Ship or Die Accelerate 2025: Crypto and Commerce

PassEntry has partnered with Solana and the Oakland Ballers to launch a groundbreaking loyalty and membership program that leverages blockchain technology. This innovative solution promises to revolutionize how fans interact with their favorite teams and earn rewards.

Summary

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PassEntry, a blockchain technology company, has unveiled a new loyalty program in partnership with Solana and the Oakland Ballers baseball team. The program utilizes Solana's blockchain to create a frictionless experience for fans, allowing them to earn and spend rewards with a single tap of their phone.

The system uses compressed tokens, which significantly reduces transaction costs compared to standard SPL tokens. This makes it feasible to implement the program on a large scale, even for events with thousands of attendees.

The loyalty program, which went live just yesterday, offers a seamless Web3 experience without requiring users to understand blockchain technology. Fans can easily sign up, create a self-custodial wallet, and start earning "Bula Bucks" for their purchases and game attendance.

Key Points:

One-Tap Functionality

PassEntry's system allows users to earn points and make payments with a single tap of their phone. This streamlined process eliminates the need to open multiple apps or scan QR codes, significantly improving the user experience. The demonstration showed how spending $100 automatically earned 100 Bula Bucks, which are stored on the Solana blockchain.

Compressed Tokens

One of the most innovative aspects of PassEntry's solution is the use of compressed tokens. Traditional SPL tokens on Solana can cost between 20 to 40 cents per user, which becomes prohibitively expensive for large-scale implementations. By using compressed tokens, PassEntry has dramatically reduced these costs, making it feasible to offer the program to thousands of fans attending each game.

Tokenomics and Rewards

The reward system is straightforward and easy for fans to understand. Users earn two Bula Bucks for every dollar spent, and 100 Bula Bucks for each game day ticket used at check-in. These tokens can be redeemed for merchandise and food discounts, creating a tangible incentive for fan engagement and loyalty.

Frictionless Onboarding

PassEntry has designed the onboarding process to be as simple as possible. Fans receive an email directing them to the fan site, where they can create a new wallet using Privy. This wallet is linked to their email address, making it easy to access and manage. The process is described as "fill, build, and use," emphasizing its simplicity.

Apple and Google Wallet Integration

Once a user has signed up, they can generate a pass that is stored in their Apple or Google Wallet. This integration allows for easy access and use of the loyalty program, further reducing friction and increasing adoption rates.

Facts + Figures

• PassEntry partnered with Solana and the Oakland Ballers to create a blockchain-based loyalty program
• The program uses compressed tokens to significantly reduce transaction costs
• Users earn 2 Bula Bucks for every dollar spent
• Game day ticket check-ins earn 100 Bula Bucks
• The loyalty pass is stored in Apple or Google Wallet for easy access
• The program launched on May 22, 2025
• PassEntry's CTO, Nico Cary, is a penny-farving endurance athlete and one-time hackathon winner
• Tom Rowbotham, a software engineer at PassEntry, is an 11-time hackathon winner
• The loyalty program uses Privy to create self-custodial wallets for users
• The system allows for geo-fencing of the stadium for enhanced functionality

Top quotes

1. "What if I told you you could do this in a single tap and you could get points and pay and earn points in the same tap."
2. "We're using compressed tokens by light processing. So this is a lot cheaper."
3. "The tokens are interoperable. With the user truly owning their points, they can earn and spend them anywhere they wish."
4. "It's as simple as fill, build, and use."
5. "We want to provide a seamless web for experience."

Questions Answered

What is PassEntry's new loyalty program?

PassEntry has launched a blockchain-based loyalty program in partnership with Solana and the Oakland Ballers baseball team. This program allows fans to earn and spend rewards called Bula Bucks using a single tap of their phone. The system utilizes Solana's blockchain technology to create a frictionless experience for users, integrating payments and reward accrual into one seamless action.

How does the one-tap functionality work?

The one-tap functionality allows users to both make a payment and earn rewards simultaneously. When a user taps their phone to make a purchase, the system automatically processes the payment and credits the appropriate number of Bula Bucks to their account. This eliminates the need for separate apps or QR code scans, greatly simplifying the process for users.

What are compressed tokens and why are they important?

Compressed tokens are a key innovation in PassEntry's loyalty program. Unlike standard SPL tokens on Solana, which can cost 20-40 cents per user, compressed tokens significantly reduce transaction costs. This makes it economically feasible to implement the loyalty program on a large scale, such as for thousands of fans attending each Oakland Ballers game.

How do fans earn and redeem Bula Bucks?

Fans earn Bula Bucks in two primary ways: they receive 2 Bula Bucks for every dollar spent, and 100 Bula Bucks for each game day ticket used at check-in. These Bula Bucks can then be redeemed for merchandise and food discounts at Oakland Ballers events. This system creates a tangible incentive for fans to engage with the team and attend games.

How does the onboarding process work for fans?

The onboarding process is designed to be as frictionless as possible. Fans receive an email directing them to the fan site, where they can create a new wallet using Privy. This wallet is linked to their email address for easy access. Once the account is created, users can generate a pass that is stored in their Apple or Google Wallet, allowing for easy use of the loyalty program.

What are the benefits of this program for merchants and Solana?

For merchants like the Oakland Ballers, this program enhances marketing capabilities through digital assets and increased fan engagement. It also allows for collaboration with different merchants due to the interoperability of the tokens. For Solana, this program expands its use case into the loyalty and fan engagement sector, potentially driving further adoption of the blockchain.

How does this program ensure user ownership of rewards?

Users have true ownership of their rewards through self-custodial wallets. The Bula Bucks and any collectibles earned are stored on the Solana blockchain, ensuring that they belong to the user and can be used or transferred as desired. This interoperability also means that these digital assets can be used across different platforms and potentially with other merchants in the future.