The Problem SweetSwoot Solves
For Content Creators:
Content creators face numerous challenges with traditional
short-form video platforms:

• Limited Monetization: Existing platforms offer restrictive
  revenue sharing models with high thresholds before creators can
  earn
• Platform Dependency: Creators are subject to changing algorithms
  and policies that can instantly impact their reach and income
• Data Transparency: Limited access to accurate viewer analytics
  and engagement metrics
• Payment Intermediaries: Revenue passes through multiple
  middlemen, reducing creator earnings
  For Viewers: Viewers also encounter significant issues:
• Opaque Recommendation Systems: Black-box algorithms determine
  what content users see
• Limited Support Options: Few direct ways to support favorite
  creators
• Privacy Concerns: Extensive tracking and data collection without
  transparency
• Centralized Control: Content can be removed without recourse

Our Solution: SweetSwoot addresses these challenges through a decentralized
architecture:
Direct Creator Monetization:

• Peer-to-Peer Tipping: Viewers can directly tip creators in
  cryptocurrency with 100% going to the creator
• Transparent Transactions: All tips are recorded on-chain with
  verifiable transaction history
• Low Entry Barrier: Creators can monetize from their first video
  without meeting arbitrary thresholds

True Ownership & Control:

• On-Chain Metadata: All video metadata, user profiles, and social
  interactions stored immutably on Internet Computer
• Censorship Resistance: Content stored across the decentralized
  network
• User-Owned Identity: Authentication via Ethereum wallets gives
  users true ownership of their accounts

Transparent Analytics:

• Verifiable Metrics: Watch events, likes, and completions stored
  on-chain
• Creator Dashboard: Comprehensive analytics showing real
  engagement
• Fair Distribution: Recommendation alg

User Interaction and Data Flow
Sign-Up & Authentication: Users access SweetSwoot via a web browser and connect their Ethereum wallet (MetaMask, WalletConnect, etc.). They sign a message using SIWE (Sign-In with Ethereum), which is verified by an Internet Computer canister, granting an authenticated session linked to their Ethereum address.

Content Consumption: Users scroll through a vertical feed of short videos streamed via Livepeer CDN. Watch events (duration, completion, likes) are recorded on-chain. Playback controls enable pausing, liking, and sharing. Engagement options include double-tap likes, commenting through a slide-up interface, following creators with a single tap, and tipping with cryptocurrency.

Content Creation: Users tap the “+” button to record or upload a video, add a title, tags, and description, then submit it for processing. Videos are uploaded to Livepeer for transcoding, with metadata stored on the Internet Computer and linked on-chain via a Livepeer playback ID.

Tipping Flow: Users tap the “Tip” button while watching a video, choose an amount (preset or custom), and confirm the transaction in their wallet. Payments execute on Base chain (EVM L2), with transaction details recorded on the Internet Computer. The creator receives 100% of the tip, and both user and creator see confirmation in the UI.

Creator Analytics: Creators access their profile page to view analytics, including watch counts, completion rates, like ratios, and tip history. All metrics are pulled from on-chain records, providing a transparent engagement view with export options for deeper analysis.

Social Interactions: Users can follow creators with a single tap, with follow relationships stored on-chain, prioritizing content from followed creators in their feed. Comments are stored on-chain with creator principal, allowing creators to interact with their audience.

Core Architecture: SweetSwoot leverages a multi-chain architecture for a decentralized, efficient short-form video platform. The frontend, built with React and Vite, interacts with the Internet Computer, which manages user profiles, video metadata, social interactions, and analytics. Video infrastructure is handled by Livepeer for high-quality streaming, while Base chain (EVM L2) facilitates cryptocurrency tips and on-chain transaction records.

Key Components: The Internet Computer Backend stores data using Rust canisters with stable storage patterns, manages identity through SIWE (Sign-In With Ethereum), and maintains a social graph for follow relationships, comments, and engagement metrics. The analytics engine tracks watch events, completion rates, and tipping history. Media Processing is powered by Livepeer, enabling automatic transcoding, adaptive video playback, and dynamic thumbnail generation. Cross-Chain Integration ensures seamless authentication via Ethereum signatures, direct Base chain transactions for tipping, and immutable on-chain records for verification.

Frontend Experience: Users navigate a TikTok-style vertical scrolling feed, while creators benefit from an intuitive upload wizard with tagging and metadata options. Engagement features include liking, commenting, following, and tipping. Creators can access an analytics dashboard to track metrics and earnings.

Development Process: The backend was built using Rust-based Internet Computer canisters with stable storage patterns and scalable data models for users, videos, and interactions. Cross-chain authentication was implemented through SIWE, mapping Ethereum addresses to Internet Computer principals. Video infrastructure was integrated with Livepeer for seamless uploads and playback, with metadata stored on the Internet Computer. Monetization was established via Base chain transactions, ensuring direct tipping and on-chain verification. The frontend was d

SweetSwoot integrates multiple specialized services to ensure a seamless, decentralized video-sharing experience.

The Internet Computer Protocol (ICP) serves as the backbone for persistent data storage and business logic, using Rust-based canisters to manage user profiles, video metadata, and social interactions. API endpoints are exposed via query and update methods, with stable storage ensuring data persistence across canister upgrades.

Livepeer powers video infrastructure, handling transcoding and optimized delivery. The integration at /src/frontend/src/livepeer/ utilizes Livepeer’s asset upload API for video processing, adaptive bitrate streaming, and dynamic thumbnail generation. Custom React hooks and components enable seamless video uploads and playback.

Sign-In with Ethereum (SIWE) provides secure wallet-based authentication through the ic_siwe_provider canister. Users authenticate via message signing, with principal delegation and session management ensuring smooth interactions between Ethereum accounts and the Internet Computer.

Base (Ethereum L2) functions as the transaction layer for cryptocurrency tipping. Integrated within /src/frontend/src/components/video/TipModal.tsx, it enables EVM-compatible smart contract calls, low-fee transaction processing, and ETH/ERC-20 transfers between users.

Coinbase Developer Platform facilitates fiat-to-crypto conversions, allowing non-crypto users to purchase cryptocurrency for tipping through a custom onramp implementation. It supports seamless wallet funding and payment processing.

Wagmi Hooks manage wallet connectivity at /src/frontend/src/wagmi/, offering multi-wallet support, transaction state management, and chain switching validation to enhance user accessibility.

TailwindCSS provides a responsive UI framework, ensuring a consistent design system across the frontend. Its utility-first CSS approach includes mobile responsiveness and dark mode support.

Vite serves as the frontend

Cross-Chain Architecture by Design: Unlike traditional Web3 video platforms that rely on a single blockchain, SweetSwoot strategically integrates multiple ecosystems to maximize their unique capabilities. The Internet Computer provides unlimited on-chain storage and business logic execution, Livepeer delivers specialized video infrastructure for optimal performance, Base (EVM L2) enables low-cost microtransactions, and SIWE offers seamless cross-chain identity with familiar wallet interfaces. This combination creates a robust system that cannot be replicated on any single blockchain.

100% On-Chain Social Graph: While competitors limit on-chain activity to monetary transactions, SweetSwoot ensures the entire social ecosystem is persistently stored on the Internet Computer. User profiles, video metadata, comments, likes, and follows exist entirely on-chain, providing full ownership with no reliance on central databases or proprietary algorithms. This ensures future portability, allowing users to carry their social interactions across emerging applications.

Direct Creator Monetization: Unlike traditional platforms that take a cut from creator earnings, SweetSwoot enables direct tipping with zero platform fees, ensuring 100% of tips go directly to creators. Transactions are instantly available without minimum payout thresholds or delays, and all activity is immutably recorded on-chain for full transparency. Multi-token support allows creators to accept various cryptocurrencies.

Canister-Based Analytics Engine: SweetSwoot moves beyond opaque, centralized analytics by leveraging an on-chain analytics system. Watch events, completion rates, and engagement metrics are stored in Internet Computer canisters, ensuring immutable data integrity. Creators retain ownership of their analytics, eliminating platform control, while verifiable performance metrics prevent artificial inflation or manipulation of engagement statistics.

Video Storage Strategy prioritized streaming performance by storing video content on Livepeer instead of fully on-chain. While the Internet Computer could store videos directly, Livepeer was chosen to optimize user experience. Future plans include a hybrid approach, storing previews and thumbnails on ICP while using Livepeer as a fallback.

TypeScript Interface Management involved using @ts-ignore in several places where backend functions lacked proper typing. This trade-off favored rapid development over strict type safety, allowing for quick integration between the evolving backend and frontend. Plans include generating proper TypeScript interfaces with automated CI/CD updates to improve long-term maintainability.

Single-Canister Architecture was chosen for simplicity in early development, making it easier to test and deploy. While this limits scalability, future iterations will transition to a multi-canister design, with separate canisters for users, videos, and analytics to improve performance and modularity.

UX Shortcuts

The authentication flow currently supports only SIWE (Sign-In With Ethereum), prioritizing a strong wallet-based foundation over broader accessibility. Future updates will introduce email/password authentication, wallet linking, and social login options to accommodate more users.

Mobile responsiveness took a secondary role, with a desktop-first implementation and only basic mobile support. The core functionality was prioritized over device-specific optimizations. A future update will rebuild UI components using a mobile-first approach with touch-optimized interactions.

The creator dashboard initially launched with limited analytics views, as the focus was on core video and tipping features. Planned enhancements include comprehensive analytics, export options, and visualization tools to give creator