Creators: Authors, Storytellers, Comic Artists, Graphic Novelists, Illustrators, World Builders
Supported File Formats: PDF, EPUB, TXT, MOBI*
That’s right, friends, Calvin and Hobbs are coming to NFTs. Up until this point, the open IP and right-click-save nature of NFTs has prevented authors and comic book creators from delivering their creations in a web3 native way (using NFTs to token gate content on a centralized platform doesn’t count).
Darkblock’s encryption protocol changes that by offering storytellers, authors, comic artists and graphic novelists the added protection layer and access controls they need to control the distribution and monetization of their books without needing to rely on centralized platforms.
With Darkblock, these creators can upload their content (we support several formats, including PDF, EPUB and TXT), which is then encrypted, permanently stored on Arweave, and immutably attached to their NFT. Creators are then able to sell their comic book or ebook to their fans, delivered via the NFT. Access controls also allow creators to determine whether NFT owners can download the content or not. (An example of when a creator may want to allow the content to be downloadable is if they want to add a MOBI file that readers can upload to their Kindle.)
Only the NFT owners are able to decrypt and read the ebook or comic book, which they can do within the Darkblock Viewer, which includes an ebook reader. Owners can access the Darkblock Viewer via the Darkblock app or creators can incorporate the Darkblock Viewer into their own website by using Darkblock’s NPM packages or a simple embed.
Because Darkblock allows creators to upload an unlimited amount of content to their NFTs (even after they’re minted or sold), they can drop new content to their collectors ad infinitum. This means an author or comic artist could use their NFTs as delivery channels for their content (rather than the NFTs being the content themsevles), uploading a new chapter of their book each month or a new issue of their comic each week. Reimagining NFTs in this way opens up new monetization opportunities, including subscriptions, which is on Darkblock’s roadmap.
Without the encryption and access controls that Darkblock provides, comics can easily be copied and redistributed. We hope that authors and comic book creators can now finally monetize their art by using the power of the blockchain and NFTs.
*Because MOBI is an Amazon file format, creators would only attach a file of this format if they intended to make it downloadable for people who buy their NFT so they can upload it their Kindle.
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