Just recently, I found out about MonaCard from one of the members in the ZENZO Community by the name 爆裂タコ玉ねぎ. They reached out to a designer by the name of ぽんぽんさん. Then, they took the character ZENZO-Chan (originally created by しーまいーま) and made a new design for a limited edition MonaCard with a storyline (description) and 1,000 copies.
Thanks to some help from people on Twitter, I was able to get in contact with the founder of Monacard, Nachat. Below, all of my questions will be written in bold and his responses will be in quotations.
So, what is MonaCard? Let’s get into it…
What is MonaCard and what inspired you to create it?
“A Monacard is the bridge between images and tokens.
First of all, Monacard uses Monaparty tokens. Monaparty is clone of Counterparty. (Counterparty is running on the Bitcoin Blockchain and it is a system for making tokens.) Monaparty and Counterpaty are almost same, but Monaparty is running on the Monacoin Blockchain. So, it is called ‘Mona’ party. Monaparty was created by https://twitter.com/MonapartyXMP, not me.
In the Monacard Ecosystem, anyone can register their own token’s image and create a card. Monacard has an API, so services supporting Monacard can display tokens like a card.
I was inspired by ‘Book of Orbs’. Book of Orbs uses Counterparty tokens. Book of Orbs is much more wonderful than Monacard. Books of Orbs and Monacard are quite similar, but with Monacard, anyone can register and use the free API. Also, it minimizes costs because Monaparty uses the Monacoin Blockchain.”
Which blockchain(s) is MonaCard built on and how does it work?
“Layer 1: Monacoin Blockchain
Layer 2: Monaparty Protocol
Layer 3: Monacard API ←
Layer 4: Services supporting Monacard
Monacard is not a blockchain protocol. It only links Monaparty assets(on blockchain) and images with RDB.
Monacard uses a Monaparty address ‘signature’ to prove that the user is the true owner of the asset(s).”
What all can you do with a MonaCard?
“Anyone can register card(s), send, buy, sell, or trade(with the Monaparty Protocol supported Decentralized Exchange — DEX).
Since Monacard has an API, anyone can create services. For example, Monya Wallet and Monapachan (web wallet, tipbot, support, Monacard lottery).”
What is the best website or application to collect, store, and track MonaCard?
“For storing Monacards, https://wallet.monaparty.me is the best because it is the official Monaparty Wallet and can use the decentralized exchange(dex). Although, it does not support a visual display of Monacard(s). In order to display cards, use https://card.mona.jp/ with the Monaparty address ‘signature’.
If you do not use the DEX or official wallet listed above, Monya is the best wallet.
For collecting, Monapachan is great for support, lottery, freebies, etc…
For tracking, https://mpchain.info/ is the best. It is Monaparty’s token explorer.”
Where and how can someone obtain and purchase MonaCards?
“First, you have to create a Monaparty wallet. You can use https://wallet.monaparty.me or https://monya-wallet.github.io.
Please make your own address and then you can send and receive Monacards.
To buy a Monacard, use https://wallet.monaparty.me DEX with ‘XMP’. XMP is not listed on any exchange, so it is hard to obtain XMP.
If you want to make your own Monacard. Link your wallet address to https://card.mona.jp/ with the signature and register your image.”
I heard you can battle with MonaCards, how does that work?
“Monamonbattle is not an official service, but the creator is the same.
Monamonbattle uses Monacard API to get card information. It uses the Monaparty address ‘signature’ to know cards the user has.
Users can battle to level up their rank.”
How are the battle stats determined for MonaCards?
“Monamonbattle randomly decides and generates a Monacard’s strength by using a hash function and you can battle other users.
When you select an opponent, the battle begins. Winning and losing is decided by attributes, attack power, and hit points.”
Do you have plans for MonaCard’s expansion to reach the rest of the world or just stay in Japan?
“I have not planned anything yet. It is currently just a hobby, but I’m happy to spread the message and share with people about Monacard.”
This is more of a personal question (because I am a designer) … who all can create/design MonaCards?
“That is a good question. Anyone can create,design, and register a unique Monacard… that is the one of the main intentions and purposes.”
Is there any advice or special information you would like to share with people about MonaCards or what to expect in the future?
“The Monacard Ecosystem is quite diverse because there are various kinds of services. There are also people on Twitter (MonaCard Community) who help many people learn about Monacard.
Monacards are not companies, but instead individuals operate them. Therefore, I do not know what will happen in the future.
Monacard has an API, so third parties will extend the services , functionalities, and possibilities. Various services have already been developed, but I did not expect it. It is also what makes Monacard fun and interesting. Anyone can develop and contribute to it in many ways.”
I hope everyone was able to learn a bit more about MonaCard with this interview. I would like to give a special thanks to several people who have helped me learn more about MonaCard. Firstly, I would like to give thanks to the Founder of MonaCard, Nachat. Special thanks to 爆裂タコ玉ねぎ, ぽんぽんさん, おなぺこ, モナパちゃん, キジムン, and the rest of the MonaCard Community!
In the near future, I also intend on creating a step by step guide for setting up a MonaParty account/wallet and how to send/receive MonaCards. Many of these services are currently only in Japanese, but I will see if I can help work with some others to have it in more languages to share the joy of MonaCards!
If you want some help, feel free to message me or tag me on Twitter, @YuurinB.
Official Links:
MonaCard: https://card.mona.jp
MonaParty: https://wallet.monaparty.me
MonaParty Explorer: https://mpchain.info/
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Unofficial Links:
Monya Wallet & App: https://monya-wallet.github.io/
MonaMonBattle: https://monamonbattle.mona.jp/
If there is any incorrect information written in this article or you have suggestions to improve it, please send me a direct message on Twitter.
*Disclaimer: This article is not in affiliation with MonaCoin, MonaParty, MonaCard, but written from a personal point of view based on the experiences I had interviewing the founder, reading about it online, joining the community, and using the services myself. No pay or compensation was received or promised for writing this article.