<p><img src="/images/blog/headline/headline-memberships.png" alt="headline-membershps.png"></p>
<h2>Headline documentation, how-to guides, and FAQs</h2>
<p>See all the <a href="https://docs.viaheadline.xyz/">Headline docs here</a>.</p>



![access-nft-header.png](/images/blog/access-nft/access-nft-header.png)

If you're here, you've most likely heard about Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). Interest in the NFT space has snowballed over the years, and as the space evolves and more people join the party, it's easy to lose track of the utility an NFT can provide to its holder, aside from being able to buy and sell them. This is where Access NFTs come into the picture.

This article will discuss Access NFTs, their use cases, benefits, and highlight a number of examples of Access NFTs on the Unlock Protocol platform.

## What is an Access NFT?

The value of an NFT can be a function of its utility, which can include the opportunities, perks, or benefits that owning a particular NFT affords. Access NFTs are a quickly growing category in the NFT space.

Access NFTs are NFTs that, as the name implies, give their holders access to specific communities, experiences, and items in the metaverse or in reality.

## What are the use cases for Access NFTs?

Access NFTs have myriad use cases. Let's go over some of them.

- **NFT ticketing for live or virtual events:**  This is one of the most popular use cases for Access NFTs. In this example, the event is set up so that those looking to attend would need to mint an NFT ticket to attend said event. An example of where access NFTs have been used to grant access to an event was [The Buildspace Africa event](https://www.buildspace.africa/) in January. Live attendees were required to mint their tickets before coming, and it was pretty easy to verify authenticity. Another example is [EthCC, which uses Unlock NFTs for its event ticketing](https://twitter.com/EthCC/status/1504867799889592322).
- **NFTs for token-gated access to a community:**  This is another famous use case of access NFTs as NFTs can be the mechanism to provide exclusive access to a community. Some of the most popular NFT projects can boast of having a solid community. NFT holders often have access to a private Discord server or other community area. They also hold community meetups and parties for their members; all these drive up the project's perceived value and make it worth owning.
- **Access to content:** Another use case for Access NFTs is offering the holder access to some form of content. It could be access to written content such as a blog or a book. It could also be access to video or audio content. An example of where access NFTs are being used to offer access to content is [Julien Genestoux's blog](https://www.ouvre-boite.com/membership/). You can purchase a membership on this blog which gives you access to all the content on his blog alongside a few other perks.

## **What are the benefits of Access NFTs?**

Let's go over some of the benefits of Access NFTs and why they matter.

- **Access NFTs are platform agnostic** — The fact that access NFTs can exist on nearly any platform without restriction and are inherently portable is a major benefit of Access NFTs. Creators no longer need to be tied to a particular platform and be beholden to a centralized platform’s business models or seemingly arbitrarily-enforced rules and policies. Similarly, with platform middlemen, creators often give up significant portions of their revenue to the host platform. With Access NFTs, creators can sell NFTs directly to their fans or audience for access to the content they produce however they like.
- **An easier method of value transfer** — Access NFTs provide a more straightforward method of transferring value. For instance, if a member of a community holds an Access NFT but no longer feels the need to own access to a particular privilege granted by that access NFT, the holder can typically resell it to someone else at will.
- **Easier access to a global market** — Access NFTs make it possible for creators to reach a global audience. Traditional subscription payment methods have limitations in getting to certain areas, as providers tend to neglect certain areas due to governmental policies. Access NFTs work on the blockchain and are decentralized, making it easier for people anywhere to access their favorite creators' content.

## Examples of Unlock Protocol Access NFTs

Let's go over a few projects that integrate with Unlock Protocol to create access NFTs.

### Token-gated access to Discord or Telegram using [Guild.xyz](https://guild.xyz/)

Guild.xyz creates [token-gated access](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/guildxyz-launch) into online communities based on Access NFTs.

Guild is a place for internet communities to come together and form groups to manage these private communities and start working together better. [Guild.xyz](http://guild.xyz/) is a project from [Agora](https://agora.xyz/) which builds essential tools for internet communities.

If you want to join a community that has implemented Guild, you'd need an NFT that signifies you are a fellow member of that community to join.

### Members-only content on the [LIT AF Podcast](https://litafpodcast.com/)

LIT AF is a podcast produced by [David Preston](https://davidpreston.net/). It's all about retelling uncensored versions of classic literary works with plot twists that literary enthusiasts enjoy. The LIT AF podcast uses access NFTs to allow its members to access member-specific content, and in the future will enable NFT-holders to participate in online events and get discounts.

### A real-world community with [The Willow Tree](https://www.twtdao.xyz/nft)

The Willow Tree is a decentralized autonomous organization (community) of likeminded ravers with a shared passion for underground electronic music and high-end event production. Their mission is to collectively own and operate a global network of nightclubs, a decentralized home for underground electronic culture. They use access NFTs to provide members some perks such as free tickets to all events, a private discord channel, etc.

## Conclusion

From what we've discussed in this article, it's apparent that access NFTs are here to stay and not some internet trend that'll fade into non-existence in a few years.

As more communities and creators continue to find different use cases for access NFTs, there's still potential for so much more to be done.

_This blog post is a guest post from Iniubong Obonguko. Iniubong is a frontend web developer & technical writer. You can read his blog [here](https://blog.iniubongobonguko.com/)._


Access NFTs give their holders access to specific communities, experiences, and items in the metaverse or in reality.

Access NFTs give their holders access to specific communities, experiences, and items in the metaverse or in reality

What is an Access NFT?

<p><img src="/images/blog/access-nft/access-nft-header.png" alt="access-nft-header.png"></p>
<p>If you're here, you've most likely heard about Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). Interest in the NFT space has snowballed over the years, and as the space evolves and more people join the party, it's easy to lose track of the utility an NFT can provide to its holder, aside from being able to buy and sell them. This is where Access NFTs come into the picture.</p>
<p>This article will discuss Access NFTs, their use cases, benefits, and highlight a number of examples of Access NFTs on the Unlock Protocol platform.</p>
<h2>What is an Access NFT?</h2>
<p>The value of an NFT can be a function of its utility, which can include the opportunities, perks, or benefits that owning a particular NFT affords. Access NFTs are a quickly growing category in the NFT space.</p>
<p>Access NFTs are NFTs that, as the name implies, give their holders access to specific communities, experiences, and items in the metaverse or in reality.</p>
<h2>What are the use cases for Access NFTs?</h2>
<p>Access NFTs have myriad use cases. Let's go over some of them.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>NFT ticketing for live or virtual events:</strong>  This is one of the most popular use cases for Access NFTs. In this example, the event is set up so that those looking to attend would need to mint an NFT ticket to attend said event. An example of where access NFTs have been used to grant access to an event was <a href="https://www.buildspace.africa/">The Buildspace Africa event</a> in January. Live attendees were required to mint their tickets before coming, and it was pretty easy to verify authenticity. Another example is <a href="https://twitter.com/EthCC/status/1504867799889592322">EthCC, which uses Unlock NFTs for its event ticketing</a>.</li>
<li><strong>NFTs for token-gated access to a community:</strong>  This is another famous use case of access NFTs as NFTs can be the mechanism to provide exclusive access to a community. Some of the most popular NFT projects can boast of having a solid community. NFT holders often have access to a private Discord server or other community area. They also hold community meetups and parties for their members; all these drive up the project's perceived value and make it worth owning.</li>
<li><strong>Access to content:</strong> Another use case for Access NFTs is offering the holder access to some form of content. It could be access to written content such as a blog or a book. It could also be access to video or audio content. An example of where access NFTs are being used to offer access to content is <a href="https://www.ouvre-boite.com/membership/">Julien Genestoux's blog</a>. You can purchase a membership on this blog which gives you access to all the content on his blog alongside a few other perks.</li>
</ul>
<h2><strong>What are the benefits of Access NFTs?</strong></h2>
<p>Let's go over some of the benefits of Access NFTs and why they matter.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Access NFTs are platform agnostic</strong> — The fact that access NFTs can exist on nearly any platform without restriction and are inherently portable is a major benefit of Access NFTs. Creators no longer need to be tied to a particular platform and be beholden to a centralized platform’s business models or seemingly arbitrarily-enforced rules and policies. Similarly, with platform middlemen, creators often give up significant portions of their revenue to the host platform. With Access NFTs, creators can sell NFTs directly to their fans or audience for access to the content they produce however they like.</li>
<li><strong>An easier method of value transfer</strong> — Access NFTs provide a more straightforward method of transferring value. For instance, if a member of a community holds an Access NFT but no longer feels the need to own access to a particular privilege granted by that access NFT, the holder can typically resell it to someone else at will.</li>
<li><strong>Easier access to a global market</strong> — Access NFTs make it possible for creators to reach a global audience. Traditional subscription payment methods have limitations in getting to certain areas, as providers tend to neglect certain areas due to governmental policies. Access NFTs work on the blockchain and are decentralized, making it easier for people anywhere to access their favorite creators' content.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Examples of Unlock Protocol Access NFTs</h2>
<p>Let's go over a few projects that integrate with Unlock Protocol to create access NFTs.</p>
<h3>Token-gated access to Discord or Telegram using <a href="https://guild.xyz/">Guild.xyz</a></h3>
<p>Guild.xyz creates <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/guildxyz-launch">token-gated access</a> into online communities based on Access NFTs.</p>
<p>Guild is a place for internet communities to come together and form groups to manage these private communities and start working together better. <a href="http://guild.xyz/">Guild.xyz</a> is a project from <a href="https://agora.xyz/">Agora</a> which builds essential tools for internet communities.</p>
<p>If you want to join a community that has implemented Guild, you'd need an NFT that signifies you are a fellow member of that community to join.</p>
<h3>Members-only content on the <a href="https://litafpodcast.com/">LIT AF Podcast</a></h3>
<p>LIT AF is a podcast produced by <a href="https://davidpreston.net/">David Preston</a>. It's all about retelling uncensored versions of classic literary works with plot twists that literary enthusiasts enjoy. The LIT AF podcast uses access NFTs to allow its members to access member-specific content, and in the future will enable NFT-holders to participate in online events and get discounts.</p>
<h3>A real-world community with <a href="https://www.twtdao.xyz/nft">The Willow Tree</a></h3>
<p>The Willow Tree is a decentralized autonomous organization (community) of likeminded ravers with a shared passion for underground electronic music and high-end event production. Their mission is to collectively own and operate a global network of nightclubs, a decentralized home for underground electronic culture. They use access NFTs to provide members some perks such as free tickets to all events, a private discord channel, etc.</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>From what we've discussed in this article, it's apparent that access NFTs are here to stay and not some internet trend that'll fade into non-existence in a few years.</p>
<p>As more communities and creators continue to find different use cases for access NFTs, there's still potential for so much more to be done.</p>
<p><em>This blog post is a guest post from Iniubong Obonguko. Iniubong is a frontend web developer &#x26; technical writer. You can read his blog <a href="https://blog.iniubongobonguko.com/">here</a>.</em></p>



![mar-22-banner.jpg](/images/blog/mar-22-update/mar-22-banner.jpg)

## Governance items

- **DAO proposal** - Launched a proposal to modify the Unlock DAO quorum and minimum token requirements (**NOTE**: Do you hold even a single $UDT? If so, [please review and vote on the proposal here!](https://www.tally.xyz/governance/eip155:1:0x7757f7f21F5Fa9b1fd168642B79416051cd0BB94/proposal/91388393958346767282436830202582381357138252819862358258168352110789792788073))

And there are a _huge_ number of March 2022 product updates from Unlock! The team delivered a number of new features this month that include...

## In production

- **Notification toasts in Dashboard** - Added toaster notifications throughout the Unlock interface for communicating status
- **Captcha on checkout flow bot prevention measure** - Deter bots from purchasing NFT tickets in a scripted manner
- **Support for password-protected checkout** - Our checkout flow now supports a “password” flow where a lock manager can set a hook on their contract so that purchasing keys only works if the user enters a password in the checkout flow
- **Support for unlimited duration in Dashboard and Keychain** - Enable lock managers to set unlimited key duration directly from the dashboard
- **Changing number of keys on Dashboard** - Enable lock managers to update maximum keys directly from dashboard
- **Whole new static site** - Completely redesigned [https://www.unlock-protocol.com](https://www.unlock-protocol.com)
- **Skipping metadata collection when all fields are optional** - Enable a purchaser to skip optional metadata collection during checkout
- **Redesigned Keychain** - Redesigned look and feel for the Keychain page, including links to OpenSea for every key
- **Attachment in emails** - You can now set attachments for email being sent on key purchases
- **Customizable recipient on checkout** - It is now possible upon checkout to customize the address of the wallet that will receive the NFT membership, so a purchaser can buy a membership for someone else.
- **Easier checkout flow** - Based on community feedback, we continue to deploy redesigned and improved checkout experiences throughout Unlock

## Coming soon

- **Multiple key ownership in smart contracts** (Coming in April) - Enable wallets to hold more than one key/membership at a time
- **Mimic “Ownable” in smart contracts** (Coming in April) - Enable lock managers to show ownership of locks; aids in situations like OpenSea metadata management
- **Create Lock in specific version** (Coming in April) - Enables a lock manager to choose which version of the lock contract to use

## Developer improvements

- **Refactored unlock-express** - unlock-express now to use Passport (Node.js's most used authentication framework)

Want to know more and try stuff out? [Join the Unlock community in the Discord](https://discord.unlock-protocol.com/)!


Unlock Protocol launched over a dozen new features in March 2022 for NFT ticketing, memberships, and an array of user experience improvements.

Over a dozen new features launched for NFT ticketing, memberships, and an array of user experience improvements

Unlock Protocol Product Updates for March 2022

<p><img src="/images/blog/mar-22-update/mar-22-banner.jpg" alt="mar-22-banner.jpg"></p>
<h2>Governance items</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>DAO proposal</strong> - Launched a proposal to modify the Unlock DAO quorum and minimum token requirements (<strong>NOTE</strong>: Do you hold even a single $UDT? If so, <a href="https://www.tally.xyz/governance/eip155:1:0x7757f7f21F5Fa9b1fd168642B79416051cd0BB94/proposal/91388393958346767282436830202582381357138252819862358258168352110789792788073">please review and vote on the proposal here!</a>)</li>
</ul>
<p>And there are a <em>huge</em> number of March 2022 product updates from Unlock! The team delivered a number of new features this month that include...</p>
<h2>In production</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Notification toasts in Dashboard</strong> - Added toaster notifications throughout the Unlock interface for communicating status</li>
<li><strong>Captcha on checkout flow bot prevention measure</strong> - Deter bots from purchasing NFT tickets in a scripted manner</li>
<li><strong>Support for password-protected checkout</strong> - Our checkout flow now supports a “password” flow where a lock manager can set a hook on their contract so that purchasing keys only works if the user enters a password in the checkout flow</li>
<li><strong>Support for unlimited duration in Dashboard and Keychain</strong> - Enable lock managers to set unlimited key duration directly from the dashboard</li>
<li><strong>Changing number of keys on Dashboard</strong> - Enable lock managers to update maximum keys directly from dashboard</li>
<li><strong>Whole new static site</strong> - Completely redesigned <a href="https://www.unlock-protocol.com">https://www.unlock-protocol.com</a></li>
<li><strong>Skipping metadata collection when all fields are optional</strong> - Enable a purchaser to skip optional metadata collection during checkout</li>
<li><strong>Redesigned Keychain</strong> - Redesigned look and feel for the Keychain page, including links to OpenSea for every key</li>
<li><strong>Attachment in emails</strong> - You can now set attachments for email being sent on key purchases</li>
<li><strong>Customizable recipient on checkout</strong> - It is now possible upon checkout to customize the address of the wallet that will receive the NFT membership, so a purchaser can buy a membership for someone else.</li>
<li><strong>Easier checkout flow</strong> - Based on community feedback, we continue to deploy redesigned and improved checkout experiences throughout Unlock</li>
</ul>
<h2>Coming soon</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Multiple key ownership in smart contracts</strong> (Coming in April) - Enable wallets to hold more than one key/membership at a time</li>
<li><strong>Mimic “Ownable” in smart contracts</strong> (Coming in April) - Enable lock managers to show ownership of locks; aids in situations like OpenSea metadata management</li>
<li><strong>Create Lock in specific version</strong> (Coming in April) - Enables a lock manager to choose which version of the lock contract to use</li>
</ul>
<h2>Developer improvements</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Refactored unlock-express</strong> - unlock-express now to use Passport (Node.js's most used authentication framework)</li>
</ul>
<p>Want to know more and try stuff out? <a href="https://discord.unlock-protocol.com/">Join the Unlock community in the Discord</a>!</p>



As of March 2022, our smart contracts have been audited by 3 different teams: [Code4rena](https://code4rena.com/), [ByteRocket](https://byterocket.com/) and Akira Tech.

We are pleased with the results of these audits as they have identified **no issue that would jeopardize creators or members' funds in a systemic way**. The audits did identify improvements that we have (or will) implement to simplify flows, make risky behaviors less error-prone as well as reduce gas consumption.

This step is an important one, and while we're working on more improvements and upgrades to the core protocol, we will get more audits in the future.

It also builds our confidence that we can move ownership of our contracts to the DAO, which we'll also work on the next few weeks.

You can download the reports as well as see a summary [in our docs website](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/audits)!


As we're scaling adoption, we have performed our first independent audits.

We received our first 3 audits

Audits

<p>As of March 2022, our smart contracts have been audited by 3 different teams: <a href="https://code4rena.com/">Code4rena</a>, <a href="https://byterocket.com/">ByteRocket</a> and Akira Tech.</p>
<p>We are pleased with the results of these audits as they have identified <strong>no issue that would jeopardize creators or members' funds in a systemic way</strong>. The audits did identify improvements that we have (or will) implement to simplify flows, make risky behaviors less error-prone as well as reduce gas consumption.</p>
<p>This step is an important one, and while we're working on more improvements and upgrades to the core protocol, we will get more audits in the future.</p>
<p>It also builds our confidence that we can move ownership of our contracts to the DAO, which we'll also work on the next few weeks.</p>
<p>You can download the reports as well as see a summary <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/audits">in our docs website</a>!</p>
