Forum

Product Introduction

1. Definition: Forum is a blockchain-powered sentiment derivatives platform that transforms abstract concepts (AI, celebrities, trends) into perpetual tradable indices. It operates as a real-time social engagement index marketplace.
2. Core Value Proposition: Forum enables speculative trading on cultural relevance by quantifying online engagement data, allowing users to hedge or capitalize on sustained popularity shifts without expiration dates—unlike event-based prediction markets.

Main Features

1. Perpetual Sentiment Indices:
   Forum scrapes and analyzes real-time social media, news, and search data using NLP algorithms to generate dynamic indices (e.g., "ICE" at 64.18 points). Each index tracks 24/7 popularity fluctuations, with prices updating continuously via decentralized oracles.
2. Long/Short Trading Engine:
   Users take leveraged positions (long/short) via smart contracts. Funding rates (e.g., +0.028% for ICE) auto-adjust to balance market bias, incentivizing counter-trades when sentiment skews bullish/bearish. Settlements occur hourly.
3. Weekly Performance Contests:
   Integrated gamification with countdown-based competitions (e.g., "5d 14h left") ranks traders by portfolio growth. Leaderboards drive engagement while testing sentiment-prediction strategies against real-time volatility.

Problems Solved

1. Pain Point: Inability to monetize expertise in niche trends (e.g., crypto, pop culture) due to lack of tradable instruments for sustained relevance—not just binary outcomes.
2. Target Audience:
   • Crypto traders diversifying beyond tokens into cultural assets.
   • Data scientists backtesting sentiment analysis models.
   • Marketing analysts hedging brand reputation risks.
   • Content creators monetizing trend-forecasting skills.
3. Use Cases:
   • Shorting a politician’s index during scandal rumors.
   • Going long on AI tools like "Claude Code" during viral tech releases.
   • Hedging entertainment stock portfolios via "Avengers" or "GTA 6" indices.

Unique Advantages

1. Differentiation: Outperforms prediction markets (e.g., Polymarket) by eliminating expiry constraints and event dependencies. Contrasts with stock trading by supporting non-financial assets (e.g., "Bad Bunny" at $50.45).
2. Key Innovation: Proprietary engagement-scoring algorithms weighting social volume, sentiment polarity, and velocity—calibrated via machine learning to resist manipulation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How does Forum calculate index prices?
   Prices derive from real-time aggregation of social mentions, search trends, and news volume, processed via NLP and weighted by source credibility.
2. What is the funding rate in Forum trading?
   Funding rates (e.g., +0.028%) are periodic payments between long/short traders to align perpetual contract prices with the underlying index value.
3. Can I trade real-world assets on Forum?
   No—Forum exclusively trades synthetic indices tracking online engagement, not direct ownership of physical assets or securities.
4. How are new markets like "Matcha" or "Oura" added?
   Markets launch based on community proposals and engagement thresholds, ensuring sufficient data liquidity and trader interest.
5. Is Forum regulated like traditional markets?
   Forum operates as a decentralized platform; users comply with local crypto regulations, with trades settled via blockchain smart contracts.