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Introduction

Drips is an app built on Ethereum that enables flexibly supporting open-source projects, with built-in dependency splitting.

How funds flow on Drips​

On Drips, anyone can create a Drip List to flexibly send funds to a list of up to 200 open-source GitHub repositories and Ethereum addresses at a time. As project maintainers come to Drips to claim their funds, they themselves are asked to provide a list of other projects they depend on, and can choose to automatically forward a percentage of their earnings to them. Over time, this results in a global dependency tree, ensuring that even deeply-nested dependencies receive a portion of funds donated to their higher-level dependents. Thanks to our integration with GitHub, anyone can support any public GitHub repository (or list it as one of their own project's dependencies), even if their maintainers haven't yet registered it on Drips.

The Drips Dependency Tree is a fundable representation of real-world software dependencies.
The Drips Dependency Tree is a fundable representation of real-world software dependencies.

Supporting your dependencies with Drip Lists​

Individuals and organizations wishing to support their dependencies can do so by creating their Drip List; a collection of up to 200 GitHub repositories, Ethereum addresses, or other Drip Lists, which are each assigned a specific percentage of funds sent to the list. The Drip List creator can now start sending a specific amount of any ERC-20 token to their list in form of a stream, which they can flexibly alter or stop at any point in the future. Once a month (on the last Thursday of every month), funds streamed to the list are automatically split to its recipients. Those funds are then further split according to their dependencies, and so on.

Drip Lists allow anyone to flexibly and continously support a selection of up two 200 projects.
Drip Lists allow anyone to flexibly and continously support a selection of up two 200 projects.

Further, anyone else can choose to support someone else's Drip List by simply adding it to their Drip List, or sending one-time donations.

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Learn how to create your Drip List and start supporting your dependencies here.

Raising funds by claiming your software project​

A Project on Drips represents an open-source repository on GitHub, with support for other Git hosts coming soon. Every GitHub repository starts out on Drips as unclaimed. In this state, it can already be funded with a Drip List, or added as a dependency of another project. At any point, the project's maintainers can claim their project on Drips, configure a list of maintainers and dependencies, and collect any previously-received earnings.

Projects on Drips are fundable representations of GitHub repositories that automatically split income to their maintainers and dependencies.
Projects on Drips are fundable representations of GitHub repositories that automatically split income to their maintainers and dependencies.

Similarly to Drip Lists, each project can configure up to 200 splits receivers, and any funds coming in to the project (from Drip Lists or other projects) are automatically distributed accordingly once a month. The splits of a project include both maintainers, which are Ethereum addresses that should directly receive a specific portion of earnings, and dependencies, which are other projects that the particular project depends on.

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Learn how to claim your GitHub repository on Drips here.

Disclaimer: The Drips protocol operates in a fully decentralized and autonomous manner, like the Ethereum protocol with which it is integrated. Therefore, no entity or person controls or is in any way responsible for the ongoing operation, running, or functioning of the Drips protocol, nor does any entity or person have custody of any funds raised or streamed in the Drips protocol. You acknowledge that you are solely responsible for any interaction with the Drips protocol and any harm, damage or loss that may occur. There is no warranty, express or implied, for the Drips protocol and/or the software and/or any content. The Drips protocol and in particular the software is of experimental nature and available for use to the public on an “as-is” basis and no representations or warranties of any kind are made with respect to the Drips protocol, its operations and functionality, or its fitness for any specific purpose. BY ACCESSING THE DRIPS PROTOCOL, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THAT YOU USE THE DRIPS PROTOCOL AND THE SOFTWARE AT YOUR OWN RISK AND YOU ASSUME ANY COSTS, RESPONSIBILITY AND/OR ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES YOU MAY INCUR, INCLUDING ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR USE, OR INABILITY TO USE, THE DRIPS PROTOCOL AND/OR THE SOFTWARE.