Founded by Zhicheng Miao, Francesco Renzi, and Michele D’Aliessi. The Superfluid Protocol has one ambitious aim – to make transactions in Web3 Superfluid.
Now, what do they mean by “Superfluid”? An easy, continuous cash-flow system all around the clock on the blockchain at an unparalleled speed!
Moreover, in the last two years, we’ve all heard the hype about the Superfluid Protocol. And if we read its documentation, we understand the various applications it was primarily built for.
Some of the listed use cases of the protocol are:
- Recurring Payments – Such as Rent, Salary, and Subscriptions.
- DeFi – Apps in the decentralized web that handle money can use the protocol to ensure real-time payment. In addition, it uses lesser Gas (transaction fees).
- Social & Community – Rewards in community platforms can utilize Superfluid in their dApp to ease the transfer flow. It can ensure the recipient gets the reward in real-time, albeit slowly in their account.
- Gaming – All those in-game purchases necessary for a player to level up or get power-ups to play a game.
But is that all? I don’t think so! There are so many other programs that, when in association with Superfluid, can make the protocol more efficient.
Well, over two years since Superfluid is out, many developers globally have tried to experiment and create dApps for DeFi and Web3.
Let’s explore some of the projects and ideas that have been discussed in the past and explore some future scopes!
Overview of the Superfluid Protocol
Superfluid is a protocol that aids in transferring funds between two parties in real time. It aims to ease the process of cryptocurrency transactions happening on a blockchain.
The protocol achieves this with three main components – The Super Tokens, the Super Apps, and The Super Agreement. Another important piece that’s integral for the smooth execution is the Super Host.
The Superfluid Protocol adopts a multi-chain system of blockchain transactions. Having multiple chains running parallel at the same time ensures quick, real-time payment between parties.
Firstly, the Super Tokens are an extension of the ERC721 or ERC20 token contracts. They are essential and contain Super Agreements functionality within them by default. The two types of Super Tokens – Wrapper Token and Custom Token perform different functions as per the needs of the developer, sender, or receiver.
Secondly, the Super Agreements are agreements containing the details of the token transmission within them.
Superfluid has two types of Agreements – a CFA: Constant Flow Agreement & an IDA: Instant Distribution Agreement.
Meanwhile, the CFA ensures that pays the recipient and the flow of the asset/token is constant at a uniform flow rate; the IDA ensures the distribution of assets or tokens to the recipients in proportions.
The instructions regarding the transactions get recorded within the Agreement.
However, for an IDA, an Account IDA index is formed that behaves as the intermediate Agreement in supervising the transaction flow.
Third, is the Super Apps. These are Smart Contracts in the Superfluid network. These smart contracts execute themselves in real-time and update the changes within them so that the transactions occur steadily.
In addition, Super Apps have an extra function known as a Call Back.
Callbacks are codes that occur within Super Apps, bestowed with the function of response. These make the Super Apps more responsive to all the changes in the Super Agreement or events happening in the blockchain.
Finally, the Super Host. It is the CPU equivalent of the entire protocol. The Super Host is responsible to coordinate between the Super Tokens, Super Agreements, and Super Apps.
Superfluid Protocol Applications
The creation of Superfluid was done with some of these applications in mind:
Salary and Recurring Payments
Recurring payments such as salary, rent, and subscriptions are easy to pay through the Superfluid Protocol.
Some instances where the Superfluid protocol works to stream tokens or assets are Zoduid & Superfluid Subscription Service.
Zoduid is a platform to generate revenue flow within and between DAOs, in real time.
The Zoduid software claims to call itself a ‘Zodiac Superfluid Enzyme’. A module just for Zodiac DAOs with an in-built Superfluid protocol for funds transfer and an Enzyme-based vault.
Superfluid Subscription Service is a service wherein a user pays Super Tokens for a service through a Super App and avails of the service even before the payment is complete.
Any service provider can deploy this tool, and the user can pay as per the Super Agreements.
DeFi
Decentralized applications in Web 3 can use the Superfluid protocol to see to it that the transactions happen in real-time. Users get their money in real-time, and it uses lesser gas.
Superfluid Vortex & Hourglass are examples of the same.
Meanwhile, the Superfluid Vortex is a tool that uses Vortex. A custom lingo made just for deploying multiple calls of Super Tokens, Super Apps, or both instantly on the blockchain network.
On the other hand, Hourglass is an application that streams money in real-time to the employees’ debit card wallets (Web2).
Social & Community rewards
Many Web 3-based community platforms can utilize Superfluids for community awards. Recipients get their payment in natural time, continuously, i.e., it cannot pass off as a scam that one is promised a reward and the reward wasn’t deposited.
Base is a great example of how Superfluid could bind a community together in Web3.
The Base platform is where content creators, NFT creators, fans, and buyers come together. A fan or a user is a subscriber to any of the art the creator creates and allows the creator to monetize through NFTs.
All transactions related to subscriptions and buying occur through the Superfluid protocol.
Gaming
A player can buy their power-ups and gear within the in-game purchases through the Superfluid protocol. They can pay for it slowly, avail of the product instantly, and continue having fun!
Well, nonetheless, there are times it would be nice to have a notification saying, “Hey! Your balance is low in your account!” or something along the lines of, “Your code has an error! Please fix command line 84.”
Can’t imagine? Well, you don’t need to. The dApps already exist! Superfluid EPNS and Toboro do the same thing!
Superfluid-EPNS is a service where the EPNS tells the account user that their balance is going low. It also sends a notification when a new stream starts, a stream updates, or a stream ends.
Although Toboro doesn’t use Superfluid in its code, it tells developers of the errors in their code lines or program in real time when any bugs or issues crop up!
Project Examples
Many projects in the last two years have integrated the Superfluid Protocol into their applications. Many have made a great choice to make decentralized finance as smooth as cake frosting!
However, in this section, we’re going through some of the most amazing EthGlobal Hackathon projects!
Short-Stop
Made in Solidity, this Superfluid protocol-based program is here to allow users to possess the tokens for a short time as a lending method.
Firstly, a user must deposit some tokens into the Super App (smart contract), to which the blockchain responds and issues a loan of some tokens.
Then, the user returns these tokens when the token price has fallen. After this, the contract switches the new tokens with the old ones that were previously loaned.
Lastly, when the user wants to close the contract of possession of these tokens, the contract swaps the new tokens in the current position with those primarily loaned.
Superfluids’ role here is massive, from real-time streaming of tokens (Super Tokens) to fulfilling conditions as per the Super Apps, and while closing.
Kiwik
Kiwik is a platform for Gamers, Web3-ers, and the folk of the Metaverse alike. Here, folk can buy and sell tokenized 3D NFTs and assets that enrich the user experience!
This NFT marketplace aims to serve a community of creators of NFT, service providers, 3D artists, and metaverse assets at a low cost.
It also serves as a platform for game developers and Metaverse developers to accelerate the building process by optimizing search at a common space.
Superfluid here aids in implementing a “Buy now, pay later” policy for buyers. A user can start using the asset and decide on the cash flow stream. They avail the NFT/ asset access in real-time. This encourages developers of games and metaverse alike to keep pushing through their creativity and lets them pay when they can!
The real-time money-streaming platform is also employed in receiving money from subscribers who chose the paid Pro subscription plan to the site. The Pro plan provides unique, time-limited assets to work with!
Dehitas
Dehitas is a Decentralized hiring and talent assessment platform. Brought to you with a consortium of tools such as Polygon, Cronos, Superfluid, XMTP, IPFS, Covalent, and more. This software engine is here to change how hiring occurs in Web 3.
Now, this application provides a hiring platform through meeting rooms and talent assessments. The latter is a paid service.
Assessors or companies can buy these tests from the Subject Matter Experts of a certain domain (SMEs). In turn, the SMEs get paid for the assessments they’ve put out there.
So, funds transfer from the assessor to the test creator occurs in real time. The companies will pay the test creator in natural time as and when they buy the tests thanks to the Superfluid protocol embedded within.
Summary
Superfluid is a money streaming platform that’s one of a kind and valuable for its main feature. The main feature of the protocol is that money gets transferred in real-time.
Superfluid-based payments happen in 2 methods with the joint coordination of four components.
The Super Tokens, Super Apps, Super Agreements, and the Super Host.
Superfluid has many use cases such as DeFi, gaming, buying a plot in the Metaverse, and paying salaries!
