Launchpool.xyz – GoDaddy customer – (United Kingdom)
With any new technology, such as blockchain technology, there is the opportunity for entrepreneurs to create new products and services that can lead to exciting investment opportunities. Investment opportunities can often be monopolized by large investment funds. When a large community of cryptocurrency industry participants pool their resources together, they can make larger investments and share the profits. In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, we’ll introduce you to an investment platform that has amassed a considerable online community and promotes fair, egalitarian investing for all: Launchpool.xyz.
Launchpool.xyz is a London-based cryptocurrency investment platform that operates under an egalitarian investing philosophy. As highlighted on their homepage, they believe that “all project stakeholders are as important as each other,” and aim to connect investment funds and communities to work in tandem towards the same goals. They host investment projects and offer valuable exposure to their growing community, who combine their knowledge and pool their resources. Backed by industry leaders such as Alphabit, FBG, and Fomocraft Ventures, Launchpool.xyz was the official sponsor of DeFi Summit’s first Global Virtual Conference, where they hosted a day-long event for startups to pitch their ideas to the DeFi community.
All community members of Launchpool.xyz get equal access to investment opportunities. They can purchase and use Launchpool’s token, known as $LPOOL, to register their proportional interest in the projects. There is a limited supply of 10,000,000 tokens, Launchpool explains, and the token holders can access a corresponding portion of the project profits. All members are incentivized with the same terms offered to early investors. They clarify that this is how community members are able to obtain the tokens at the same price as large cryptocurrency investment funds. The investment projects on Launchpool.xyz are pre-IDO, which helps individual investors participate at an equitable rate. An IDO, or Initial DEX (decentralized exchange) Offering, refers to a cryptocurrency project conducting fundraising by launching a cryptocurrency coin or token. Private investors who can invest millions of dollars into one project are typically the first backers of an IDO project. Pre-IDO, however, refers to token offerings that occur before the IDO takes place, which helps individual and smaller investors gain that equal access.
Launchpool.xyz benefits project hosts by putting them in front of a large and active community of investors, including over 21,000 Twitter followers. On their Benefits page, they list additional opportunities for projects such as promotion through association with some of the industry’s most recognizable names, the ability to leverage contacts and industry know-how of successful funds in the sector, a diverse customer base, and capital.
We are proud to have Launchpool.xyz in the .xyz community. The idea of egalitarian investment opportunities for their members seems to have generated successful project launches, and we are eager to see what unfolds. You can learn more by following them on Twitter @LaunchPoolXYZ, LinkedIn @LaunchpoolXYZ, or by visiting Launchpool.xyz.
Monolith.xyz – Cloudflare customer – (United Kingdom)
The .xyz community has been growing with decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms, cryptocurrency tools, and other innovative uses of blockchain technology. We’ve decided to dedicate this entire month of #WebsiteWednesday posts to spotlight ground-breaking blockchain mavericks of the .xyz community. This week, we’ll introduce you to an Ethereum based cryptocurrency wallet that is making it easier for users to buy, store, and spend their cryptocurrency in the real world: Monolith.xyz.
Monolith.xyz is a London-based cryptocurrency wallet and accompanying Visa debit card, designed for easy spending of crypto assets. Crypto users rely on digital DeFi wallets to safely store their funds. Monolith.xyz users can store most common ERC-20 tokens, like ETH, in the Monolith wallet. The ERC-20 (Ethereum Request for Comments 20) is a Token Standard that implements an application programming interface (API) for tokens within Smart Contracts. In 2018, Monolith.xyz worked to bridge the gap between cryptocurrency and the European Economic Area (EEA), Europe’s traditional financial market. They became one of the first wallets in the DeFi economy to offer customers a debit card, which can be used to convert their crypto to British Pounds/Euros to be spent on standard transactions like paying bills, grocery shopping, and cash withdrawals. Last year, Monolith.xyz increased their services further by implementing the ability for users to buy ETH directly in-app. This means that anyone with a Monolith.xyz account can buy, store, and spend ETH cryptocurrency.
The Monolith TKN, created by Monolith.xyz, has the economic purpose of giving community members an opportunity to share in the success of the Monolith. When Monolith.xyz users opt to purchase tokens other than TKN, they incur a small 1% fee, which is added into Monolith’s TKN Community Chest in the form of ETH tokens. At any time, Monolith.xyz users who hold TKNs can exchange them for a proportionate amount of the ETH tokens stored in the Community Chest. They can also exchange their Ethereum-based tokens to fiat and load them onto their Monolith Visa debit card, to be spent how they choose.
Monolith.xyz was founded in 2016 by Dutch entrepreneur and investor, Mel Gelderman. In 2018, he was named one of Business Insider’s UK Fintech 35 under 35, which spotlights the 35 most exciting young entrepreneurs, engineers, and advisors in UK fintech. On his LinkedIn page, he shares the vision behind Monolith.xyz. He references 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the sighting of the Monolith. He writes “We believe that Ethereum is the real life analogue to Kubrick’s Monolith, holding the same paradigm shifting potential.” He also shares his aim for Monolith.xyz to unravel the power held by Ethereum and to offer “credible bank replacement for 700 million Europeans.” Monolith.xyz’s newest team member is no stranger to innovation. Entrepreneur Mike Harris, known for launching UK’s first 24/7 telephone banking option First Direct Bank in 1989, as well as several other successful businesses, was recruited as Chairman earlier this year to help guide the start-up’s strategy in preparing for mass adoption.
We are inspired by the forward thinking demonstrated by Mel Gelderman to develop the innovative services provided by Monolith.xyz. This groundbreaking crypto banking option further demonstrates that the .xyz community is home to the innovators and pioneers of tomorrow. We are excited to watch Monolith.xyz continue to revolutionize decentralized finance on their .xyz. You can learn more by following the platform on Twitter or by visiting Monolith.xyz
ChristopherKerr.xyz – Squarespace customer – (Canada)
The .xyz community consists of many professionals at various stages of their careers using .xyz to promote their work. Prior Amazon leader and PhD in Digital Economy Juan José Delgado uses JJDelgado.xyz to showcase his skills in marketing strategy. Award-winning independent journalist and Vogue writer Melissa Hung uses MelissaHung.xyz to share her vast array of writing projects, like her San Francisco Chronicle and NBC News features. Versatile creative Leighton Gray uses LeightonGray.xyz to highlight her variety of gaming, illustration, and podcast projects. In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, we’ll introduce you to yet another accomplished professional that shares his extensive experience on a personal website with a memorable .xyz domain: ChristopherKerr.xyz.
ChristopherKerr.xyz is the online portfolio of Toronto-based digital artist Christopher Kerr. His nearly two decades of professional experience include work on blockbuster movies like The Hunger Games and The Greatest Showman. In his current role as a compositor at SOHO VFX, a boutique film and television visual effects studio, he has been part of cinematic television productions like Game of Thrones and popular action films like Bad Boys for Life.
As a compositor, Christopher skillfully combines two or more images to make the appearance of a single picture. When compositing is performed well, the added imagery appears to naturally belong in the same space. In the film and video design world, familiar terms like “green screen” indicate the process of compositing. An actor may film their sequence in front of a green screen, and then background imagery is digitally manipulated and added later in place of the green background. To illustrate, in the film Goosebumps, Christopher created the illusion of a large and vicious werewolf chasing down the film’s stars in the frozen food aisle of a grocery store.
ChristopherKerr.xyz‘s homepage features a visually striking mountainscape image with an inviting play button to visit his professional demo reel packed with shots from Christopher’s collection of projects, including scenes from Logan, The Shallows, and Watchmen. For more information about each shot, he includes a link to a Shot Breakdown. This document contains specific details about each shot, like which digital tools and techniques he applied. This kind of information can be valuable to movie fans and industry professionals alike. Fans can better understand movie magic, while industry professionals can assess Christopher’s skills for future employment opportunities. An eye-catching contact button makes it very easy to reach out to Christopher to hire him for a project. Christopher links to his resume as well as his IMDB page, a website for film information, for access to his comprehensive professional credits.
Christopher displays his FirstNameLastName.xyz domain and his branded email address on his resume and shot breakdown, and also on the opening and closing shots of his demo reel. Using a FirstNameLastName.xyz domain like ChristopherKerr.xyz can make it easier for his clients to find him online. When looking him up, they are likely to search for his full name. With a professional website using a domain name that matches his full name, it’s more likely that his professional work will show up in relevant results. In addition, there is a great benefit to a branded email address like [email protected]. Much of his work-related communication will probably be conducted over email, so it’s key to use a custom email address in order to appear professional and generate trust. When you have an email address directly associated with your domain name, customers can use that professional email address to find your website and have trust that they’re reaching out to the appropriate individual.You can find your FirstNameLastName.xyz and get your custom email address when you register your .xyz domain.
We are excited that Christopher was able to get his FirstNameLastName.xyz and we love what he’s done with it. You can see more of Christopher’s exciting work by visiting ChristopherKerr.xyz or checking out his IMDB page.
ForceofNature.xyz – GoDaddy customer (United Kingdom)
The .xyz community is home to many mission-driven and globally conscious changemakers. Non-profit organization GenZGirls.xyz works to empower young women to become leaders in the historically male-dominated STEM fields by sharing inspiring stories of women of color and their accomplishments. Tech designer BrianTan.xyz co-founded the Philippines chapter of Effective Altruism, an organization that uses evidence and reasoning to determine the best ways to help others. JoyInc.xyz was founded by young Nigerian lawyer Chude Jideonwo to support better education, develop healthier psychology, and generate impactful social movements in Africa. In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, we’ll introduce you to an organization composed of Generation Z leaders aiming to preserve our natural resources by motivating and empowering the next generation to turn their climate concerns into action: ForceofNature.xyz.
London-based ForceofNature.xyz is a non-profit startup organization created and led by members of Generation Z. Or, as Operations Director Phoebe Hanson writes on her Linkedin profile, “a youth-led start-up empowering Gen Z to step up, rather than shut down, in the face of the climate crisis.” They are dedicated to helping fellow young people realize their change-making potential in the face of climate change. Founded in 2019, the organization works to accomplish this goal by leading student programs, speaking at schools and universities, and creating curriculum and supporting resources for educators. ForceofNature.xyz has a Resources link where students and educators can acquire helpful materials. For teachers, ForceofNature.xyz offers continuing professional development in the form of training sessions to help educators respond ethically to climate change concerns, navigate difficult conversations, and create spaces that promote wellbeing. For students, ForceofNature.xyz offers programming intended to foster change by uncovering their interests as aspiring activists. The course aims to clarify what students need to be effective as change-makers.
ForceofNature.xyz was founded at age 19 by an extraordinary climate activist and researcher named Clover Hogan. Clover has been dedicated to saving the environment for the past decade. She launched the Force of Nature podcast, a nine-episode series highlighting inspirational grass roots climate activists that can be streamed from the website. She has even appeared on a TEDxLondon podcast to converse about the climate crisis. Clover was a panelist at last year’s Athens Democracy Forum, an event in association with The New York Times, where she discussed the importance of climate change as a global event with a global impact. She serves as a trustee to the Global Action Plan, and is on the advisory boards of the National Community Lottery’s Climate Action Fund, the Teach the Future campaign, and the COP26 President-Designate Civil Society and Youth Advisory Council. Clover’s most recent focus has been on the rise of climate anxiety (or eco anxiety), which is a fear that the current system is pushing our planet beyond its ecological limits. Clover and the topic of climate anxiety has been the center of an article in a February 2020 issue of The Guardian.
ForceofNature.xyz intentionally utilizes the .xyz domain ending in their name to help further their message. Clover pointed us towards a particular Instagram post regarding inter-generational change which states: “Young people today are not the first to fight for change, and we will not be the last. To effectively solve for climate change, we must collaborate across generations. That’s why Force of Nature is launching our Intergen Services – working with leaders across business, education & policy to deliver climate solutions that champion the values & visions of a generation.” ForceofNature.xyz chose a fitting domain name paired with the meaningful .xyz domain ending to help further their message promoting inter-generational change.
We’re inspired to have ForceofNature.xyz, armed with their powerful and meaningful domain name, in the .xyz community. Their interest in educating and inspiring our future leaders makes us proud. You can follow them on Linkedin, Instagram at @forceofnature.xyz, and Twitter at @fon_xyz, or head over to ForceofNature.xyz to learn more.
Mirror.xyz – Namecheap customer – (United States)
Crypto enthusiasts are responding to Ethereum compatible .xyz domains and are using them to launch innovative ideas. Decentralized finance platform Matcha.xyz aims to get crypto traders the best rates on currency exchanges. Crypto art curator FirstEdition.xyz created a blockchain art gallery. Finance app Vega.xyz aims to help financial investors trade stock market derivatives on the blockchain network. In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, we’ll introduce you to a unique publishing platform that leverages blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies for writers to distribute and monetize their work: Mirror.xyz.
Mirror.xyz is a decentralized blockchain and crypto-based publishing platform that aims to connect creators directly with their audience. At less than a year old, the platform has received an outstanding investment at a $100 million valuation from Union Square Ventures. The benefits of blockchain technology, like that used by the Mirror.xyz platform, include a permanent and fixed record (digital ledger) of transactions that cannot be retroactively changed. The mission of the Mirror.xyz platform is that it “revolutionizes the way we express, share and monetize our thoughts.” Their goal seems to be to provide a way for writers to confidently and safely publish their work, and maintain control of the digital rights. Mirror.xyz is built on Ethereum. You must possess a certain token to publish, and essays are tokens themselves. Publishers can crowdfund their future projects, where backers own shares of the project’s final value. When they publish their piece, a non-fungible token (NFT) is created of the original work, which can be sold. All transactions are paid for with Ether (ETH) cryptocurrency.
John Palmer, a writer and product designer, was the first member to crowdfund his writing on j.Mirror.xyz. He used his Mirror.xyz membership to create a fixed supply of crypto tokens called $ESSAY. Anyone with an Ethereum wallet could buy in. Once crowdfunded, the essay entitled “Scissor Labels” was minted as an NFT and sold through an online auction house. He raised 9.98 ETH (approximately $24,000 as of June 2021) from his investors. The funds from the investors influence the value of the $ESSAY contract, so the value of each investor’s $ESSAY stake grew in proportion to the total value of the contract. Similarly, author Emily Segal used emily.Mirror.xyz to crowdfund her upcoming novel, “Burn Alpha.” Naming her tokens $NOVEL, Emily raised 25 ETH (approximately $64,000 as of June 2021) directly from readers as investors, as an alternative to securing an advance from a publisher. Her investors all have partial ownership in a first edition NFT that could pay off indefinitely, as the text can be resold and can continue to accrue value.
Mirror.xyz is initially allowing its members the ability to control the quality and development of the community through a weekly writing challenge as a growth experiment. Interested writers must enter a weekly contest called “$Write Race” to be allowed entry to the platform’s community. Each week, existing community members vote on 10 people to reward with a $WRITE crypto token, which is needed to become part of the community of self-publishers and allows you a custom subdomain for your own publication. This invitation process develops community investment, as members are directly involved in the quality and growth of their community.
Their homepage states: “Joining Mirror does not only make you a community member. It makes you a co-owner of the platform. As a result, our platform is a sum of our contributors.” The founder of Mirror.xyz, Denis Nazarov, is no stranger to innovative tech ideas. He was a former partner at Silicon Valley venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, known for making investments in technologies such as Skype and Twitter.
We are so excited by the crypto pioneers in the .xyz community. We’ve been long-time supporters of blockchain technology. Your .xyz domain can already help you manage your assets more easily, as the first domain that you can use as a handle for your Ethereum wallet. We are happy to welcome Mirror.xyz, a new platform for writers to reach their audience, publish their work, and earn money from their stories. You can learn more by following the platform on Twitter or by visiting Mirror.xyz.
