Innovative Crypto Solutions at mtnDAO: T.J. Littlejohn’s Blurt for Live Stream Donations

SALT LAKE CITY — Innovation at mtnDAO

At the heart of the mtnDAO event, many software developers are passionately crafting projects aimed at bolstering their venture capital-backed cryptocurrency enterprises. Among them is T.J. Littlejohn, a seasoned participant of this self-described “notorious” hacker house, who is currently working on something uniquely his own.

T.J. has diligently pieced together his latest product, dubbed Blurt, through a few weeks of collaborative coding and perhaps a few too many ZYN packets — both staples of the vibrant mtnDAO atmosphere. Blurt presents an innovative, crypto-enabled solution for live streamers, allowing them to seamlessly collect donations from their viewers in cryptocurrency. This development signifies a significant advancement for a newly introduced Solana innovation — blinks — which simplifies interactions with cryptocurrency to the ease of clicking a tweet.

Before the August edition of mtnDAO kicked off, Blurt was merely a concept. Now, with just days remaining until numerous Solana-focused developers vacate this downtown Salt Lake City WeWork until February, the product is fully operational. In a somewhat haphazard yet effective manner, Blurt embodies the enduring spirit of a hacker house that thrives on the principle of show up and build. Hosts Barrett and Edgar Pavlovsky maintain a laid-back approach, seemingly indifferent to the specific projects attendees undertake as they enjoy complimentary lunches, utilize free workspaces, and accumulate promotional swag throughout the month. Occasionally, however, they do invest seed capital into the most promising creations birthed during the event.

Whether Blurt attracts such an investment remains somewhat irrelevant to T.J., who expressed ambivalence about committing to Blurt as a full-time endeavor. Instead, he considers himself a one-man “product studio” that prioritizes rapid shipping and frequent pivots. Just six months prior at mtnDAO, he was focused on developing animation software for Apple VR headsets, which had become quite popular among attendees.

Understanding Blurt

Blurts are constructed using blinks, a recently established standard that allows users to access and execute blockchain applications directly from X (formerly known as Twitter). A well-crafted blinks program creates a mini-application for trading cryptocurrencies directly within the social media platform. This innovation spares users the hassle of navigating to a different website to place their bids.

For Blurt, this means that a potential donor can send cryptocurrency directly to their favorite streamer — a Fortnite-playing tween, for example — right from the window where they are watching the live stream. “That’s one of the key advantages of blinks: it keeps viewers engaged with the content of the stream while they donate,” T.J. explained, adding that he himself is a streamer. He humorously noted, “I usually triumph over the five-year-olds, but those 12-year-olds are quite the challenge.”

Currently, Blurts are only functional on X, but T.J. has shared that the creators of blinks, a company called Dialect, have plans to expand the functionality to Twitch, a platform where millions of live streamers generate income through gaming.

Collaborative Spirit at mtnDAO

“I probably wouldn’t have launched this project if I were just working from home,” T.J. remarked, highlighting the vibrant “builder energy” that fills the WeWork space, which at its peak buzzed with around 70 developers busily typing away at their monitors. This collaborative environment also offers practical benefits; representatives from Dialect were present to assist T.J. in navigating the complexities of deploying on blinks. Additionally, employees from TipLink, another crypto payment startup focused on simplifying wallet onboarding through users’ Google accounts, were available for support.

“Being able to engage in casual conversations, exchange ideas, and showcase prototypes at every stage of development significantly expedited our progress,” T.J. reflected. This collaborative spirit is what makes mtnDAO not just a hacker house, but a thriving community of innovators.