Introducing Tickets
Now you can buy tickets to real-world events using Ethereum and the Unlock Protocol.
The Unlock Protocol isn't just a way to pay to access services on the internet.
We’re building a protocol that can be used to unlock access to anything - and while that means content, software licenses and more, we also want to help people sell access things in the real world.
In the future, the Unlock Protocol may be used to sell tickets for transportation, as a way to seamlessly manage room access in hotels and holiday rentals, and as a way to prove you've paid for a membership. Today, we're starting with events.
You can buy a ticket to the Berlin Open Source Salon with DAI using Unlock. Visit the Unlock event page, purchase a ticket, and then show your special QR code at the door. Your ticket will be validated on the blockchain.
How tickets work with Unlock
Every Unlock transaction - whether for content, an event, software licenses, or anything else - works by selling a key to a lock using Ethereum. Tickets are no different.
Once a lock has been created, creators have access to a number of ways to use it: different applications that sit on top of the Unlock Protocol. The ticketed event application allows you to save a date, title, description, and location for the event. These aren't stored on the blockchain itself: instead, they create a database record that references the lock's Ethereum address.
An attendee with an Ethereum wallet like Metamask can buy a key with one click. The event page then shows a QR code, which contains the user's public key and a signed version of the lock address. This can be verified at the door with a commodity QR code reader, which are now built into the camera apps in every major mobile operating system.
Multi-use locks
On the Unlock Protocol, you're not limited to using one application per lock. This means that a ticketed event and a content paywall can run on the same lock: if you purchase access to the paywall, you'll be able to get access to the event, or if you purchase access to the event, you'll automatically be able to view protected content.
This means you can very easily string together a series of connected assets to sell as a bundle. Perhaps you want to give premium customers for your publication access to a series of workshops. Or you want to provide access to a custom social network for attendees of your event. As we add more applications, and third parties build on top of our open protocol to add even more, the possibilities will become endless.
Learn more
We're building Unlock in the open. You can always say hello in our Discord, join us on our Github project or reach out at [email protected]. We would love to hear from you.