Inspiration
The name IYANU, which means miracle or wonder in Yoruba (a West African language), was born out of a deep desire to help people turn their ideas into impact. The project is a decentralized crowdfunding platform that empowers individuals and communities to raise funds transparently and securely. I was inspired by the need to eliminate middlemen, reduce friction in fundraising, and build trust through transparency , especially in regions where traditional crowdfunding systems fail or are inaccessible.
What it does
IYANU allows users to create, share, and support fundraising campaigns on the blockchain. Each campaign stores its metadata (title, description, image, and goal) on IPFS to reduce gas fees and ensure permanence. Donors can contribute directly using their wallets, and all transactions are publicly verifiable. The project focuses on decentralization, affordability, and accessibility, making it possible for anyone, anywhere, to launch a campaign and receive funding support in a trustless environment.
How we built it
We built IYANU using:
- Thirdweb SDK for seamless interaction with smart contracts
- Next.js for a scalable and fast frontend experience
- Tailwind CSS for responsive and elegant UI design
- IPFS to store campaign data off-chain , including strings and images to keep gas costs low
This was my first time using the Thirdweb SDK and working with IPFS directly. I spent time understanding how to store complex data like strings and images off-chain, and learned how to convert static images into lightweight animated videos for campaign previews a fun and creative way to make campaigns visually appealing.
Challenges we ran into
The biggest challenge was storing data on IPFS in a format compatible with what the smart contract could read and verify. I spent over five days troubleshooting different data formats and testing how to hash strings and images properly so that the on-chain contract could correctly reference them. Understanding IPFS structure, content addressing, and integrating those with smart contract calls required significant trial and error.
Additionally, as this was my first time using the Thirdweb SDK, I had to overcome the initial learning curve, including setting up wallet connections, writing secure smart contract calls, and dealing with blockchain transaction confirmations.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
- Successfully integrated IPFS to store metadata off-chain, reducing blockchain storage costs significantly
- Learned how to use the Thirdweb SDK to interact with smart contracts effectively
- Created a visually rich platform by converting images to animated previews for campaigns
- Designed a clean and responsive UI using Tailwind CSS
- Built and deployed a functional crowdfunding dApp that is easy to use, decentralized, and scalable
What we learned
This project helped me:
- Understand the basics of decentralized storage and how to work with IPFS and content identifiers (CIDs)
- Learn how to integrate off-chain data with on-chain logic efficiently
- Gain my first experience working with blockchain SDKs like Thirdweb to simplify development
- Improve my debugging and problem-solving skills while handling edge cases related to IPFS and data hashes
What's next for IYANU
- Add support for milestone-based disbursement, where funds are released in phases as goals are met
- Implement project verification and review system to improve trust and reduce scam risks
- Enable social sharing features and campaign analytics for creators
- Support multi-chain compatibility to expand IYANU’s reach
- Introduce a mobile-responsive PWA version to improve accessibility in underserved regions
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