New York, Oct. 18, 2022: Novel – the no-code Web3 commerce platform – is today launching its new app in the Shopify App Store to make Web3 accessible and approachable for all merchants. Novel will facilitate the sale of NFTs and digital services alongside physical goods on existing Shopify storefronts, unlocking next level engagement for brands and creators.
Web3 offers brands and creators tremendous power through new models of patronage, ownership, community-building and future investment. Novel’s Shopify app will layer Web3 commerce on to the already established ecommerce platform, to equip merchants with the tools they need to harness the power of Web3 without prior technical knowledge, upfront financial or time commitment.
As the first all-in-one Web3 tool on Shopify, Novel powers everything from NFT creation and collection drops to token-gating, while handling all the programming and blockchain management responsibilities for the user. With the same simplicity as adding a new t-shirt to an existing storefront, merchants can use the app to upload an existing NFT collection or use the art generator to create a new one. Novel will then automatically deploy the smart contract for the NFT and drop it on the users Shopify storefront on behalf of the merchant. Users are able to control the list date, drop date and reveal date at their discretion to drive traffic, fuel gamification and community around the new collection.
Beyond NFT creation, the new Novel app also powers token-gating for retailers to add use cases to their NFT collections. Merchants can use the app to add token-based utility to their Shopify storefronts in the form of token-gated products, URLs and discounts, cross-chain gating on Solana, Ethereum and Polygon, ERC-20 gating and a Shopify tags integration which authenticates token ownership for use in other apps.
For customers, they will see Web3 products integrated amongst traditional ones, where they can then purchase NFTs using the payment method of their choice – credit card or crypto. Novel powers the currency-bridge, as well as the creation of the crypto wallet on behalf of the customer. Once purchased, customers are invited to activate their new wallets where they can then claim their NFT, which is then minted in real time. The purchase flow seamlessly takes customers from checkout to claiming their token in their new crypto wallet in less than 2 minutes – where owners can then see the benefits and utilities of ownership listed under each token.
“Shopify has built a unique ecosystem of developers ‘beneath the hood’ of the platform,” said CEO and Co-Founder of Novel Roger Beaman. “By integrating with Shopify, we’re able to leverage the industry-leading ecommerce platform they have built to equip all Shopify merchants with the tools they need to enter the Web3 commerce space. Our app will enable retailers to harness the power of the next iteration of the internet, unlocking the loyalty, community and engagement building capabilities of Web3.”
“We’re happy to welcome Novel to the Shopify App Store to help merchants build new and creative commerce experiences through NFTs,” said John S. Lee, Lead of the Blockchain Ecosystem at Shopify. “Our growing blockchain ecosystem demonstrates our commitment to supporting merchants as they sell NFTs directly through their storefronts, helping to further grow participation in Web3 and expand what’s possible in commerce.”
Novel is on a mission to eliminate the barriers to enter Web3 commerce and community building, with a seamless no-code experience for both merchants and customers. Starting with the Shopify ecosystem, Novel is enabling next-generation brands to enter the Web3 space by making Web3 commerce as easy as traditional online shopping.
ABOUT NOVEL
Founded in 2021 by Roger Beaman, the founder of Smartrr, Anna Merzi, founder of AlgoPay, and Brian Sugar, Group Nine Media President and Founder of Sugar Capita and POPSUGAR, Novel is an end-to-end Web3 solution leveraging existing e-commerce infrastructure and payment methods to bring the value of digital goods and their numerous Web3 applications to traditional online shopping experiences, starting in the Shopify ecosystem. In addition to solving the current distribution issues surrounding the creation, minting, and sale of NFTs, Novel is the first to layer no-code utility and functionality to NFTs available across the Shopify platform.