EcoCoin
EcoCoin is an eco-friendly cryptocurrency that rewards individuals for their environmental contributions. Through our platform, EcoHub, users can participate in events and activities that benefit the planet, earning EcoCoins as they make a positive impact.
We were inspired by the growing need for innovative solutions to combat environmental issues. According to Pew Research, 80% of people don't act on their environmental concerns. Additionally, 55% of people don't know how to help the environment (Guardian). Yet, 0% of people don't use the environment—it's essential to all of us (common sense). We wanted to create a system that not only promotes sustainable actions but also rewards individuals for their contributions to the environment.
EcoCoin incentivizes eco-friendly behavior by awarding cryptocurrency for participating in environmentally beneficial activities and events. Users can track their impact and earn rewards, fostering a community focused on sustainability.
We built EcoCoin using a combination of:
- React: For the front end.
- Firebase: For the backend, including Firestore for the database and Firebase Authentication.
- Mapbox: For geolocation services and map visualization.
- Google Cloud: To support our infrastructure.
- Blockchain-like Technology: To create a secure and eco-friendly token reward system.
Developing an eco-friendly blockchain was an extremely innovative and challenging idea. Ensuring that our blockchain-like technology was both environmentally sustainable and efficient required significant research and development. Integrating geolocation services accurately and ensuring that event locations were correctly mapped posed additional technical hurdles. Implementing a secure and efficient reward system was also complex, requiring careful consideration of both security and user experience.
We are proud of successfully creating a functional prototype that accurately tracks environmental contributions and rewards users with EcoCoins. The seamless integration of various technologies to create a cohesive platform was a significant achievement.
Through this project, we learned a great deal about blockchain technology, geolocation services, and the importance of user experience design. We also gained valuable insights into project management and collaborative development.
Future improvements include refining the reward algorithm, expanding the types of activities that earn EcoCoins, and enhancing the user interface. We also plan to partner with environmental organizations to host more events and increase the platform's impact.