At the beginning of 2024, the advent of the RGB++ protocol once again sparked enthusiasm in the market for the Bitcoin ecosystem. The scalability and security brought by homomorphic binding and on-chain verification have excited countless investors about the potential explosive growth of 'on-chain liquidity infrastructure' within the Bitcoin ecosystem. As carriers of knowledge and culture, books preserve the historical memory of human civilization. They are not only an important force for promoting the continuity and development of civilization but also represent a new form of on-chain assets. SilentBerry is a remarkable chemical reaction combining both.
As the first decentralized publishing platform built on the RGB++ protocol, Silentberry has pioneered a new way to permanently record book content on the Bitcoin blockchain. Through smart contracts and a tiered NFT issuance model, Silentberry divides the ownership and profit rights of books into four forms: gold berries, silver berries, copper berries, and blueberries. Users can purchase these digital assets using BTC, ETH, and CKB to obtain printing rights, electronic versions, and ongoing royalty income. The emergence of Silentberry is not only a significant step towards advancing decentralized publishing but also a small step towards the mass application of crypto.
Meanwhile, the new book (Saving Democracy) by the well-known historian and economist Professor Qin Hui will also have its global premiere on the Silentberry platform on January 3, 2025. This innovative move not only marks a technological breakthrough in the publishing industry but also symbolizes a deep transformation in the way thoughts and culture are disseminated.
It is worth noting that Silentberry received a strategic investment from the CKB Eco Fund on December 10, indicating that decentralized publishing has attracted attention and support from capital.
Today, BlockBeats spoke with Silentberry's founder Eero Dong about how Silentberry will change the way human history is recorded and what new increments it will bring to the entire Bitcoin ecosystem.
Why choose the decentralized publishing track?
BlockBeats: You have previously been engaged in traditional cultural content dissemination. What experiences and reasons led you to start a business in Web3? What real demands prompted the emergence of Silentberry?
Eero Dong: I have been working in the field of cultural content dissemination, and I initially attempted to securitize music intellectual property, which attracted the attention of many musicians. I have also been involved in the dissemination and promotion of poetry. For example, I have served as the chief planner of the Beijing Poetry Festival, and this year marks the tenth year. During this process, I have accumulated many resources from creators. Through communication with them, I learned about many of their actual needs, which inspired me to pursue the creator economy in the Web3 space.
Although the book market is not large, we still believe that the publishing industry has historically been an important carrier of thought dissemination. Books will never disappear because they can convey precise ideas and systematic knowledge. Now, the traditional book publishing track is facing the impact of AI and decentralized models, standing at an important crossroads of change.
In traditional publishing models, creators are often restricted by content censorship and market orientation, making it difficult for niche authors to publish books or earn income.
Another more important aspect is that the existing profit distribution mechanism is extremely unfavorable to creators and is very opaque. For example, it is difficult to transparently present to creators the specific print volume of this book and how much royalty income is allocated to them. This structural issue has prompted our pursuit of decentralized publishing.
Book publishing is not only about cultural dissemination and expression; it should also make the communication bridge between authors and readers more transparent and convenient. In this context, Silentberry was born.
BlockBeats: From a technical perspective, why did you choose RGB++ instead of opting for Ethereum, which has more developers, or the more cost-effective Solana ecosystem?
Eero Dong: We chose the RGB++ protocol primarily based on its scalability and security advantages. The RGB++ protocol can directly record book content on the Bitcoin blockchain, ensuring the immutability of content while achieving flexible distribution of ownership and profit rights, which is the foundation of our core business model.
Compared to other blockchains like Ethereum or Solana, Bitcoin places greater emphasis on the robustness of infrastructure and trust value. As the pioneer of blockchain technology, Bitcoin is not only the original blockchain but is also recognized as the most trustworthy chain. Expanding its functions further to provide a solid and immutable storage platform for human knowledge is one of the key reasons for our choice of the Bitcoin ecosystem. Through distributed ledger technology, information can be secured long-term while ensuring its credibility and immutability on a global scale.
The technical flexibility of the RGB++ protocol also provides us with significant optimization space. It brings substantial improvements in storage costs, convenience, and reductions similar to gas fees. We have made some adjustments to the RGB++ protocol to better meet the actual needs of book content publishing and storage.
In Silentberry's vision, each book should serve as a monument to culture. Through a decentralized structure, we eliminate the exploitation of intermediaries in traditional publishing models, allowing copyright revenues to be directly distributed to creators and readers through smart contracts. This not only protects the labor results of authors but also greatly improves the transparency and efficiency of the publishing process.
Additionally, the content itself will be directly engraved on the Bitcoin blockchain. On January 3, 2009, the first block of Bitcoin was born. Therefore, we also chose to permanently engrave the original manuscript of Professor Qin Hui's new work (Saving Democracy) on the Bitcoin blockchain for the first time on January 3, 2025, symbolizing immutable knowledge records. This is not only a respect for the author's intellectual property but also a unique way for buyers to give back. Buyers will be able to obtain the NFT of the book, further enjoying the true value and potential profits of the work.
BlockBeats: We see that Silentberry has adopted an innovative TTNFT issuance model, and many people may not understand the specific rights and values of these four-tier NFTs for creators, readers, and early investors.
Eero Dong: Many creators do not have a large fan base or a wide readership; they may only have a few hundred or less than a thousand loyal users. In the traditional publishing industry, such a scale is often not considered 'marketable' and fails to form an effective commercial chain. In this context, the high barriers of traditional publishing models and dependency on sales make it difficult for these creators to connect effectively with their loyal readers.
The lack of this scale effect has led many creators, even with solid creative abilities and content value, to face difficulties in earning income after completing their creations. This not only dampens the enthusiasm of creators but also hinders the production and dissemination of more quality content.
The decentralized publishing platform of Silentberry aims to break down this barrier. Through technological means and innovative models, we hope to establish direct and efficient connection channels for these small-scale but highly valuable creators and reader groups, ensuring that every valuable work can find its rightful audience.
The four-tier NFT issuance model of SilentBerry
SilentBerry has established a fairer profit distribution system between supporters and creators through its innovative four-tier issuance model, while also lowering the barriers to publishing and expanding opportunities for reader participation. Creators can earn income in the early stages of book issuance, and as issuance progresses, profits will continue to increase.
In the first phase (gold berry phase), the profit distribution for books is 80% for authors and 20% for the platform. The pricing in this phase is set by authors based on their popularity and the bestseller potential of their books, usually meeting the authors' psychological expectations. Creators can earn income with just a few supporters, and once the gold berry phase sells out, it moves to the second phase.
In the second phase (silver berry phase), the price is set at 1/10 of the gold berry phase price, but the issuance quantity is 20 times that of gold berries. After the silver berries sell out, 60% of the profits will be returned to gold berry holders as a reward for the high risks they undertook as early supporters. This model is similar to an IPO in the book industry: gold berry holders are akin to early investors who receive higher returns.
The release rules for the third phase (copper berry phase) and the fourth phase (blueberry phase) follow similarly. The price of copper berries is 1/10 of silver berries, with a quantity 20 times that of silver berries; blueberries serve as the final tier, providing NFTs of the books, but without profit distribution rights. Blueberry holders can obtain the electronic version download rights, print version acquisition rights, and membership benefits for the book club, but all profits go to early supporters and authors.
It is worth noting that authors earn 80% of the profits in the first phase (gold berry phase), and in each subsequent phase, they continue to earn 20% of the profit rights, ensuring the long-term value of their creations. This tiered issuance model not only protects authors' rights but also provides early supporters with high returns through reasonable profit distribution, while attracting more readers to participate, thus building a more decentralized book distribution ecosystem.
Professor Qin Hui's Web3 debut, the startup story of Silentberry
BlockBeats: Professor Qin Hui, as the first author on Silentberry, may differ from public expectations. In Web3 startup projects, it is common to invite some Crypto Native authors to publish works. However, your collaboration with Professor Qin Hui is particularly special; what story lies behind it?
Eero Dong: Professor Qin Hui's new book (Saving Democracy) will officially go on sale on January 3, 2025. We chose this date to pay tribute to the birth of Bitcoin's first block on January 3, 2009. This is both a tribute to Satoshi Nakamoto and a recognition that Bitcoin is not just a financial asset but also a content asset. This is also the significant meaning of Professor Qin Hui's first book being permanently recorded on the Bitcoin blockchain.
Readers familiar with Professor Qin Hui know that he is a well-known historian who has long been a focus in the academic field. We chose Professor Qin Hui's work because his liberal ideals align closely with Bitcoin's decentralized characteristics, representing a deep resonance between thought and technology.
On January 3 of this year, Professor Qin Hui published a new work (Saving Democracy) on SilentBerry.
In fact, before confirming the collaboration with Professor Qin Hui, we had many other well-known scholars and authors as alternatives. Initially, we had concerns when communicating with these scholars. However, after discussions, we realized that the Web3 field might have overlooked an important direction: the potential for cultural and ideological dissemination carried by decentralized publishing. Many people previously thought Bitcoin only had financial attributes, but when we proposed that Bitcoin also possesses content dissemination attributes and content asset attributes, many scholars showed great interest and were willing to collaborate with us.
The core values of these scholars are highly consistent with the philosophy of Silentberry. They uphold the principles of publishing freedom and fair dissemination, while Silentberry aims to achieve this freedom and fairness through technological means. We believe that through such collaboration, decentralized publishing will open up a new path for the dissemination and innovation of ideas.
BlockBeats: The core of Web3 decentralization also aligns with the spirit of democracy. How do you view Professor Qin Hui's upcoming publication (Saving Democracy) on SilentBerry? What significance does the publication of (Saving Democracy) hold for SilentBerry?
Eero Dong: Professor Qin Hui has always been very concerned about the development of new technologies. However, currently, the Web3 field has not yet produced a large-scale, widely implemented application, which has led many people to have a vague understanding of Web3 and miss opportunities for further engagement. Because of this, when Professor Qin Hui learned that (Saving Democracy) could be published through the Silentberry platform, he found that this model highly aligns with his philosophy.
The content of this book continues Professor Qin Hui's consistent style, fully reflecting his depth and breadth in analyzing issues from a global perspective, and I believe it will receive a warm welcome from a wide range of readers. In the book, Professor Qin Hui deeply explores various issues faced during the development of democracy and provides unique insights.
The transparency and decentralization of the Silentberry platform will bring innovative advantages to publishing models, such as the immutability of content, transparent distribution mechanisms, and the inclusiveness of book dissemination. This model not only emphasizes the collectible value of knowledge but also continuously expands the coverage of knowledge dissemination through the four-tier issuance model, allowing more people to access book content. This emphasis on knowledge popularization is also a common pursuit of many scholars.
In addition, one prominent feature of the Silentberry model is fairness, as authors can directly see the distribution of profits, completely eliminating the complex intermediaries typical in traditional publishing. This direct connection model between creators and readers contrasts sharply with traditional publishing methods. In our view, many creators, including Professor Qin Hui, believe that this more transparent and efficient publishing form is likely to become the mainstream method of knowledge dissemination in the future.
BlockBeats: Besides the well-known Professor Qin Hui, which other authors will publish works on Silentberry in the future? Will there be plans to develop markets in different languages?
Eero Dong: In the near future, we plan to attract more authors to join the Silentberry decentralized publishing ecosystem. Currently, we are in discussions with several authors in Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean, whose works cover diverse themes and perspectives. Meanwhile, our platform has a rich reserve of manuscripts and will gradually launch more outstanding authors' works, incorporating the experiences and characteristics from this initial launch.
Currently, the platform is still in the early operational stage, so we are using an invitation-based approach for work issuance, focusing on selected content. However, as the platform stabilizes, we plan to open up publication permissions, allowing the platform to fully realize decentralization, enabling anyone to publish their works on the platform.
In the process of publishing works, we provide a set of automated tools that greatly facilitate authors' operations. The tools can automatically generate and design covers, upload content, and set printing and formatting options. We offer over 1,000 printing formats to choose from and have established partnerships with a global printing network to support on-demand printing, allowing for single copies to be printed and shipped worldwide. This efficient publishing model not only enhances convenience but also lowers barriers, providing more authors with opportunities for creation and dissemination.
In the future, our key market will mainly focus on Europe and the United States, especially the European region. The linguistic and cultural diversity of Europe is one of our core concerns, as it aligns closely with the inclusivity of knowledge dissemination advocated by our platform. Against this backdrop, we plan to integrate AI tools into the second phase of our platform to better support multilingual publishing.
Through these AI tools, we hope to help more excellent authors who create in minority languages quickly translate their works into mainstream languages such as English, French, and Spanish, so that their thoughts and content can be disseminated more widely. This not only enhances the international influence of outstanding works but also allows more readers to access unique perspectives from different cultural backgrounds.
Overall, we are more focused on building a global publishing market, leveraging technology to break down language and cultural barriers, and providing a more open and inclusive knowledge-sharing platform for authors and readers worldwide.
How will Silentberry plan for the future behind the CKB Eco investment?
BlockBeats: Recently, we saw that Silentberry received a strategic investment from the CKB Eco Fund. How will Silentberry plan for this funding? What impact will this investment have on Silentberry's ecosystem construction and technological improvement?
Eero Dong: First of all, we are very grateful for the investment from CKB Eco Fund. This not only marks the first time that the decentralized publishing field has gained capital attention and recognition but also further proves the potential and feasibility of future development in this field.
Regarding the planning and use of this funding, we will mainly focus on the following three directions:
1. Optimize technical structure: Further enhance the platform's technical infrastructure to ensure system stability and scalability.
2. Improve user experience: Continuously enhance user interaction and operational processes to provide authors and readers with a more convenient and friendly experience.
3. Expand the global dissemination ecosystem: Promote the dissemination of content on a global scale, especially regarding the value of content within the Bitcoin ecosystem, and explore more innovative application scenarios.
CKB Eco Fund's strategic investment in SilentBerry
Our team has always maintained a high level of attention to the CKB project due to their impressive focus and stable performance in the Web3 field. Especially in the current context of a restless Web3 community, CKB remains focused on infrastructure development, steadily launching a series of excellent products and protocols, such as the RGB++ protocol, wallets, and applications related to the Lightning Network. Our development team is also very optimistic about the explosive potential of applications within the Bitcoin ecosystem, and CKB is undoubtedly in a leading position in this field.
The collaboration with CKB can be described as a perfect match. Our project focuses on promoting content assetization, which aligns closely with CKB's advocacy of the 'Common Knowledge Base' concept. As our strategic investor, CKB not only provides us with financial support but also offers significant help in technical guidance, incubation, marketing, and product positioning. This is particularly important for a startup team like ours.
We look forward to promoting the further development of decentralized publishing together with CKB, injecting new vitality into the Bitcoin ecosystem and global knowledge dissemination.
BlockBeats: Besides Silentberry's own efforts in market promotion, what are your expectations for the future market of the entire industry? Specifically, what scale or achievements do you think Silentberry should reach in the next few years?
Eero Dong: I believe that in the coming years, Silentberry will gradually achieve diversified development of content assets. We will not only focus on book publishing but also plan to venture into music assets and game assets, connecting and disseminating these assets directly to users through our unique model, especially via the four-tier NFT approach.
From a technical standpoint, in the next one to two years, we will introduce a DAO mechanism, allowing more people to participate directly in the content governance process, achieving a more open and decentralized content ecosystem. Meanwhile, we will also launch more innovative products based on AI technology. For example, in future iterations, we plan to introduce a feature that allows users to interact with books. At that time, books will no longer be static reading materials but will evolve into interactive and dynamic content formats, offering users a whole new reading experience.
BlockBeats: For a decentralized platform, the lack of intervention in content publishing may lead to low-quality or even illegal content. What measures will Silentberry take to avoid the emergence of the 'tragedy of the commons'?
Eero Dong: In terms of content governance and compliance, we have always placed a high priority on protecting minors and adhering to the laws and regulations of the countries and regions we operate in. To this end, we will introduce a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization) mechanism, allowing more users to participate in the content governance of the platform and forming a more open, transparent, and efficient governance model.
BlockBeats: Besides publishing or content publishing, what impact do you think blockchain technology will have on the entire cultural industry or content publishing landscape?
Eero Dong: I believe the impact of blockchain technology on the cultural industry and content publishing industry is unquestionable. During our conversation, many companies may already be developing new products or iterating existing ones; the speed of this change may be faster than we anticipated.
Taking our Silentberry publishing track as an example, Microsoft established the 8080 Publishing House in mid-November last year, planning to use AI technology to reshape traditional publishing. They clearly cannot tolerate the highly centralized and lengthy cycles in traditional publishing. At the same time, ChatGPT has reached deep cooperation with German publishing giants, attempting to reshape the publishing industry landscape through new technologies.
The core of blockchain technology lies in its decentralization capabilities, and smart contracts can achieve more efficient profit distribution mechanisms. This technology will break existing geographical and linguistic barriers, and especially with the combination of AI and Web3, it will greatly enhance the efficiency of knowledge dissemination. Personally, I predict that by the first half of 2025, we may see a series of explosive growth new tools and models that will bring profound changes to the fields of culture and education.
BlockBeats: Thank you very much to Eero Dong for sharing insights on the decentralized publishing track.
