Builder Spotlight: In Conversation with Giulio, Co-Founder of Aura

Aura recently won the top prize at XION’s Believathon, a startup competition that saw hundreds of app builders come together from around the world to create applications that break Web3 out of its niche and into the mainstream.

Aura came out on top for its innovative near-field communication (NFC) powered product that aims to integrate physical and digital interactions at events via Web3, giving independent vendors the ability to connect with their customers using loyalty schemes and contactless payment options traditionally reserved for bigger brands with larger budgets.

By leveraging NFC chip technology and XION’s protocol-level abstraction, Aura offers attendees instant, contactless experiences, including cashless payments, reward schemes, and vendor-attendee engagement tools, all without the complexities typically associated with blockchain interactions.

This convergence of blockchain-powered efficient and immutable record-keeping with traditional event management tools results in a frictionless, scalable rewards and payments solution for event organizers, merchants, and attendees alike.

XION’s content writer, Burnt Butter, recently sat down with Giulio, co-founder of Aura, to discuss their project.

An Introduction to Aura

Butter: Congratulations! Can you tell us about your project and the problems it solves?

Giulio: Thank you! Our project, Aura, is an NFC module built for Quest, designed to bridge the gap between physical and digital interactions at events. Many events still rely on manual, inefficient systems for transactions and engagement, leading to long queues, cash-handling issues, and fragmented loyalty programs. Aura solves this by providing an instant, contactless experience powered by NFC technology and account abstraction. 

With Aura, attendees can tap an NFC tag to make seamless cashless payments, collect rewards, and engage with vendors. Vendors benefit from an NFC-based POS system, enabling fast, secure transactions with real-time balance tracking. By combining blockchain-powered smart contracts with traditional event management tools, Aura creates a frictionless, scalable solution for event organizers, merchants, and attendees without the complexities that typically come with blockchain products.

Butter: Sounds like the aim here is to make events easier for vendors and more rewarding for attendees by doing away with fragmented loyalty programs. Why was XION the chain you chose to build this solution?

Giulio: We chose XION because it fits in with our vision of making Web3-based transactions completely invisible to the user and giving them a frictionless experience. XION's infrastructure stood out for its blend of user-experience focus, scalability, security, and speed.

These features allowed us to focus on the user experience without having to worry about the technical challenges associated with building on decentralized platforms. The ability to deliver efficient, secure and fast transactions was important to making this decision. XION provided developer-friendly tools that helped us build Aura in a way that feels effortless for end users.

Building for Mainstream Users with Abstraction

Butter: How do you see your project impacting the broader events industry?

Giulio: Seeing Aura come together is a big step towards making Web3-powered transactions mainstream, particularly in event-based economies. By making Web3 invisible, users can interact with NFC payments as they would with a credit card, requiring no crypto knowledge.

This enhances real-world adoption by enabling events and festivals to use blockchain-powered payments without onboarding hurdles. It also unlocks new loyalty mechanics by enabling gamified engagement, rewards, and instant redemptions through Quest. By removing barriers and improving real-world usability, Aura brings Web3 closer to everyday consumers.

Butter: What’s next for your project?

Giulio: Make Aura real! 

Next steps include expanding use cases by integrating Aura into events, food fairs, and corporate events, enhancing programmability with more granular spending controls and advanced loyalty features, and optimizing multi-device interactions by exploring integrations with wearables, smart wristbands, and IoT.

Butter: Any advice for other developers considering XION as their platform?

Giulio: Absolutely! Embrace account abstraction, as it dramatically simplifies onboarding and transaction flow. Leverage gasless transactions so users don’t have to worry about gas fees, making the experience seamless. Design for intent-based interactions, as XION’s infrastructure is perfect for programmable, event-driven transactions. Lastly, engage with the community. The XION ecosystem is highly supportive and helps iterate faster.

Aura Gears Up to Take Off

Aura’s product aligns with XION’s mission to break Web3 out of its niches by abstracting away blockchain complexities while ensuring security, efficiency, and scalability. By leveraging XION’s infrastructure, Aura can continue to refine its user experience, drive mainstream adoption, and showcase how blockchain can power real-world applications without friction.