From the beginning, Darkblock has offered its Viewer as an integral part of its end-to-end solution for helping creators sell premium content in a web3-native way—i.e., we don’t want to just let creators encrypt and attach multimedia files to their NFTs, though that alone would be super cool, we want to provide them with a simple, no-code way for their fans to decrypt and access those files on their own website rather than rely on third-party apps or token-gated platforms.

Darkblock’s Viewer is a powerful tool designed to provide a seamless and immersive experience for both creators and NFT holders. But the original version did have its limitations, especially when it comes to Ethereum and EVM chains. This is because when a creator embeds the original Darkblock Viewer on their site—which is as easy to do as embedding a YouTube video—they need to designate a single token the Viewer is set up to handle, which means it works well for creators who want to give access to content attached to an ERC-1155 edition, but not a great fit for creators with an ERC-721 collection.

Darkblock’s new collection-level Viewer eliminates those limitations. Check it out now in our docs or read on for what it enables for creators.

Breaking Free from Single-Token Constraints

With the new collection-level Viewer, creators can break free from the shackles of single-token limitations.

By embedding the collection-level Viewer on their website, creators can now let their fans connect their wallets and access all the content they own from an entire collection, even if it’s unique content attached to multiple ERC-721 tokens within that collection.

Here’s an example that will help illustrate why this is relevant. Say Yuga Labs wants to enhance the value of its Apes and uses Darkblock to encrypt and attach a unique 3D, metaverse-ready Ape avatar to the corresponding ERC-721 token (easy to do via Darkblock’s PFP Content Factory). That would be cool (especially if Yuga partnered with a metaverse or game that uses Darkblock’s Unity plug-in to enable the automatic upload of that avatar at runtime…). Then, say, it wanted to attach some exclusive VIP passes to its solid gold- and trippy- fur Apes.

If Yuga wanted to embed the original Viewer, they’d need to get developers involved to allow holders to enter their individual token or build a wrapper that would enhance the Viewer to display multiple 721s. Both doable with Yuga’s resources, but out of reach for many small projects and indie creators.

With the new collection-level Viewer Yuga could embed it on their site with some simple HTML code (like we said, as easy as embedding a YouTube video) and each holder, after connecting their wallet, would immediately have access to any token-bound files attached to any NFTs they own from that collection. 

The collection-level Viewer means it’s no longer about one token – it’s about the entire collection.

Seamless, Intuitive, and User-Friendly

Our mission at Darkblock is to make it as easy as possible for creators to monetize their content in web3. The collection-level Viewer is intuitive, ensuring holders enjoy a user-friendly interface while navigating through the content attached to their NFTs, whether it’s art, music, ebooks, or any token-bound asset.

This enhancement is not just about functionality; it’s about transforming the way creators showcase their NFTs. The collection-level Viewer enables creators to offer a richer, more engaging experience to their fans right on their own website, fostering deeper connections with their community. 

As we continue to build and evolve, we’re excited about the endless possibilities this enhancement brings to the world of decentralized, token-bound content.

The collection level embeds are only available for EVM chains currently. If you need this functionality for another chain, please contact us in our Discord to request the feature!

About Darkblock

Darkblock, a web3 pioneer in decentralized content delivery and monetization, enables creators to control the distribution, accessibility, and monetization of their content without making it right-click-savable. By repurposing NFTs into tokenized vaults for digital content (e.g., music, videos, podcasts, films, comics, ebooks, 3D metaverse or gaming assets, or even HTML files), Darkblock provides the encryption infrastructure creators need to harness the power of web3 technology, unlock new storytelling and community-building tools, explore new business models and ultimately build a new creator economy free from platform control.

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The first result of the partnership is that the RUNNER project has integrated the Darkblock Protocol for decentralized unlockable content as a way to engage with their community and reward holders of its initial NFT collection.

The Omega RUNNER team includes veterans of Hollywood and the comic book industry and is dedicated to reimagining how the world tells stories. They are building a web3 media franchise based in a world known as Omega, where it’s not the strongest who survive—it’s the fastest. The project released a comic book last year that introduces the world of Omega and sold out its initial NFT collection, which was limited to 1,000 tokens. Holders received a physical copy of the comic, but the team was looking for an innovative way to also deliver the digital comic to their holders.

That’s when they heard about Darkblock… The RUNNER team immediately saw not just how Darkblock would enable them to deliver the comic book in a web3-native way, but also the game-changing potential for how they could leverage decentralized unlockable content to tell more engaging and interactive stories, engage their community in co-creating the Omega world, and explore new monetization opportunities like giving holders the ability to rent access to the unlockable content.

By integrating Darkblock, the RUNNER team has created a Comic Vault on its website where its NFT holders can connect their wallet and unlock the digital comic book to read without leaving the website. What’s happening under the hood is that via the Darkblock Protocol, the RUNNER team was able to encrypt the comic book, which was then permanently stored on Arweave and immutably attached to each NFT in the collection. Because Darkblock permanently stores content in a decentralized way, holders have forever-access to the comic book without the risk of losing access to it—a risk that’s inherent with existing, centralized token-gating options for providing exclusive access to content.

The nice thing about a decentralized protocol like Darkblock is that these NFT collectors can access the comic book on any other platform, marketplace, native app, wallet or website that integrates the protocol. While that’s not an extensive list at the moment, we are confident that as more high-profile projects like Omega RUNNER integrate the Darkblock Protocol, more platforms will see the benefit in integrating with us and we will become an integral piece of the web3 tech stack.

Below is the announcement from Metaversal, which is a web3 venture studio leading the project. If you have an NFT project and see the value in integrating decentralized unlockable content as a way to reward holders or explore new monetization opportunities, don’t hesitate to reach out at info@darkblock.io or join our Discord.

Metaversal integrates Darkblock to power unlockables for its Omega RUNNER franchise

Omega RUNNER opens the door to a new era of interactive entertainment, driven by unlockable content pathways that immerse fans in the canon and empower fans to contribute to the lore with their own unique storylines.

NEW YORK, NY – Omega RUNNER, the franchise from Clubhouse Pictures (Kate, Birds of Prey) and venture studio Metaversal, launches its new Comic Vault, a token-gated portal to the Omega RUNNER comic universe that will evolve into a new layer of interactive entertainment. 

The integration is the first touchpoint enabled by Darkblock, an encryption protocol that enables anyone to lock multimedia content, metaverse assets or other digital goods inside NFTs so that the assets are only accessible to owners of those specific NFTs. For instance, holders of an NFT with a trait based on a specific storyline could access an entirely different backstory than someone with a different NFT.

“We call it decentralized unlockable content, but what we offer is essentially a web3-native way to token gate any type of digital asset,” says Darkblock CEO Chris Seline. “These RUNNER comics — and any additional multimedia content the team (or fans) add in the future — will be immutably attached to these First Edition NFTs. Holders will be able to unlock and read this content on any marketplace, wallet or website that integrates the Darkblock Protocol.”

Future iterations of the Darkblock Protocol will allow NFT owners to create their own lore—whether in the form of written stories, videos and animations, or audio—and encrypt and immutably attach them to their individual character NFTs. By layering that lore into their character NFTs, they can not only contribute creatively to the project but add value to their NFT, which can eventually be rented to others who want to dive deeper. 

And, thanks to blockchain functionality, these storylines can be embedded immutably within the backstory of individual character NFTs — potentially as their own unlockables that individuals create as part of their contribution to the lore. 

“Fans have always been the lifeblood of Hollywood,” says Blaise Hemingway, writer of the RUNNER comic series. “With these types of tools, storytellers can now encourage fans to pen backstories that could become part of the official canon. That process from lore to canon is one of the most exciting aspects of unlockables, as it gives us new pathways to co-creation with our fans.” 

As Omega RUNNER helps drive this evolution of interactive entertainment with NFTs and unlockable content, Darkblock will also provide new monetization models that benefit both the project and the community. These models include enabling community members to rent access to their NFT’s multimedia content, including any character backstories they might write or record, or potentially even creating entirely new experiences based on specific facets of a story. 

“These versatile digital content controls allow project creators to provide more interactive experiences to their communities and choose the best content distribution and monetization models that work for them,” says Darkblock CEO Chris Seline. 

With control over distribution and storytelling mechanics, creators can transform themselves into a niche Netflix of sorts. They distribute their own content that goes deep into a specific storyline, with a variety of different content types and experiences for fans to enjoy. 

“We’re excited to build the next wave of Hollywood-style storytelling, using the power of NFTs to unlock entirely new storytelling opportunities,” says Metaversal co-founder Yossi Hasson. “We’re equally eager to own the distribution and create an interface for collectors and fans alike to experience the Omega RUNNER story. The Comic Vault is just the first step towards this vision of a more engaging, deeply creative story experience.”

Holders of the Omega RUNNER First Edition NFT will be first to experience the new Comic Vault, which includes both Issue #1 and the next issue in the saga, Issue #2. First Editions are available on the secondary market here. 

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About Omega RUNNER

Omega RUNNER is building a Hollywood IP brand and franchise led by Clubhouse Pictures’ Bryan Unkeless (Co-Producer of The Hunger Games), Bryce Anderson (Creative Development for Mad Max: Fury Road), Blaise Hemingway (Lead Writer from the Disney Animation Story Trust), Cedric Nicolas-Troyan (Director KATE and The Huntsman: Winter’s War), and co-founder Metaversal. Omega RUNNER focuses on creating a web3 interactive storytelling experience for holders in the world of Omega and IRL. As we expand our brand, we will co-create new virtual worlds alongside our community, with RUNNER characters at the center of this universe. First launched as a limited-run comic book, the project expands to a complete character collection in early 2023.

About Metaversal 

Metaversal partners with brands, creators, content holders, and IP owners to identify, execute, and underwrite evocative NFT projects. Backed by CoinFund, DCG, Galaxy and other leading investors, the Metaversal team is uniquely positioned to identify the requirements for success in the web3 ecosystem and remains platform and blockchain agnostic.

About Darkblock
Darkblock, a web3 pioneer in adding utility to NFTs, enables creators to use NFTs to control the distribution, accessibility, and monetization of their content without making it right-click-savable. By repurposing NFTs into tokenized vaults for digital content (e.g., music, videos, podcasts, films, comics, ebooks, 3D metaverse or gaming assets, or even HTML files), Darkblock provides the encryption infrastructure creators need to harness the power of web3 technology, unlock new storytelling and community-building tools, explore new business models and ultimately build a new creator economy free from platform control.