TalentLink DAO - Web3 Creator Discovery Platform

A hackathon project for the 3percentclub Hackathon that combines Web3 and AI to discover and uplift underrepresented creators.

🎯 Project Overview

TalentLink DAO is a decentralized platform where creators can mint their profiles as NFTs, get discovered by curators, and unlock token-gated opportunities through community voting. AI helps auto-tag creator bios and match them to relevant opportunities.

🚀 Features

• Profile NFTs: Creators mint soulbound NFTs representing their profiles
• DAO Voting: Curators vote using ERC-20 tokens to promote creators
• AI Integration: Automatic bio tagging and opportunity matching using OpenRouter
• Token-Gated Access: Opportunities locked behind vote thresholds
• Leaderboard: Rankings based on community votes
• Web3 Wallet Integration: RainbowKit for seamless wallet connections

🛠 Tech Stack

• Frontend: React + TypeScript + Tailwind CSS + Framer Motion
• Web3: RainbowKit + wagmi + viem
• Smart Contracts: Solidity (ERC-721, ERC-20, DAO voting)
• Backend: Supabase (PostgreSQL)
• AI: OpenRouter (OpenAI-compatible API)
• Deployment: Vite build system

📦 Installation & Setup

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+
• npm or yarn
• Supabase account
• OpenRouter API key
• Wallet with testnet ETH

1. Clone the repository

git clone <repository-url>
cd talentlink-dao

2. Install dependencies

npm install

3. Set up Supabase

1. Create a new Supabase project
2. Run the migrations in supabase/migrations/
3. Set up your environment variables (see below)

4. Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root directory:

VITE_SUPABASE_URL=your_supabase_url
VITE_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your_supabase_anon_key
VITE_OPENROUTER_API_KEY=your_openrouter_api_key

5. Start the development server

npm run dev

🔧 Smart Contract Deployment

The project includes three main contracts:

1. TalentLinkNFT.sol - ERC-721 for creator profile NFTs (soulbound)
2. TalentLinkToken.sol - ERC-20 voting tokens with faucet functionality
3. TalentLinkDAO.sol - DAO voting mechanism

Deploy these contracts to your preferred testnet and update the contract addresses in src/hooks/useWeb3.ts.

🎮 Demo Walkthrough (3-5 minutes)

For Creators:

1. Connect Wallet - Use RainbowKit to connect your Web3 wallet
2. Create Profile - Fill out the creator form with bio, skills, portfolio links
3. AI Tagging - Watch AI automatically generate relevant tags from your bio
4. Mint NFT - Mint your profile as a soulbound NFT (simulated for demo)
5. Get Discovered - Share your profile and appear in the discovery page

For Curators:

1. Claim Tokens - Get voting tokens from the faucet
2. Browse Creators - Explore diverse creator profiles with search/filtering
3. Vote & Support - Use tokens to vote for creators you want to support
4. View Impact - See how votes affect creator rankings and access

Key Features Demo:

• AI Matching - Show how AI matches creators to relevant opportunities
• Token-Gated Access - Demonstrate how vote thresholds unlock opportunities
• Leaderboard - Display community-driven creator rankings
• Real-time Updates - Show live vote counts and ranking changes

🧪 Challenges Faced & Solutions

1. Web3 Integration Complexity

Challenge: Integrating multiple Web3 components (wallets, contracts, tokens) Solution: Used wagmi/viem stack with RainbowKit for streamlined Web3 interactions

2. AI Integration

Challenge: Making AI feel meaningful, not just a checkbox feature Solution: Implemented practical AI use cases - bio tagging and opportunity matching

3. Database Design

Challenge: Designing schema that supports both Web3 and traditional data Solution: Hybrid approach using Supabase with wallet addresses as primary keys

4. Demo Readiness

Challenge: Creating a convincing demo without full smart contract deployment Solution: Implemented demo mode with simulated transactions and sample data

🎨 Design Philosophy

• Accessibility First: Clean, high-contrast design that works for all users
• Web3 Native: Familiar Web3 UI patterns with wallet-first interactions
• Community Focused: Social features that encourage discovery and support
• Mobile Responsive: Works seamlessly across all device sizes

📊 Database Schema

Creators Table

• Profile information, skills, AI tags
• NFT minting status and vote counts
• Portfolio links and social connections

Votes Table

• Vote history with curator and creator addresses
• Amount and transaction hashes
• Timestamp tracking for analytics

Opportunities Table

• Job/collaboration opportunities
• Token requirements and categories
• Application URLs and company info

🚀 Future Roadmap

• Mainnet Deployment - Deploy to Ethereum/Polygon mainnet
• Advanced AI - More sophisticated matching algorithms
• Mobile App - Native mobile experience
• Creator Analytics - Dashboard with performance metrics
• DAO Governance - Community governance for platform decisions

🤝 Contributing

This is a hackathon project built in one week. Contributions, feedback, and suggestions are welcome!