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

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

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

Flexibility and Customization

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

Stella Achenbach, founder of The ALANA Project, sees all kinds of groundbreaking opportunities by integrating Darkblock and Unlock into her tech stack.

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

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

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

New Business Models Unlocked

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

Subscription-Based Magazines

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

Web3-Native Patreon

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

Time-Based Rentals

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

Enabling the Future of Web3 Content

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

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

The future of content ownership and distribution is here!

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.
Website | Discord | Twitter | YouTube | Medium | LinkedIn

About Unlock Protocol
Unlock Protocol is building the web’s new business model by enabling new ways for developers, brands, and creators to manage memberships online. Unlock’s solution is an open source, Ethereum-based protocol that streamlines membership management for online communities. Unlock Protocol can be applied to events, ticketing, certifications and credentials, content, subscriptions, newsletters, gaming, API access, or any application that requires time-based membership authorization and access. Learn more at https://unlock-protocol.com

The silver lining to Magic Eden making royalties optional, and the resulting debate over whether marketplaces should be enforcing something that can’t be enforced on the smart-contract level, is that it will lead to innovation that will spawn new blockchain-enabled business models for creators.

Royalties on sales were never the be-all, end-all business model. Our collective approach to how creators monetize their work and make a living in web3 is incredibly narrow compared to the endless opportunities enabled by blockchain technology.

NFTs aren’t the business model—they are a key that unlocks a multitude of business models.

This, by the way, is why we’re building Darkblock, which is an encryption protocol that enables creators to control the distribution, access to, and monetization of their multimedia content using NFTs with unlockable content. Our mission is to empower creators to harness the power of blockchain technology and develop a new creator economy free from platform control.

Magic Eden has asked the Darkblock team to lead a workshop on Nov. 9 as part of its Creator Monetization Hackathon, which we’re happy to do. We’re confident participants who build on the Darkblock Protocol will come up with some novel new monetization opportunities for creators.

To kickstart the ideation, here are four revenue models possible to develop using the Darkblock Protocol.

1. Content Subscriptions

With Darkblock, creators can encrypt and immutably attach an unlimited amount of multimedia content to their NFTs (even after they’re minted or sold). This turns NFTs into delivery channels for content and means creators can use the Darkblock Protocol to deliver new content to their audiences ad infinitum. See the possibilities?

A comic book creator could sell an NFT to her fans, then attach a new issue each month as unlockable content. An author could do the same with their ebook, or an animator with their weekly video series, or a model with daily NSFW content. The ability to turn on a subscription fee and create the web3 versions of Patreon, Substack or OnlyFans is entirely doable.

And because Darkblock makes integration into a website easy, these creators could give their holders an excuse to return to their website on a regular basis to connect their wallet, interact with the Darkblock Protocol to authenticate ownership of the NFT, then decrypt and consume the content without leaving.

2. Content Rental & Royalties on Consumption

One lever creators can pull when it comes to the access controls the Darkblock Protocol provides is giving NFT owners the ability to rent out the unlockable content. Making this possible turns a creator’s collectors into a distribution network for their content.

Here’s how it would work: Imagine a popular filmmaker releases a short film and attaches it to a collection of 2,000 NFTs, selling each for .2 ETH—at current ETH prices, a cool $628,000. Existing fans might not be able to afford the NFT, but they might be willing to pay .01 ETH (about $15) to watch the film (using the Darkblock TV app, of course). Or, maybe this filmmaker becomes super famous and the price of these 2,000 NFTs increases to 2 ETH while demand to view this short film also increases.

In either scenario, if the filmmaker gave holders the option to rent the film, holders would be able to rent it out and collect a rental fee. The holder would pocket a portion of the proceeds, a reward for their early support, while a pre-determined percentage would flow back to the filmmaker in the form of a royalty on consumption.

We envision this being done by creating special access NFTs with temporary darkblocks containing the rented content.

3. Asset Purchases & Upgrades

Another opportunity using the Darkblock Protocol is for creators to sell additional content or assets to existing NFT holders.

Let’s use game and metaverse assets for this example. Using Darkblock’s existing Unity plug-in, creators and developers can encrypt and attach game and metaverse assets to NFTs, which subsequent owners could upload to Unity-based games and metaverses at runtime.

Pretty cool. Let’s say someone buys an NFT that contains a special avatar for a specific metaverse. Later, the NFT’s owner wants to buy an upgrade and/or acquire some new wearables or metaverse fashion for the avatar. The original creator collects a small fee and attaches the additional darkblock to the existing NFT so the new asset is uploaded with the avatar at runtime.

You may ask why a creator would want to add content to an existing NFT rather than sell a new NFT. One answer is that they want value to accrue to their existing collectors. If a holder has invested over a long period of time in upgrades and extra stuff, then that NFT is chock-full of unlockable content and will fetch a higher price on the secondary market.

Here’s another possibility to get the juices flowing.

A creator-educator can use the Darkblock Protocol to attach course material to NFTs (e.g., lectures, worksheets, resources, etc.) and then provide them to each student.

That alone is a great use case. But maybe they want to sell add-ons—certain high-value templates or custom design files or even special links a student could use to redeem IRL items or schedule one-on-one coaching sessions. All of those things could be sold and then attached to that specific student’s NFT as unlockable content.

4. Gamified NFTs & Raffles

What if you want to introduce an element of gamification to your NFT project? Using Darkblock, you could.

You can use Darkblock to encrypt and attach any file type you want to an NFT—even an HTML file. So, we’ve been playing around with custom integrations that recreate the experience of redeeming a scratch-off ticket contained in a darkblock. Even to the point where your cursor becomes a little hand holding a coin…

Why would you want to do this? Maybe you want to hold a legit raffle for holders, who can buy as many raffle tickets as they want—each contained in their own darkblock—for 0.3 SOL each (about $10 at current prices). Using our NPM packages, a NFT project could integrate our protocol and the Darkblock Viewer into their website, where holders can then unlock their darkblocks and scratch off their tickets for a chance to win whatever prize you have in mind.

Going back to what’s possible with the Unity plug-in, maybe you’re a developer of a Unity-based dungeon-raiding RPG and you want to introduce some fun into a player’s experience when they find a chest or want to pay for a chance to win a special weapon or magical item. Rather than a basic reveal, the player receives a darkblock, which they can decrypt and then interact with to reveal what they’ve won.

Conclusion

These are just four ideas for monetization opportunities we believe could be built atop a protocol that gives creators control of the distribution, access to, and monetization of their content. Use your imagination and I’m sure you could come up with additional ways creators could use Darkblock and their NFTs, unlockable content, subscriptions, content rental, our Unity plug-in, microtransactions, etc., to generate additional revenue streams.

At the end of the day, creators should not place the future of their income in the hands of centralized marketplaces that can change their minds on a whim. Creators need to protect themselves and diversify their business model.

Darkblock is building the infrastructure necessary to explore new revenue streams. I hope you join us on our mission to empower creators to leverage the promise of web3 and develop a new creator economy free from platform control!

Join our Discord to take part in the revolution: https://discord.darkblock.io

Creators and buyers will now be able to monetize their digital assets without selling their work/collections. The proceeds from rentals will still flow back to the original creator of the NFT.

The rental service will launch on Solana soon. Exact information on the release will be announced via our social media accounts, so stay tuned! Once launched, rental will be available for protected, Darkblock encrypted NFTs.

We are so grateful to the geniuses at Cardinal who share our vision of encrypted content rental and we can’t wait to work together.

About Cardinal:

Cardinal is a protocol on Solana designed to enhance the utility of NFTs and empower the next generation of on-chain digital assets. The Cardinal standard allows you to either wrap an existing token or create a new one with built in functionality for revocation, automatic time or use-based expiry, and selective transferability.

Website | Discord | Twitter | Medium

About Darkblock:

Darkblock gives creators more control over the distribution of their content. Comics, ebooks, podcasts, music, movies, journalism, pay-per-view, YouTube, OnlyFans, Patreon, influencer content, metaverse assets — and more — will all require access control to become viable NFT markets. Whether it’s through sales, ad revenue or rentals, we aim to guarantee the flow of income to creators by letting them hold the keys to their content.

Website | Discord | YouTube | Medium | Twitter

It’s All About Access

NFTs from certain collections are now used as VIP access passes to enter communities filled with others that share your passions. For the first time, art collectors are more than individuals with disposable income. Sure, money still makes more money, but simply having an eye for talent and the spare time to read community platforms is enough to be a successful NFT collector. Newcomers, seasoned NFT collectors, and big investors all have a stake in the future of the NFT space. But it isn’t all about access to the club, there are other types of access that NFTs can provide.

Here at Darkblock, we value the decentralized principles of the blockchain. We also see the importance of access control to the underlying content. This type of access control is needed for proper monetization, security, and exclusivity of many types of NFTs. Our Darkblock protocol layer is an implementation of personal rights management. The protocol allows creators to encrypt their NFT in a gated content vault. Access to the vault is linked to the NFT owner’s wallet, so when the owner sells the NFT, the buyer gains exclusive access. This creates a true digital scarcity that is absent in the current NFT space.

NFTs have become a phenomenon because they bring the concept of scarcity to digital goods. The scarcity principle (we want what we can’t have), applies to everything from relationships to NFTs. But NFT scarcity only encompasses the ownership aspect. By bringing scarcity to the underlying content, Darkblock can increase the value of pieces for collectors.

Additionally, Darkblock encourages artists such as writers, musicians, or comics to enter the NFT space. Without a protocol layer like Darkblock, there is little to no incentive for these artists to mint their work as NFTs. The risk and ease of the public copying and redistributing their work without proper compensation is too high. However, with Darkblock, these creators finally have the protection necessary to sell on the blockchain. This is beneficial to creators as well as collectors interested in acquiring these mediums in digital forms.

Rent Your NFTs : Drake Approves

Until Darkblock, there have been very limited options to earn money on your NFT investments, other than crossing your fingers that the value increases. Using Darkblock, you will soon be able to rent your single NFT, portfolio, or even fractionalized NFTs for additional income. Renting is only viable if there is access control. Without it, there is no reason for anyone to pay you for something they can already view/listen to/read and save.

The rental of your NFTs to museums/galleries/businesses (both physical and virtual!) or other collectors delivers intrinsic value to otherwise speculative NFTs. As long as the creator of your NFT agrees to rent and share their work via Darkblock, you can soon start monetizing your digital assets.

Still Viewing NFTs on Your Phone?

For those of you who already own NFT art, you might be struggling to find a way to properly display your assets. Many NFT artists see their art living alongside traditional art hanging on the wall in your home. Darkblock enables creators to upload higher quality content than most NFT minting sites. As an owner of an NFT with a Darkblock, you can install our TV app, decrypt the work, and exhibit the image the way it was intended by the creator. The app is currently available on the Amazon App Store, as well as Google Play, and is free to download. It can display your entire Ethereum NFT collection, including those upgraded to include a Darkblock. If your NFT lacks a high resolution original locked in a Darkblock, send it to app.darkblock.io and upgrade it!

Conclusion

Our vision at Darkblock is to offer creators flexible access control for their NFTs. While the benefits of the Darkblock protocol and our apps are not limited to creators and collectors (marketplaces, investors, museums, masses…), we believe these are the two players who have the most to gain. We want to offer collectors added revenue streams, value, and display options for their NFTs, all while remaining consistent with the decentralized origins of the blockchain and protecting the content of NFT creators.