Houseplant Careship Program

Lately, I've been pondering innovative and enjoyable ways to democratize various aspects of our lives. One of my passions is houseplants. I adore nurturing and growing them. The right houseplant can transform the ambiance of a room, creating a healthier and more inviting living environment.

What if we could democratize the care of these plants as an experiment?

I am initiating an experiment that will open up houseplant care to the democratic, decentralized internet.

My proposal involves allowing users to mint an NFT linked directly to a physical houseplant. Upon minting the NFT, it will be integrated into a modular system enabling various care actions. Initially, I think we should start simply with watering. This NFT will connect to an ERC-20 contract representing shares. Each houseplant can have up to 1,000 shares, mintable at 0.0001 ETH each. Therefore, full ownership of a houseplant, involving all shares, is entirely possible.

Becoming a shareholder means becoming an integral part of the plant's life and its success. This raises several intriguing questions: Is it better to have a single shareholder to keep a blockchain-based houseplant alive, or should multiple shareholders from around the world be involved? How will shares be distributed, and will people trade them on the open market? What if someone in Australia catches wind of this idea and decides to buy a share? Should there be a safety system in place to prevent overwatering?

For the initial phase, I aim to develop a smart contract that facilitates:

• NFT minting linked to the houseplant using a physical chip.

• Connection of the NFT to an ERC-20 "shares" address priced at 0.0001 ETH per share.

• Linkage of the HousePlant NFT to a Watering contract, where shareholders owning over 50 shares can initiate a watering event (a cost basis of 0.005 ETH should deter any malicious intent).

The watering system will operate through a smart contract with write functions. Activating a write function will trigger an event, which a low-cost hardware device connected to a bucket and watering system will detect. Refer to the video below for inspiration.

The goal of this experiment is for all shareholders to collaborate harmoniously to sustain one or several houseplants. Naturally, this opens up possibilities for hostile takeovers or even sabotage through overwatering!

I believe it's vital to make this experiment as interactive and educational as possible, without manual checks to prevent overwatering initially. The survival of the houseplant rests entirely in the hands of the shareholders. If insufficient shares are minted to maintain the plant, it risks perishing.

Investing in the survival of the plant should be rewarding in itself, but let's get creative. There are additional aspects I'd like to explore, though I want to keep the initial model simple.

Shareholder Logbook

An on-chain logbook will allow shareholders to submit timestamped logs and progress updates at any stage of the plant's growth.

Objective Logbook

Ensure the livestream captures daily snapshot pictures of the houseplant, which will be added to an online, read-only logbook accessible to anyone at any time.

Houseplant Livestream

A continuous livestream will enable all interested parties to check on the plant's status. Also, if someone triggers a watering event, the livestream will become a crucial tool for real-time observation.

Ragequit

Any shareholder can opt out at any time and receive half of their initial payment back from the contract. This feature should help stabilize the public market price of the shares.

Propagation: Tired of competing for a chance to water the plant? Feel that another shareholder keeps overwatering? Once you acquire more than a certain number of shares, you can propagate the plant and instantly own 100% of the 1,000 shares of your new plant.

Herb garden: Look after a herb garden, get recipe ideas and get VIP access to a livestream when a dish is being cooked that uses herbs that you have cared for, looked after, and hold shares for.

Request to Rotate: Propose that the plant be rotated to ensure even sunlight exposure. Approval must come from less than 50% of shareholders within 7 days of the proposal.

Plant Feeding: Schedule a plant feeding session, similar to watering. Note, plants can also be overfed.