Blockchain

The comparison between Traditional Vs Blockchain-based Crowdfunding Campaign

Published

5 years ago

October 21, 2019

The comparison between Traditional Vs Blockchain-based Crowdfunding Campaign

The whole concept of crowdfunding is a uniquely romantic one. A successful crowdfunding campaign is the ultimate rags-to-riches story. Think about it, starry-eyed entrepreneurs minting millions of dollars because a group of people believed in their product and story. That is pretty much the script of a feel-good Hollywood movie. The harsh reality of the situation is that very few crowdfunding campaigns actually get to taste any measure of success. Starting and executing a lucrative crowdfunding campaign can be excruciating. So, in this article, let’s see what running a traditional crowdfunding campaign looks like. After that, we will see how blockchain-based crowdfunding models provide a better alternative.

What running a traditional crowdfunding campaign looks like?

First and foremost, getting listed on Kickstarter or Indiegogo is a chore in itself. Both of these platforms have a list of rules and categories that your project must abide by. Unfortunately, this means that if you have a slightly non-conventional project, then you will not be listed. Plus, if you want to get listed on Kickstarter, you must reside in one of 22 countries, equivalent to only 11% of countries in the world.

The real task begins once you get listed. Crowdfunding platforms make the majority of their money from listing fees. This means that if you follow all the rules, then your project will mostly get listed. However, as you will eventually find out, the crowdfunding space is oversaturated with projects. You will have to work hard just to stand out from the rest. What this unfortunately means is that you will be spending the majority of your time focussing solely on marketing. A lot of project creators fall into this “marketing trap,” and they get distracted from creating their product. What this leads to is an unfinished or subpar final product.

Finally, even if you do everything correctly, you will still probably fall short of your initial funding goal. Out of 142,301 projects that have ended up on Indiegogo, only 9.3% raised 100% of their goals or higher. The figure is much better on Kickstarter, where 44% of the projects meet their funding goals. However, on the flip side, it shows that more than 50% of the projects on Kickstarter don’t even meet their funding goals.

The numbers get even more disturbing when we take a deeper look.

80% of Indiegogo projects fail to raise more than just a quarter of their goal.
46% of Kickstarter campaigns fail to raise more than a fifth of their goal.
In the technology category, about 3.6% of Indiegogo projects meet their goals. On Kickstarter, it’s about 34%.

So, to summarize, here is the situation as it stands:

You need to be from a select few countries to get listed on a prominent platform like Kickstarter. Even then, your project needs to follow certain rules and regulations.
Once you get listed, you have to focus a lot on marketing to stand out. This usually means that you will be distracted from completing your product to an expected level of quality.
Even if you do everything properly, you will still not raise enough funds.

The Blockchain Solution

By leveraging blockchain technology and smart contracts, crowdfunding platforms will be able to bring in the three features it sorely lacks: decentralization, transparency, and trust. So, how different will it be for a creator to run a campaign in a decentralized environment? Let’s take a look.

First of all, blockchain-based crowdfunding platforms are decentralized. There is no one setting unreasonable rules and restrictions to prevent you from listing your project. If you have an idea, then you can get it funded – simple as that.

Secondly, a blockchain-based platform can help create an internal decentralized marketplace that is fueled by the native token of that platform. In platforms like PledgeCamp, the creators will have the ability to economically incentivize their backers to do the marketing for them. In exchange for their services, the backers will get paid in the native PLG tokens.

Finally, a campaign getting funded on a decentralized crowdfunding platform will have a higher chance of reaching their funding goals. The reason being, by leveraging smart contracts, backers will be able to keep the creators accountable for their actions. In the section above, we have talked about how the majority of the projects fail to raise enough funds. The reason why this happens is because the backers don’t have faith in the creators to finish their project to completion.

In total, over $500 million dollars have gone to failed projects on Kickstarter alone, and less than one-third of their 15.7 million users have supported a second project. These platforms don’t hold their creators accountable because they don’t want to take on the additional responsibility of dispute arbitration.

However, smart contracts will change the way accountability has been handled thus far. Backers will now be able to lock up a part of their funds as escrow within the contract. The locked-up funds will only be credited to the creators once they complete some predefined milestones. This simple innovation achieves two things:

Backers will have increased trust in the system.
Creators will be incentivized to see their project to completion.

So, to summarize, here is what a creator’s journey looks like in a blockchain-based crowdfunding campaign:

You can list your project regardless of your geographic location.
Instead of wasting a considerable amount of money on a marketing agency or a large chunk of your time in marketing efforts, you can incentivize your backers to do the marketing for you.
Thanks to smart contracts, your backers will trust the system and help you reach your funding goal.

Conclusion

Like crowdfunding, several other industries and sectors have significantly benefited from blockchain integration. The principles of decentralization, transparency, and trust can impact an industry via positive disruption. While crowdfunding is a multi-billion dollar industry, it has been stagnating lately because of the problems mentioned above. By leveraging the blockchain, crowdfunding platforms will be able to take their game to the next level.

Blockchain

Fireblocks buys Australian blockchain start-up BlockFold

Published

7 months ago

September 30, 2023

Sying Tien

Fireblocks, the crypto company backed by Sequoia Capital and Coatue Management, has acquired BlockFold, a Melbourne-based start-up that helps financial institutions build blockchain-based systems.

As per Bloomberg , Fireblocks paid about $US10 million ($15.6 million) for BlockFold. While Fireblocks already works with large financial institutions, including Bank of New York Mellon, BNP Paribas and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, it has predominantly offered them services around custody technology.

New York-based Fireblocks is one of crypto’s most well-funded start-ups, having raised some $US1.2 billion so far. The company, which employs around 650 people in the US and Israel, was valued at $US8 billion in its latest financing round in January 2022.

The deal comes as large Wall Street firms ramp up efforts to issue and trade traditional financial assets like bonds and private-equity investments over blockchain networks, seeking to simplify processes and cut costs.

Founded in 2021, BlockFold specialises in tokenisation and smart-contract development for clients such as large financial institutions. Fireblocks and BlockFold have already worked together on projects including National Australia Bank’s recent cross-border stablecoin transfer.

Blockchain

Brazil Enhances National Identity Card Security with Blockchain Technology

Published

7 months ago

September 29, 2023

Sying Tien

In a significant stride toward modernization, Brazil is rolling out a novel national identity card system, fortified by the integration of a blockchain network. This innovative approach is set to bolster the security of data sharing between the Federal Revenue Service and civil identification authorities.

The cornerstone of this system is the shared registry known as b-Cadastros, designed to underpin the operations of the revenue service. This comprehensive platform facilitates searches, issuance, and modifications of the new ID cards and tax registration numbers. Notably, the platform’s development was orchestrated by Serpro, Brazil’s state-owned IT services corporation.

Serpro’s President, Alexandre Amorim, emphasized the pivotal role of the b-Cadastros blockchain platform in fortifying the National Identity Card project. “The use of the b-Cadastros blockchain platform is a major differentiator for the security and reliability of the National Identity Card project,” he stated.

The National Civil Identity Card (ICN) represents an upgraded iteration of Brazil’s traditional paper-based ID cards, and the nationwide issuance commenced in July 2022. The overarching goal of this project is to centralize the nation’s civil identification system and harness the ICN database to authenticate individuals accessing online public services.

The modern plastic card boasts an innovative feature: it empowers users to generate a single digital version of their identity document. This advancement enhances security, as it allows for validation through a printed QR code. In adopting blockchain technology for the ID cards, the Brazilian government anticipates streamlining processes and curbing fraud and illegal activities. Presently, individuals can request identification cards in all of Brazil’s 27 states, which presents challenges in terms of data integrity and security.

Serpro’s Amorim elaborated on the significance of blockchain technology in safeguarding personal data and thwarting fraudulent activities, thus delivering a more secure digital experience for Brazilian citizens.

The states of Rio de Janeiro, Goiás, and Paraná are set to pioneer the blockchain-based version of the national revenue service’s shared registry for the issuance of the new ID cards this week. The remaining states are poised to follow suit over the next six weeks, marking a significant step forward in enhancing the security and efficiency of Brazil’s identity verification and taxation systems.
Source: Forbes

Blockchain

Horizen’s $ZEN Holders Take the Helm with the DAO Launch

Published

7 months ago

September 28, 2023

Sying Tien

The Horizen community, get ready to embark on a revolutionary journey in governance as the Horizen DAO steps into the spotlight, as per Horizen’s new announcement.

Horizen, a public, open-source blockchain protocol, boasts a thriving ecosystem composed of developers, miners, node operators, and holders of $ZEN tokens across various blockchain networks. The introduction of the Horizen DAO paves the way for increased community involvement in decision-making and offers a platform for your voices to shape the project’s path.

Discovering the Horizen DAO

DAO, which stands for “Decentralized Autonomous Organization,” has emerged as the gold standard for decentralized governance in the blockchain world and beyond, as per Horizen’s new announcement.

Horizen has always been driven by its community, acknowledging the critical role of a strong social layer in upholding integrity throughout the ecosystem, as stated in Horizen’s new announcement. This ethos is guided by principles such as transparency, accountability, security, community engagement, continuous improvement, and social responsibility. Dive deeper into Horizen’s guiding principles on the Horizen governance page.

Stages of Proposals and Voting

The Horizen DAO takes decentralization of decision-making to new heights, encompassing both technical and non-technical aspects, along with other substantial system enhancements, as outlined in Horizen’s new announcement.

Protocol Improvement Proposals (IPs) are a well-established mechanism for selecting and implementing fresh features and fundamental protocol adjustments in numerous blockchain projects, as per Horizen’s new announcement. In Horizen’s case, these IPs are the cornerstone of the Horizen DAO’s community-driven governance. For Horizen’s primary chain and the EON sidechain, we respectively refer to these as ZenIPs and EONIPs, and they are the lifeblood of our governance process.

Ultimately, it’s the $ZEN token holders who wield the power to steer the future of Horizen, shaping the network’s evolution through active participation in the Horizen DAO, as per Horizen’s new announcement. Any holder of $ZEN can cast their vote on proposed improvements, while those with the requisite amount of $ZEN, either held or delegated, can propose changes to the community. To ensure effective community governance, users will also have the option to delegate their voting authority to individuals they trust as capable stewards of Horizen’s core values.

For a comprehensive understanding of the Horizen DAO, including its proposal phases, voting procedures, Constitution, and more, we invite you to explore the Horizen Governance page. Join us on this exciting journey to help mold the future of Horizen – we’re delighted to have you on board, as announced by Horizen.