Type="erc20" for <podcast:value> — Value4Value on EVM chains

[danysaadia]

Summary

Lightning proved that Value4Value could work.

This proposal suggests extending <podcast:value> with type="erc20" so the same creator-listener value model can also work across EVM-compatible chains using ERC-20 tokens and wallet-based splits.

The goal is not to replace Lightning. The goal is to make the Value4Value framework portable to another rail where many users already have wallets and applications already have payment infrastructure.

This proposal also suggests type="wallet" as a valid <podcast:valueRecipient> address type for EVM wallet addresses.

Rationale

The current Value4Value ecosystem has been led by Lightning, and that work created the first real proof that open podcast payments could be native to the medium.

EVM-compatible ecosystems now offer another environment where wallet adoption, onboarding, and application-level integrations are already in place. Extending <podcast:value> to support ERC-20 rails could allow the same Value4Value principles to travel further without changing the underlying philosophy.

This proposal is meant as a complement to Lightning-based implementations, not a replacement.

The opportunity

Many users already interact with EVM-compatible wallets across a range of consumer applications.

Supporting ERC-20 within <podcast:value> could make the Value4Value model easier to implement in apps and ecosystems where EVM wallet infrastructure is already present, while preserving the same core idea: direct value exchange between listeners and creators.

In other words, this is exactly the same philosophy on a different rail.

Proposed syntax

<podcast:value type="erc20" method="default" suggested="1.0">
  <podcast:valueRecipient
    name="Show Name"
    type="wallet"
    address="0x..."
    chain="eip155:8453"
    token="0x..."
    split="100"
  />
</podcast:value>

Proposed attributes

For podcast:value:
• type="erc20" identifies ERC-20 as the payment layer for fungible tokens on EVM-compatible chains.
• method="default" indicates no additional sub-protocol beyond the chain’s standard token transfer behavior.
• suggested is the suggested token amount per payment interval.

For podcast:valueRecipient:
• type="wallet" identifies an EVM wallet address as the recipient type.
• address is the recipient EVM wallet address.
• chain is the CAIP-2 / EIP-155 chain identifier, for example eip155:8453 for Base or eip155:137 for Polygon.
• token is the ERC-20 contract address on the specified chain.
• split is the recipient share of the total payment amount. '''

Why this may be useful

This proposal follows the same Value4Value philosophy already established in the namespace: direct value exchange between listeners and creators without requiring a platform intermediary.
Lightning demonstrated the path first. ERC-20 support could extend that model to another rail where many users already have wallets and where implementation may be easier in some environments.
The point is not to change the direction of podcast:value, but to explore whether the same framework can support another interoperable payment environment.

Reference implementation

DIXO OnChain already runs a live EVM-based podcast value implementation using ERC-20-compatible wallet infrastructure across multiple EVM ecosystems.

Primary deployment on Base:
https://onchain.dixo.com/

Also deployed on ApeChain, Polygon, Abstract, Monad, and Somnia.

Live RSS feed showing the current implementation:
https://rss.dixo.com/api/rss/0x8775d48919440e73b4f8bd85b912ff09acad88f6

We launched the first Spanish-language podcast network in 2005. This proposal comes from a live implementation already running in production (not from a hypothetical design exercise).

We would be glad to share implementation details, examples, and feedback from real-world usage if helpful.

Feedback welcome

Feedback is very welcome on naming, recipient type, chain/token fields, and interoperability details.