MeritBase - The Decentralized Gig Economy Platform

MeritBase is a full-stack Web3 application that serves as a proof-of-concept for a decentralized gig economy matching platform. It combines blockchain for identity, AI for intelligent matching, and a modern web stack for a seamless user experience.

The core of MeritBase is the Decentralized CV (dCV) — a living, verifiable professional portfolio anchored on the blockchain, designed to replace static résumés.

Key Features

Core Concepts

• Decentralized CV (dCV): A user-owned, tamper-proof professional record. Credentials and work history are cryptographically secured and verifiable.
• Passwordless Authentication: Users sign up and log in securely using their Web3 wallet (e.g., MetaMask), with signatures verified via a nonce-based system to prevent replay attacks.

Freelancer Flow

• Progressive dCV Creation: A multi-step, slideshow-style onboarding process guides freelancers through building their dCV.
• AI Summary Enhancement: Freelancers can use AI to professionally rewrite and enhance their professional summary.
• Interactive Skill Selection: A dynamic "bubble" interface allows freelancers to easily add skills to their profile.
• KYC Simulation: Steps for uploading identity documents and performing a "liveness check" are included to simulate identity verification.
• Job Matching Dashboard: A personalized dashboard shows freelancers potential job matches based on their skills.
• Job Application: Freelancers can view detailed job descriptions and apply with their dCV.

Employer Flow

• Simple Signup: Employers can quickly create a company profile.
• Job Posting: An intuitive form allows employers to post new jobs with specific requirements.
• AI-Powered Shortlisting: For each job, employers can view an AI-generated shortlist of the most suitable freelancers from the platform, complete with their dCV highlights.

Tech Stack

• Framework: Next.js 15 (App Router, Server Components, Server Actions)
• Language: TypeScript
• Styling: Tailwind CSS with ShadCN UI components for a modern, dark-themed interface.
• Generative AI: Genkit with the Google AI plugin (Gemini models) for summary enhancement and candidate shortlisting.
• Web3 Integration: RainbowKit and Wagmi for wallet connectivity and interaction.
• On-chain Simulation: The concept targets the Polygon network for smart contract interactions (e.g., registering dCVs).

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v20 or later)
• npm
• A Web3 wallet browser extension (e.g., MetaMask)

Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the root of the project and add your Google AI API key:

GEMINI_API_KEY=your_google_ai_api_key_here

Installation

Install the project dependencies:

npm install

Running the Development Servers

You need to run two separate processes in parallel for the full application to work.

1. Start the Next.js frontend:

   npm run dev

   This will start the main web application, typically on http://localhost:9002.

2. Start the Genkit AI flows: In a separate terminal, start the Genkit development server:

   npm run genkit:dev

   This runs the AI services that power features like summary enhancement and freelancer shortlisting.

Once both servers are running, you can access the application in your browser.

Deployment

This is a full-stack Next.js application that requires a Node.js server environment to run its Server Actions, API routes, and AI flows.

It cannot be deployed to static hosting services like GitHub Pages.

The recommended hosting platform for this project is Firebase App Hosting, which is designed to deploy server-rendered Next.js applications seamlessly. The apphosting.yaml file is already configured for this purpose.