There are many things to consider when building or choosing a DeFi project, but documentation is undoubtedly one of the crucial aspects. With so many products and coins available on the market, success is achievable only if the project stands out among competitors. One way to prove this is with the help of White and Blue Papers.
For investors, White and Blue Papers are the primary source of information about a project. These documents help users understand all project goals and specifications, evaluate its potential, and decide whether they want to invest.
This article explains the difference between White and Blue Papers and their importance for projects and investors.
The Difference Between Blue and White Papers
Let’s figure out the difference between the primary documents of any blockchain project, White and Blue Papers. Even though there is no particular standard pattern or rule of how to write such documents, the best industry practices have shown that certain approaches work better than others.
A White Paper is usually a document presenting the philosophy behind the project, its main goal, a business model and tokenomics, a roadmap, and marketing activities. White Papers, however, don't usually offer any technical details of the project. That's what Blue Papers do.
A Blue Paper can be considered an offshoot of a White Paper. It is a document containing all the project's technical details and even presenting pieces of the product code if necessary. Some projects choose to create a Blue Paper as a separate document, while others only dedicate a few chapters of the White Paper to their tech specs.
Below is a brief table we have created for you to get a better grasp of the difference between White and Blue Papers.
|
White Paper |
Blue Paper |
|
Always a separate document |
A separate document or a part of the White Paper |
|
Contains business-related information, tokenomics, project objectives, etc. |
Dwells on the tech stack and specifications |
|
Created for the general public/ potential investors |
Created for the knowledgeable audience/ users with a technical background |
|
Aims to convince the reader to invest in the project |
Aims to present technical details and show project completeness |
|
Should be read a few times before investing |
Should be read only if you have a technical background |
The EOS Yield+ Blue Paper: A Perfect Example of a Blue Paper
While most users know what a White Paper looks like, many investors and even project teams have little understanding of a Blue Paper. That's why we would like to present the EOS Yield+ Blue Paper as a perfect example of a technical paper for a broad audience.
The EOS Yield+ Blue Paper is a document created by individuals from various companies and teams throughout the EOSIO ecosystem. Its main objective is to prove that DeFi is one of the most powerful use cases for smart contract platforms and to show that driving it onto the EOS Network should be a priority for the community.
The EOS Yield+ Blue Paper offers the following chapters:
- DeFi Ecosystem Overview
- External Liquidity Incentives
- Incentive Rewards Program
- Data Modeling and Risk Analysis
- Oracles
- Treasury Structure and Funding
- Deliverables
The authors present objective data throughout the Paper, showing the success of similar DeFi integration programs on other blockchains. Then, they offer a design for a custom Liquidity Rewards Program for the EOS Network and a plan to build and maintain that program.
An excerpt from the Yield+ Blue Paper
As you can see, the EOS Yield+ Blue Paper presents technical data that require some prior background knowledge and expertise to understand the topic fully.
The authors, however, also provide occasional explanations for the general public both throughout the Paper and in the Conclusion. This among other features distinguishes the Blue Paper from the main EOS Technical White Paper.
Read more: Everstake Contribution to the EOS Blockchain
How to Design an Appealing White or Blue Paper
An elaborate White Paper is a must if you want to create a successful blockchain project. Even though there are no particular rules to write them, you should consider the following best industry practices.
Hence, to design an appealing White or Blue Paper, you should take account of the following:
- Make sure the problem you are solving with the project is one that needs to be solved.
- Address business and technical readers in separate papers (White and Blue Papers).
- Create a clear structure of the Paper and a cohesive outline.
- Don't write the general White Paper in a too formal or academic tone, as this will make it harder for the general public to understand.
- Reinforce your ideas with objective data from third-party sources. Visualize the data if possible.
- Don't turn your White Paper into a project ad. Refrain from including too much marketing material to sell the project.
- Motivate readers by providing positive information rather than instilling doubt or speculating on FOMO.
Final Thoughts
An appealing White Paper and a detailed Blue Paper are crucial for any blockchain project. Such documentation allows the project team to attract new users, find investors, and grow the community.
We highly recommend that founders pay special attention to creating White and Blue Papers and follow the best industry practices to increase their chances of success.
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