The Me Protocol Ecosystem: Solving Usability and Frictionless Adoption of Open Rewards
As mentioned in the Part I of this article, making blockchain-based open rewards universally adoptable requires building a supportive ecosystem with the necessary technologies and usability layers for success. This involves creating an infrastructure that can handle different types of reward programs and ensure seamless interactions between different systems, businesses, and consumers.
The Me Ecosystem is structured into three broad layers, each serving a critical function in achieving this goal:
The Network Layer
The Me Protocol is designed to be infinitely extensible. It can be deployed and integrated across blockchain protocols, services and tools to ensure that it can service the widest possible user base and maintain a level of future-proofing as technologies evolve. The initial set of Me Protocol integrations include: Concordium, Human Protocol, Polygon, and Polkadot.
Protocol Layer
The Me Protocol itself is the central node of our ecosystem, acting as the core infrastructure between the Network and App Layers to facilitate Frictionless Open Rewards. It features a specialized automated market maker (AMM) that enables trustless interoperability between rewards systems. It ensures that rewards are both liquid and economically viable for businesses, Web3 protocols and consumers.
Application Layer
The Application Layer is essential for making the Me Protocol viable from a practical adoption perspective. Most consumer and business participants will not interact directly with the Me Protocol, but rather through the Application Layer. It anchors consumer apps, brand nodes, marketplaces, banks, and other rewards systems. Consumer interfaces such as the Me Marketplace live in this layer, which helps abstract the complexities of wallets, blockchains and tokens for normal consumers, maximising adoption.
Participating in the Me Ecosystem: Integration and Onboarding
The Me Protocol is designed to connect the world’s rewards programs. Anyone can maximise the value of their rewards by connecting them to the system.
Brands
Any brand or business can integrate its existing rewards program or create a new one through the Me Ecosystem. Apps such as the Me Marketplace provide an easy way to connect existing e-commerce platforms, CRMs, and rewards management software so that brands can create open rewards. It also provides a way for consumers to easily manage and use their rewards across the ecosystem.
Web3 Protocols and Games
Similar to consumer brands, Web3 protocols that utilise rewards can extend their utility (and value) by connecting them to the Me Protocol ecosystem. They can connect directly to the Protocol or through the App Layer to let holders use their rewards across the ecosystem.
Applications
Anyone building apps with rewards components should integrate with the Me Protocol either directly or through another party in the ecosystem. E-commerce platforms, rewards coalitions, marketplaces (such as the Me Marketplace), apps for earning rewards, service aggregators (e.g., Airbnb, Uber), and service providers are a few examples.
Third-Party Developers and Integrators
Those interested in upgrading the Me Protocol and extending its functionality through integrating or building new tools and services can join the ecosystem as contributors.
Where to Start...
Version 1.0 of the Me Protocol has been built and released after extensive testing. Applications can now be developed on the Application Layer like the Me Marketplace. Businesses or brands can integrate with Me Protocol through APIs and SDKs or use the services provided by the Me Marketplace to create open rewards.
To get started, please reach out to us on Twitter or Discord! And don’t forget to keep tabs on our social pages; there is a lot brewing that you wouldn’t want to miss!
