Reinforcing the RMRK Vision
Given just how novel the RMRK protocol is, it is no surprise that we don’t know how to think about it.
What exactly is it? Is it Singular? Is it Kanaria? Is it just Singular and Kanaria? Or does it all come together in Skybreach? If yes, then how the hell does Kodadot come in? Further, how can it work on Kusama and Moonriver (when the EVM implementation is done)?
The purpose of this post is to answer these questions and strip back some of the complexity surrounding the RMRK protocol.
How to think about RMRK
The easiest way to think of RMRK is as a layer-1 NFT protocol, except it is not a blockchain. So why call it a layer-1? Because, like all layer-1s, RMRK is a protocol that other projects can build on. This is why RMRK is not Singular, Kanaria, or Skybreach. RMRK is the protocol on which these products (projects) are built.
So how then can RMRK be implemented on different blockchains? Because it is a protocol that can be adapted to different environments. This is possible because RMRK has no consensus layer that requires tokens or synced nodes. Thus, once the RMRK protocol is deployed, it can be used on a blockchain. Having an EVM implementation simply means rewriting the protocol in a way that EVM-compatible chains understand and can process. RMRK can also live on every parachain once deployed as a pallet because pallets are simply protocols that run on the native layer of substrate chains.
It is vitally important that advocates, holders, and fans of RMRK understand this small distinction because it has ripple effects on how we think about the protocol and what can be done with it.
The RMRK Vision
Much like EVM/Ethereum ushered in a wave of dApps thanks to smart contracts, RMRK is in a position to usher in a wave of NFT projects that are as different from each other as possible. As in, many different projects aimed at different users and niches can be built on RMRK.
The problem is that many builders don’t fully understand or appreciate this. Everyone is up in arms about collections on Singular, Kanaria sales, and Skybreach, but we (the RMRK buidl community) can do so much more. The path to adoption is paved with independent, creative minds taking the protocol for a spin across many different niches, to explore and push past the protocol’s limits. Innovation is the name of the game.
Like RMRK co-founder Yuri Petusko said in a recent Twitter Space, “the vision of RMRK is to be the only NFT standard used by everyone.” As bold as that claim may sound, it is not far-fetched considering the immense value the RMRK protocol brings to the table.
Thankfully, one brave builder has already stepped up with an entirely different project based on RMRK—DonnieBigBags and the Exosama game. But the frontier is vast and unexplored.
The great challenge is the creativity to create what has never been created before.
Going beyond the present
Using just nested NFTs, emotes, and maybe conditional rendering, a builder could create a product on RMRK that enables animal shelters to raise funding for the care of unadopted animals. One could argue that this can be done on Singular, but I would argue that it is far from ideal. Why? Because a product targets a certain group of users. There are very few products that are perfect for every niche. Rather, most products have to be adapted to different niches to increase adoption rate and chances of success.
The main point here is that to take full advantage of RMRK and its unlimited possibilities, we must think beyond what is present. RMRK is a tool that has never existed before and that means one main thing: there is room to create products and solutions that could never have been created in the past.
Why can’t there be a fantasy sports game built on RMRK? With RMRK legos, such a game can be carefully optimized to increase fan participation and enjoyment.
Why can’t there be a product that helps historians preserve historical sites and objects? Singular could never cut it for this because Singular is just a marketplace for buying and selling. Such a product will speak to certain kinds of people who may have no desire to ever use Singular. A product focused on preserving history could use Nested NFTs in this manner:
- Parent NFT - the site (a grand cathedral for example)
- Child NFTs - the different locations (rooms, spaces, etc.) in this site
- Grand-children NFTs - the different notable objects in this location
- Great-grandchildren NFTs (and so on.)
- Grand-children NFTs - the different notable objects in this location
- Child NFTs - the different locations (rooms, spaces, etc.) in this site
The point still remains: to make the most of RMRK and drive its adoption to unimaginable highs, we (the community and believers of RMRK) must get to dreaming up and building projects that challenge the status quo. To get everyone to know RMRK, they need to use RMRK without knowing they are using RMRK. Thanks to RMRK, we can use NFTs to build real world solutions that weren’t possible in the past.
Singular, Kanaria, Skybreach, Exosama, these are all projects built using RMRK but there is still a lot more that we can build. If you're looking for more ideas, read the posts below:
Moving forward, we will try to supply the community with as many possible use cases we can find to spark innovation. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date.
Happy building!
