Challenges
Best Community dApp on Starknet
For the Starknet Winter Hackathon challenge, we specifically targeted the Starknet Hyperstructure category from the infrastructure track. Scarab Sign reimagines NFT marketplaces as a hyperstructure by implementing a novel multiplayer metatransaction system. Our approach demonstrates how Starknet's unique cryptographic primitives can enable new forms of social coordination in decentralized systems. While our current implementation primarily uses Starknet's cryptographic capabilities for transaction efficiency, the project lays groundwork for more advanced features. The system's architecture as a hyperstructure is demonstrated through its gasless, permissionless design where users can participate without traditional barriers. The multiplayer metatransaction concept shows how multiple user interactions can be aggregated into single, efficient on-chain operations. The project's true potential will be showcased in our planned anonymous bid aggregation system. By leveraging the homomorphic properties of Starknet's Pedersen hash behind a commit-reveal scheme, we'll enable privacy-preserving bid aggregation - a feature uniquely possible on Starknet. This capability will attempt be demonstrated at ETHDenver, showing how Starknet's cryptographic primitives can enable entirely new marketplace mechanics. Our submission directly addresses the challenge criteria by creating a hyperstructure that's permissionless, efficient, and showcases Starknet's distinctive capabilities. While current NFT marketplaces focus on traditional exchange mechanisms, Scarab Sign demonstrates how Starknet can enable new forms of coordination through innovative use of its cryptographic foundations.
Best DeFi dApp on Starknet
Scarab Sign represents an innovative approach to decentralized finance by reimagining how NFT markets can operate with maximum capital efficiency. While traditional NFT marketplaces require capital lockup through escrow systems, our protocol introduces a novel financial mechanism that allows for gasless, escrow-free trading while maintaining market integrity. The financial innovation at the heart of Scarab Sign lies in its treatment of signed messages as financial primitives. Just as DeFi protocols like Aave and Compound revolutionized lending by tokenizing debt positions, Scarab Sign revolutionizes NFT trading by treating signed bid messages as tradeable financial instruments. These messages can be aggregated, combined, and eventually settled on-chain, creating a new form of financial interaction that maximizes capital efficiency. Our implementation directly addresses key DeFi challenges through several mechanisms. First, by eliminating escrow requirements, we solve the capital inefficiency problem that plagues traditional NFT marketplaces where significant amounts of capital sit idle in smart contracts. Second, our signature snowballing system enables a form of bid aggregation that's analogous to batch auction mechanisms used in advanced DeFi protocols, but with the unique advantage of being gasless for participants. Looking forward, our planned implementation of anonymous bid aggregation using Pedersen hash properties will introduce privacy-preserving features to NFT markets, similar to how privacy-focused DeFi protocols are evolving. This capability uniquely leverages Starknet's cryptographic primitives to create more efficient and equitable markets. Our submission aligns perfectly with the DeFi track's goals by demonstrating how Starknet's infrastructure can enable new forms of financial interaction. We're not just building another NFT marketplace โ we're creating a new financial primitive that can become a building block for future DeFi innovation on Starknet.
Project details
๐ About Scarab Sign
๐ Project Overview
Scarab Sign revolutionizes NFT trading by implementing a multiplayer metatransaction architecture that leverages the SNIP-12 standard to create an efficient, gasless marketplace hyperstructure. Our system uniquely snowballs multiple user bid signatures into unified auction messages, utilizing Starknet's Pedersen hash properties for future anonymous bidding capabilities. We've created a trustless environment that eliminates escrow requirements while maintaining market integrity through clever cryptographic mechanisms.
๐ Key Features
๐ฏ *Gasless Bidding System**: Innovative SNIP-12 implementation enabling zero-gas-fee bid submissions through signature aggregation
๐ *Escrow-Free Trading**: Advanced contract validation eliminates the need for token locking while maintaining security
๐ *Signature Snowballing**: Efficient aggregation of multiple bid signatures into single on-chain transactions
๐ญ *Future Privacy Features**: Leveraging Pedersen hash homomorphic properties for anonymous bid aggregation
โก *Ultra-Efficient Processing**: Multiplayer metatransactions reduce blockchain congestion and gas costs
๐ฆ Tech Stack
* Frontend: starknet-react, react, vite, integrated with Braavos wallet for seamless user experience
* Backend: snforge for robust testing, starkli for deployment and contract interaction
* Database: Fully decentralized, no traditional database required
* APIs: Braavos integration for wallet connectivity and transaction signing
* Infrastructure: Websockets server for real-time auction coordination (transitioning to IPFS pubsub)
๐ ๏ธ How It Works
1. NFT Auction Initiation ๐ฌ: Auctioneer signs SNIP-12 message and broadcasts via pubsub queue /auctions
2. Bid Collection ๐ซ: Bidders join auction rooms and submit signed SNIP-12 messages
3. Message Aggregation ๐: System snowballs individual bids into a unified auction message
4. Smart Contract Validation โ : Contract verifies signatures, nonces, and token balances
5. Atomic Execution โก: Successful trades complete in a single transaction with the highest valid bidder
๐ Technicals
* Advanced implementation of SNIP-12 standard for secure message signing and verification
* Innovative use of Pedersen hash homomorphic properties enabling future anonymous bidding
* Efficient pubsub queuing system for real-time auction coordination
* Zero-knowledge proof integration planned for privacy-preserving bid aggregation
* Smart contract architecture optimized for gas efficiency and security
โ Why Your Submission?
๐ *Social Scaling Vision**: Aligns with Satoshi's vision of scaling through signed messages rather than just technical solutions
๐ฎ *Future-Proof Design**: Positioned to leverage emerging cryptographic primitives for enhanced privacy and efficiency
๐ก *Novel Architecture**: First implementation of multiplayer metatransactions for NFT trading
๐ *Ecosystem Innovation**: Demonstrates unique capabilities possible on Starknet through Pedersen hash properties
โ๏ธ *Market Efficiency**: Dramatically reduces gas costs and capital inefficiency in NFT trading
๐ Project Future
* ๐ Replace websocket server with browser-to-browser IPFS pubsub over WebRTC
* ๐ต๏ธ Implement anonymous bid aggregation using Pedersen hash commit-reveal schemes
* ๐ค Develop reputation system for enhanced market integrity
* ๐ Expand to cross-chain NFT trading capabilities
* ๐ Introduce advanced auction mechanics for institutional traders
๐ค Team & Contributions
* ๐งโ๐ป Taylor Hulsmans: Lead Developer and System Architect
* ๐ค Claude Sonnet 3.5: Technical Documentation and Architecture Design
* ๐ซ Community Contributors: Testing and Feedback
Additional collaboration includes extensive testing with the Starknet community and continuous feedback integration from early users.