Solana Experience Center

Research DeFi
1

(Updated #1 - 02/15/2025) Bridging Everyday Users to the Solana Ecosystem

By: DEUCE

  • Growth and Ecosystem Adoption -

I propose launching a physical store dedicated to introducing the general public to the Solana blockchain and Jupiter Exchange & its platform as our leader in innovation. The “Solana Experience Center” will serve as an onboarding hub, education center, and user-support facility. Its goal is to familiarize newcomers with the Solana ecosystem, empower them with knowledge and tools, and ensure they continue to engage with Jupiter products and Solana services.

Goals and Objectives

  1. Demystify Blockchain Technology: Simplify blockchain concepts and introduce Solana’s fast, scalable, and user-friendly ecosystem.

  2. Increase Adoption: Onboard new users to Jupiter and Solana by providing hands-on guidance for wallets, trading, and ecosystem exploration.

  3. Build Loyalty: Foster trust and long-term engagement with the Solana ecosystem through personalized support and community-building initiatives.

Plan of Action

  1. Location and Setup:

• Launch a store in a high-footfall area (e.g., shopping malls, universities, or downtown hubs).

• Design an inviting space with demo stations, informational displays, and seating for workshops.

  1. Key Activities:

• Workshops and Classes: Offer free daily sessions covering wallet setup, Solana basics, using Jupiter, and participating in DeFi and NFT ecosystems.

• Hands-On Support: Provide one-on-one assistance for wallet creation, token swaps, staking, and other Solana features.

• Ecosystem Showcase: Highlight projects and use cases within the Solana ecosystem (e.g., NFTs, DeFi, gaming).

• Community Events: Host meetups, hackathons, and guest speaker events to build a local Solana community.

  1. Incentives for Engagement:

• Distribute starter kits, including small SOL airdrops, tutorial guides, and limited-time incentives for using Jupiter.

• Reward active participants with discounts, merchandise, or ecosystem-specific NFTs.

  1. Technology Integration:

• Use Jupiter Swap’s platform to demonstrate seamless token trading.

• Integrate tools like Phantom Wallet for hands-on practice with wallets and transactions.

Expected Impact

  1. Adoption Growth:

• Introduce 5,000+ new users to the Solana ecosystem annually, with at least 50% adopting Jupiter Swap for trading and token swaps.

  1. Community Expansion:

• Establish a robust, educated local community actively engaging in the Solana and Jupiter ecosystems.

  1. Increased Retention:

• Provide support to minimize churn by addressing the pain points of new users in their early interactions with blockchain technology.

Funding Request

Budget: $50,000 - $75,000 (detailed breakdown below)

• Store Setup and Design: $20,000

• Staff Salaries (3 personnel): $30,000/year

• Marketing and Community Events: $10,000

• Incentives and Starter Kits: $5,000

• Miscellaneous (licenses, maintenance, etc.): $10,000

Measuring Success

• Track the number of onboarded users and wallet activations.

• Monitor Jupiter Swap usage by store visitors.

• Collect user feedback to refine onboarding materials and strategies.

Call to Action

The Solana Experience Center represents an opportunity to bridge the gap between blockchain technology and everyday users. With support from the community and funding through Jupiter’s programs, this project can become a cornerstone for Solana’s adoption journey.

Let’s make blockchain accessible for all—starting today.

Feedback and Collaboration - @foskay @Mbolorman @lochie2001 -

—————————- Update —————————

Proposal Update - #1

Launching a cost-effective, community-supported initiative to introduce the general public to the Solana blockchain and Jupiter Exchange. Instead of a single high-cost physical store, we aim to deploy small, flexible, and community-funded experience hubs that can scale over time. These hubs will serve as onboarding centers, educational spaces, and community engagement points, maximizing outreach while remaining financially sustainable.

Revised Goals & Objectives
1. Scalable & Cost-Effective Model: Reduce reliance on expensive physical stores by utilizing smaller, community-supported locations and online educational initiatives.
2. Global Accessibility: Instead of one fixed location, foster a network of local ambassadors who can run workshops and pop-up events in key regions.
3. Community-Backed Growth: Fund operations through NFT sales, royalties, and ecosystem grants, ensuring sustainability without overextending the budget.
4. Hybrid Approach: Leverage social media campaigns, virtual events, and digital content alongside in-person touchpoints for maximum reach.

Updated Plan of Action

  1. Decentralized Location Strategy
    • Replace a single high-cost store with smaller, locally operated pop-up hubs in key areas (co-working spaces, crypto cafes, university clubs).
    • Utilize community ambassadors to host events and workshops globally rather than maintaining fixed retail space.
    • Prioritize low-cost, high-footfall areas where crypto adoption is already growing.

  2. Cost-Effective Engagement & Education
    • Small group workshops (1-3 participants) to ensure personalized guidance.
    • Online tutorials, Twitter Spaces, and social media content for scalable onboarding.
    • Leverage partnerships with Solana-friendly businesses to run events without large rental costs.

  3. Community-Driven Funding & Sustainability
    • Fund via NFT royalties & ecosystem grants, reducing reliance on upfront capital.
    • Sell limited edition Jupiter NFTs to support ongoing education initiatives.
    • Collaborate with existing blockchain communities to co-host free educational events.

Budget Adjustments

Revised Budget: $10,000 - $25,000 (initial phase, scaling based on community contributions)
• Ambassador & Event Support: $5,000
• Marketing & Social Media Outreach: $5,000
• Incentives & Educational Material (NFT rewards, starter kits, SOL airdrops): $5,000
• Pop-up Event Costs (venue rentals, logistics): $5,000 - $10,000

Measuring Success
• Track community engagement metrics (event attendance, social media growth, new wallet activations).
• Assess Jupiter platform adoption via referral tracking from community events.
• Collect user feedback to refine content, ensuring long-term participation.

Final Call to Action

Instead of a costly, centralized physical store, this revised approach allows for wider adoption, lower costs, and greater scalability. With the community’s backing, we can create a sustainable, decentralized onboarding model that brings more users into the Solana and Jupiter ecosystems—without breaking the budget.

Would love to hear feedback and further refine the plan!

This revision keeps the core vision intact while addressing the concerns about cost, scalability, and effectiveness.

Please share your thoughts, suggestions, and questions below. Your input is invaluable in refining this proposal and ensuring its success.

3 Likes
2

I’m gonna be honest here. There is no place in the world rn that would support a physical store for the budget you’re asking.
Most cadets only have 3-5 people who are active JUP community members - so having a physical store would not be useful in my opinion.

Maybe later down the track when crypto gets mass adoption and we can get a lot of foot traffic but not right now.

Way too expensive for what I think we are aiming to achieve. Like I said above, way tooo early. And is this place gonna generate revenue?I don’t think so.

I appreciate you taking the time to write this. Maybe we re visit in next cycle?

6 Likes
3

Good idea but expensive cost to implement considering for such centers to be effective it need spread across the world making it go over the budget to implement.

A single experience center won’t pull things off to be impactful enough even in same country, there need to be multiple locations to be effective.

5 Likes
4

Many businesses are shifting from physical stores to online platforms since they offer global reach with greater ease. No blockchain company would spend this much on physical stores when they could hire a team of social media experts for a fraction of the cost. The returns? Potentially 100x higher with far less investment than traditional retail spaces.

4 Likes
5

Thanks for your feedback Lochie :saluting_face:

It was a great approach to find the right budget adjustment that would work for our community.

:thinking::thought_balloon: Discussion and brainstorming an idea will bring the right time. I think a bullrun will be too expensive for a good idea to grown & succeed. But maybe the $100,000 budget will get there over time on its own through mini JUPUARY’s from this topic :man_shrugging:t4:.

2 Likes
6

Thanks for the feedback Mbolor💁‍♂️ it helped shift the idea to more mobile vs stable and in very few ways.

I like the idea of digital influence but maybe and just maybe IRL advising is a way to make connection and stability last longer. I know if I knew of a place to go to (Like a comic, card, book store) like CASTANBUL. A place like this will help the Average :cat: to not get rugged, spammed, dumped on. I could have found that airdrops and certain items landing in my wallet was legit & not spam :man_shrugging:t4:. I think it’ll bring trust to a system that doesn’t get trusted a lot.

Maybe we could have pop-ups that do IRL video feed and meetup at the same time. Possibilities are limitless.

4 Likes
7

Great idea Foskaay

I agree the budget was expensive and needed tweaking.

Maybe you’d like the updated version of a mobile pop-up center. I also made a budget adjustment. That way there’s no impact and it’s fully operational on its own.

4 Likes
8

It would be great to have products like this - 🚀 Jupiter Horizon Has Landed! Your Ultimate Jupiverse Guide is Here in the experience center

4 Likes
9

good reply, not much else i need to say there,

well said lochie

3 Likes
10

You’re absolutely right, but for this to take off, there needs to be clear evidence that the benefits outweigh the costs and that it is truly sustainable. Many businesses, including retail stores and digital service providers like mobile networks, internet providers, and digital TV companies, have already transitioned to digital systems. This shift allows them to reach a global audience more efficiently and at a lower cost than maintaining expensive physical locations that eat into their profits.

A model like this can be sustainable—think of it as a global conference, similar to Catstanbul, with an annual schedule rotating across continents. Alongside this, smaller in-person meetups with a strong digital presence can serve the same purpose, ensuring accessibility and engagement while keeping costs manageable.

4 Likes
11

Thank you mate - just being honest tbh

1 Like
12

Greta point!

We would be behind everyone moving to irl. Plus who’s gonna go about their day and go “hmmm I need to do some grocery shopping today, got buy and new tv, oh and pop in the Jupiter IRL although is all available online!”

13

A physical store to onboard users into the Solana ecosystem is definitely an exciting idea.However, it seems more suited for the Solana forum rather than Jupiter.

It might be better to propose this under Solana’s forum

1 Like