Monar
Monar is my first adventure as a founder. Accompanied by 3 partners with complementary skills, we launched this project with the idea of reinventing ticketing via NFT. The objective: allow event organizers to create and sell NFT tickets, while offering their users a crypto wallet to centralize their access and preserve digital memories.
Over time, we discovered that the “marketing” aspect related to NFT interested organizers more than ticketing itself. This led us to a pivot where we transformed the platform into a marketing email campaign tool based on NFT sending, with a view to loyalty and promotion.
First version: NFT Ticketing
The initial version of Monar worked as a ticketing platform:
- Organizers created NFT tickets (with resale, refund, etc.).
- Buyers had a crypto wallet integrating their NFT tickets.
- An in-app scan allowed access control to the event thanks to NFTs.
We were able to test the solution on a few events with low volume and even at the Monaco Grand Prix, where NFTs served as premium access.
Despite a successful experience, the main interest of organizers seemed more focused on the viral and marketing aspect than solely on access management.
Pivot & second strategy: Mass marketing via NFT
By observing this opportunity, we redirected the platform towards a marketing usage:
- Organizers could create personalized NFTs.
- They imported an email list to launch a email campaign.
- Each recipient received an email notifying them that an NFT was waiting for them.
- An account was automatically created for each user, giving them access to received NFTs.
The NFT then served as a discount voucher or special advantage in store or at events, replacing traditional promo codes and allowing potentially higher open rates and ROI.
Despite some loyal users, the volume was not enough to make the platform profitable in the long term. Without a fixed salary and without prospects for rapid growth, we stopped development.
Technologies
| Category | Tech & Services |
|---|---|
| Language |  |
| Frontend |   |
| Infrastructure |      |
| Blockchains |     |
Challenges
-
Traffic spikes & mass sending
Managing load increases during sending tens of thousands of emails without service degradation. -
Transparent NFT management
Purchase, sale, transfer and wallet “disguised” to simplify usage and familiarize non-initiated users with crypto. -
Professional adoption
Convince organizers that using NFT brings a better conversion rate than a classic marketing campaign.
Successes
- Mass email sending without any interruption or throttling.
- Multi-chain wallets (Algorand, Solana, Aptos, Chainlink) fully integrated and functional.
- Collaborations with renowned companies and concrete usage on prestigious events.
Failures
- Despite a slight conversion surplus compared to classic campaigns, the cost remained too high to justify the investment on the professional side.
- The NFT/wallets ecosystem was not mature enough for mass marketing usage in the short term.
Lessons
This project was an excellent experience of company creation with a reduced budget, but also an demanding adventure in time and energy:
- I understood the importance of quickly validating market traction, even in a startup.
- I was able to experiment with the founder role, discussions with partners, product vision management, development, and client relations.
- NFTs have strong marketing potential, but the current market is not yet ready for mass public deployment at scale.
This will remain an unforgettable memory that enriched my know-how in business, tech, and management.