If it works, then sites could have micropayments raining down like confetti, bypassing the old-school ad circus and subscription shenanigans.
The plan is the brains of Alexander Surkov from open saucy Igalia. In a leaked document Surkov claims that web monetization isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a tech wizardry that lets website owners pocket precious pennies as users frolic through their content. No more grovelling to advertisers or bowing to subscription overlords.
Web Monetization (or WM, as the cool kids call it) flaunts two killer features:
Tiny payments: Think digital pocket change. The coins jingle in the background as you click, scroll, and explore. Cha-ching!
Zero user fuss: No pop-ups, no nagging. It’s like slipping a tip to the busker without missing a beat.
This will lead to a handshake between digital wallets from Gatehub and Fynbos, allowing the Open Payments API to be involved.
It means that Web publishers will sprinkle their sites with magic tags, like breadcrumbs leading to treasure. Clickety-click, and your wallet whispers sweet nothings to theirs.
The publisher gets a tip, and you? You’ve just funded the next viral cat meme. The key here is the world funded. Users are not really used to paying for Internet content and if they spend a lot of time on the web they could find themselves with a micro-funding bill the size of the national debt.