Proposal Name:
APE Builder Developed by Sequence
Proposal Category:
Brand Decision
Team Description:
- Sam Barberie, Head of Strategy & Partnerships at Sequence
- Philippe Castonguay, Head of Product at Sequence
- Greg Canessa, COO and President at Sequence
- Dim.eth, Metaverse Steward, ApeCoin DAO
Abstract:
With the upcoming launch of ApeChain, the ApeCoin community is taking a leap forward in creating one of the most robust ecosystems in web3-enhanced gaming, with a focus on content and utility to drive delight amongst gamers, reward developers, and increase the usage of $APE. Making it effortless for games to launch, attract players, and scale on ApeChain is fundamental to the ecosystem’s success. Empowering developers (and therefore gamers and usage) requires the right technology and solutions, and Sequence is excited to propose APE Builder as a platform to supercharge the development of games on ApeChain and spur the utility of $APE.
Benefit to ApeCoin Ecosystem
The ApeCoin community put its trust in ApeChain to further the goals of adoption and usage of $APE and reward the ApeCoin DAO and community. Scalable content and utility are widely recognized as the best practices for driving the use of $APE and similar tokens. However, every new chain, including ApeChain, requires comprehensive technology and solutions for developers and creators to build and launch successful, accessible content. APE Builder uniquely solves these needs and allows developers to build rewarding experiences leveraging ApeChain and $APE.
Motivation
Sequence’s mission is to make web3 easy, fun, and accessible for users and builders, and we wish to drive ApeChain’s reach and utility by giving developers the tools and solutions required to make engaging and rewarding games and experiences. As a new ecosystem, the ApeCoin community is incentivized to ensure that ApeChain developers have an all-in-one way to build quickly, securely, and scalably on ApeChain, and APE Builder will equip the community and ecosystem with what it needs for success.
Sequence has been at the forefront of innovation in web3 game development since 2017, and we aim to accelerate the future of gaming with ApeCoin DAO and ApeChain. The team pioneered many of the standards on which web3 gaming runs, including co-authoring ERC 1155, and authoring the standards of account abstraction and smart contract wallets like ERC 1271, ERC 6492, and ERC 5189. When there was a need not met by the current ecosystem, the Sequence team created it, similar to the ApeCoin community’s approval for the creation of ApeChain to drive usage of ApeCoin and empower a new generation of gaming.
It is this process of identifying the gaps and creating the solutions that has made Sequence a leader in web3 gaming, and with the collaboration of the ApeCoin DAO community we are excited to see gaming flourish on ApeChain.
The Sequence platform and solutions were built first and foremost out of the needs in building our game, Skyweaver. The team recognized first-hand the challenges for both developers and gamers in creating, accessing, and enjoying web3-enhanced games, and created Sequence’s full suite of technology to remove the complications of the blockchain for everyone. Over time, Sequence has evolved into an end-to-end solution, including embedded wallets (smart Wallet as a Service); in-game marketplaces; indexer; relayer with gas abstraction and batched transactions; node gateway; SDKs for Unity, Unreal, and react native; payments and onramps; analytics; minter and transaction API; and more (see Key Terms).
At the end of 2023, Sequence launched Sequence Builder to encapsulate all of the solutions in an easy-to-use no-code platform. We are proposing the creation of a white-labeled APE Builder to make building on ApeChain effortless and accessible.
Sequence is a believer in open source standards, and has made much of its technology available to the web3 community at large to provide resources and transparency to the industry. The Sequence wallets and platform undergo regular third party security audits, which can be found here: Contract Audits – Sequence. We’re excited to bring this ethos of openness and a goal to improve the web3 industry and therefore the world overall in tandem with the values of ApeCoin and its community.
Sequence’s Terms of Use indicate that builders are responsible for complying with all applicable laws in their use of Sequence. Sequence does not have a mechanism for content moderation, similar to the permissionless nature of ApeChain itself. However, we are happy to add these Guidelines to the APE Builder, and work with the DAO to address content of concern flagged by the community.
Because Ape is a generalized term and Builder is a generalized term, it is not Sequence’s intention to trademark or own the APE Builder term, however we would request that the “APE Builder” term be exclusive to the APE Builder platform. We would like to request permission to use the phrase “powering ApeChain Gaming” but not with exclusivity, as other partners will offer complementary tools that empower games on ApeChain. Sequence is requesting no exclusivity across the initiative.
Sequence is working closely with Arbitrum and Horizen Labs to ensure a smooth integration of ApeChain testnet and mainnet with the Sequence stack and APE Builder. Our goal is for APE Builder to be available for developers on or close to the launch of ApeChain mainnet and testnet respectively. The Sequence team is adept at integrating with new networks, and has a formalized process for deploying the entire stack on new networks with speed and efficiency.
In accordance with enabling equal access to developers on ApeChain, APE Builder is free to begin using and creating, with scalable access options for growing projects that align with the incentives of users, developers, ApeChain, and the ApeCoin community.
Key Terms:
- APE Builder: an extensible, no-code platform encompassing the full suite of technology and solutions for developers.
Platforms & Technologies:
The Sequence technology powering APE Builder is robust and flexible, providing developers with everything needed to create engaging, exciting, and rewarding games on ApeChain. This includes:
- APE Builder: an extensible, no-code platform encompassing the full suite of technology and solutions for developers building web3-enhanced games.
- Wallets, including:
- Embedded Wallet, a non-custodial smart contract, account abstraction wallet with gas abstraction, no transaction signing, no pop-ups, no add-ons that works natively in-game with SDKs for Unity, Unreal, and React Native. Embedded Wallet supports email and social login, custom OAuth, 2FA security, recovery support, guest accounts and more. Embedded Wallet is fully customizable to work seamlessly and natively inside any game.
- SequenceKit, a customizable wallet connect and creation toolkit that lets users connect any existing wallet or create a new one seamlessly, with embedded item view and embedded NFT Checkout.
- Marketplaces, including:
- White label marketplaces that can be created in 30 seconds, customized with a game’s logos, banners, fonts, and colors. APE Builder marketplaces automatically enforce royalties and can be hosted on a custom URL or embedded directly in a game.
- Marketplace API, allowing developers to make fully customizable embedded, in-game marketplaces that automatically enforce royalties.
- APE Builder’s marketplace technology allows developers to build marketplaces using $APE as a currency, driving further utility and usage of $APE.
- Payments and on-ramps: Embedded credit and debit card payments and fiat on-ramps to ApeCoin and in-game purchases with global support and fraud protection.
- Contract deployment and management: A system to manage existing smart contracts or instantly deploy new smart contracts for ERC 1155, ERC 721, or ERC 20s, with customizable royalty enforcement.
- Minter: A flexible interface to upload and manage NFTs and SFTs with custom metadata tagging.
- Analytics: A dashboard to measure wallet creation, transactions, and usage of Relayer, Node Gateway, Indexer, and Marketplace.
- Indexer: a blazing-fast indexer for ApeChain that allows for real-time data tracking and the ability for developers to easily serve on-chain information and metadata to players.
- Node Gateway: an aggregated node service providing always-on 99.99% uptime for games and dapps on ApeChain.
- Relayer: a technology that allows for efficiency for both developers and players by powering batched and parallelized transactions.
- Gas Tank: The Gas Tank lets developers sponsor gas easily with a credit card or wallet for any smart contract, increasing conversion rate and reducing friction by removing the need for players to own crypto for purchases or receiving on-chain items.
- Game SDKs: SDKs for Unity, Unreal, and React Native to allow APE Builder wallets to work natively in game engines and apps.
Steps to Implement & Timeline
Q2 2024
Phase 1: Testnet support and APE Builder UI
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Following approval of this proposal, we will simultaneously begin support of ApeChain across the Sequence technology and solutions stack, integration with ApeChain Testnet as available, and creation of APE Builder. (Note: ApeChain Testnet support will happen within 2 weeks of Testnet launch.)
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Options for the hosting domain of APE Builder will be put to an ApeCoin DAO Snapshot vote to ratify (e.g. build.apecoin.com).
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APE Builder UI development will also take place during Phase 1.
Phase 2: Testnet integration and beta launch
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Beta builders will be able to begin development on ApeChain using the APE Builder following the integration of ApeChain Testnet.
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Sequence, in coordination with the ApeCoin DAO Metaverse Steward, will open access to initial building and testing to a selected group of publicly disclosed Launch Partners. Launch partners will receive preferred pricing on any APE Builder technology they choose to use. Builders who are interested in applying to be Launch Partners can apply through the link here.
Phase 3: Mainnet and public launch and ongoing efforts
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ApeChain Mainnet will be available for building within 2 weeks of ApeChain Mainnet launch, with a full debut and public accessibility to APE Builder.
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Overall, our goal is to ensure that developers can begin testing and creating content on ApeChain within two weeks following Testnet and Mainnet launch respectively.
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We anticipate this proposal to be Implemented in full within 4 weeks of the launch of ApeChain mainnet.
Regarding expectations of the APE Foundation, in helping to realize ApeChain’s goals, we are requesting that the Foundation provide:
Branding Authorization
- The permission to use the phrases “APE Builder,” “powering ApeChain Gaming,” as well as all relevant APE marks, for the branding of APE Builder.
- Sequence will work with the stewards of the ApeChain website, once they’re chosen, to allocate and maintain a URL for APE Builder. APE Builder will also be accessible via apechain.sequence.build. Finally, we will also work with the maintainers of the ApeChain website to establish an ecosystem page that will contain complementary solutions, including the many already-created tools for the Ape Community.
- The permission to use the term “ApeKin” as well as all relevant ApeKin marks for use in APE Builder tutorials, UI, and/or marketing materials.
- ApeKin, ApeChain, and ApeCoin’s marks will only be used for the white labeling of the platform, marketing, and tutorials for APE Builder and not commercialized. The Foundation will retain full ownership of these marks.
Sequence will provide technical and strategic support to all APE Builder developers in accordance with their tier of access, including technical, strategic, game design, and enterprise dedicated support.
Overall Cost:
0 ApeCoin
Sequence will not seek any form of compensation from the ApeCoin DAO for the scope of work outlined herein or ongoing support of APE Builder developers in accordance with its access tiers. As mentioned above, APE Builder is free to begin using and creating, with scalable access options for growing projects that align with the incentives of the developer, ApeChain, and the ApeCoin community.
For select partners, Sequence can extend a unique commercial structure which removes all out of pocket costs for developers and instead further aligns the partnership around the success of the game based on primary and secondary sales.
We are excited to accelerate the adoption of ApeChain and the usage of $APE, and reduce barriers for developers and players to create and enjoy the best games on ApeChain.
Community Spaces and About Us
We look forward to your questions and appreciate your consideration. To kick start the dialogue with the ApeCoin community, we have set up two AMAs hosted on the Sequence X profile, with leadership from Sequence, Horizen Labs, and ApeCoin DAO’s Metaverse Steward.
Please feel free to join us on:
- Monday, April 15th at 11am EST 5pm CET: Metaverse Monday with Dim.eth on X Spaces
- TBD Date: X Spaces with Sequence, Horizen Labs, and Dim.eth
About Sequence
Founded in 2017, Sequence is an OG of web3 gaming and blockchain infrastructure innovation.
Sequence is backed by leaders in gaming, technology, and web3, including Take Two Interactive, Ubisoft, Xsolla, Bitkraft, Brevan Howard, Coinbase, and others visionaries, and won the 2024 Game Changers award for Best Blockchain/Web3 Technology from Lightspeed Ventures and GamesBeat.
