An Introduction to Matera Protocol: An Interview With Our VP Product

We believe a better way of referring to the metaverse is the ‘3D Internet’ where blockchain and gaming technologies merge. To support and accelerate the development of the 3D Internet we are building Matera Protocol. Matera is not only a web3 protocol for creators to deploy and tokenize metaverse content on the web, but it’s also the economic layer of the 3D Internet.

Matera aims to build a fairer internet.

In this blog, we sit down with our VP of Product, Luke Gniwecki to talk all about the features of Matera and why the protocol is important for the creator economy and web3.

Q: Can you give a little insight into your background?

I got into the web3 space in 2017 and worked on a number of projects since then. I’ve been building products for 12+ years including 6+ years of product management in the crypto and blockchain space. Before the web3 era, I developed products, apps, and technology for global brands such as LEGO, Warner Bros, and O2. 

I started my web3 journey as one of the core team members at Cudo building CUDOS, a Layer 1 blockchain and a decentralized cloud computing network. I then moved to work at an enterprise blockchain company developing products on top of a layer 1 infrastructure. After that, I joined Boson Protocol to lead the product department developing web3 products that used Boson’s decentralized commerce technology. 

After my time at Boson, I consulted for a number of web3 projects and startups. Landvault was one of them. I then joined Landvault full-time to lead the development and launch of Matera Protocol and the Matera ecosystem.

Q: What’s been your role in building Matera Protocol?

At Landvault, as part of the leadership team, I’m responsible for the design and development of Matera Protocol as well as the company's web3 strategy and roadmap. The work involves strategic direction and hands-on work with the protocol team comprising engineers, system designers, token engineers, and external advisors. It’s a multifaceted role and that’s why I enjoy it so much.

Q: So, what is Matera Protocol?

Matera enables creators, developers, and studios to bring 3D content on-chain. It gives them a way to monetize their creations, reward users, generate revenue, and grow the user base. With the content being on-chain, Matera allows anyone to publicly verify its authenticity, giving users assurance they are engaging with genuine creations.

Matera’s technology stack includes a suite of tools, SDKs, and interfaces acting as a gateway to interacting with the protocol. The SDK and tools abstract the difficulty of complex interactions with smart contracts. In addition, we’re developing our own Layer 2 infrastructure to process transactions generated by Matera use cases and applications. Matera Layer 2 will have custom features relevant to Matera accelerating the adoption and scalability of the protocol.

Across everything, we have the $MATR token powering the whole ecosystem and the layer 2 infrastructure. 

In summary, as the demand for 3D content increases and the democratization of game development technologies accelerates, Matera provides an economic layer for the spatial web. The protocol facilitates tokenization and monetization of 3D assets and coordinates value exchange between users in the ecosystem.

Q: Why is Matera beneficial to both creators and users?

As mentioned, Matera enables creators to monetize 3D content, rewards users for engagement, and provides assurance they’re engaging with genuine IP. 

Matera benefits for creators include: 

• Tokenization and verification of 3D content that can be publicly verified as authentic and displayed with the relevant analytics and IP licensing information.

• Monetization of assets by selling a portion of asset tokens to users, fans, or community. This way creators capitalize on the market value increase of their creation and can raise capital against asset tokens.

• By verifying 3D content and putting it on-chain, creators protect users against fakes, scams, and generative AI copycats

For consumers:

• Users are rewarded with asset tokens for browsing, engaging, promoting, or buying items in Matera-powered experiences. Asset tokens are used to claim rewards and incentives funded by the creator and the protocol. 

• Users get an ownership stake becoming a stakeholder in the experience via asset token ownership. They can manage and trade tokens from the Matera interface or on NFT marketplaces.

Q: Are you able to explain the asset verification and tokenization process?

Using Matera, creators mint and verify 3D content as Asset NFTs. The asset can represent a whole 3D scene, a section of the experience, or an individual model. 

Assets are verified by a network of verifiers who are incentivized to review verification requests and approve them certifying the asset is authentic and comes from a genuine creator. Once verified, the verification status is reflected on-chain.

After the mint and verification, the asset is tokenized into Asset Tokens which are uniquely linked to the Asset NFT. Asset verification also unlocks analytics tracking to monitor asset performance. Creators can also connect IP information to prove the provenance of the asset. 

Once the process is complete, creators use Asset Tokens to reward users for engagement or sell them to investors who believe in their creation. By owning an Asset NFT, creators get access to the platform where they can manage asset tokens, view analytics, set up payments, and manage asset files.

Q: How does Matera analytics come into play?

Each verified Matera asset has analytics connected to it. The analytics data plays a crucial role in evaluating the success of the experience and will impact on the value of the Asset NFT and asset tokens. Analytics tracking includes traffic, engagement, and monetization data. The higher these metrics, the more value will accrue to the asset. 

The value of the asset is driven by metrics such as revenue generation. The more popular the experience, the more revenue it generates creating more demand for asset tokens. This creates a new economy within the content, as asset tokens can be used to claim incentives and rewards or traded on marketplaces.

Each verified asset NFT has a dedicated dashboard showing key metrics and performance of the asset such as engagement, dwell time, conversion rate, and custom metrics. Analytics are easily integrated via the Matera SDK.

Q: Why is Matera’s Layer 2 infrastructure significant?

With the growth of demand for Matera transactions, we will need an application-specific layer 2 solution to cater to specific use cases such as asset verification, asset fingerprinting, asset token transfers, and custom royalty payments. It’s the reason why we’re building our own layer 2 infrastructure. Matera Layer 2 will improve performance and provide custom functionality for transactions occurring in the Matera ecosystem. 

Matera Layer 2 will be powered by the $MATR token which will be used as a native gas token providing users with predictable fees. We will also be able to set custom fees based on the type of transaction. 

The infrastructure is an important item on our roadmap as it will expand the utility of $MATR and its use cases. When the layer 2 solution is completed and operational, the entire Matera ecosystem will be running on it, fostering the adoption of the protocol and creating the economic layer of the 3D web.

Q: Matera is backed by the $MATR token, what’s the utility of this token?

$MATR is a utility token designed to reward positive behaviors in the network and be used as a native gas token on Matera Layer 2. The token aligns incentives between creators, consumers, investors, and developers. 

There are three main utilities of $MATR: fees, rewards, and governance. 

$MATR is used to pay transaction fees on both the application level and Layer 2 network. Transactions, where $MATR is used, include asset verification, minting, asset token transfers, in-experience payments, and reward claims.

The other utility is rewards. As the economic layer of the 3D internet, Matera distributes value back to users via reward pools funded by protocol fees. $MATR holders will be able to claim rewards provided they meet eligibility criteria. 

Finally, the goal for Matera is to be open and decentralized where $MATR holders can decide on key protocol decisions such as fees or network rewards. $MATR will be used in governance voting, bringing the community together to vote on important decisions to improve the protocol and grow the adoption of Matera.

Conclusion

Matera Protocol aims to build a fairer internet, enabling everyone to integrate blockchain technology into their virtual worlds and 3D content. Through the verification and tokenization of this content, it will allow creators to monetize their content and grow the user base, but for users to also purchase asset tokens and own a ‘piece of the internet’.

We’ll continue to make developments to the protocol and will release a public roadmap later in Q4 so you can have transparency of our full vision.

If you’re a creator or builder of 3D content - we would love to hear your thoughts and challenges, and for you to integrate Matera with your content. And if you’re an investor interested in the 3D internet, come talk to us! 

Learn more about Matera here.

Connect with Luke here.