Frequently asked questions

Pieces is the pre-information market for locked digital content on Base. Creators lock a Piece with a funding goal, a deadline, and a kickback. Bonders stake bonds to stand behind the creator, and backers fund toward the goal. If it funds, the content unlocks publicly, the creator gets paid, and bonders earn the kickback. If not, backers are refunded plus a share of the forfeited bonds.

A creator publishes a Piece with a funding goal, a deadline, and a kickback percentage. Bonders stake money into a bond pool that is capped at a fixed bond target. Backers chip in toward the goal, with backing capped so the goal is never exceeded. The moment backing reaches the goal, the Piece funds instantly: the creator gets paid out, the content is released publicly for anyone to view and share, and bonders get their stake back plus a kickback (a slice of the creator's earnings sized by the kickback percentage). If the deadline passes without reaching the goal, bonders forfeit their entire stake, and that forfeited pool is split pro-rata across the backers on top of their full refund, and the content stays sealed forever.

A dominant assurance contract is a crowdfunding mechanism where backers are refunded plus a bonus if the project fails to fund, so backing is rewarded rather than penalized when a project falls short. Pieces uses it for digital content: backers fund a goal, bonders stake to stand behind the creator, and if the goal is missed, backers get their money back plus a share of the forfeited bonds.

A bonder is a supporter who stakes money up front to stand behind a creator they believe in. If it funds, bonders earn a kickback set by the creator; if it does not, their stake is paid out to backers as a bonus. Bonding is the part that makes a dominant assurance contract work.

If a Piece funds, you get the content you backed. If it doesn't fund, you are refunded your full amount plus a share of the bonders' forfeited stakes.

From the bonders. If a Piece does not fund, the bonders forfeit their stakes, and that pool is split across the backers on top of their full refund.

When a Piece funds, its content is released publicly so anyone can view and share it. If a Piece doesn't fund, the content stays sealed and is never released.

Creators can lock any digital content behind a Piece: music, art, writing, video, or files. The content stays sealed until the Piece funds, so it cannot leak or be pirated in advance, and is released publicly once the goal is met.

Publishing a Piece is free and Pieces covers network (gas) fees. Pieces takes a flat 3% fee, charged only to the creator when a Piece successfully funds. There are no fees on refunds, backer bonuses, bonder kickbacks, or Pieces that do not reach their goal.

Pieces is denominated in US dollars, so your balance stays pegged 1:1 to the dollar. You don’t need any prior crypto experience. We create a self-custodial wallet for you when you sign up: you control it, and we never hold or have access to your keys. You can fund it with a debit or credit card, Apple Pay, or a bank transfer through our built-in onramp. We cover all network (gas) fees.

You do. Pieces wallets are self-custodial, so your keys are generated for you and only you can sign with them. We never hold or have access to your keys or funds, and you can export your private key at any time.

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