Protocol Concepts
Understanding the key concepts and terminology behind the Playlist Token Protocol's innovative approach to music curation and rewards.
Glossary & Definitions
Expand each term to learn more about how it works within the protocol ecosystem.
A unique, non-fungible token representing ownership and metadata of a registered playlist within the protocol. Each Playlist NFT is backed by a performance vault that distributes rewards based on genuine follower growth.
A staking mechanism where influence grows with the square root of tokens staked, ensuring that broad community support outweighs concentrated wealth. This creates a fairer curation system that resists whale manipulation.
A smart contract that automatically distributes $PLAY rewards to curators and stakers based on verified playlist performance metrics from external platforms like Spotify.
A decentralized system of 5 nodes using threshold signatures (3-of-5 consensus) to securely report external data like Spotify follower counts to the blockchain, ensuring trust-minimized data feeds.
The native utility token of the Playlist Token Protocol, used for staking on playlists, earning rewards from successful curation, and participating in governance decisions.
The core mechanism where community members lock $PLAY tokens behind tracks or playlists to signal quality and influence discovery rankings, aligning incentives with content quality.
A passive reward system where authenticated listeners earn micro-rewards in $PLAY for streaming tracks through the protocol's Discord bot or integrated interfaces.
A cryptographic scheme requiring multiple oracle nodes to jointly sign data updates, ensuring no single point of failure in the external data feed system.
Core Innovations
The three breakthrough innovations that make fair, decentralized music curation possible.
Quadratic Staking
Revolutionary staking model that amplifies community voices over whale influence.
How it works:
- • Influence = √(Stake Amount)
- • Diminishing returns for large stakes
- • Many small stakes > One large stake
- • Prevents whale manipulation
Decentralized Oracles
Trust-minimized bridge between Web2 platforms and Web3 rewards.
Key features:
- • 5-node consensus network
- • 3-of-5 threshold signatures
- • Real-time metric tracking
- • Tamper-proof data feeds
Performance Vaults
Automated reward distribution based on real playlist success metrics.
Mechanics:
- • Follower growth = More rewards
- • Automatic smart contract payouts
- • Proportional to stake contribution
- • Compound growth incentives
Technical Architecture
Understanding the technical components that power the protocol.
⛓️ On-Chain Modules
Registry Module
Issues unique IDs and stores metadata for tracks, playlists, and concerts. Mints Playlist NFTs as canonical on-chain representations.
Exposure Pool
Aggregates staked $PLAY behind content and computes weighted discovery scores using quadratic weighting.
Escrow & Streamer
Handles streaming payments and micro-transactions with hourly Merkle root settlements for minimal chain load.
Arbitration
Community-driven dispute resolution with proposal and voting mechanisms for content disputes and fraud accusations.
🌐 Off-Chain Services
Listen Bot
Discord and social platform bot handling Spotify OAuth, playback tracking, and user interaction with the protocol.
Oracle Cluster
Geographically distributed 5-node network with threshold signatures for external data feeds and randomness.
SpotifyFeed
Lightweight on-chain data feed storing signed updates from the Spotify oracle with Merkle roots for batch updates.
Web Clients
Frontend applications and mobile interfaces providing user-friendly access to protocol features and analytics.
Security & Governance
Security
- • Multi-signature oracle consensus
- • Slashing penalties for bad actors
- • Time-locked governance upgrades
- • Formal verification of core contracts
- • Regular security audits
Governance
- • $PLAY token-weighted voting
- • Commit-reveal voting schemes
- • Anti-whale measures
- • Community proposal system
- • Transparent execution
Risk Controls
- • Circuit breakers for emergencies
- • API dependency mitigations
- • Fraud detection systems
- • Insurance fund for losses
- • Gradual decentralization plan
Ready to Dive Deeper?
Explore the full technical documentation or try the interactive simulator.