Adshares blockchain-based advertising ecosystem — a complete guide

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Adshares

13 min readMar 11, 2019

The following guide was created for advertisers and publishers who want to join Adshares blockchain-based advertising ecosystem, as well as current and prospective ADST and ADS holders. It covers all key features and tools of the Adshares ecosystem and explains how to join the network or become a holder.

I. How to use ADS Wallet

ADS Wallet is a secure identity vault for Adshares, that was designed to store keys and provide cryptographic transaction signing. It can also be used to create or import accounts and send basic transactions. Our wallet provides integration with internal and external services connected to Adshares network. It is a convenient, free, open-source client-side tool.

There are two versions of the plugin — the first one works with Chrome and Opera browsers (install via Chrome Web Store), while the other one was designed for Mozilla Firefox (install via Firefox Add-ons).

Installing ADS Wallet web browser plugin is a recommended step to join Adshares network as an advertiser or a publisher.

Who can use ADS Wallet?

ADS Wallet can be used by three types of users:

those who don’t have an account and a key — i.e. new users
those who already have an account and a key that is not based on a seed phrase
those who already have a key based on a seed phrase

What is important, ADS Wallet also supports Testnet, so each user can try it prior to handling actual transactions or storing real keys. The plugin operated in Testnet mode uses Testnet accounts.

2. How to configure ADS Wallet?

Let’s start with the main panel. Depending on whether you already have a seed phrase, you can either create a new vault or recover the one you already have. Please note that you can use ADS Wallet both in mainnet and testnet mode.

I don’t have a seed phrase

In case you don’t have a seed phrase, you need to follow the procedure described below:

Hit the start button. The plugin will ask you to enter and confirm the password. After accepting the Terms of Use, the plugin will assign a seed phrase. As soon as you write down the seed phrase and store it in a safe place, you are good to go.

Choose between setting a new free account (green button) and importing an account that you already have (blue button).

If you choose “Get free account” a set of keys will be generated based on your seed phrase. All keys, which are cryptographically protected by the password, are stored locally on a device and are not archived or sent anywhere. It’s important to keep that in mind, as the seed phrase is the only way of recovering the vault. If you want to view your keys you need to go into Main Menu -> Settings -> and click the orange icon located next to the account address.

If you choose the “Import account” option, you will be asked to enter the account name and account address and hit the “Import” key. In case you want to add another account to the ADS Wallet, you just need to go into Main Menu -> Settings -> hit the “Add account” button, provide account name & address and authenticate the operation with your password. Once your account is added, you can use the plugin to sign ADS Operator transactions.

I already have a seed phrase

In case you are one of the users who already have a seed phrase, you have to begin with clicking the “Restore the vault from a seed” button. The next step requires entering your seed phrase and setting a password. Once you are done, you have to import your account. The procedure is the same for users who have a seed phrase as well as for the ones who don’t.

The plugin can serve up to 20 accounts. In order to switch to a different wallet, you need to click the account name on the top of the plugin and select the one you want to use from a dropdown list.

Apart from transferring assets to other accounts, users can view their account balance in real time.

How to transfer assets?

In order to transfer funds you just need to hit the “Send Transaction” button in the main panel, provide the ID of the account you want to transfer your ADS to, enter the amount and write a message in hexadecimal format (0–9; A-F; up to 64 characters) or alternatively a regular text (up to 32 characters).

In the next step, you need to review transfer data. At this point, you can also tick “Advanced data” to view all information that will be sent to the blockchain. Once you accept the transaction, you’ll get a transaction ID along with the fee information. The blockchain charges 0.1% fee in case of transactions between nodes and 0.05% in case of transactions within the same node.

Once you click the transaction ID, you are transferred to the Block Explorer, where you can check your account balance. It’s visible after approx. 15 minutes, as soon as the blockchain scans it. It is also possible to access Block Explorer from the main panel after clicking the “Details” button.

Importing private keys

ADS Wallet also offers private keys import. To import your private key, you need to access the menu from the main panel, then go into Settings. Next, you simply hit “Manage keys” and “Import new key”. It’s necessary to type in your key name and private key. The plugin can also check if the private key is correct. It’s possible to verify it using your public key. You can view your keys once you click the yellow icon. The plugin can handle up to 20 imported private keys.

Please keep in mind that it is not possible to recover private keys that were imported manually after uninstalling the plugin, as all private keys are stored only locally. In case of accounts with such keys (e.g. genesis block accounts), we recommend changing keys to seed-phrase-based keys. For security reasons we also advise not to use the master key and to use one key with one account only.

General remarks

ADS Wallet uses our own JSON-RPC to communicate with blockchain. It is publicly available on our GitHub profile along with the documentation.

For some users it may be more convenient to use the plugin in a separate browser window. In order to switch to this mode you just need to click “Expand view” in the Main Menu.

The Chrome version of our plugin supports Google Chrome synchronization, which means it can be synchronized across many devices.

II. How to get ADS?

There are two ways of getting ADS coins.

Cryptocurrency exchanges

ADS

Available ADS exchange:

https://graviex.net

You can purchase ADS using BTC, ETH, LTC, GIO, USDT.

You can track ADS on many websites, e.g.:

ADST

Available ADST exchanges:

Next, you should convert your ADST into ADS. Please note that ADST will be available only until June 30, 2019. After this date it will not be possible to convert ADST into ADS anymore.

2. Airdrops and bounty campaigns

Also, we recommend following our Twitter profile, where we are announcing airdrops and campaigns in which you can earn ADS (e.g. crowdholding.com campaigns)

III. How to convert ADST into ADS?

Please keep in mind that ADST stored on cryptocurrency exchanges must be also converted. Exchanges are not automatically converting ADST into ADS, that is why it is necessary to transfer ADST to a wallet first (e.g. MEW / MetaMask) and then follow the procedure.

Install and configure ADS Wallet

A detailed instruction covering ADS Wallet installation and configuration, as well as new account creation is available in the first part of this article.

2. Burn your tokens

Once your account is operational, you can move on to conversion. We created a web tool that will help you prepare a proper transaction for Ethereum network. This tool will also validate the account address. Click here to launch the tool.

How to use Adshares conversion tool

First of all, you need to enter the amount of ADST you would like to burn. Please note that it has to be a whole number. Next, you need to type in your ADS account address and click the “Generate” button.

In the next step, you need to send 0 ETH (zero ETH) to the ADST contract address displayed by the tool. The transfer has to be sent from your personal wallet (e.g. MyEtherWallet, MetaMask), using the data generated by the conversion tool. In case you are using MetaMask you can send the transaction using the plugin. You just need to click the button.

If you are not using MetaMask you must enter the transaction data to your wallet manually — i.e. copy the contract address and paste it in the “To Address” section. Next, you must copy your transaction data and paste it in the message section.

Please make sure that you are NOT sending ADST instead of ETH and that you are NOT using a smart contract. Also, please note that in case you accidentally send an ADST transfer instead of the ETH one, the conversion will not be effective, as we will not get the account information necessary to transfer ADS.

We recommend setting the gas limit in your wallet to 100,000.

3. Enjoy brand new ADS coins

Every conversion is checked manually, so it usually takes up to 24–48 hours. You can check the status of the conversion here.

Once the conversion process is over your account balance will be increased by the equivalent of your burned tokens in ADS. In case the conversion takes longer do not hesitate to message us on Telegram.

IV. How to join the Testnet

Testnet is Adshares’ testing environment. It is a place where all applications will be deployed before the production phase. Adshares intention is to run production-ready code in the Testnet and make it available to master node operators and exchanges who wish to try out Adshares’ solutions. Everyone is invited to take part. Testnet blockexplorer is available here.

Testnet comparison with the production environment

Although applications in the Testnet are ready for production deployment, this environment cannot be used for commercial purposes. Stability (thus security) of the Testnet is lower. Adshares does not assure continuity of services. It is possible that the Testnet will be restarted and some data will be lost.

We strongly advise NOT TO USE the same credentials (secret keys) in the Testnet and in the production environment.

Creating an account

ADS Testnet account can be created automatically using browser Wallet.

After the installation, you should switch to Testnet, configure ADS Wallet and click the “Get free account” button. Now you can copy your account address.

Get free test coins

You can get coins using Twitter. Simply, tweet a message containing the #adsTestnet hashtag and your account address. Don’t forget to mention @adsharesNet.

Please, see the sample tweet below:

@adsharesNet fill up my account 0003–0000000B-6E87 in #adsTestNet

You should receive a response with a success info within a few minutes. Your account will have 1024 ADS, which is sufficient to perform tests. Three accounts per user can be created at most.

V. How to use Advertising Ecosystem Demo

AdServer Release Candidate was published in January 2019. It is a demo of key components of the Adshares ecosystem that features a user-friendly web interface. There are two panels available — one for advertisers and one for publishers. The selection dropdown is available in the upper left corner. Each of the panels offers a wide range of settings and options. Both, the advertisers and the publishers, also have access to history, as well as to e-mail and password settings.

There was also a demo website , which showcases how banners can be displayed on publishers’ sites, depending on a device and window size.

Key components:

Advertiser module: defining campaigns, setting campaign budget and targeting. Before launching a campaign the advertiser has to transfer ADS to the account and provide a minimum amount for a 1-hour campaign. Once all is set, the campaign, along with all related information, is distributed across the network. Based on the results, funds are transferred every hour directly to the publisher.
Publisher module: registering websites on which banners will be displayed, generating code to be placed on websites. The module automatically scans Adshares network in search of ads.
AdSelect module: handling ads display. AdSelect learns based on interaction history, views, payments and credibility of the advertiser. The module optimises ads selection to maximise publishers’ revenue. As soon as the advertisement is selected and the campaign is live, all events are passed to the Advertiser module and the Publisher module.
AdPay module: calculating funds. Based on campaign results, the AdPay module decides once per hour how much should be transferred from the advertiser to the publisher. The transfer is made every hour, and the publisher can withdraw funds instantly. The advertiser sets the total budget for the entire campaign and the maximum budget for a specific event (CPM and CPC).

How to use the Demo — Advertisers

Before using the Advertiser module it’s necessary to join the Testnet. Then you must register on the platform and confirm your registration via email. The next step is the selection of Advertiser’s panel, in which you will find all campaign settings. Before uploading your banners and going through the campaign settings, it’s necessary to transfer ADS from the Testnet wallet to your account. Once your funds are on the account, you are good to go.

At this point, you need to create a new campaign, upload your banners and choose settings. Your ads will be displayed on our partners’ websites. Once your campaign is up and running, you can check how each of the banners is performing and make some adjustments to the campaign in case it’s needed. To achieve the best results, we advise to always upload banners in all formats supported by the platform.

All events are balanced on an hourly basis, and payments are made instantly, which helps optimising campaign settings.

How to use the Demo — Publishers

Once you register and confirm your registration via email, you need to select “Publisher” in the upper left corner. Next, you have to define a site you want to place banners on and then determine the ad unit. The last thing you need to do is to generate the code and place it on your website.

In case you placed your code on more than one website you can manage all sites from “My sites” page. There is also “My ad-units” page where you generate code based on banner dimensions.

Payments from advertisers are made on an hourly basis, which lets the publisher see immediate effects of campaigns and withdraw funds right away.

How to generate code and place it on a website — Publisher module

First, it is necessary to add at least one site on which ads will be displayed. To do so you need to hit the “Add new site” button in the upper right corner of the Publisher module and follow instructions. Once the site is added, it becomes visible on the bottom of the main dashboard.

To get the code to be placed on your website you need to click the website name and then the “Get code” button.

The generated code must be copied and pasted on your website in a place of your choice.

How to place an Ad Unit on a Wordpress website

The code can be generated and placed on a website in a way described above. Additionally, we developed a plugin for Wordpress websites, which provides integration with Adshares AdServer for publishers. It makes the implementation even more straightforward and automates the process of placing the code on the website.

The installation is very simple. You just need to go to YourWebsite -> Plugins -> Add New, search for “Adshares” and click “Install Now”. There is also an alternative installation for those who prefer to use Composer.

Once the plugin is installed, all you need to do is type in https://demo.adshares.net as “Server URL”, log in into your Adshares account using your registration credentials, and select which ad units will be displayed. The plugin supports various options for position and visibility.

In case of a high demand for a similar plugin for other popular platforms, we may consider creating dedicated plugins. If you own a website based on a popular platform, and would be in interested in such a plugin, please get in touch with us.

Why should you consider choosing Adshares?

Adshares is the first 100% decentralized marketplace for programmatic advertising, also being one of the most advanced blockchain-based projects in the advertising market. We use our own, unique blockchain to connect publishers and advertisers, allowing them to make direct deals.

Combined with some unique features, Adshares offers a very interesting set of advantages over mainstream and crypto ad networks such as Google Ads, Coinzilla, CoinTraffic, PropellerAds, Adsterra, or Mellow Ads:

- Decentralization of ad servers and innovation in ad delivery to minimize the possibility of ad blocking

- Significantly lower fees compared to mainstream advertising networks

- Transparency and increased freedom — no middlemen who can censor or block content. The publisher is the one who decides what content can be displayed on their website

- Availability for small advertisers — no need for significant funds to join the network

- No verification — only e-mail is required to start advertising

Our open ecosystem is based on a reliable and secure ADS Blockchain that has been tested to process up to 1.4M transfers per second, making it significantly faster than Bitcoin, Ethereum, Bitshares, and all other available blockchains.

If you want to join the network or learn more about Adshares and decentralised digital advertising, click here. You can also follow us on Twitter and share your thoughts on our Telegram group.