There are 3 problems with web2 fundraising: 1) censorship and deplatforming, 2) inefficient financial coordination, 3) identity verification.

Here are examples of fundraisers that would have worked on Inflection:

1. Freedom Convoy (2022) – GoFundMe shut down a trucker protest fundraiser with $9M raised, citing violations of their terms. Supporters saw this as politically motivated.
2. Kickstarter’s Zano Drone Failure (2015) – A mini-drone project raised $3.2M but quickly collapsed due to mismanagement. Backers got nothing, as Kickstarter provided no oversight once funds were disbursed.
3. Homeless Veteran Scam (2017–2018) – A New Jersey couple and a homeless man fabricated a feel-good story about him giving his last $20 to a stranded driver. Their GoFundMe raised $400,000 before authorities exposed it as a scam.

Moreover, our main focus was to create multiple efficient financial coordination campaigns:

Anyone can donate any amount, ends at a deadline
Reach goal amount by deadline, refund if not reached
Per person, each person pays a set amount by deadline

In web2 fundraising funds have to be escrowed, making campaigns like split-fixed cost high risk. However, in web3 we can allow users to set an allowance that will leave the wallet once a condition has been met, keeping their funds safe. We hope to leverage the blockchain to offer people the financial flexibility that they need when coordinating funds, achieving one of the original goals of decentralized finance.

When a user opens up to the home page they have the option to explore campaigns or create an account. When creating an account they can use their Google account or connect their wallet through Okto. Internally, once they are logged in we pass that wallet address to Humanity Protocol to create a Verifiable Credential (which in the future they will have to have set up by scanning their hand).

Now they have the ability to create their own campaign, when clicked we actually verify the credential again because VCs can expire or get revoked. If you have a valid VC you will be able to pick between the 3 campaign types: Donate any amount, Goal amount w/ refund, Split fixed cost. In each campaign you will have slightly different parameters based on what is required in order to start the campaign.

Once completed the campaign is posted and can be shared with others as well as it can be found on the explore campaigns page. For a donor you would also have to create an account or log in, but then you can go to the explore campaigns page and select a campaign that interests you. Once on this page you have the option to donate as much as you want, or as much as you are allowed to donate depending on the campaign. After you are invested in a campaign, the state will not be resolved until the deadline hits. And depending on the campaign and its state at the deadline, your pledged funds will or will not leave your wallet.

Technology Stack
Frontend: Next.js 15 with TypeScript
Authentication: NextAuth.js with Google OAuth
Wallet Integration: Okto Web3 SDK
Verifiable Credentials: Humanity Protocol
Smart Contracts: EVM-compatible (deployed on Base Sepolia)

Core Functionality

1. Identity Verification System
   The platform implements a robust identity verification flow using verifiable credentials:
   Credential Issuance: After Google authentication, the system automatically issues a verifiable credential to the user via the Humanity Protocol API
   Credential Storage: Credentials are stored locally in the browser
   Credential Verification: Before sensitive actions (like creating a campaign), the system verifies the user's credential

2. Campaign Creation
   Users can create three types of fundraising campaigns:
   Anything Helps: Accept any amount of donations
   Goal Based: Set a specific fundraising target
   Per Person: Fixed donation amount per contributor with optional maximum donor limit

3. Wallet Integration
   The platform integrates with Okto Web3 SDK to provide:
   Seamless Wallet Creation: First-time users get a wallet automatically created
   Multi-chain Support: Campaigns can be created on different networks
   Token Selection: Support for multiple tokens (USDC, RLUSD)

Development Process

1. Setup: Next.js project with TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, and configuration
2. Authentication: Integration with NextAuth.js and Google OAuth
3. Wallet Integration: Implementation of Okto SDK for wallet management
4. Credentials System: Integration with Humanity Protocol for identity verification
5. Campaign Creation: Development of campaign creation interface and blockchain integration
6. Campaign Display: Creation of campaign listing and detail pages
7. Donation Flow: Implementation of the donation process
8. UI Refinement: Polishing of user interface with responsive design and dark mode support

1. Authentication & Identity
   NextAuth.js
   Role: Core authentication provider
   Integration Points:
   Handles Google OAuth authentication flow
   Provides sessions and tokens for users
   Manages authentication state across the application
   Key Features:
   Returns id_token used for downstream authentications
   Integrates with our wallet creation flow

Humanity Protocol API
Role: Verifiable credential issuance and verification
Endpoints:
https://issuer.humanity.org/credentials/issue - Issues new credentials
https://issuer.humanity.org/credentials/verify - Verifies existing credentials
Key Features:
Issues blockchain-based verifiable credentials to user wallet addresses
Provides verification services for sensitive operations
Ensures campaign creators are verified humans

2. Blockchain & Web3 Infrastructure
   Okto Web3 SDK
   Role: Wallet management and blockchain interactions
   Integration Points:
   User wallet creation and management
   Blockchain transaction submission
   OAuth integration with NextAuth
   Key Features:
   Seamless wallet creation for new users
   Multi-chain support
   Transaction building and signing

Blockchain Networks
Role: Hosting campaign smart contracts
Integrated Networks:
BASE_SEPOLIA: Primary testnet for development
Key Features:
Transaction sending through Okto SDK
Smart contract deployment and interaction
Campaign data storage on-chain
Smart Contract API
Role: Interface for campaign operations
Contract Functions:
createCampaign - Creates new fundraising campaigns
Donation handling
Campaign management
Key Features:
Transparent and immutable campaign records
Trustless fund management
Support for different campaign types

3. Storage & State Management
   LocalStorage
   Role: Client-side credential storage
   Integration Points:
   Stores issued verifiable credentials
   Retrieves credentials for verification
   Key Features:
   Persistence between sessions
   Credential access for verification flows

4. Token Standards
   ERC-20 Tokens
   Role: Digital assets for donations
   Supported Tokens:
   USDC: Primary stabl

1. Authentication & Identity (NextAuth.js)
   Role: Core authentication provider
   Integration Points:
   Handles Google OAuth authentication flow
   Provides sessions and tokens for users
   Manages authentication state across the application
   Key Features:
   Returns id_token used for downstream authentications
   Integrates with our wallet creation flow

Humanity Protocol API
Role: Verifiable credential issuance and verification
Endpoints:
https://issuer.humanity.org/credentials/issue - Issues new credentials
https://issuer.humanity.org/credentials/verify - Verifies existing credentials
Key Features:
Issues blockchain-based verifiable credentials to user wallet addresses
Provides verification services for sensitive operations
- Ensures campaign creators are verified humans

2. Blockchain & Web3 Infrastructure (Okto Web3 SDK)
   Role: Wallet management and blockchain interactions
   Integration Points:
   User wallet creation and management
   Blockchain transaction submission
   OAuth integration with NextAuth
   Key Features:
   Seamless wallet creation for new users
   Multi-chain support
   Transaction building and signing

3. Storage & State Management (LocalStorage)
   Role: Client-side credential storage
   Integration Points:
   Stores issued verifiable credentials
   Retrieves credentials for verification
   Key Features:
   Persistence between sessions
   Credential access for verification flows

4. Token Standards (ERC-20 Tokens)
   Role: Digital assets for donations
   Supported Tokens:
   USDC: Primary stablecoin for donations
   RLUSD: Secondary donation option
   Key Features:
   Standardized interface for token transfers
   Value stability (in the case of stablecoins)
   Cross-chain compatibility

5. UI/UX & Notifications (React-Hot-Toast)
   Role: User notifications and feedback
   Integration Points:
   Success/error messaging
   Transaction status updates
   Key Features:
   Non-intrusive notifications
   Customizable appearance and duration

Trade Offs: We tried to implement Okto and RippleUSD however Okto was only deployed on Base Sepolia and RLUSD was only deployed on ETH Sepolia.

We want to optimize the user experience in the future by curating the explore campaign feed and creating a mobile app since we believe that is the optimal form factor for a fundraising application.