Gating Token Distribution

One utility offered with claims is to gate token distribution as the reward via the Create -> Tokens flow. This uses a special clai type.

For off-chain balances, we can just allocate the balances directly after claiming.

For on-chain balances, a successful claim will result in reserving the right to claim, not actually completing the claim. This is because the claim criteria is checked off-chain, and we need an on-chain transfer transaction. It is a two-step process.

Behind the scenes, we reserve the unique claim code for the user. The on-chain transaction will eventually specify that claim code in the eventual transfer transaction. On-chain, these are the leaves of Merkle challenge in the approval criteria and are one-time use only to prevent replay attacks. These are not the same codes as the Codes plugin, if enabled.

When to use claims vs self-hosted balances?

For claims that gate token distribution, you may want to evaluate the tradeoff of claims vs self-hosted balances. Claims are handled on a trigger basis. When something occurs or the user attempts to claim, a claim can be completed and transfer tokens or perform another claim action.

However, note claims may not be the right choice for you, especially if you already have all the data you need already. If you already have the data, you may consider self-hosting the balances / airdropping tokens to your users. This removes the middle action step required to complete the process.