Creating a Lock

The first step to using Unlock as a creator is to deploy your own lock so you can sell memberships to your own content! Each membership is a Non Fungible Token which you can customize easily.

Prerequisite: this currently requires an Ethereum wallet. You can point the wallet to any network that Unlock is currently deployed on (including Ethereum's main network) to deploy a lock there. You will also need a little bit of the network's native currency to pay for gas.

Locks are smart contracts on an Ethereum compatible blockchain. This provides creators with unmediated control over who can access their work, and how much they want to charge for this. Unlock Labs provides a simple dashboard to create a lock here.

When creating a lock, the creator can select the following attributes:

• The name of the lock (easier to identify it than its Ethereum address)

• The duration of each key (how long they are valid for)

• The price consumers need to pay to get a key, including its currency

• How many keys at most can be sold

Once deployed the lock will have its own address and is fully owned by the creator (no one, including Unlock Inc. can change or remove it). The initial creator of the lock can also add other "lock managers" who are able to co-manage the lock.

Once deployed, the dashboard will show you details about your lock:

The logo of your lock can be customized. This logo is the one used for the NFT that your users will purchase when they get a membership.

You will see the name (First Euro lock for this example), its address (0x09159A5... here), its duration (1 day), the number of existing memberships and the maximum amount that the lock can grant (0/∞), the price (10 EURS) and the current balance on the lock (0 EURS since none has been sold). The icon bar lets you do the following:

• Enable credit card payments

• Withdraw funds (once memberships have been sold!)

• See a demo of your lock on a fake paywall-ed site

• View the list of members,

• Easily integrate your lock in existing applications

• Inspect your lock using a block explorer (see below)

The lock's behavior can also be customized even further. For example, you can easily disable transfers, or airdrop membership NFTs to anyone.

Finally, and this is critical, the smart contracts are verified, click on the explorer icon to inspect it or interact with it from the block explorer.