Hey everyone!
I’m Javier, and I’m diving deep into the web3 space with my project, <a href="https://rafflchain.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">RafflChain</a>. I’ve built RafflChain as a raffle platform, but I’m thinking about steering its future in a slightly different direction and would love your input.
<h3>How RafflChain Works:</h3>
<ol>
<li>Launch: I deploy a smart contract for the raffle that’s set to end in one month. It all starts with a prize pool of 0 USDC.</li>
<li>Buy Tickets: Users purchase tickets using USDC, which adds to the prize pool.</li>
<li>Raffle Ends: Once the month is up, no more tickets can be bought.</li>
<li>Donate: I check the total donations and create a donation on <a href="https://thegivingblock.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">The Giving Block</a> with the collected USDC.</li>
<li>Distribute Prizes: The smart contract finalizes the raffle, giving 50% of the pot to a randomly selected winner, 45% to charity, and 5% to me to fund future raffles.</li>
</ol>
<hr>
<h3>Why I Started RafflChain:</h3>
I’ve always liked raffles because there’s always a winner, unlike lotteries. Plus, I wanted to create something that gives back to the community. Seeing successful projects like <a href="https://omaze.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Omaze</a> and <a href="https://rafflehouse.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">RaffleHouse</a> inspired me to go for this idea.
<h3>Current Challenges:</h3>
<h4>ERC-20 Limitations</h4>
<ul>
<li>
User Experience: Initially, I chose ERC-20 because “Win 2000 USDC” is straightforward. But now I’m reconsidering. Using ETH directly might make it feel more relatable, like “Win 1 ETH (~$2456).”
</li>
<li>
Approval Hassles: The two-step approval process for ERC-20 tokens feels clunky and a bit pushy. It might even look suspicious to some systems. <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/1inch/comments/1fn67kq/how_can_i_verify_or_stop_1inch_shield_from/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Check this out</a> for more on why this can be flagged.
</li>
</ul>
Thinking of switching to native tokens to streamline the process and support multiple chains more easily. 
What do you guys think about moving to native tokens instead of ERC-20?
<h4>Starting Pot Issues</h4>
<ul>
<li>
Zero Starting Point: Starting the pot at 0 can be a turn-off for users. I don’t have the funds to manually boost the pool, which makes it harder to attract participants initially.
</li>
<li>
Alternative Approach: Instead of starting at 0, I’m considering setting an initial prize like 1 ETH that will only be awarded if we sell enough tickets to reach our first milestone. If we don’t hit the milestone, we’ll give half of the pot as the prize and the other half to charity, since we can’t provide the full promised prize. Additionally, if the pot reaches higher thresholds (e.g., 3 ETH), we can adjust the distribution to offer bigger prizes in future raffles.
</li>
</ul>
What’s your take on these starting pot strategies? Any other ideas to make RafflChain more appealing?
<hr>
<h3>Looking for Your Feedback!</h3>
I’m really keen to hear your thoughts on these changes. Whether it’s about moving to native tokens, adjusting the prize pool strategy, or anything else, your feedback will help shape RafflChain into something awesome.
Thanks a ton for your help!

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Javier introduces his Web3 project, RafflChain, a raffle platform where users buy tickets using USDC. The system donates 45% of the prize pool to charity, 50% to a winner, and keeps 5% for future raffles. He is seeking feedback on switching from ERC-20 to native tokens to simplify user experience and considering strategies to improve the initial prize pool to make the platform more attractive.

Seeking Feedback on my Web3 Raffle Platform with Native Tokens and Charity Integration

This is really a commendable project. Thumbs up 👍 !
On whether to use ERC20 token or native token (ether): Consider gas fees. I think using USDC on any L2 protocol is more gas efficient for users.
You can consider making it SaaS (Software as a service). You can leverage on factory contract to achieve this. I am suggesting this so that anyone can use your Dapp and create/deploy an instance of your RaffleChain. So different raffles can run simultaneously within your Dapp.
Then for ERC20 token approval, honestly that can be a hassle but there is a solution for that. You can checkout Uniswap. There is a solution on how to batch “approval” and “transferFrom” in one transaction.
Overall, this is a solid project