Proof of Participation & Proof of Visit

Proof of Participation (PoP) and Proof of Visit (PoV) are on-chain attestations that verify a person was physically present at a location, attended an event, or completed a real-world action. They are the most fundamental building blocks of reputation in the bonuz ecosystem.

Unlike traditional check-ins (a database entry that lives on someone else's server), PoP and PoV attestations are owned by the user, stored in their self-custodial wallet, and verifiable by any permissioned app or brand in the bonuz graph. They can't be faked, can't be revoked without cause, and travel with the user across platforms and time.

PoP and PoV are issued as Dynamic NFTs through the bonuz Engagement Protocol. They are soul-bound by default (non-transferable), because proof of presence only has meaning when it stays attached to the person who was actually there.

Same Technology, Different Names

The Web3 space has introduced several terms for this concept: Proof of Attendance (popularized by POAP), Proof of Participation, Proof of Visit, Proof of Presence. In the bonuz ecosystem, these are all the same underlying technology. They use the same DNFT smart contracts, the same state machine, the same verification mechanics, and the same Brand Dashboard creation flow.

The only difference is the label, and that's entirely up to the brand. A conference organizer might call them "Proof of Attendance." A restaurant chain might prefer "Proof of Visit." A training provider might use "Proof of Participation." A brand activation might label them "Proof of Presence." The technology doesn't change. The name is a branding decision, not a technical one.

Throughout this page, we use PoP (Proof of Participation) and PoV (Proof of Visit) as shorthand, but everything described here applies equally to any variation a brand chooses to use.

What's the Difference in Practice?

While the technology is identical, brands tend to gravitate toward specific labels based on context:

Proof of Participation (PoP) is typically used when the user actively did something: attended a conference talk, completed a workshop, joined a community activation, finished a brand challenge, or contributed to a campaign. The emphasis is on doing.

Proof of Visit (PoV) is typically used when physical presence at a location is the key action: checked in at a restaurant, visited a store, entered a venue, arrived at a landmark. The emphasis is on being there.

Proof of Attendance (PoA) is often used interchangeably with PoP, especially in event contexts. If you've seen POAPs in the wild, bonuz attestations serve the same purpose but with richer functionality: state tracking, reward chaining, anti-fraud verification, and integration with the broader bonuz identity and engagement graph.

Proof of Presence is a broader term some brands use when the attestation covers both physical and digital presence (e.g., attending a virtual event or participating in a livestream).

In practice, many use cases combine multiple types. A music festival might issue a PoV when you enter the venue and a PoP when you attend a specific stage or activation zone. A restaurant might issue a PoV on each visit that doubles as a loyalty touchpoint. The brand decides the label. bonuz provides the rails.

How They're Created

Brands and partners create PoP/PoV campaigns through the Brand Dashboard (app.bonuz.market):

Choose the attestation type. Select Proof of Participation or Proof of Visit from the DNFT templates. Configure whether it's a single attestation or part of a series (e.g., "visit all 5 locations to unlock a reward").

Define the trigger. How does a user earn this attestation? Options include QR code scan (staff shows a code, user scans it), NFC tap (user taps their phone on a tag at the venue), geo-fenced check-in (user must be within a defined radius, verified via the bonuz Lifestyle Wallet's location services), or manual issuance by the brand through the dashboard.

Set the metadata. Event name, date, location, description, and creative assets (image, badge design). This metadata is stored on-chain and displayed in the user's wallet.

Configure rewards (optional). PoP/PoV attestations can be standalone, or they can trigger downstream rewards: collect 5 PoVs at a restaurant chain and unlock a free meal voucher DNFT. Attend 3 conference talks and earn a "Super Attendee" badge. The bonuz Engagement Protocol handles the logic automatically.

Launch. Distribute via QR codes at the venue, NFC tags at check-in points, or campaign links shared digitally. Gas is sponsored on all claim actions, so users just scan and collect.

The State Machine

PoP and PoV attestations follow a simple lifecycle:

Claimable → The attestation is available. The user scans a QR code, taps an NFC tag, or triggers a geo-fenced check-in.

Issued → The attestation is minted to the user's wallet. On-chain metadata records the event, location, date, and verification method.

Permanent → Since PoP/PoV are soul-bound, they remain in the user's wallet indefinitely as part of their engagement history. There is no "redeemed" or "expired" state. They are attestations, not consumable assets.

For series-based campaigns (e.g., "visit all 5 locations"), the parent campaign DNFT tracks progress. Each individual PoV updates the counter until the reward threshold is reached.

Verification & Anti-Fraud

Proof of presence is only valuable if it's actually proof. The bonuz Engagement Protocol includes multiple verification layers:

QR/NFC scan verification. The QR code or NFC tag at the venue is linked to a specific campaign. Scanning it triggers a server-verified claim. The code can be configured as single-use (one person per code), time-limited (valid only during event hours), or supply-capped (first 500 scanners only).

Geo-fencing. For PoV attestations, the bonuz Lifestyle Wallet can verify the user's GPS location against a defined radius around the venue. Users outside the zone cannot claim the attestation. This prevents remote claiming.

Signature-gated issuance. For high-security use cases, claiming requires a co-signature from the brand's authorized address. A staff member confirms the user's presence before the attestation is issued.

On-chain immutability. Once issued, the attestation exists on-chain. It cannot be duplicated, backdated, or transferred. The blockchain is the audit log.

What PoP/PoV Unlock

Attestations are not just badges. They are the raw material for reputation and reward systems across the bonuz ecosystem:

On-chain reputation. A user with 50+ PoV attestations from restaurants, 20 event PoPs, and 5 course completions carries a verifiable engagement profile. Any permissioned brand or app in the bonuz graph can read this (with the user's consent via bonuz ID permissions) and offer personalized experiences.

Reward triggers. PoP/PoV can be configured as inputs to other DNFT campaigns: collect X attestations → unlock a voucher, membership upgrade, or exclusive access pass.

Tiered engagement. Brands can create tiers based on attestation count. A restaurant might recognize users with 10+ visits as regulars and automatically issue a VIP membership DNFT.

Cross-brand recognition. Because attestations live in the shared bonuz graph, Brand A can recognize engagement at Brand B. A festival organizer can offer priority access to users who have 5+ venue PoVs in the same city. This is network-effect reputation, not siloed stamps.

Community building. PoP attestations create visible proof of shared experiences. Users who attended the same event or visited the same places have a verifiable connection point, useful for community features, matchmaking, and social discovery.

Real-World Examples

Conference with multi-stage PoPs. A tech conference issues a PoV when attendees enter the venue. Inside, each keynote stage and workshop room has an NFC tag. Attendees tap to collect PoPs for each session. Users with 5+ session PoPs unlock an exclusive "Power Attendee" badge and priority registration for next year's event.

Restaurant chain loyalty. A café with 12 locations issues a PoV on each visit (verified by staff QR scan). After 10 visits across any location, the user unlocks a free coffee voucher DNFT. The café can see which locations are most visited and which users are most loyal, all from on-chain data.

City activation campaign. A tourism board partners with 8 landmarks across a city. Visitors collect PoV attestations by scanning NFC tags at each site. Users who complete all 8 unlock a limited-edition digital collectible and a discount voucher for local businesses. The campaign runs itself once deployed.

Brand community event. A sneaker brand hosts a pop-up store. Attendees receive a PoP for showing up and additional PoPs for completing activities (trying on shoes, sharing on social, participating in a design workshop). Each PoP feeds into the user's brand engagement score, which determines access to future drops and exclusive releases.

Education and training. A coding bootcamp issues PoP attestations for each completed module. The final course completion triggers a soul-bound certificate DNFT. Employers can verify the full learning journey, not just the final certificate, by reading the user's attestation history (with permission).

Why Soul-Bound?

PoP and PoV attestations are non-transferable by default because transferability would destroy their meaning. A "proof" that you attended an event has zero value if you can buy it from someone who actually went. The soul-bound design preserves the integrity of the attestation and the reputation it builds.

In rare cases, a brand may choose to make attestations transferable (e.g., a collectible event memento that can be gifted). The Brand Dashboard supports this configuration, but the default and recommendation is soul-bound.