It has been a year since Decent’s first artist release. Only a year? Feels like 20 in web3.

A good journey is never linear, and it’s hard to say where one ends and one begins; but one year ago today we made our first tangible step, a launch, with the intention to change what it means for artists to control how their work is monetized forever. A release with one artist. An experiment. A proof of concept.

Our mission has always been to create a decent (get it?) system for artists; one that is flexible, meets them where they’re at, and puts them first. We are empowering the next generation of creators to tap into new revenue channels, engage with their fans through new experiences on the internet & IRL, and both own and control their creative work.

From DCNT Vaults and royalty-collateralized NFTs to self-service, no-code creation tools, we have pushed the boundaries of new monetization channels and ways in which creators could innovate and experiment. But we couldn’t grow alone. Our community has pondered existential questions of the space with us like, why should collectors buy NFTs? Why will mainstream audiences care and breed adoption? How do we make this system and technology scalable for millions of artists rather than hundreds?

A year in, we could not be more excited about where we have come and how we will continue to find ways for creators to thrive in web3. Decent has made it easier for anyone to build unique, customized and versatile smart-contract-based projects with no-code and low-code solutions. We’re breaking down barriers for directly monetize and engage with people around creative work, no matter who you are:

• 350+ artists and companies have created collections with Decent

• 15,000+ NFTs claimed or minted through Decent

• 100+ ETH value locked in Decent staking contracts

As we close out 2022 and look ahead to 2023, we will continue to release more products that increase the ease of creating and managing new project releases, enable companies and creators to leverage the network effects of better data, and put the power of new monetization and engagement channels in the hands of any and all.

A Year in Review: Timeline

Forester Spark Genesis Release (December 8 2022)

Our first release was in collaboration with Forester around their song Spark - the most popular song off the duo’s debut album Kerosene. The drop sold out in less than a minute, with each of the 20 NFTs representing a claim to a portion of royalties earned from the track.

Y Combinator W22 (January-April 2022)

We were accepted into and participated in Y Combinator’s startup accelerator class of W22, giving our team priceless insight and advice as we continued to grow as a company.

Curated Artist Releases (February-June 2022)

Between February and June, we continued to collaborate with innovative and talented artists to further test the ways in which we could create value surrounding their releases.

Born from a line of questioning on the scalability and long term sustainability of a limited edition release model, we launched Crescendo, our dynamic pricing release method with built in liquidity for collectors from an AMM. We first tried out this model with the amazing Amanda Frances, with incredible results.

With global sensation Harrison First, we explored a new frontier of how to incentivize and facilitate an active post-mint relationship with collectors through staking of his music NFTs. Collectors who staked, or “locked up” their NFT earned social tokens to participate within his artist ecosystem.

Decent Protocol and Creator HQ Release (October-November 2022)

After months of questioning, listening, building and experimenting, we finally brought our tools to the masses with the Decent Protocol. We packaged all of our contracts, release mechanisms, and infrastructure into an easy-to-use, permissionless toolkit for creators of all skill levels to build on-chain.

With the Protocol came Creator HQ, Decent’s minting application that makes it easy for creators to include powerful and dynamic features in their releases, such as token-gating Mint Passes, tickets, social token staking, and more.

We’re maximizing the impact that we can have on all creators, with a focus on independent creators who are often running the whole show themselves. Our goal is to support all creators in their web3 journey, and offer them the ability to get creative in their release process simply and without the need to understand the underlying technology.

What’s next?

Looking to the future, we are excited to continue testing the ways in which we can bring valuable and simplified tools for creators everywhere to build and customize in web3. From music NFTs to entire applications, the Decent Protocol will continue to grow and expand to bring you the best in web3 technology.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for updates to Creator HQ, including a new user flow and exciting functionality.

Holders of the first Forester NFT will be receiving an airdrop of an exclusive demo from the group, and holders of ANY Decent NFT can expect an exciting surprise to thank them for their support next year.

What 2023 will bring? You’ll just have to tap in to find out. Stay connected with Decent through our Twitter, Telegram chat, and through our newsletter: Some Decent News.

Thank you so much, again, to all the amazing artists that we have been lucky enough to work with, grow with, experiment with, and empower along the way. There is so much more to be done to bring the change and impact that we have seen in this youngling space to the rest of the world. Onwards, together.

With gratitude and determination,

Will Squared, Charlie, Xander & the rest of the Decent Team