Why are you participating for Based Africa?

Base Africa provides the perfect platform for us to showcase how blockchain can revolutionize the art landscape in Africa, helping us onboard more creatives into the onchain ecosystem while contributing to the growth of Web3 on the continent. We are participating for Based Africa to drive the adoption of blockchain technology within Africa’s vibrant creative community. Through Onchain Strokes, we aim to bridge the gap between traditional artists and the digital space, offering them access to global markets, secure ownership, and new revenue streams through platforms like zora.

What challenges are you focusing on?

1.Limited Access to Global Markets: Many artists, particularly in Africa, struggle to reach international audiences and buyers. By onboarding them to the blockchain, we enable global visibility and access to collectors through platforms like zora

2.Ownership and Royalties on physical arts: Traditional art markets often fail to provide artists with ongoing royalties for their work. We solve this by leveraging blockchain products such as zora, ensuring artists receive royalties on secondary sales.

3.Complexity of Blockchain Technology: For many artists, the technical barrier of entering the Web3 space is intimidating. We focus on simplifying the process of onboarding and educating artists in our community thereby making the transition to the blockchain smooth and accessible.

How does your submission address this challenge?

Having visited three galleries in southwestern Nigeria, we are well aware of the technical challenges artists face when adopting blockchain technology. To bridge this gap, we host events, workshops, and Twitter Spaces aimed at educating artists about blockchain and NFT opportunities. Our partnerships with galleries allow us to bring this knowledge directly to artists in familiar settings, making it easier for them to understand and embrace the potential of onchain possibilities. We are committed to empowering artists to thrive onchain in every step of the way.

Challenges we ran into

1.During our visits, we faced challenges such as financial constraints and resistance from some galleries. A number of these galleries are hesitant to embrace onchain opportunities, fearing it might disrupt their traditional business models. However, we are actively working to demonstrate the value of blockchain, including the benefits of our upcoming technical product. This solution will allow both artists and galleries to receive tips from visitors, providing a new revenue stream beyond just art sales. We believe this will help ease their concerns and open up new possibilities for all parties involved

2.When we recognized that many galleries feared losing artists, we began developing a solution that addresses their concerns while offering new revenue streams. Our product, currently under development, allows visitors and collectors in galleries to scan a QR code linked to an artwork. This code prompts them to tip the artist, bypassing the need to wait for a sale. The collector simply connects their wallet, sends the desired amount, and the system automatically splits the token between the artist and gallery based on a pre-agreed percentage. This innovative system brings artists, galleries, and collectors onchain, creating a dynamic ecosystem where artworks don’t need to wait years to be purchased. It opens up immediate opportunities for financial support, benefiting all parties involved. (Link to the product prototype in links below)