TSCS: A blockchain-based tokenized subtitling crowdsourcing system

The language barrier is the biggest obstacle for users watching foreign-language videos. Because of this, videos cannot be famous across borders, and their viewership is limited to a single language and culture. The easiest way to solve this problem is to add subtitles in the language of the viewer. However, the current subtitling system lacks incentives, the ability to build a secure transaction environment, and a trusting relationship between video creators and subtitling makers. In response to the above situation, a tokenized subtitling crowdsourcing system (TSCS) based on blockchain and smart contract technologies is proposed. The source files for the subtitles are stored on the inter-planetary file system (IPFS) in the proposed system. Based on the ERC-721 standard, the returned corresponding address and subtitling-related information are made into a non-fungible token (NFT). At the same time, depending on the expected revenue from video view counts, the video token (VT), based on the ERC-777 standard and endorsed by the video platform, will be used as the payment token. The TSCS has two payment strategies: one-time and dividend. Through such a settlement mechanism, the subtitling maker’s revenue is also guaranteed by the code invariance and rule certainty of smart contract deployment. On the other hand, introducing an incentive mechanism for viewers to audit subtitles enables community autonomy, thus increasing the applicability of subtitles and the activity of users.