Token Metadata Management Through Shared Base URI Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Minting non-fungible tokens (NFTs) with different metadata conventionally requires writing large amounts of data to the blockchain, causing computational strain and reducing the efficiency of the minting process, especially when the network is congested.
Innovation Solution
Use a shared, base uniform resource identifier (URI) on the blockchain for multiple NFTs, with a metadata URI generated using the base URI and each token's identifier to store metadata off-chain, reducing computational load on the blockchain.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If different metadata is written to the blockchain for each NFT, then each token can have unique information, but the blockchain network experiences computational strain and slower execution times
Solution Approach 1:
The metadata is segmented into two parts: a shared base URI stored on the blockchain and token-specific identifiers stored off-chain. This segmentation allows the blockchain to store only essential common information while unique details are handled externally, resolving the contradiction between maintaining metadata uniqueness and improving minting speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from a single-dimension approach (storing all metadata on-chain) to a multi-dimensional approach by distributing metadata across different storage layers: base URI on blockchain and specific metadata off-chain. This dimensional change enables both uniqueness preservation and performance improvement.
2Reliability
If large amounts of metadata are written to the blockchain for each NFT, then complete token information is stored on-chain, but network congestion increases and transaction processing times significantly increase
Solution Approach 1:
The solution extracts the time-consuming metadata writing operation from the critical minting path. By storing only the base URI on-chain and keeping detailed metadata off-chain, the blockchain transaction is significantly reduced in size and complexity, thereby reducing processing time while maintaining data integrity through cryptographic references.
Solution Approach 2:
The base URI acts as an intermediary between the blockchain and off-chain metadata storage. It provides a reliable link to external storage while keeping the on-chain data minimal, thus maintaining data integrity without burdening the blockchain with large data volumes.
3Productivity
If a shared base URI is used for multiple NFTs, then blockchain congestion is reduced and minting speed improves, but each token's unique metadata must be managed off-chain
Solution Approach 1:
The base URI serves multiple functions: it is stored on-chain for all tokens, provides a reference to off-chain storage, and enables both shared and unique metadata access. This multi-functionality simplifies the overall system by having a single universal reference point rather than managing separate storage mechanisms for each token.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for token metadata management are disclosed. A system can determine that a token has been minted on a blockchain based on a smart contract identifying an identifier of the token and a base uniform resource identifier (URI). Responsive to determining that the token has been minted on the blockchain, the system stores metadata for the token at a location in a database. The database corresponds to the base URI and the location in the database is identified by the identifier of the token. The system generates a metadata URI for the token based on the base URI and the identifier for the token, detects a change to a status of a contest identified in the metadata of the token, and upon detecting the change to the status of the contest, modifies the metadata of the token using the metadata URI.