MarkFair

Inspiration

Web3 startups struggle to get noticed, while KOLs and creators spend hours chasing opportunities. Traditional campaigns lack transparency and security — both advertisers and creators risk being “rugged.” We wanted a fair, efficient way to connect the two worlds with on-chain escrow and verifiable attribution.

What it does

Advertisers: Create campaigns and deposit funds into a Starknet escrow contract.
KOLs: Receive personalized shortlinks to share with their audiences.
Users: Simply click the link — attribution is seamless, no extra steps.
Settlement: At the end of each epoch, a Merkle Root is generated. Advertisers can review results, KOLs can claim their rewards, and unclaimed funds are automatically refunded to advertisers.

How we built it

Frontend: React + Clerk for authentication and campaign/KOL dashboards.
Backend: FastAPI for shortlink generation, attribution binding, and ROI aggregation.
On-chain: Starknet smart contracts using OpenZeppelin-based Merkle Root verification to secure escrow deposits and epoch-based settlements.

Challenges we ran into

Documentation mismatch: Starknet docs and OpenZeppelin standards differed, requiring significant work to standardize Merkle Root generation.
Settlement design: Needed to balance KOL claims with advertiser safety; we chose a model where unclaimed rewards are refunded to advertisers.
Seamless attribution: Designed shortlink-based binding for a frictionless user experience.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built a working MVP demonstrating secure on-chain escrow + Merkle Root settlements.
Achieved frictionless attribution with shortlink-based binding.
Established a complete pipeline: advertiser deposit → KOL distribution → user click → ROI tracking → settlement/refund.

What we learned

ROI is the real KPI: Web3 marketing success depends on proving ROI, not just raw user counts.
User experience is king: Invisible attribution flows increase adoption.
Standardization is critical: Documentation and library divergence makes standardization essential.

What's next for MarkFair

Standardized ROI metrics: Use NFT/token mints on link click for public, transparent ROI tracking.
Multi-platform expansion: Support TikTok, Twitter(X), Xiaohongshu, and more.
AI matching engine: Recommend optimal KOL–advertiser pairings for efficient campaigns.
Dynamic escrow pools: Support epoch-based fund release (e.g. 3-month campaign, payouts every 3 days) for better liquidity.
Yield integration: Stake escrowed funds to offset lock-up costs and generate yield for advertisers.