Gathbook

Where Your Digital Books Are Truly Yours

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Inspiration

As a blockchain developer and the founder of Gathbook, my journey in creating this platform began with a deeply personal experience. When I bought a digital book, I felt a sense of emptiness in the transaction. The book was just a file to download, lacking any tangible connection to the experience of buying a book. I realized I was missing out on the deeper essence of ownership—an experience that should be rich with meaning and connection.

In the physical world, buying a book is much more than a simple transaction; it’s an experience. When we purchase a book, we don’t just acquire pages filled with stories; we gain a physical object that we can hold, place on our shelves, and cherish. It becomes a part of our identity—a symbol of the knowledge and adventures we embark upon. However, with digital books, I felt as though I wasn’t getting that same experience. The book lacked a real presence, confined to my device.

This realization sparked a deeper contemplation about how technology could transform our interaction with literature. In today’s digital age, NFT (Non-Fungible Token) technology emerged as an exciting solution. NFTs provide a fresh way to represent ownership in a digital format, creating a sense of exclusivity and authenticity that standard digital files simply can’t offer. I began to envision how books could be represented as NFTs, giving authors, publishers, and readers a new avenue to engage with their works.

With Gathbook, we are committed to creating a platform where users can buy, sell, and donate NFT-based books. Each book will have a unique identity tied to its ownership, allowing readers to forge a deeper connection with the works they possess. At Gathbook, we’re not just aiming to sell books; we want to foster a community of support and shared knowledge. We believe that every book is a gateway to a new world, and by adding value to digital books through NFTs, we can preserve the essence of the reading experience—transforming each transaction into a step toward discovery and a richer appreciation of literature. In this way, Gathbook aspires to be more than just a marketplace for buying and selling books; it aims to be a space where every reader can rediscover the meaning of ownership and the joy of reading in this digital era.

What it does

Gathbook is an innovative platform that empowers users to buy, sell, and donate NFT-based books, redefining the reading experience in our digital age. By transforming traditional books into NFTs, Gathbook creates a unique identity for each book, ensuring that authors and readers can engage with literature in a more meaningful way. Users can explore a diverse collection of books, discover new authors, and join a community that values the importance of storytelling and knowledge sharing. Through Gathbook, every transaction is not just a purchase; it’s an opportunity to connect with the world of literature and support the creators behind the stories.

How we built it

We built this website using modern technologies to create a responsive, fast, and secure experience. On the frontend, we utilized Next.js with TypeScript, enabling us to develop a web application with optimal performance and robust state management. For visual interactions, we incorporated Framer Motion to ensure smooth transitions and animations, enhancing the interactivity of the user experience.

On the backend, we employed Gin, a web framework based on Golang, known for its speed and efficiency. PostgreSQL serves as the main database, managing data securely and reliably. The application is deployed across two platforms: Railway for the backend, which offers seamless database and API management, and Vercel for the frontend, providing fast deployment and direct integration with Next.js.

Additionally, for blockchain functionality, we utilized Solidity to write smart contracts that operate on the BTTC testnet, enabling on-chain transactions and NFT-based features.

Flow

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Challenges we ran into

During the development of Gathbook, we encountered several challenges that tested our creativity and determination. One major challenge was seamlessly integrating blockchain technology into our platform while ensuring a user-friendly experience. We had to find the right balance between the complexities of NFT transactions and the intuitive nature of a typical e-commerce site. Additionally, educating users about NFTs and their benefits posed another hurdle, as many potential users were unfamiliar with this technology. We also faced challenges in animating the book-reading experience on the platform.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We take great pride in successfully launching Gathbook as a fully functional platform that merges the worlds of literature and blockchain. Achieving smooth integration of smart contracts with our backend has been a significant milestone. The seamless user experience we’ve crafted—allowing users to navigate effortlessly between purchasing and donating books—reflects our dedication to design, animation, and functionality.

What we learned

The journey of building Gathbook has been a profound learning experience for our team. We gained invaluable insights into the intersection of technology and literature, particularly the transformative power of NFTs in enhancing user engagement. The importance of user feedback became apparent, helping us refine our platform and adapt to the needs of our community. We also learned the significance of collaboration across different fields, leveraging expertise from both blockchain development and literary communities to create a cohesive product. Lastly, we recognized the necessity of educating our audience about new technologies, ensuring they feel empowered and informed as they navigate our platform.

What's next for Gathbook

As we look to the future, we are excited to expand Gathbook’s features and offerings. We plan to enhance community engagement by introducing author events, book discussions, and interactive reading sessions. Expanding our library with a diverse range of titles and genres is also a priority, ensuring we cater to a wide variety of readers.

Additionally, we aim to enhance our educational resources to help users better understand the NFT space and its potential benefits. Our long-term vision includes establishing cafés with digital libraries, where patrons can simply input a code or scan a barcode to access books on our platform. Readers will be rewarded for their engagement, aligning with our mission to improve literacy in this digital era. We see significant potential in this market, and through these initiatives, we aim to fulfill our mission while making a meaningful impact.

Copy Forum Submission

Project Name:

Gathbook

Project Track:

Artistry

Team Name:

Morgan

Team Member(s):

5 - @youvandra , @galihpermana29 , @zidanebasalamah , @reihanms , @FadjarDuwi

Project Goal:

The project aims to address the lack of true ownership in the digital book industry, where consumers currently purchase licenses instead of the actual content. The project is to create true ownership of digital books through blockchain technology. The goal is to empower consumers with the ability to resell, lend, or transfer their digital books in a simple way. In addition, the project also aims to give authors and publishers direct access to their audiences, open up new sources of revenue, and increase control over their digital works. Curbing the longing of a group of readers who want to experience a new sensation with books in the current era.

Project Value:

With blockchain integration, users can easily transfer Books to friends after finishing them or donate their used digital books to non-profit organizations. They can resell their Books on the open marketplace at gathbook and see the real-time value of their digital book collection. NFTs enable the creation of collectible editions and unique digital collections, providing a new way for readers to connect directly with authors and publishers. Smart contracts enable a continuous revenue stream through secondary sales, with authors able to assign and receive royalties instantly. The technology also supports instant transfer of Publisher Sales Rights, transparent tracking of book ownership, and the formation of exclusive book clubs for verified buyers.

Project Info:

Please read our pitch deck : Pitch_Deck_Gathbook

Project Website:

gathbook.com


Project Test Instructions:

Account Test :

Email : [email protected] Pass : judge

Or you can easily create it on the website gathbook.

UI Instructions - Desktop

Register page: you can register account from this page. 690x409 Login page: you can login from this page. 690x409

navbar section from left to right: Logo - Account Name - Become an Author - Connect wallet - Collections - Logout - Dark-light mode

if wallet is not connected

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if wallet is connected

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Homepage 690x410

in Homepage, you can see all the books on sale. Because there are not many books in the library yet, we use a simple display, if the library has enough books, we will create a library page with section filters.

Book_page: If you are interested in a book and click on the homepage, you will be directed here. if you don't have it yet, there will be a purchase selection view. you can choose how you want to buy, you can direct buy or buy from friend.

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If you choose buy from friend, you must enter your friend address, and you get the friend price!

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After you buy a book, the book page will display three buttons: read book - resell - donate 690x411

Modal input will appear if you choose resell or donate, resell will display the set price input, and donate will display the address input, aka who you will donate your book to.

You can claim if you get an NFT donation from someone. 690x264

Read Book Experience:

dark-mode:

https://www.youtube.com/embed/RiP_sCBnjQs?si=gYXF2Gfm6H_MOixN

light-mode:

https://youtu.be/HSqIcHhT4Ig

Mobile testing

make sure your web browser supports the metamask extension, or use a browser from metamask app mobile, and make sure the wallet is connected to the bttc testnet network.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGm00lym9KA

Desktop demo testing

https://www.youtube.com/embed/7b3h2ov3iwQ?si=f3yoMS0QcqseDuyx


Light-mode page:

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Technical Instructions

Getting started running the Gathbook site on your local
Clone code from github:

Open terminal, then copy and run this command:

git clone https://github.com/galihpermana29/gathbook.git

Make sure you have installed the git library.

Go to the gathbook folder:

run this command:

cd gathbook/
Build on your local

Make sure you have installed NPM.

run this command:

npm install

npm run build

if the build is complete, then run this command:

npm run start

Run project!

Open http://localhost:3000 with your browser to see the result.

BTTC Testnet Network-Metamask-Set

Add network manually:

Network name : BitTorrent Chain Donau

New RPC URL: https://pre-rpc.bt.io

Chain ID: 1029

Currency symbol: BTT

Block explorer URL (Optional) : https://testscan.bt.io

Project Details:

Gathbook is a revolutionary platform that merges the realms of literature and blockchain, providing a fresh approach to the reading experience in the digital age. Inspired by the desire to enhance the connection between readers and the books they cherish, Gathbook transforms traditional books into NFT-based assets, creating unique identities that foster meaningful engagement among authors, publishers, and readers. By leveraging modern technologies like Next.js, TypeScript, and Solidity, we’ve built a responsive and user-friendly platform that allows users to buy, sell, and donate NFT-based books while enjoying seamless transactions and an interactive reading experience. Despite challenges in integrating blockchain technology and educating users about NFTs, our team has successfully crafted a platform that values storytelling and knowledge sharing.

Looking ahead, Gathbook is committed to expanding its offerings, enhancing community engagement, and establishing innovative educational resources. Our vision includes creating cafés with digital libraries, encouraging reading, and improving literacy in our digital era. With these initiatives, Gathbook aims not only to redefine the literary landscape but also to make a meaningful impact on the way we connect with literature.

Smart Contract links:

Testnet - Gathbook Testnet Smart Contract

Mainnet - (Coming soon)

Project Milestones:

August 2024

  • Ideation process ✅

  • Project conceptualization and design ✅

September 2024

  • Designing the website user interface ✅

  • Programming the front end and back end ✅

  • Creating smart contracts ✅

  • Integration of smart contracts with front end ✅

  • Testing and debugging the project ✅

  • Finalizing the project ✅

  • Testnet launch ✅

October 2024

  • Launch of first NFT-based digital book from selected gathbook authors

  • User experience testing (to do)

  • Landing Page (to do)

  • Improve website features and functionality from community feedback

November 2024

  • Marketing Strategy and building branding on several social media platforms

  • Generate users to the platform

  • Launch 25 book collections on the platform.

December 2024

  • Mainnet Launch

Q1 2025

  • Strengthen branding on several social media platforms

  • Add additional features to the website

  • Create online events for readers and authors to interact in interpreting books.

Q2-Q4 2025

  • Gathbook Cafe

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