[Top Builder 2025]: BitcoinOnly Events

[Bitcoin-OnlyEvents]

🏗️ Top Builder 2025 Application Form to track progress through Round 1 - 3 ~ Currently in Round 1

📝 Instructions

Welcome to the Top Builder competition! Before you begin, here’s what you need to know:

1. Eligibility: Only teams that have been officially selected for Top Builder by PlebLab are eligible to use this form.
2. Detailed Submissions: Provide comprehensive information to assist the judges in evaluating your project effectively.
3. Submission Deadlines: Adhere to submission deadlines for each round to remain in good standing.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 The Team

• Team Name: BitcoinOnly Events
• Number of Founders: 1
• Team Background: Andrew is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in Bitcoin journalism, event management, and community building. As the founder of BitcoinOnly Events, Andrew is building a Bitcoin-native platform dedicated to organizing and promoting grassroots Bitcoin meetups and conferences worldwide, fostering education and adoption.
• Bitcoin & Lightning Involvement: Andrew's work extends to the Lightning Network, where he's contributed to educating audiences about scaling Bitcoin through fast and low-cost transactions. Through partnerships, educational campaigns, and hands-on experience, he continues to advocate for Bitcoin and Lightning as the foundation for a decentralized financial future.
• Origin Story: The idea for BitcoinOnly Events was inspired by Andrew's early experiences attending Bitcoin meetups, where he witnessed firsthand the power of community-driven education and grassroots movements. As the founder's involvement grew, he saw a gap in the ecosystem: while Bitcoin was gaining traction, local meetups and events lacked consistent organization and visibility, mostly relying on legacy platforms like Eventbrite and Meetup.com. I envisioned a platform that could connect enthusiasts, promote Bitcoin-only gatherings, and support organizers in building stronger, more resilient communities. The rise of the Lightning Network further fueled this vision, demonstrating how Bitcoin could scale for global transactions while staying true to its decentralized principles, reinforcing Andrew's commitment to promoting both Bitcoin and Lightning adoption through education and events.

💡 The Idea

• Project Overview: BitcoinOnly Events is a platform dedicated to organizing, promoting, and supporting Bitcoin-focused meetups, conferences, and community events worldwide.

Key features include:

• Event Aggregation – A curated directory of Bitcoin meetups and conferences globally, making it easier for attendees to find and join local events.
  - Education & Advocacy – Workshops, talks, and panels covering Bitcoin fundamentals, Lightning Network applications, mining, and financial sovereignty.
  - Partnerships – Collaborations with industry leaders, media outlets, and sponsors to amplify the reach and impact of Bitcoin events.
  - Community Building – Support for grassroots organizers through resources, promotional tools, and sponsorship opportunities to help scale their events.

• Website: https://bitcoinonly.events/

• GitHub: https://github.com/BitcoinEventsHQ

• Project Stage: BitcoinOnly Events is currently in the growth and expansion phase after a public launch in October 2024.

• Supplementary Materials:

📚 Additional Information

• Additional Links/Info:
• https://x.com/BitcoinEventsHQ

📌 Submission Type

• Initial Project Creation

🚀 Current Project Progress

• Progress Made: The website is already live and operational, featuring a curated directory of Bitcoin meetups, conferences, and community events worldwide.

• Challenges Faced:

- Scaling Operations – As the platform grows, managing an increasing number of event listings, partnerships, and sponsorship opportunities has required building efficient workflows and tools to streamline operations without compromising quality.
–Discoverability and Awareness – Raising awareness about the platform and driving traffic from global audiences takes time.
– Monetization – Securing consistent funding to support operations remains an ongoing challenge. It requires building long-term relationships with Bitcoin-focused businesses and supporters.

• Future Roadmap of what's next:

Phase 1: Decentralized User Accounts & Organizer Tools (Q1 2025)

– Decentralized Identity Integration – Implement Lightning Network-based accounts and Nostr-based decentralized identities to ensure privacy and sovereignty, aligning with Bitcoin’s ethos.
– User Onboarding System – Develop and launch an account system that enables users to sign up and choose a role, with an option for meetup group organizers.
– Organizer Dashboard – Provide organizers with tools to manage events, track RSVPs, and interact with attendees securely and efficiently.

Phase 2: Subscription Model & Monetization (Q2–Q3 2025)

• Integrate Lightning payments for subscriptions to maintain a Bitcoin-native payment infrastructure.
• Introduce a subscription-based system offering premium features, such as priority event listings, custom branding tools, and enhanced analytics for organizers.
• Develop and test a mobile app to complement the web platform, enabling organizers and attendees to stay connected on the go.

– Event Ticket Sales System –
Introduce a ticketing platform that supports:

• Bitcoin and Lightning payments for seamless, decentralized transactions.
• QR-code-based ticketing for easy check-in and verification.
• Scalability for free and paid events, allowing organizers to manage pricing, discounts, and attendance limits.

Phase 3: Community Expansion and Scaling (Q4 2025 and Beyond)

• Expand the platform’s reach by onboarding more local meetup groups and hosting flagship events in major Bitcoin hubs.
• Integrate peer-to-peer payment options via Lightning for tips, donations, and merchandise sales at events.
• Enhance platform features with chat and integrations and live-streaming capabilities for virtual meetups.

⏳ Round 1 Milestone

• Keep in mind that completion will need to be by February 8th, 2025.
• First-round milestone the team has set for themselves:

MVP Development for Decentralized Accounts:

• Build and test a basic account system with Nostr / Lightning-based login options.
• Implement initial features for event creation and management tools for organizers.
• Launch a closed beta with selected organizers to test the platform’s usability and security.

Marketing & Awareness Campaign

Launch an email newsletter and social media campaign to keep the community updated and attract early adopters.
Publish a series of blog posts and Twitter threads to promote the new features and highlight the decentralized approach.

📝 Submission Complete

• All required information has been provided above.

📅 Top Builder Program Structure

Registration Opens: Monday, October 28th, 2024

• Application: Interested teams apply for Top Builder.
• Selection: Teams will be chosen based on their application. See FAQ for details.

Round 1: January 6th - February 8th, 2025

• Workshops: PlebLab weekly workshops start, available live and online.
• Chat Access: Selected teams join the PlebLab internal chat.
• Mentorship: Begins for teams.
• Project Milestones: Teams are set and judged on their first-round milestones.

Round 2: February 9 - 22nd, 2025

• Team Reduction: PlebLab cuts half of the Top Builder teams. (Only half continued in Round 2.)
• Project Milestones: Teams are set and judged on their second-round milestones.
• Workshops: PlebLab weekly workshops continue.
• Mentorship: Continues.

Round 3: Starting February 23rd, 2025

• Team Reduction: PlebLab narrows down to 5 Top Builder teams. (All will be pitching in Austin.)
• Final Milestones: Teams set final project milestones for the last round.
• Preparation: Teams prepare their pitch in front of judges. Final teams are contacted to come to Austin for Startup Day.

Final Round at Startup Day: March 13, 2025

• Preparation: Teams work on their final pitches at PlebLab.
• Presentations: Final teams present before judges on Startup Day.
• Deliberation: Judges decide during a happy hour.
• Announcement: The winner of Top Builder is announced at Austin BitDevs.
• Celebration: After-party for Top Builder.

[Bitcoin-OnlyEvents]

During the Round One, the team has made significant progress in integrating dual authentication mechanisms using both the Lightning Network and Nostr (along with the legacy email/password model). The work focused on establishing a secure and efficient user registration process, as well as ensuring compatibility between key plugins.

[Bitcoin-OnlyEvents]

Key Accomplishments:

Custom User Role Creation:

A dedicated custom user role has been created. This role is designed to streamline the registration process, allowing users to authenticate via the Lightning Network and Nostr.

Lightning Network Integration:

The team adopted the LNURL Auth For WordPress plugin as the base for Lightning Network authentication.

Implementation efforts have successfully integrated the LNURL authentication flow, enabling users to securely log in through their Lightning Network credentials.

Nostr Login Integration:

For Nostr-based login, the YEGHRO Nostr Login plugin was selected as the foundational tool.
In addition, the team configured the integration with a set of reliable Nostr relays:

wss://purplepag.es
wss://relay.nostr.band
wss://relay.primal.net
wss://relay.damus.io

This configuration ensures that Nostr connectivity is robust and reliable for user authentication.

Conflict Resolution Between Plugins:

A thorough review and debugging session were conducted to identify and resolve any conflicts between the LNURL Auth and YEGHRO Nostr Login plugins. The conflicts have been successfully mitigated, ensuring smooth and integrated functionality for both authentication methods.

Next Steps:

Testing and Validation:
Further testing will be carried out to ensure that both authentication methods work seamlessly under various scenarios.

User Interface Enhancements:
Refinements to the user interface are planned to provide a smooth and user-friendly experience during registration and login.

Deployment Preparation:
The team is preparing for broader deployment, including documentation updates and final stability checks.

Conclusion:

The team has made robust progress by laying the technical groundwork for a dual authentication system that leverages both the Lightning Network and Nostr. With the major components in place and initial conflicts resolved, the project is on track for the next phases of testing and deployment.