Bitcoin Spaces: ‘The future of live audio spaces’

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Bitcoinspaces.net has launched a website asserting to be “The Future of Live Audio Spaces” where users can earn BSV and flex their Ordinal Profiles. I caught up with the creator to learn more.

How will Bitcoin Spaces work?

Bitcoin Spaces is envisioned as a decentralized audio platform that allows users to host and join live conversations, similar to Clubhouse or Twitter Spaces, but with a unique approach: it leverages the BSV blockchain to facilitate transactions and interactions within the platform. Users can pay to speak using microtransactions, and listeners can earn BSV for participating in conversations. The platform will utilize smart contracts for managing transactions and interactions, ensuring a secure and transparent environment for all users.

How much did Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces influence Bitcoin Spaces, if at all?

Bitcoin Spaces draws inspiration from Clubhouse, Twitter Spaces, Discord, TeamSpeak, and Hodlocker in terms of the core concept of audio-based social networking. These platforms have popularized the idea of live, audio-only spaces where users can gather to discuss various topics. However, Bitcoin Spaces differentiates itself by integrating BSV blockchain technology to add a layer of monetization, gamification, and incentivization not present in Clubhouse or Twitter Spaces, thereby introducing a novel approach to value exchange within the digital community space.

How will users earn BSV?

Bitcoin Spaces will create a dynamic economy where users can earn BSV in various engaging ways, turning every interaction into an opportunity. Here’s how:

Participatory earnings: By simply being part of a conversation, users can earn BSV. Speakers may opt to share some of their speaking fees with active listeners, rewarding engagement and incentivizing a lively discussion environment.

Content Creation: Users offering training seminars, coaching sessions, or educational content can earn BSV by hosting these events. Spaces can operate on a pay-per-event or pay-per-minute model, allowing for flexible monetization strategies.

Reverse Incentive Rooms: In an inventive twist, lecturers can pay attendees BSV to join their events, either by the event or by the minute, ensuring a guaranteed audience for their content and incentivizing users to discover new topics.

Gamified Participation: Engaging activities such as live quizzes, debates, and collaborative projects can yield BSV rewards. This gamification aspect encourages users to contribute meaningfully to the platform’s ecosystem.

Performance Rewards: Hosts of popular spaces that attract significant attendance or high levels of interaction can receive BSV bonuses, incentivizing the creation of quality content that resonates with the community.

Community Rewards/Achievements: Users can be rewarded for community-driven milestones, such as consistently contributing valuable insights or aiding in the moderation and quality upkeep of spaces.

Open Marketplace: Users can offer their own services or digital products in exchange for BSV, creating an open marketplace within Bitcoin Spaces. The possibilities are vast, from NFT sales and CSGO skins to freelance services.

Tailored Spaces: Based on user feedback, Bitcoin Spaces can introduce various tailored rooms like “Think Tanks,” where strategic discussions are held, or “Brainstorm Havens,” where collective problem-solving sessions are conducted, with participants earning BSV for their contributions. By fostering a platform where every contribution has value, Bitcoin Spaces not only enhances the user experience but also propels the community towards a sustainable model of content creation and consumption, all underpinned by the Bitcoin economy.

In addition to the avenues already mentioned, Bitcoin Spaces is poised to become a powerful platform for real-time, global discourse, offering a censorship-resistant environment that can be particularly valuable for journalists and live event coverage. Here’s an expansion on how users can earn Bitcoin:

Global Journalism and Live Reporting: Journalists and citizens worldwide can use Bitcoin Spaces to broadcast live events, share on-the-ground reporting, or discuss current events in their region. By providing an uncensored platform, users reporting from different locales can earn Bitcoin for sharing valuable, real-time information and insights with a global audience.

Real-World Event Spaces: Organizers of live events such as conferences, protests, or cultural events can create dedicated spaces for these occurrences. Participants and speakers can earn Bitcoin by contributing to the discourse, offering analysis, or providing live translations and commentary.

Global Discussion Forums: Bitcoin Spaces can host international forums where speakers from various locations can discuss global issues, with Satoshi Nakamoto‘s incentives for valuable contributions that foster cross-cultural understanding and international cooperation. These additional earning mechanisms further Bitcoin Spaces’ goal of fostering a broad, inclusive platform where every voice has the potential to be heard and rewarded, contributing to a diverse and resilient world around us.

What identity protocol(s) will Bitcoin Spaces use to validate on-chain profile pictures (PFPs)?

For validating on-chain profile pictures (PFPs), Bitcoin Spaces will employ a dedicated BSV blockchain identity protocol capable of supporting verifiable credentials and digital identities. We’ve chosen to focus on a single, robust protocol—potentially something akin to 1SatOrdinals—to concentrate our efforts on strengthening the Bitcoin ecosystem’s foundation. This approach enables us to ensure that each user’s avatar is securely anchored to their unique blockchain identity, and it avoids the dilution of development efforts across multiple protocols. We’re committed to this singular focus as a means to harness the collective energy of developers, enhancing the protocol’s integrity and utility for all users within Bitcoin Spaces.

How will the platform integrate BSV-20 tokens?

Premium Access: BSV-20 tokens can serve as a currency within Bitcoin Spaces, allowing users to purchase access to exclusive content or premium spaces. This could include special discussions, expert panels, or educational workshops.

Tipping and Rewards: Users can tip speakers or content creators with BSV-20 tokens as a token of appreciation for their contributions. Similarly, the platform can reward users for community engagement, such as participating in discussions, providing valuable insights, or hosting popular spaces.

Customized Membership Subscriptions: Implement subscription models where users pay with BSV-20 tokens for recurring access to specialized content or services within Bitcoin Spaces. This could include newsletters, market analyses, or subscription-based educational content.

Voting and Governance: Utilize BSV-20 tokens, Ordinals, or BSV for governance within the platform, allowing token holders to vote on new features, community rules, or content guidelines for their own spaces. This fosters a sense of ownership and community among users.

Marketplace Transactions: Enable a marketplace within Bitcoin Spaces where users can buy, sell, or trade digital goods and services using BSV-20 tokens. This could range from digital art and NFTs, Ordinals to consulting services.

Event Ticketing: Use BSV-20 tokens to issue and manage tickets for online events hosted on the platform. This could streamline the process for event organizers and attendees, providing a secure way to handle admissions.

Tokenized Achievements: Reward users with special BSV-20 tokens representing achievements, milestones, or event participation. These tokens could have utility within the platform or simply serve as collectibles.

Technical Integration:

sCrypt Smart Contracts: Leverage smart contracts on the BSV blockchain to manage the issuance, transfer, and interaction with BSV-20 tokens. This ensures transactions are secure, transparent, and efficient.

Wallet Integration: Ensure seamless integration with MyBanka and other Ordinals-supporting wallets to easily manage BSV-20 tokens and Ordinals. This includes functionalities for users to easily view their balances, make transactions, and interact with the platform’s features.

User Interface: Develop a user-friendly interface within Bitcoin Spaces that simplifies the process of using BSV-20 tokens, Ordinals, Event attendance, etc., for various activities, ensuring that even users new to the blockchain space can easily navigate and engage with the system. By embracing BSV-20 tokens, Lock-To-Mint, and Ordinals, Bitcoin Spaces can create a dynamic and engaging platform that leverages blockchain technology to offer unique value to its users, fostering a vibrant community centered around shared interests and mutual benefit.

Will Bitcoin Spaces integrate locking coins? For example, lock to join a conversation or lock to be able to speak?

Yes, Bitcoin Spaces is integrating a coin-locking feature to cater to a community seeking value-driven conversations. Participants can lock BSV, Ordinals (NFTs), and BSV-20 tokens to access or speak in premium spaces. For instance, joining the ‘Real Satoshi Roundtable’ will require locking 10,000 BSV for at least one year, fostering a collective of members who are deeply invested in the conversation’s theme and the BSV ecosystem at large.

Customizable rooms will also be part of the platform, allowing hosts to set access thresholds—such as 10 BSV to speak and 1 BSV to listen—thereby offering tailored spaces for varied levels of user engagement and investment. Using coin locks as filters enables users to shape their interactions, ensuring that participants’ incentives are aligned, which is crucial for maintaining high-quality and serious discussions.

Simultaneously, Bitcoin Spaces is dedicated to inclusivity, ensuring the availability of free and open spaces that require no financial commitment to join. These spaces are essential for fostering a diverse range of viewpoints and discussions, and they serve as welcoming entry points for new users to the platform.

Bitcoin Spaces presents a balanced ecosystem that supports different degrees of user engagement by offering both coin-locked, NFT-locked and open spaces. Whether it’s an intellectual investment in open forums or a financial investment in exclusive discussions, our platform upholds the core principles of the blockchain community—decentralization and open access for everyone. This dual-structure ensures that Bitcoin Spaces is a platform where discourse thrives, catering to all users across the spectrum.”

Which wallet(s) will be integrated?

Bitcoin Spaces is set to integrate MyBanka, a pioneering Bitcoin SV wallet that seamlessly integrates Open Banking with blockchain technology. Through a strategic partnership with Yapily Connect and taking advantage of the PSD2 directive, MyBanka links with over 2000 European banks. This integration positions MyBanka as the premier wallet that blends these significant financial technologies into one intuitive interface, enabling a smooth transition between traditional and digital currencies.

A notable aspect of this integration is the facility for direct top-ups and off-ramps within Bitcoin Spaces via MyBanka. Users can conveniently top up their wallets from bank accounts or transfer their digital currency to fiat, simplifying the management of blockchain-based transactions. Although such wallets are scarce, our goal is to provide an inclusive environment that caters to various digital asset management preferences.

Expanding on our wallet support, Bitcoin Spaces also aims to integrate BTC and BCH wallets, fostering a comprehensive platform where ‘Students of Satoshi’ can engage in rich debates and discussions, contributing to the vision of Hyperbitcoinization. In addition to MyBanka, we’re exploring integrations with wallets like Handcash, Panda Wallet, and Project Babbage Meta Client. Our dedication to inclusivity, utility, and the latest in blockchain and Open Banking technologies is evident in our commitment to providing a seamless experience that combines the adaptability of blockchain with the solidity of traditional banking systems. Through these integrations, Bitcoin Spaces will not only revolutionize user interactions within the digital ecosystem but also pave the way for a unified Bitcoin community.

Is there an option to upload audio recordings on-chain, inscribed as a 1Sat Ordinal?

Incorporating the option to upload audio recordings on-chain as a 1Sat Ordinal is a possibility that can add unique value to the platform. This feature would allow users to store audio content on the BSV blockchain permanently, making it immutable and verifiable. It could serve as a way to preserve valuable discussions, copyright material, or even create collectible audio experiences.

To combat the cost of uploading hours of audio, speakers and listeners can collectively opt-in to share the upload price at the end of a space and mint an Ordinal with the txid of the recording.

What critical piece(s) of infrastructure are missing that you wish existed and would have helped you build Bitcoin Spaces more quickly and efficiently?

A mobile-first Bitcoin wallet with full spectrum Ordinals support in it that has as good and smooth login process as HandCash. However, HandCash lacks full-spectrum support, and we encourage them to implement it.

When will Bitcoin Spaces launch?

The debut of Bitcoin Spaces hinges on key development milestones, including the finalization of our build phase, blockchain feature integration, and comprehensive beta testing. The complexity of weaving blockchain into the social fabric of our platform precludes a definitive launch date. However, we aim to initiate early testing by the end of Q1 2024, with the full version 1.0 rollout slated for Q3 2024.

Thank you, Bitcoin Spaces, for taking the time to answer my questions. I hope the readers learn more about the platform.

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