What is a POAP?

Think of the wristband you keep from a concert, but in digital form and linked to your wallet. That is the idea behind POAP. The Proof of Attendance Protocol lets organizers hand out such keepsakes to people who take part in an experience, whether in person or online.

Imagine going to an Ethereum meetup in Athens. The organizer gives you a link or code to claim the event’s POAP. By following the process, the keepsake lands at your wallet address. Its image may be the same for all participants, but each NFT has its own unique identity.

POAP is not a generic name for any attendance NFT. It refers to this specific protocol and the collectibles issued through it. It usually includes an image and details about the experience it commemorates, such as the event’s name and date.

Why it matters

A collection of POAPs can work like a digital scrapbook: which communities you follow, which meetups you attended, which moments you want to keep. A community can also use ownership of a specific POAP to grant access to content or future activities, if it has set things up that way.

We find this use of NFTs interesting because it links a token to a personal experience. Holding a POAP doesn’t imply monetary value, eligibility for an airdrop or a promise of future rewards.

What to watch out for

A POAP can be transferred. So the fact that it sits in a wallet doesn’t by itself prove that its current holder actually attended the event. Its reliability as evidence of attendance also depends on how it was distributed.

Check that the claim link comes from the organizer and exactly what it asks your wallet to approve. You never need to reveal your seed phrase. Also, public records on the blockchain can link your address to specific activities, which affects your privacy.