Getting Started with Ethereum Follow Protocol
Get ready for a more social onchain future.
The Ethereum Follow Protocol is, as its name suggests, a protocol designed for following Ethereum accounts. You can think of EFP as an onchain social graph—a follower list you own.
The system is built around the Ethereum Name Service, and the connections you make and manage in the protocol don’t just exist on one website. Instead, they’re onchain data objects that can be seen and used anywhere else, like integrations in third-party apps.
EFP isn’t live on mainnet yet, but it’s set to launch next week. However, the protocol is currently live on the Base Sepolia testnet, so you can get acquainted with the basics before the rollout.
First things first, head to the testnet platform at testing.ethfollow.xyz and connect your wallet. For example, I connected with my Rainbow wallet, and Rainbow automatically connected to Base Sepolia. After signing in, you’ll arrive at your profile hub like so:
To edit your bio and profile, click the “Edit profile” button. At this point, you’ll be taken to the ENS app, where you can click “Edit profile” again to update your ENS records. Any changes made here will shortly be reflected on your EFP bio.
With your profile prepped, head back to your main EFP page and start surfing through your “Latest Followers” or “Recent Activity” on the protocol. Click on the “Follow” button next to any people or projects you want to track onchain.
To make your new follows official, you’ll need to click on the shopping cart button at the top right of the platform, which will take you to your “Cart” page. Here, you can search for more accounts, import who you follow on Farcaster, or mint your EFP list NFT, which will represent your updated EFP follows.
Once you’re ready to mint your EFP list, you’ll need to select your desired storage location for your NFT and future activity updates. The pre-mainnet options available are the Base Sepolia, OP Sepolia, and Ethereum Sepolia testnets. For instance, I used a Base Sepolia ETH faucet to get free funds to cover my test mint.
Complete the ensuing registration transaction(s) with your wallet, and boom! You’ve created your first follows on EFP. Prior to mainnet, you’ll receive an EFP OG POAP for beta testing the protocol.
Going forward, it will be interesting to see how EFP is integrated into the onchain social landscape. The composability of the EFP list NFTs and the ability to create multiple lists as you see fit, will pave the way to new kinds of onchain experiments that I’m excited to track.
If you also like to be early to promising things, then taking EFP for a spin on testnet is a fun chance to do just that this week. See you onchain! 🫡