ADD.xyz – Namecheap customer – (United Kingdom)
Innovative decentralized finance platforms and blockchain-focused end users continue to populate the .xyz community as cryptocurrency usage continues to gain popularity. There are over 5,000 cryptocurrencies as of July 2021, which is a considerable increase from 66 in 2013. Cryptocurrency transactions are often promoted as being private and anonymous. There is still some debate about the security of cryptocurrencies and whether hackers can too easily target them. In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, we’ll introduce you to a privacy-focused decentralized finance aggregator that has assembled an all-star team of related products and digital solutions for use together, all on one secure platform: ADD.xyz.
ADD.xyz is a London-based full-stack decentralized finance (DeFi) aggregator that delivers a wide variety of decentralized finance products and related solutions all on one platform. A DeFi aggregator like ADD.xyz is a platform that leverages multiple different decentralized exchanges (DEXs) and performs various buying and selling strategies to help users maximize their earnings. As explained on their About Us page, ADD.xyz focuses on user experience, design, privacy and anonymity.
The newest development on ADD.xyz is their recent release of the third version of their decentralized lending aggregator platform, called +Earn. With +Earn, users can deposit cryptocurrency and earn interest from several platforms such as a decentralized money market that helps users lend and borrow a range of crypto assets, and another service that helps users optimize their earnings on crypto assets through lending and trading. In an interview, ADD.xyz founder Arnie Hill claimed that “ADD’s +Earn lending platform is the only platform that allows users to seamlessly encrypt their ERC-20 transactions with ZK-snarks, interact with aggregated governance, and much more. We’re different from other yield aggregators because of the value we place on being privacy-focused and accessible to all with zero fees.”
The ADD.xyz ecosystem contains several decentralized applications (also called dApps), each of which provides the user with one powerful feature of the DeFi system. Some of these dApps are:
The Connect Wallet feature of the ADD.xyz platform aims to reduce transaction costs for deposits by 90%. Instead of sending funds from their wallets to the platform (which would accrue transaction fees), all users need to do is connect their Metamask or Ledger wallets to ADD.xyz. Once their wallet is connected, a user can make deposits and withdrawals swiftly and at a much lower rate. The platform also prides itself on having a very smooth and simple user interface to make navigation easy.
As our features of blockchain-focused .xyz community members have reinforced, the .xyz community is rich with innovative forward thinkers ready to embrace the future. We are happy to welcome ADD.xyz and their efforts to make the world of decentralized finance a bit more accessible. The project’s 11K Twitter followers also seem to be excited about their efforts. Some followers are sharing their excitement by promoting infographics and testimonials about the ADD platform. To learn of the platform’s latest updates, follow them on Twitter or visit ADD.xyz.
FlamingoDAO.xyz – Google customer – (United States)
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are one-of-a-kind digital collectibles that can become a valuable and sought-after investment. Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAO) are being created to “crowdsource” the funds necessary for ultra-rare NFTs. DAOs are designed to automate decisions and facilitate cryptocurrency transactions. When used as an investment platform, investors can collaborate on investments by sending money directly to the DAO. Investors can get tokens in return, allowing them voting rights on possible projects. In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, we’ll introduce you to a DAO that has developed a community of NFT enthusiasts and investors, and created a platform for investing in ownable, blockchain-based assets: FlamingoDAO.xyz.
FlamingoDAO.xyz is an NFT-focused DAO project that has built a community of approximately 40 NFT enthusiasts and accredited investors, and nearly 4,800 ETH in pooled capital (as of June 2021). It aims to create a channel for its members to collectively explore and evaluate the investment opportunities surrounding ownable, blockchain-based assets. These investment opportunities include various new forms of digital art, collectibles, and in-game items. One of the collective’s most notable purchases of 2021 was a punk rock style digital art piece NFT – known as a “Cryptopunk” – for 605 ETH, that is now worth over $1M in less than six months. The purchase was the collective’s most expensive purchase, which they added to their collection of 215 Cryptopunk NFTs. As stated on their website, “ Any purchased NFTs can be lent, held, displayed in a digital art gallery, or used as collateral in other DeFi platforms. The direction is up to the Members.” Their collection also includes five rare Autoglyphs, unique NFTs by digital artists known as Larva Labs created by code running on the Ethereum blockchain. Recently, FlamingoDAO.xyz consigned an Autoglyph from their collection to Sotheby’s, making them the first DAO to consign a piece of work to a major auction house.
Profits from any sale of FlamingoDAO.xyz’s NFTs are proportionally allocated to the members based on their investment amounts. NFT-enthusiasts interested in becoming a FlamingoDAO.xyz member, known as “medicis of NFTs,” must complete a special accreditation process. The process consists of varied financial service guidelines tests, and can take a couple of days to complete. The DAO, launched in October 2020, has set a cap on its community at 100 members in an effort to comply with U.S. securities law and to prevent any one party from controlling a disproportionate amount of assets.
Every member has a say in the activities, decisions, strategies and direction of the community through the power of votes via the Flamingo dApp, or decentralized application, which is a computer application that runs on a distributed computing system. The power of a member’s vote is directly proportional to the volume of ownership units (Flamingo Units) they possess. Members can purchase Flamingo Units in blocks of 100,000 units which are worth 60 ETH each. One block of Flamingo Units grants the member 1% voting rights in the community and the rights to receive 1% of the proceeds from the community’s investments.
FlamingoDAO.xyz members also have the opportunity to invest directly into a software company or platform. The community’s investments include:
We are excited to have the innovative FlamingoDAO.xyz as a member of the .xyz community, demonstrating once again that .xyz is home to forward-thinkers utilizing the latest in technology. You can learn more about FlamingoDAO.xyz by following them on Twitter or by visiting FlamingoDAO.xyz.
In this XYZ Quarterly we’ll cover five technological features to consider for your online presence to inspire, delight, and excite your customers. We’ll also provide a recap of XYZ’s Q2 2021 activity.
Today’s online shoppers engage with countless brands every day. Utilizing technology and adding special features to your online presence can help make your brand cut through the clutter and create a lasting impression in the minds of your audience. Enhancements to your online presence can make your brand’s personality shine through, help you communicate your offerings, and create a memorably enjoyable user experience. Delight your audience and they may even choose to spread the word about your brand or business with friends and family.
In today’s digital landscape, using the latest technology is one of the best ways to stay ahead of your customers’ needs. That’s the reason we’re sharing how to stay ahead of the curve by enhancing your online presence with technological features, as part of this year’s XYZ Quarterly theme of Staying Ahead of the Curve with .XYZ. We’ll offer you five helpful technological ideas that you can use to create a lasting impression on potential customers, as well as five .xyz websites that serve as prime examples of these tips.
Read on for Part 1: “Five uses of new technology to make your online presence more memorable and modern.”
Or jump down to Part 2: “XYZ’s Q2 2021 Recap.”
Brands and businesses in various industries are finding innovative ways to utilize blockchain technology, including creating digital assets for fans and customers interested in growing a collection of NFT badges. Blockchain platforms like Ethereum create a verifiable public database that can be used for tracking event attendance. You can create an event or product launch that provides attendees with a collectible NFT badge that tracks participation and provides an opportunity for your customers to start, or add to, their collection. This NFT badge can serve as a unique and branded digital promotional product that your customer can have forever. Promotional products can also generate increased brand awareness and recognition of your business. A custom NFT can spark curiosity and drive new customers to your website to learn more.
POAP.xyz is an example of a platform that can help your organization provide unique collectible NFTs to delight your customers. The platform is a decentralized application, also known as a dApp, which helps clients create NFT badges to be collected for attending activities and events. POAP.xyz claims that a collection of their custom NFTs is the best way to keep a visual diary of your life events. You can use POAP.xyz to create a memorable and technologically advanced experience for your customers by allowing them to earn a POAP badge at your next event. Collectors can store their branded badges online to be viewed and admired, potentially introducing viewers to the branded organizations. We found a POAP collector who has obtained over 500 badges by participating in virtual events such as Pride parades, reggae dance parties, art releases, and even the launch of xDollar, a new cross-chain cryptocurrency lending platform. POAP.xyz uses blockchain technology and NFTs to help enhance their client’s event and generate more brand awareness.
Using blockchain technology to create collectible NFT badges for your events can provide your customers with a truly unique and modern memorable experience.
As our desire for new and exciting entertainment options continues to grow, the podcast format is still becoming increasingly popular. A podcast is an episodic audio program that listeners can stream or download to their computer or preferred device for easy listening. This type of audio content can allow your customers to listen to interviews from your founder, the story behind your latest launch, or discussions about your events while they’re at the gym or driving to and from the office. Starting a podcast for your business can reach your customers in a new, more intimate way. As traditional marketing channels are carefully curated, podcasts can be incredibly casual and spiked with real personality. Customers can opt in to listen to your podcast regularly, which can educate your customers about your products and services and keep your brand and your website at top of mind.
SpiritGuideSociety.xyz is an example of a brand that created a podcast to extend their educational and entertainment value to a larger audience, and forge a more intimate connection with their followers. The Spirit Guide Society is a community developed by the Seven Grand bar group of Los Angeles, CA. For nearly a decade, popular global spirit brands have been visiting the bar group (Seven Grand, Caña Rum Bar, Las Perlas) to teach whiskey, rum, tequila, and mezcal enthusiasts about the drinks that they love. In 2018, SpiritGuideSociety.xyz began sharing that knowledge in podcast form. Episode topics include discussions with representatives of leading liquor brands, mixology lessons from their own roster of bartenders, and recordings of the group’s live tasting events. Since its debut, their podcast’s Instagram following has grown to nearly 11,000 followers! Comments from followers range from positive reviews of their events, questions about their featured spirits, and shared excitement about upcoming episodes. SpiritGuideSociety.xyz’s podcast listeners can learn more about their favorite spirits directly from brand representatives and gain increased awareness of the Seven Grand, Caña Rum Bar, and Las Perlas bars in Los Angeles.
By extending your educational offerings to a larger audience with the creation of a podcast, your customers can learn more about your brand’s backstory and gain a stronger understanding about your products and services.
The engaging addition of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology can fascinate your audience and take their user experience to an interactive new level. AR is the use of text, graphics, audio, and other virtual enhancements integrated with real-world objects, like the appearance of a new table in your dining room when looking through your phone’s camera. VR, on the other hand, is the technology that uses software to produce images and sounds to create a virtual landscape. AR can place virtual items in your customer’s actual surroundings, and VR can place your customer in virtual surroundings. AR and VR can be especially helpful for businesses and brands that conduct a fair amount of online sales. With AR and VR additions like interactive dressing rooms, virtual color renderings, online customer support, and 3D details of your product, your customers can better understand how a product is going to look and feel in their space. Providing this increased understanding of your product to your customers can inspire them to make a purchase with confidence.
Lune.xyz is a Poland-based digital marketing agency that helps their clients apply this technique to their websites. They specialize in the use of interactive, cutting-edge AR and VR technology to connect consumers with products. Their clients can delight their website visitors with interactive applications and games, pyramid holographic visualizations, interactive mappings, and more AR and VR tools to build consumer trust and promote their ideas. When a brand’s customer is shopping online for a chair and AR technology can show them how it will look in their living room simply by aiming their phone’s camera, it can increase customer confidence in the purchase and leave minimal room for disappointment. When a virtual tour of a brand’s showroom is available through VR technology, a customer can be inclined to see more of what you have to offer from the comfort of their own living room. AR and VR technology like this create a highly interactive and engaging experience for customers that can leave a lasting impression and generate a lot of discussion. In fact, global consumers listed AR/VR as the top technology they’re seeking to assist, amplify, and augment their daily lives, according to a Nielson IQ Global Survey
Utilizing interactive AR and VR technology on your website can enhance a visitor’s experience, extend their stay on your site, and increase your chances of earning a loyal customer.
Customers today are paying more attention to the environment and sustainability. Your company or organization may already be making sustainable efforts in your business model, but you can take those efforts a step further with a low carbon website. With electricity powering data centers, computers and smartphones, energy consumption and emissions from the internet are rather sizable. Approximately 1.6 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions are produced in the manufacturing and running of digital technologies. Developing a low carbon website can reduce your website’s carbon footprint. A low carbon website is one that uses limited energy-consuming resources, including typefaces, logos, and high-resolution images. Your efforts may leave a lasting positive impression with your environmentally conscious customers.
MADC.xyz is an example of a sustainability-minded business that furthered their efforts with the development of a low-carbon website, hosted by a green hosting company. Miguel Ángel Díaz Camacho (MADC) & Partners is an international architecture firm established in Madrid, Spain who assert they operate under a succinct philosophy: “Design without sustainability is no longer design.” To extend their sustainability efforts, they designed their website using energy-reducing efforts with the intent of low environmental impact. They chose a green hosting company that uses renewable energy to power the data centers it uses. To limit their use of energy-consuming resources, MADC.xyz’s website is absent of custom typefaces. Visitors of MADC.xyz will instead see the default typefaces of their browser, a sans serif and a serif font. MADC.xyz also limits the usage of high-resolution color imagery on their website. Their website features black and white imagery, with an interactive option that lets visitors temporarily view full-color versions. MADC.xyz is demonstrating their commitment to sustainability and have positioned themselves to leave a lasting impression on visitors of their website.
Aligning your online presence with your brand’s sustainability efforts through a low carbon website can intrigue, impress, and inspire your customers, as well as better serve our planet.
Social media marketing can help increase brand awareness, brand loyalty, and increased traffic to your website. Customers also enjoy the engagement aspects of social media, and can respond favorably to personalized responses to their comments and messages. Embracing the latest social media platforms that most resonate with your target audience can excite your viewers and demonstrate your adaptability as a brand. One new platform is TikTok, a video-sharing social networking service. Another example, Clubhouse, is an audio-only social media app where users can communicate in chat rooms that can accommodate thousands of people. Sharing content that is entertaining, educational, and engaging on the newest social media platforms can help spread your brand’s message and route your audience back to your website.
ForceofNature.xyz is an example of an organization that has embraced the latest social media platform aligned with the interests of their target audience. This youth-led non-profit organization is dedicated to helping fellow young people realize their change-making potential in the face of climate change. Initially sharing their informative climate change posts on Instagram and Twitter, ForceofNature.xyz has created a TikTok account to stay on top of the latest popular social media platform enjoyed by their target audience. In the months they’ve been active they’ve even used the platform to launch efforts to recruit a climate-minded content creator. They have shared clips of speeches from their founder, Clover Hogan, focusing on topics such as intersectionality when promoting environmentalism as well as clips of discussions they’ve had with featured guests, such as environmental lawyer Farhana Yamin. Joining this new, widely-adapted social media platform to share an inside look at their organization can inspire viewers and drive them to ForceofNature.xyz to learn more.
Using the latest technology in social media can help you reach and engage with your target audience.
Businesses that stay ahead of the curve recognize the importance of providing a stellar experience to their customers. It is helpful for your brand affinity to have an online presence that gives your customers something to be impressed with or excited about. Enhancing your website or app with creative and entertaining technological features, whether big or small, can encourage them to stay on your website, become a loyal customer, and even become a brand advocate. Adding a feature to inspire, delight, and excite your customers can help to ensure that they will stay. Take advantage of the latest technology to increase your website’s offerings and reach, including blockchain technology, podcasts, AR/VR technology, low-carbon websites, and the newest social media platforms.
Following the example of these users and making use of these technological features on your website or app can help to create a unique and memorable experience for your customers which can extend the success of your brand.
Believe it or not, we are already halfway through 2021. For XYZ, Q2 was filled with many awesome ways to help the new generation of internet users to get online. From our 7th anniversary celebration, to five more exciting domains to help anyone design their online presence, and the support of 19 hackathons and their inspiring student participants, it’s been a terrific quarter. Here’s what we accomplished during this groundbreaking year.
In June we celebrated the 7th anniversary of .xyz’s launch! XYZ proudly honored and celebrated our .xyz community of innovators, creators, and makers achieving their dreams with .xyz domains. We’re especially proud of the many .xyz community members creating breakthrough technologies, influential works of art and entertainment, and inspiring projects aimed at making a positive impact on the world.
We shared our thanks to our global network of registrar partners and their customers across the globe. Thanks to their support, worldwide adoption has made .xyz a top choice with 3 million domains and counting.
In our continued effort to help the next generation of internet users make their mark online, on June 14, 2021 we relaunched .Homes, .Autos, .Motorcycles, .Boats, and .Yachts – five powerful domain names perfect for anyone looking to design a standout place online. To make these more affordable and accessible than ever before, we significantly dropped .Homes, .Autos, .Motorcycles, .Boats, and .Yachts registration prices by up to 80%. The cost to register these domains is now only $19.99/year MSRP for all standard domains. We also delivered premier access to tens of thousands of domain names available to the public for the very first time. Businesses, brands, professionals, and industry enthusiasts now have more options to register top-notch domains they can use to build standout websites with.
With the versatile .Homes domain you can promote property listings, communicate with potential clients, and make it incredibly easy for home buyers, sellers, and owners to find and remember your website. Reach a worldwide audience with .Autos, the domain name that transcends languages across Latin America and Europe. Lead your website’s branding with the memorable .Motorcycles domain name. Propel your brand forward with .Boats and .Yachts – two powerful domains that will make a splash online.
Take a look at some of the early registrations of these relaunched domains:
XYZ helped support attendees at 19 hackathons in the second quarter of 2021!
Participants received .xyz domains to help them launch their ideas and projects online.
The hackathons each celebrated technology with workshops and mentors that helped participants learn and develop their skills. While some of the hackathons were held virtually, like Covitech Challenge, Helyx Hacks III, PitchTeen 2.0, and Summer School ’21, the others were located throughout the United States, Canada, and India. The hackathons in the United States included health{hacks}, HighTech Hacks, Hydrangea Hacks , BioHack, Citrus Hack, and Women/Hacks 3.0. The hackathons in Canada included Northern Dehacks, MasseyHacks VII, and Expand Youth Society. The hackathons in India included Hack The Crisis, Code Warriors, COMPESA Hackathon 2021, Questival, Robust Routine, and HackBMU 4.0. XYZ is incredibly grateful to help participants share their ideas and solutions with a global audience via their new .xyz domains.
2021 has much more excitement to bring, and XYZ has continued plans for the rest of the year ahead. Stay tuned by subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
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
