Spore Protocol Simplified
Understanding CKB’s Digital Object Creation Protocol
DOB (Digital Object) is an encrypted asset issued by the Spore protocol on Nervos CKB. Unlike typical NFTs, Spore DOBs are fully stored on-chain, and have intrinsic connections between content and value. Creating a DOB requires using CKBytes, the native token of Nerovs, as raw materials. The amount of CKBytes used determines the DOB's on-chain storage space. Destroying a DOB retrieves the CKBytes used.
This mechanism makes holding Spore DOBs equivalent to occupying CKB, reducing the amount of CKB available. With more CKB being occupied, its value is likely to increase, fostering a symbiotic relationship between Spore DOB creators, holders, and the overall CKB ecosystem.
Origin
Spore drew inspiration from Ordinals, which faced limitations due to Bitcoin's lack of smart contract support. Despite its simplicity, Ordinals attracted interest and users. The Spore team aimed to expand Ordinals by leveraging CKB's capabilities, resulting in the creation of Spore protocol. They believe if Bitcoin had smart contracts support, Ordinals would resemble Spore. In other words, in the context of CKB’s advancement over Bitcoin, Spore represents an upgrade to Ordinals.
Diverse Content Types, More Creative Space
Spore protocol allows various content types such as videos, audios, texts, and more, offering creators greater freedom beyond PFP images.
Full On-Chain Content Ownership
Spore DOBs store content data entirely in the Cells of Nervos blockchain, ensuring full ownership for users. In contrast, Ethereum's ERC-721 NFTs store content off-chain. For instance, CryptoPunks only store imageHash in their smart contracts, while images are on larvalabs.com, a centralized server. BoredApeYC’s smart contract stores an IPFS address with images hosted on IPFS.
While Ethereum's ERC-721 NFTs are essentially owned by smart contracts, Spore DOBs are held by Cells, an improved version of UTXOs that users can fully control.
CKB-Backed Value
Storing data on CKB requires occupying CKBytes, with one CKB equaling one byte of on-chain space.
This unique feature ties the value of Spore DOBs to the CKB they occupy. Just as a piece of jewelry made from gold holds more value than the gold itself, Spore DOBs derive their value from the CKB they occupy, thereby enhancing the overall value of the CKB network.
This mechanism makes holding Spore DOBs equivalent to occupying CKB, reducing the amount of CKB available. This scarcity can boost the CKB’s value, making Spore DOBs with CKB as the raw material more valuable. As Spore DOB gain value, more individuals seek to mint and hold them, creating a positive cycle for CKB.
Zero Transaction Fee for Better UX and Privacy
Spore DOBs, when created, automatically deposit an extra 1 CKB, eliminating the need for additional gas fees for future transactions.
This means better user experience and accessibility. With Spore DOBs, recipients can effortlessly open JoyID in their mobile browser to create a JoyID wallet in seconds with two fingerprint taps. Upon receiving Spore DOBs, they can transfer it without purchasing extra tokens for gas. By simply entering the recipient's address and tapping their fingerprint twice, the transfer is completed.
Zero Transaction fee also ensures better privacy protection. UTXO model prioritizes privacy by automatically changing wallet addresses with each use, unlike the account model used by blockchain wallets like MetaMask.
While Ethereum attempted to implement stealth addresses (see this post by Vitalik), generating temporary addresses for transactions, similar features existed in UTXO blockchains long before Ethereum.
Ethereum's stealth address solution has drawbacks. If User A sends an NFT to User B's stealth address 1 and User C sends another NFT to User B's stealth address 2, User B needs to fund both addresses with gas to transfer the NFTs. By doing this User B reveals its identity. Alternatively, User B may ask someone else to cover the gas through complicating protocols, which is not desirable at all.
In contrast, CKB addresses this issue more effectively. CKB wallets, like Neuron, automatically create multiple addresses that change with each use.
Perpetual Stability by Non-Upgradable Contracts
While Ethereum's ERC-721 allows contract upgrades, Spore contracts remain immutable. If a contract has a bug, developers can't fix it; it remains part of that version. To introduce new features, developers must deploy a new contract, creating different Spore DOBs versions. This ensures consistency and stability. DOBs minted with v1.0 remain unchanged, avoiding unexpected upgrades or alterations.
Thus, Spore DOBs become a perpetual presence in the digital universe of CKB. As long as the chain is operational, the DOB persists with all content stored on-chain. Moreover, since Spore contracts are non-upgradable, you need not worry about changes to your held DOB.
Worry-Free Code Reusability
Spore DOBs on CKB separate logic and state, allowing NFT issuance without redeploying the Spore protocol. Cells serve as referenceable storage units, while CKB functions as a repository for code and data sharing, used in running smart contracts.
Since Cells are immutable, code reuse is worry-free. Even if the owner deletes a Cell, no one suffers losses. Anyone storing code copies can redeploy the same code on-chain, as the code hash reference remains valid.
Enhanced Efficiency and Creativity With Clusters
Spore protocol introduces Clusters, involving multiple DOBs bundled into a collection for trading, thereby boosting efficiency.
Cluster also unlock diverse gameplay possibilities. Spore DOBs are like LEGO bricks. For instance, a mascot DOB can be paired with multiple individual DOBs, such as glasses, earrings, and necklaces.
Free Flow Across Different UTXO Chains
Through isomorphic binding and Leap operations across chains, DOBs issued on CKB can migrate to other UTXO chains, in addition to Bitcoin.
Here's what Jan, the Chief Architect of CKB, once said:
When first creating CKB, the goal was to construct a digital world or universe, composed of two dimensions: time and space. PoW is essentially a decentralized clock (for detailed discussion, refer to Gregory Trubetskoy's article), which can create time in the digital realm. UTXO or CKB's Cell represents the space on the blockchain, where data is stored. By combining PoW and Cell, we can create a decentralized universe, where everything we do reflects the real world."
In this "real virtual world" constructed on the CKB blockchain, Spore DOBs are on-chain digital objects that closely resemble real-world items: its creation requires the use of raw material CKB, and it can be destroyed and retrieve the CKB when no longer needed; it has versions, can remain unchanged like antiques, or be updated. The underlying Spore protocol provides endless possibilities for DOBs with its flexibility and scalability.
Original article: https://medium.com/@NervosCN/一文看懂-ckb-链上的数码物创造协议-spore-613cc9d5823f