Authors
Nick Hollins and Pablo Voorvart
Abstract
This SPE proposal establishes an ongoing initiative to integrate Livepeer-powered video streaming into the Farcaster, Base, and Coinbase Wallet ecosystems. While a key milestone of this effort is the development of a UFO mini-app enabling live video playback, the broader mission is to steward Livepeer’s presence in emerging onchain social and media networks. This SPE will serve as a long-term vehicle for funding web3-native video infrastructure, ensuring continuous development, adoption, and partnership cultivation.
Key Contributors
Nick Hollins is the founder of UFO, the world’s first onchain radio station, a pioneering platform and technology team in the onchain media ecosystem since 2022. He has established relationships with key members from teams at Base, Farcaster, Coinbase Wallet and other relevant projects.
Pablo Voorvart is the founder of StreamETH and a longstanding contributor from the Livepeer developer community. Their live-streaming platform uses AI to simplify production and post-production and is the premier onchain video streaming platform for events in the blockchain ecosystem.
Woj is in product and engineering at Warpcast which is the flagship Farcaster client, and was previously the founder of Supercast. He’s ready to be a point of contact with the Warpcast team for driving adoption of web3 video streaming from Livepeer and giving development support for broadcasting mini apps.
Mission
The primary objective of this SPE is to own the relationship between Livepeer, Farcaster, Base, and Coinbase Wallet, driving the development and adoption of decentralized video infrastructure in these rapidly growing ecosystems. Currently, Livepeer lacks an established presence in these networks, limiting its potential adoption and impact. This SPE addresses that gap by acting as the dedicated force behind Livepeer’s web3 expansion, ensuring that video streaming remains a core feature of Farcaster social interactions, Base media applications, and Coinbase Wallet integrations.
The long-term goal is to develop and maintain foundational tooling that all creators, developers, and platforms can leverage. To test this hypothesis, the initial focus will be on launching a mini-app, run by UFO.
Additionally, this initiative will ensure that Livepeer remains at the center of web3 video discussions, fostering strategic collaborations and continued adoption.
Without this SPE, the web3 video space risks stagnation, as no entity is currently tasked with prioritizing and advancing Livepeer’s role in these ecosystems. This effort ensures that Livepeer becomes an integral part of the next phase of decentralized social and media platforms.
Rationale
This SPE is not just about building a single product — It is about re-establishing Livepeer’s leadership of video innovation in onchain social. Assuring an enduring presence for Livepeer within Farcaster, Base, and Coinbase Wallet. The UFO mini-app will serve as the first proof of concept, demonstrating how Livepeer-powered live streaming can be natively integrated into Farcaster Frames V2. However, beyond this initial deployment, this SPE will facilitate:
- Infrastructure Development – Researching, prototyping, and deploying further web3-native video experiences beyond the initial mini-app.
- Strategic Partnerships – Acting as Livepeer’s primary representatives in Farcaster and Base, ensuring decentralized video remains a priority.
- Developer Advocacy – Providing documentation, support, and incentives for other teams to build on top of the tools developed.
- Ongoing Funding & Sustainability – Establishing this SPE as a recurring funding vehicle, ensuring long-term ownership of web3 video innovation within Livepeer.
Given the current momentum in Farcaster and Base, now is the ideal time to push for Livepeer’s integration into these ecosystems. Livepeer DAO is actively deploying funds to drive ecosystem growth, and Coinbase Wallet’s recent Farcaster integration presents a significant distribution opportunity. By taking ownership of this initiative, this SPE will ensure that Livepeer remains a key player in the evolution of decentralized media.
SPE Governance Structure
The SPE will be governed through approval by Livepeer stakeholders, ensuring alignment with the broader ecosystem’s goals. The core execution team — Nick Hollins, and Pablo Voorvart — will be responsible for developing and implementing the roadmap, coordinating between ecosystem partners, and ensuring long-term success.
Key governance elements include:
- Livepeer stakeholders voting on initial and continued funding allocations.
- UFO team maintaining ownership of technical development and strategic ecosystem alignment.
- Regular reporting on progress, adoption metrics, and ecosystem impact.
Milestones and Timeline
1. Research & Development (Month 1-2)
- Develop HLS playback functionality for Farcaster mini-apps.
- Build the UFO mini-app prototype with live streaming enabled.
- Establish core infrastructure for video playback integration.
2. Deployment & Testing (Month 3)
- Deploy the UFO mini-app with integrated Livepeer live streaming.
- Conduct initial testing with partner creators and platforms.
- Ensure seamless UX/UI experience across Farcaster and Coinbase Wallet.
- Host activation for builders and ecosystem partners at FarCon, May 1-4
3. Go-To-Market & Adoption (Month 4-5)
- Launch marketing and awareness campaign with Base, Coinbase Wallet, Farcaster, and Livepeer teams.
- Engage creators and communities through strategic partnerships (e.g., Refraction, Higher, the park) to expand adoption of Livepeer-enabled mini-apps by artists, musicians, creators and media producers
- Promote developer adoption through hackathons and community incentives.
4. Documentation & Ecosystem Expansion (Month 6)
- Publish technical documentation for teams to integrate video playback into their applications.
- Support additional teams in launching their own mini-apps powered by this technology.
- Evaluate success metrics and propose next steps for long-term sustainability.
- Assess expansion with further social ecosystems e.g. Lens and Lukso
Budget Breakdown
Requested Funding: 15,000 LPT for a 6 month execution period.
Allocation:
- Development & Engineering: 30%
- Ecosystem Engagement & Partnerships: 30%
- Marketing & Adoption: 25%
- Operational Costs & Overhead: 10%
- Bounties/External Contributors: 5%
The budget is structured to ensure sustainable development while incentivizing external contributions that align with the public goods nature of this project.
Deliverables
- Fully functional mini-app with Livepeer-powered live streaming on Farcaster.
- Open-source HLS playback integration for Farcaster Frames V2.
- Creator and developer adoption metrics (e.g., active broadcasts, user engagement).
- Technical documentation for ecosystem-wide integration.
- Partnerships established with key ecosystem players (Base, Coinbase Wallet, Farcaster, onchain communities).
- Quarterly reports on adoption and ecosystem impact.
Transparency & Accountability
To ensure accountability, the SPE will provide:
- Quarterly progress reports outlining technical development, adoption metrics, and financial transparency.
- Public-facing dashboards tracking key KPIs (e.g., number of active broadcasts, user engagement, developer adoption).
- Community engagement updates via Farcaster, Livepeer DAO forums, and partner channels.
By maintaining a transparent approach, this SPE will foster trust and alignment with the broader ecosystem while ensuring the long-term success of web3 video.
Key Terms (Optional)
- SPE (Special Purpose Entity): A designated structure for executing focused initiatives within the Livepeer ecosystem.
- Farcaster Frames V2: A framework enabling interactive content experiences within the Farcaster ecosystem.
- HLS (HTTP Live Streaming): A streaming protocol that enables adaptive video playback.
- Coinbase Wallet Mini-Apps: A new integration layer allowing applications to run within Coinbase Wallet’s interface.
Conclusion
This SPE represents a critical opportunity to push web3 video forward, connecting Livepeer initially with Farcaster, Base, Coinbase Wallet, and then looking to expand to other web3 social ecosystems. By building foundational infrastructure and fostering ecosystem-wide adoption, this initiative will unlock new possibilities for decentralized media and onchain social. With dedicated funding, governance, and strategic execution, this project will establish web3 video as a key pillar of the decentralized internet.