Project Name
QSTN: Redefining data, NFTs and DeFi on Near Protocol
Project Category
Unleash Data
Proposal Earmark
New Outreach
Proposal Description
QSTN is a Web3 application where users participate in surveys, quizzes and short questionnaires to earn virtual credit. These credits can be swapped for a combination of incentives ranging from brand items, NFTs, and discount codes within our exclusive digital ecosystem.
We are requesting a grant to assist with development costs to help bring this product to market as well as incorporating Ocean Protocol as a strategic data partner for selling certain collected data in their marketplace.
This would mean that as users answer questions and earn credits, the information we collect will be grouped based on attributes, aggregated into non-identifiable profiles and then sold as bundles within Ocean Protocol.
- This is done with permission and will be exclusively noted in our Terms & Conditions
We want this partnership to be curated and personalized to figure out the best way to present these data bundles and then getting the Ocean Protocol team to help find appropriate buyers in the secondary market.
In addition, in order to measure the effectiveness of our platform, we would like Ocean Protocol to put us in contact with various DAOs in their ecosystem so we can test the new business portal and its added value.
Lastly, we would like to collaborate with Ocean Protocol and their respective DAOs in order to offer exciting digital collectibles and NFTs within our marketplace as incentives for data aggregation as well awareness.
Grant Deliverables
Grant Deliverable 1
- Complete the QSTN prototype on the NEAR Protocol (mainnet)
Grant Deliverable 2
- Complete the QSTN NFT marketplace on the NEAR Protocol (mainnet)
Grant Deliverable 3
- Incorporate Ocean Protocol in our 1500 generative NFT collection for users to mint
Project Description
TLDR:
QSTN is a web application where users participate in surveys, quizzes and short questionnaires to earn virtual credit. These credits can be swapped for a combination of incentives ranging from brand items, NFTs, and discount codes.
What problem are we trying to solve?
When we agree to terms and conditions, most of the time, our data gets sold and commodified without permission or compensation. QSTN acts as an “interface” for consumers to paygate their information towards businesses.
Who benefits from this system?
By compensating QSTIEs for data, we provide incentive for rich and meaningful insights. This information is then accessed by our partners for market research.
How will privacy be built into the system?
Our team is currently in talks with two self sovereign identity solutions to allow users to contribute while hiding their connection to the data.
How is NEAR being integrated into the application?
By building on the NEAR blockchain, we are able to create a timestamp each time questions are answered to act as record of input on-chain.
How will OCEAN Protocol be integrated into the application?
We aim to emphasize OCEAN as a strategic data partnership and work out a silough to have our data bundles sold, listed and exchanged on their secondary marketplace
Is QSTN blockchain agnostic?
We are initially building on NEAR Protocol due to their low gas environment but since users earn our virtual credit (not issued on a blockchain) and we can mint NFTs on any network - we can service any chain.
What happens to this information?
We keep this information offline in a cold storage, meaning it is inaccessible; only keeping users’ name, balance and email address in our hot storage at the moment.
How do we know these companies will not abuse our data?
While initial sponsors are chosen by us, the goal is to open voting through credit ownership. These rights, supported by passive income, is the first digital attempt to break away from the corporate silo of data mismanagement.
How has the idea developed since inception?
- QSTN gradutes from the Encode Club x Filecoin accelerator program
- QSTN graduates from the Octopus Network x Huobi incubator program
What is the immediate future for QSTN?
We have begun iteration on the NEAR blockchain, until this is complete, we will be growing the voice and community on Instagram and Twitter.
How can we get involved today?
Sign up on our website and join the waitlist to receive announcements on development, new sponsors and the long awaited invite code.
Is there anything else we should know?
QSTN is founded by cyborg and collective conscious, Orrin, who has been seen on Dr. Phil and recently partnered with Mintbase for their MUTANT album NFT release.
Follow us on all socials, here.
Final Product
The final product will include a complete QSTN web application. This includes the following:
- 1 - User dashboard - where users answer questions, earn credits and spend these rewards for NFTs
- 2 - Business dashboard - where businesses create questions, send them to respondents, track response rate and reward them in our internal currency
- 3 - OCEAN Partnership - where we export select information [in approrpaite format] and list within the OCEAN Protocol secondary marketplace
Value Add Criteria
How does QSTN add value to the Ocean Protocol ecosystem?
- We believe QSTN is going to be a vital Web3 tool for the data economy and despite being built on NEAR Protocol, due to the gasless design of our platform, people can earn credits on any protocol
- This means that while we demonstrate proof of concept on NEAR - the future goal and vision is to be cross chain and service all Web3 data enthusiasts
- In theme with this, since we graduated from the Octopus Network x Huobi accelerator, we will be turning into an appchain; meaning DOT and Substrate will be integrated by late August (thus OCEAN)
- As a critical platform that helps matriculate Web2 users into Web3 , we aim to become a top data authority for consumer insights and wish to leverage the expertise of OCEAN and their marketplace
How well might the project drive the usage of OCEAN?
- Besides turning OCEAN into a strategic partner and selling certain bundles within their marketplace, we wish to help drive brand awareness
- This will be done by including their logo (hyperlinked) on our website and all promotional assets relating to the brand and our sponsors
- In addition, we wish to include OCEAN in our 1500 generative NFT collection (as a rarer mint) to help generate interest and cross promotion
- Lastly, we would like to partner with OCEAN and their DAOs to create other digital collectibels that respondents can earn for their data contribution
- Once we bridge to DOT in late August (this will be a separare grant request) we can allow users to earn OCEAN tokens or DOT related NFTs for their data contribution
What is the chance of success of this project?
- WAGMI
- More importantly, we have been fortunate to participate in over 4 different accelerators which assist us in mentorship, marketing, partnerships and legal guidance
- This incubators include: Verizon, Gitcoin, Filecoin and Octopus Network
- As we prepare for mainnet under the support of the official NEAR Foundation - we believe that demonstrating our usecase in their ecosystem will be a proof of concept for other chains and protocols
How active is the team in the community?
- As Web3 enthusiasts, our team invested in the actual OCEAN token in 2020 and tracked their development including the bridge to DOT
- We were heavily inspired by their data marketplace and the goal to help create an exchange for data exchanged on-chain powered by a token
- This is our first proposal and we are still learning more about the voting process and council but have been huge supporters of the protocol
- QSTN follows OCEAN Protocol on Twitter and we are active in their Discord and Telegram channels
Core Team
Team
- Orrin Campbell – QSTN founder, CEO and blockchain architect who will be designing the workflow and user experience
Twitter - https://twitter.com/realorrin
Instagram - https://instagram.com/realorrin
YouTube - https://youtube.com/realorrin
Linkedin - https://linkedin.com/in/realorrin
GitHub - https://github.com/@qstnus
- Eugen Pyatygin – QSTN lead developer and back-end specialist, will be leading the integration and coding the RUST integration
Github - https://github.com/3ugen
- Lafi Raed & Borhen Jlidi – QSTN junior developers and front-end specialist, will be leading the visual redesign for the NFT marketplace and related functionality
Advisors
Ed Young
Role: Advisor
Experience: Started the Source Magazine + Hip Hop Heads NFT on NEAR Protocol + Universal Hip Hop Museum core founder (Bronx)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edyoungprofile
Phillip Coleman
Role: Advisor
Experience: Previous Entreprenuer-In-Residence at 1871 + Current Entreprenuer-In-Residence at NEAR Protocol
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillip-coleman-791b1475
Funding Requested
3000
Minimum Funding Requested
1000
Wallet Address
0x7056A5Da7D269B31Eb2E54E5579e41ef283d7D2C
