From Creator Ecosystem to User Co-Creation: A Deep Dialogue on the Next-Generation Decentralized Content Platform Fractopus

Today, we are very honored to invite Chao, the Chief Operating Officer of Fractopus and Copus, to discuss in depth the cutting-edge project they are building—Fractopus. As a creative producer who has long been active in the fields of film and animation scoring, Chao and his team are dedicated to creating a community-driven, truly decentralized content discovery and connection network, leveraging their deep understanding of the content creator ecosystem. In this conversation, Chao will systematically elaborate on the background of Fractopus's inception, its technical logic, core philosophy, and how they aim to break the "information bubble" through innovative protocols, granting creators true ownership and freedom.

OPL: Could you briefly introduce yourself and share the founding intentions of Fractopus and Copus?

Chao: I am Chao, the CEO and co-founder of Copus. I am a producer and also a musician, primarily creating music and sound effects for animation and film. All members of our team, including our founder and CEO Hando (who is a film director), come from the creative field.

We founded Fractopus and Copus because, as a creator, I found that many emerging or grassroots content creators face difficulties in defining their content. Often, their music or other works are not entirely owned by them—sometimes they cannot publish their works independently or even showcase them on their own websites because the ownership has been taken by other platforms.

This is the original intention behind establishing Copus: to create a product that allows everyone to better understand and access creator content while deepening the connection between creators and audiences. These two core ideas drove the birth of Copus and our protocol Fractopus.

OPL: What challenges in the digital content space prompted you to develop an open-source protocol for linking URLs/URIs?

Chao: As I mentioned earlier, content ownership is a significant issue. However, from a problem-solution perspective, we observed three main problems.

The first is the "information bubble" problem. Each platform locks its content in a closed system. For example, many people in the crypto industry are active on Twitter, but if you only engage on YouTube, you might miss a lot of information or see it days later.

The second is algorithmic bias. Whether it's search engines or internal platform search systems, there will be biases. You must meet specific criteria to have a chance of being displayed. For instance, on Twitter, the weight of comments may be higher than likes, making it difficult for creators to receive genuine feedback, and users also struggle to find the content they want to see.

The third issue is that in the AI era, people think that simply "asking" will yield "answers." However, content exploration is not just about asking the right questions—sometimes you don't even know what to ask or what keywords to search for; you only have a vague idea in your mind. The answers from AI largely depend on how you frame your questions.

Therefore, we believe AI lacks a human touch. Q&A models are not suitable for content exploration. Our goal is to break the information bubble and promote a more open system. We are open-source, and anyone can contribute to this system or build their own version of Copus and Fractopus. We are not a single platform; we have a browser plugin that allows users to link any URL to specific pages, thereby connecting various content. We use AI for initial recommendations, but the final links are all manually verified and formed around genuine community interactions.

OPL: Fractopus is referred to as the world's first "inspiration network." Can you elaborate on this concept and how it differs from traditional content platforms?

Chao: Our core concept is "community-driven internet discovery." We emphasize "real people"—authentic individuals participating in recommendations. We allow every website to be recommended and have a set of manually curated related links. These links are formed through user clicks, votes, and interactions, just like liking a YouTube video.

AI can help organize content and make initial connections, especially when users are uncertain about what they want. On the Copus platform, users can also visualize their content connection map—particularly when using the plugin for personal research, they can see where they started, where they have gone, and how various content is interconnected.

Unlike traditional platforms, our system has no platform restrictions and can be used anywhere—personal blogs, tweets, YouTube videos, etc. There is no centralized platform, nor is there information blockage. Compared to search engines, we do not rely on biased algorithms. You can see the links established by others and the content they discovered. When visiting a page that has already been linked by others, you can see those "verified" connections, all of which are made by people. AI provides initial suggestions, but users can see all related content with just a click, creating a very smooth experience.

OPL: You recently found product-market fit in the fan fiction community. What do you think are the reasons for this success? How has it influenced your growth strategy?

Chao: Fan fiction is a fascinating area. Most fan fiction and derivative works actually exist in a gray area, with platforms like AO3, Pixiv, and even Twitter and YouTube being used to share this content.

The problem is that this content is scattered across different platforms, making it difficult for users to discover and access. Our users love being able to find all content with just one plugin.

Another reason is that we are open-source and decentralized, with all content on-chain. Many fan fiction and derivative works can easily be taken down by platforms, but through us, the content belongs to the creators themselves, stored on-chain, and is decentralized.

We also support decentralized payments. Many fans want to tip creators, but platforms like Patreon can pose legal risks. Through us, tipping is decentralized, making it safer for both creators and fans.

These three points address the actual needs of users and have helped us find product-market fit within this specific group.

OPL: Balancing fundraising and profitability is not easy. How are you advancing both simultaneously? What milestones have you achieved in these areas?

Chao: We previously conducted an angel round of financing. The main lead investor is AO Ventures, which supports our storage infrastructure and has an ecological fund to assist us. At the same time, we have established a partnership with the Chinese content DAO—Sea DAO.

The funding helped us build our MVP and confirmed our product-market fit. However, unlike many Web3 projects, we have found a path to sustainable development.

In the early stages, product-market fit is uncertain, so the best approach is to create an MVP first and then leverage these funds and ecological partnerships to reach potential users and test feedback.

Since then, most of our users have come from Web2, and they are willing to pay for content. Many users even proactively ask when they can tip creators, and creators also ask us how to receive support. Therefore, we are not in a hurry to monetize, which also reduces the pressure on us for the next round of financing.

Currently, we have about 4,000 registered users, with a monthly visit count of 30,000. Before April, we only had 1,800 users and 1,500 monthly visits. This means that since finding product-market fit, our monthly active users have grown rapidly.

There are now over 600 active creators who have published more than 3,600 works; the platform has 21,000 content links, with an average of 6-7 connections per work. This proves that our concept of "connecting content" indeed meets the genuine needs of creators and fans.

OPL: How has your collaboration with 0G enhanced Fractopus's capabilities in decentralized infrastructure and scalability?

Chao: I can say that joining 0G has come at a very opportune time. Through 0G, we can store larger files, such as images and videos, and provide stronger data security and durability for the platform.

If creators encounter legal risks or their works are taken down, they can still retain all content through permanent storage, making it easy to access their posts, files, and all connections.

As an open-source platform, users can also use 0G's infrastructure to build their own knowledge bases or personalized versions.

OPL: How do you see the future development of Fractopus and 0G together? Which upcoming technology roadmap from 0G is crucial for you?

Chao: We are very much looking forward to 0G's support for large language models and on-chain computing. Our content discovery system relies on AI, and if we can use 0G for on-chain computing, it would be the most suitable choice, especially in the context of Web3.

We also hope to migrate more infrastructure on-chain, which will make the system more decentralized and more trustworthy for users.

OPL: Reflecting on your experience in the accelerator program, what key takeaways have significantly impacted the development trajectory of Fractopus?

Chao: One important takeaway is that, as a small team with limited resources, we actually do not have much energy to do all the important things, and each task takes longer to complete. OnePiece Labs made us determined to be more self-sustaining rather than relying solely on fundraising. I know that many founders like us do very well on the product side and create cool products, but we may not be the best suited to fully invest in fundraising, as it is indeed very time-consuming.

Additionally, 0G and OnePiece Labs gave us confidence: if the product is good enough and we find a genuine user base, especially with breakthroughs in market fit, we should have confidence in transitioning to a self-sustainable business model. This also brings more confidence when discussing specific details with investors.

OnePiece Labs made us realize that as long as the product is solid and the users are real, we do not need to chase funding constantly. This understanding gives us more confidence and flexibility, allowing us to grow at our own pace and negotiate more assertively when needed.

OPL: How have the resources and networks of the accelerator helped you achieve product-market fit and expand your user base?

Chao: Before joining the project, we explored many directions—building on Web3, serving AI content creators, operating Twitter communities, and so on, and we tried many platforms.

Later, we focused on the direction of "fan creation." Throughout the OnePiece Labs project, we were repeatedly reminded to stay grounded. Since we are content creators ourselves, we should engage more with the content creation circles we are familiar with, whether in Web2 or Web3.

Although our infrastructure is decentralized and uses AI, that does not mean we can only serve AI creators or AI enthusiasts. Everyone will need AI, whether it's a Q&A AI chatbot or an exploratory tool like ours.

This made us more open-minded. We began to return to our roots as creators, focusing on the user group we understand best—fan fiction writers and grassroots storytellers. This positioning helped us find better product-market fit and allowed our user growth to be more natural and rapid.

OPL: Looking ahead, what is the next significant milestone for Fractopus? How do you plan to achieve it?

Chao: We will continue to support our creator community—we call them "Weavers." They are both creating and connecting content, weaving the entire network together.

We will also launch the $WEB token to reward their contributions. We are planning a brand-new advertising system: unlike the centralized advertising revenue distribution model, advertisers will pay directly to the page owners and "Weavers," thanking them for helping to establish connections between content.

As I mentioned earlier, we are a browser plugin that can be used on any website. This is a very suitable new way for advertising. Traditional advertising platforms typically collect advertising fees first and then distribute them according to platform rules. What we are doing is having advertisers pay directly to page owners and content connectors. This is a more direct approach that has never been seen before, and even large companies have not achieved this yet. We are very confident that this will bring real benefits to our users. We are also closely monitoring 0G's next steps, such as on-chain large models (on-chain LLMs) and more scalable storage capabilities. This way, we can store more content, connect more resources, and even allow the entire AI functionality to run completely on-chain.

OPL: In the coming years, how does Fractopus view its role and impact in the transformation of digital content and decentralized platforms?

Chao: We have observed an overall trend—from the past when people purchased content on platforms like Amazon to now, where more and more users choose to buy on independent websites. These independent sites have also nurtured many well-known brands. We believe that content creators will increasingly step away from centralized platforms like YouTube and Twitter. More and more people are building their personal websites, subscription newsletters, and communities.

Fans are also more willing to pay directly for content rather than supporting creators through ad views or relying on platform revenue sharing. Compared to traditional methods, this approach is more direct and fairer. We hope to promote this shift. Today's fans and users truly value the intrinsic worth of content, and they are willing to pay for it. We believe this is a very opportune time to fully invest in serving digital content creators.

As a decentralized platform, we will also provide more guarantees for creators. We will not arbitrarily take down content or cut off creators' income sources like centralized platforms do. We are open-source and decentralized. Crypto payments offer a safer solution in many regions worldwide. In some areas, content and payments are subject to legal restrictions, while our approach provides a safer and freer environment for creators and content consumers.

OPL: What advice would you give to entrepreneurs looking to start in the Web3 content creation space?

Chao: First, focus on real value. We are confident in our self-sustaining model because we are solving a problem we deeply understand. We are both content creators and consumers, and we know what users need.

Sometimes, finding product-market fit is easier than finding investors. There are many pain points in Web2 that only Web3 can truly solve, such as decentralized storage and decentralized payments for specific content. This area has not yet been heavily explored. Many people focus on DeFi or token-related projects because they are more intuitive, but there are also many opportunities worth exploring in the content space.

Do not overly rely on token economics or immediate incentives. Your product itself must stand on its own; incentives are just the icing on the cake. For projects like ours, the community is key. You need users to actively use, create content, and build connections. So do not rush to attract users through incentives; first, test whether your product can genuinely solve problems. If the product has started to retain users, that itself is a reward.

You can add additional incentives based on this to encourage deeper collaboration or motivate existing users to bring in new users. But fundamentally, it’s about impressing them with your product and making them willing to pay. As long as you are confident that they will pay for the product, the subsequent process will be much easier than worrying about token prices. For AI startups, explore different application scenarios to keep the product open and transparent. While AI chatbots are useful, they cannot be the only form and cannot be a long-term sustainable approach.

For Web3 projects, issuing tokens and airdrops are common methods, but they must be done sustainably. You need to guide the community to understand that as the product and community develop, the value of each incentive will increase. Most importantly, do not forget your earliest, truly product-fit users. They are your most steadfast supporters and partners who helped you go from 0 to 1. Do not disappoint them. Treat your core users well. They are your earliest promoters and strongest supporters.

As a decentralized product, openness is often your biggest differentiator from Web2 giants. We are very open—for example, we are open-source and highly transparent about our development progress. We release weekly briefings for users summarizing our team meetings, allowing everyone to see our progress. What I want to say is: always prioritize openness. Let users and fans see that you are serious about your work and the progress you are making.

Some early users may genuinely view this product as their "child" because they have spent a lot of time on this platform, providing content, attention, and feedback. They will sincerely feel happy for your progress. Just like with my parents—if I don’t call them for a week, they will worry about me. The same principle applies here.