This is the official discussion thread for xGov-87: Alright
Author Brian Whippo (@SilentRhetoric)
Category dApps
Focus Social
Open-Source Yes
ALGO Requested 100000
Abstract
Alright is a peer-to-peer agreements app to safely exchange goods & services with anyone through decentralized escrow.
It enables two people to lock in an agreement to buy or sell something remotely, secure the deal with collateral as a security deposit, and release the payment when they are both ready. Alright is for any transaction that comes with some counterparty risk of non-performance, and it is faster, easier, and cheaper than using traditional middleman escrow services.
Team
Brian Whippo is a self-taught, full-stack software developer passionate about bringing the promises of blockchain to the people. When he is not trying to build a better world with the Algofam, he is leading strategic technology transformation at a top financial institution, where he has been designing better ways to manage derivatives and commodities for over 14 years.
LinkedIn - Brian Whippo
GitHub - SilentRhetoric
Experience with Algorand
Brian has been an active developer and contributor in the Algorand community since 2021 in various capacities:
- Built the open source Solid Algo Wallets Javascript library for integrating several wallets into a web site, a project funded by xGov-49
- Created the open source xGov Viewer app for reviewing xGov proposals and analyzing proposal voting data
- Completed the Encode x Algorand Bootcamp and won a 3rd place prize in the 2022 Encode x Algorand Hackathon
- Runs two participation nodes in Algorand consensus
Present Proposal
The app will be deployed for hands-on user testing and feedback in a non-production environmentin Q1 2024. The smart contract will be developed alongside an automated unit testing suite and deployed to Algorand TestNet for users to experience through a web-based interface accompanied by a knowledge portal to build understanding of escrow, Alright, and how to use it for remote purchases. The smart contract will be open source.
Future Blueprint
Launch on MainNet
Launch the app for people to use in a real money environment in Q2 2024. Following completion of thorough testing, the smart contract will be deployed to Algorand MainNet for people to agree real deals through a stable web application interface.
Cross-Chain Capabilities
Enable people to deal with more trading partners by enabling cross-chain transfer capabilities via the Wormhole protocol in 2H 2024.
Adjust Product-Market Fit
This phase of the project from 2025 will focus on gathering feedback from deal-makers and refining the user experience in preparation to scale. Provide users with seamless on-boarding, fiat on- and off-ramping, and wrap-around services integrated with DeFi, social channels, and other software. Build out a legal framework to allow Alright to succeed in relevant uses case contexts and jurisdictions.
Benefits for the community
Alright is designed make the world a safer place to buy and sell goods & services by bringing a promise of blockchain to people’s everyday lives–programmable money. Alright will do three key things to deliver value to the community at large:
Real-World Utility
Alright will bring real-world utility to the Algorand community and the world beyond to enable people to safely buy & sell anything through the security of decentralized escrow. Alright bridges the gap between the online Web3 ecosystem and the lives we lead in the tangible world. Even more, the core functionality is designed as a public utility–a permissionless smart contract with a web client anyone can host and use–at minimal cost thanks to Algorand’s cheap network fees. Everyone loves a good deal, and Alright makes it easier to get them done, safely.
New Algorand Users
Alright will build infrastructure that brings new people onto the chain and into the Web3 world. Because every deal involves two people, Alright will work to enable making deals with people who are not Algorand users today. Alright’s mission includes making it frictionless to get new people on-boarded with an Algorand account so they can experience Alright and everything else the Borderless Economy has to offer.
Financial Literacy Resources
An important facet of financial literacy is knowing what tools are available to you and how to use them. Alright is a new type of financial tool and so it will be accompanied by learning resources covering how to use it alongside helpful information about how to safely navigate risky transactions or utilize other financial tools. The knowledge portal will empower people to make their money work for them and improve their lives.
Additional information
Continue reading about this proposal, including a note from Brian, in the Alright knowledge portal.
Link to proposal on GitHub: