Paywall

🚨 Problem

Creators and traders constantly share valuable micro-content (insights, signals, guides), but existing monetization tools are:

Web2-only (Patreon, Substack) — require fiat, subscriptions, or KYC.

NFT-heavy — complex, slow, and intimidating for casual users.

Off-platform — users lose engagement when redirected elsewhere.

💡 Solution

Paywall brings instant Web3 micropayments directly inside social posts. A creator can post alpha, insights, or reports on X with a Paywall frame link. Followers click, connect their wallet, pay $1–$5 in crypto, and instantly unlock encrypted content — all within the same post interface.

It’s frictionless, non-custodial, and Web3-native. Every payment goes directly to the creator’s wallet via smart contracts. Later, NFT passes or subscriptions can be layered for recurring access.

🌍 Use Cases

Traders selling “next gem” calls or alpha lists

Educators posting mini-tutorials or code snippets

Journalists offering exclusive short reports

Creators selling templates, guides, or private content

💰 Revenue

5–10% fee on transactions

Optional paid tiers for creators (higher limits, analytics, NFT gating)

Partnerships with communities (e.g., token-gated groups)

🧭 Vision

To become the standard crypto micropayment layer for social platforms, empowering creators to own their earnings and audiences to own their access.

Frontend

Framework: Next.js 14 (App Router)

Styling: TailwindCSS + shadcn/ui for sleek minimal UI

State Management: Zustand (lightweight, fast)

Wallet Integration: Wagmi + RainbowKit for multi-wallet support (MetaMask, Coinbase, OKX, WalletConnect)

Payment UI: Modal pop-up + inline unlock frame (React portals)

Backend

Database: Supabase (Postgres) for user profiles, analytics, transaction logs

Storage:

Encrypted Content: stored on IPFS or Arweave

Metadata: stored in Supabase

Encryption: Lit Protocol — encrypts content and only decrypts once smart contract verifies payment

API: Edge functions (Vercel / Supabase functions) for signing requests & reading payment status

Blockchain Layer

Network: Base or Polygon (low gas fees, EVM compatible)

Smart Contract: Solidity, deployed via Hardhat / Foundry

createPaywall(contentHash, price, creatorAddress)

unlockContent(paywallId) — triggers event for Lit decryption

Funds sent directly to creatorAddress after fee split

Oracle/Indexing: The Graph or custom event listener for transaction tracking

Payments

Supports ETH, USDC, or native chain token

EIP-712 signatures for verified payments

Contract enforces:

Fee split (creator / platform)

Unlock event emission

Non-custodial — funds go directly to creator

Security

All paywall content encrypted with Lit Protocol keys

Decryption key shared only when transaction confirmed on-chain

Prevents leaks or unauthorized access

Deployment

Frontend: Vercel

Contracts: Base / Polygon

Storage: IPFS (Pinata or NFT.Storage)

Database: Supabase

Monitoring: Tenderly + Dune for on-chain analytics

Optional Extensions

NFT gating (creator NFT pass for lifetime unlock)

Subscription model (Superfluid streaming)

Cross-platform plugin for Lens, Farcaster, or Telegram