Blog

356 Search Results for “#WebsiteWednesday”

Destiny.xyzGoogle Domains customer – (United States)

.XYZ is home to many financial services and developers launching their projects on our versatile domains. Investment platform Launchpool.xyz aims to connect investment funds and communities to work together towards the same goals. Venture capital firm Paradigm.xyz is co-founded by Forbes-featured billionaire Fred Ehrsam and is focused on investing in web3-based companies. Social networking platform Lore.xyz works to make crypto investments more transparent. In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, we’ll introduce you to an innovative investment management company aimed at helping investors gain access to the private tech industry: Destiny.xyz.

Destiny.xyz

Destiny.xyz is the online home of Destiny (also styled as D/XYZ), an Austin-based investment management company. The company plans to create a family of products and solutions that can help anyone with a brokerage account to invest in portfolios of private technology companies. In October 2021, Destiny.xyz closed a $100 million fundraising round.1 Early investors include Fred Ehrsam of Paradigm.xyz and seed-stage angel investment group Sand Hill Angels. The investment group shared their support via Twitter, stating “Pre-IPO investment has taken off in the past decade, but access today is still limited to insiders. It’s time to bring public access to private tech. Excited to be an early D/XYZ backer.”2

This fundraising success is helping with the development and launch of the Destiny Tech100, Destiny.xyz’s debut service. The Destiny Tech100 is intended to be a portfolio of the top 100 venture-backed private technology companies, helping everyday investors to have access to these private market leaders for the first time. The project is aimed to provide sophisticated, diversified, and liquid exposure to 100 of the top venture-backed technology companies while eliminating obstacles that limit private market access. 

Destiny.xyz Founder and CEO Sohail Prasad previously created Forge Global, a private securities marketplace building trading, custody, and data infrastructure to service high-growth unicorn companies. Forge Global transacts billions of dollars in stock annually, and has raised over $250 million in financing from institutions such as Wells Fargo and German multinational insurance company Munich Re. Before developing Forge Global in 2014, Sohail was one of the youngest founders to go through technology startup accelerator Y Combinator at the age of 18 years old. Sohail has advised and invested in over 150 startups, including project management software company Notion and cloud-based software company Zenefits. Sohail continues to invest in seed stage companies through S2 Capital, and serves as its Founding Partner.

Innovators like Sohail Prasad continue to use .xyz domains to bring their new services to life. To align with their D/XYZ branding, Destiny.xyz also registered the D.xyz domain. This extremely memorable one-letter .xyz domain points to Destiny.xyz, which is a very smart idea. If someone is on the go and wants to quickly and easily reach the website on their mobile device, they just have to type D.xyz to reach Destiny.xyz. The company is still developing its services, but you can fill out their survey to stay updated as they prepare to launch. You can learn more by visiting Destiny.xyz.

1. https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/458417-71#overview
2. https://twitter.com/SandHillAngels/status/1448805141130346497

The .xyz community is home to incredible innovators who are pioneering the web3 landscape. Community platform TheHug.xyz is designed to embrace all web3 creators, including underrepresented groups in web3 like women, LGBTQ+ folks, non-native English speakers, and BIPOC, in hopes of building “the inclusiverse.” Australia-based artist Serwah Attafuah uses Serwah.xyz to showcase her digital art and NFT creations. In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, we’ll introduce you to three more women-led websites harnessing the power of web3.

Cryptopunks-inspired NFT project Wunks.xyz aims to pave the way for equity in web3

Wunks.xyz1API customer – (United Kingdom)

Wunks.xyz is the online home of Wunks, a community platform centered around a collection of 6,000 women punk style NFTs aimed at paving the way for equity of access in the NFT space. The collection has a tagline of “Women Punks with Purpose” and is inspired by the Cryptopunks, Larva Labs Studios’ original NFTs that debuted in 2017. Wunks.xyz collectibles feature 8 “Icons” NFTs, which are specifically designed to pay homage to influential women throughout history, including Amelia Earhart, Anne Frank, Billie Eilish, Paris Hilton, and Oprah Winfrey. 

Wunks.xyz

Wunks.xyz

CEO Natalie Booth Hereford is also the co-founder of Blam, a platform aimed to help generate, manage, and launch NFT collections. Natalie has aligned these innovative projects with the development of the WUNK Fund. 2% of profits from all mints launched through the Blam platform are contributed to this community fund, which is to be used however the community of Wunks NFT holders vote to spend it. They have also developed the Women In Leadership (WIL) Fund, which encourages creators to submit a proposal for the funding of their NFT collection. These proposals are then voted on by the Wunks Community. You can follow their Call to Action (CTA) and “Join the community” which will lead you to their Discord. (Check out our latest Quarterly Report for more information about the benefits of including a CTA on your website.) You can learn more about the Ethereum blockchain-based NFT collection by following along on Twitter and Instagram, and by visiting Wunks.xyz.

Investment-backed crypto startup JoinClutch.xyz works to empower women to actively participate in web3

JoinClutch.xyzGoDaddy customer – (United States)

JoinClutch.xyz is the online home of Clutch Wallet, Inc, a Los Angeles-based startup aimed at humanizing crypto and empowering more women to enter the web3 space. The company hopes to accomplish this goal by developing a crypto wallet with an all-encompassing user experience to help people explore, integrate, and transact across the web3 ecosystem. CEO Bec Jones, a former Director of Platform for New York City based VC firm Nebula Ventures, found investors through her personal TikTok profile, which has accumulated over 50,000 followers (as of July 23, 2022). Bec’s web3-focused content is designed to help educate more women about investment opportunities in the crypto space. When Bec introduced the launch of JoinClutch.xyz, investors already familiar with her content contacted her directly. On July 14, 2022, JoinClutch.xyz announced they had raised an $800,000 pre-seed round at a $5 million valuation led by women-focused venture fund Female Innovators Lab.1

JoinClutch.xyz

As JoinClutch.xyz continues to develop, the platform is aimed at expanding their web application, building and launching their mobile application, and onboarding the web3 partnerships they’ve established. They also hope to host more virtual and in-person workshops to increase the adoption rates of crypto. You can learn more by following the platform on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and by visiting JoinClutch.xyz.

Web3 platform Disco.xyz aims to increase your security in the metaverse

Disco.xyzGoDaddy customer – (United States)

Disco.xyz is the online home of Disco, a web3 platform designed to foster a secure metaverse experience with enhanced privacy features. As shared on their homepage, Disco.xyz compares their services to a personal data backpack that travels with you across web2 and web3. Disco.xyz aims to make the metaverse fun, supported by an approach to digital identity that provides individuals with increased control. This approach is known as self-sovereign identity. Initially, Disco.xyz is helping users on the Ethereum blockchain with compatible wallets such as MetaMask. As they develop, they aim to work with additional networks like Solana, Bitcoin, and more. In April 2022, Disco.xyz completed an early stage funding round received backing by investors including cryptocurrency and blockchain startup-focused Coinbase Ventures.2

Disco.xyz

CEO and co-founder Evin McMullen previously worked as Head of Entertainment at blockchain software technology company ConsenSys, where she also led the development of Serto, a low-code decentralized identity solution. Evin and her team believe that people should be in charge of the data that describes them, not the developers behind an app. We look forward to seeing the developments of this privacy-focused platform. Disco.xyz is still in beta, but you can “say hello” now by creating a profile and signing up for updates. Learn more by following the platform on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and by visiting Disco.xyz

We are inspired by forward-thinking, women-led web3 projects like Disco.xyz, JoinClutch.xyz, and Wunks.xyz. Just as .xyz works to reshape the future of the internet, these .xyz community members aim to reshape the future of web3.

1https://www.businessinsider.com/bec-jones-clutch-wallet-pitch-deck-investors-tiktok-crypto-startup-2022-7#-1
2 https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/496494-19#funding

Circular.xyzGandi customer – (France)

Quality brands are using .xyz domains to showcase their newest offerings. Slovakia-based Black.xyz shares their award-winning roasted coffee selection. Vaporwave streetwear brand PublicSpace.xyz sells high quality Los Angeles-made clothing with designs by fashion designer and founder Eric Wu. Independent arts and music publication Preme.xyz highlights their print issues and latest merch. In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, we’ll introduce you to an innovative company showcasing their customizable wearable tech: Circular.xyz.

Circular.xyz

Circular.xyz is the developer of a multi-feature wearable smart ring called Circular Ring, which is designed to help improve physical and mental performance. The France-based company claims that the Circular Ring can track 142 metrics such as heart rate variability, breathing rate, and body temperature. Circular.xyz’s smart ring is aimed to help users interpret the bodily functions that it monitors while guiding them towards better sleep and heart recovery. The company hopes to set their smart ring apart from other wearable tech devices by giving users an understanding of what their body is doing instead of just providing raw data. In June 2022, Circular.xyz exhibited the Circular Ring at the VivaTech in Paris, where companies showcase their latest technologies and connect with like-minded startups. 

Circular.xyz

Visitors can check out the Features page for details on the functionality of the wearable fitness device. Circular.xyz combines a red, green, and infrared light to create a combination that helps blood oxygenation monitoring and clinical grade heart rate accuracies. The Circular Ring uses your skin temperature and motion for extensive monitoring. The ring is also designed to study your sleep patterns. Circular.xyz claims the device can monitor your body signals during your sleep to help you keep track of its efficiency and improve its quality. Aside from its health tracking features, the smart ring’s interchangeable outer shells allow you to modify the look of your device so it is ready for your high-altitude climb, your deep sea dive, or your night out on the town. The device is currently available for pre-order, and expects to ship by October 2022.

Circular.xyz included a Call to Action (CTA) on their website to provide visitors with added value and help encourage them to complete an action to unlock that value. Their CTA is “Subscribe” with an added message that states “Don’t miss our emails with early updates, great articles and epic adventures.” This creates a great opportunity to keep subscribers informed. You can learn more about CTAs in our latest Quarterly Report. Personal health tracking devices such as Circular.xyz’s Circular Ring can help you get an inside look at how your body performs on a daily basis. We look forward to seeing more innovative developments from Circular.xyz. You can learn more about the Circular Ring by following the company on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and by visiting Circular.xyz.

This week, XYZ is sharing some innovative NFT-focused projects launching on .xyz domains. Previously, we’ve showcased Ethereum-based exploration game Sipher.xyz, which is centered around customizable NFT characters. We shared Grammy-nominated DJ Steve Aoki’s NFT community A0k1verse.xyz, whose members can score access to live and virtual concerts. We also highlighted Venture capitalist Kevin Rose’s NFT-focused podcast Proof.xyz, whose popularity has led to the development of the utility-enabled NFT collection Moonbirds.xyz. In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, we’ll share some .xyz websites that further harness the power of NFTs and blockchain technology.  

Girl-focused NFT project MissOCoolGirls.xyz aims to amplify and support females of the future

MissOCoolGirls.xyzGoDaddy customer – (United States)

MissOCoolGirls.xyz is the online home of a collection of 10,000 randomly generated NFTs known as The Miss O Cool Girls. The NFT collection is inspired by drawings that co-founder Juliette Brindak Blake created when she was 10 years old. Each NFT celebrates the idea that there is not one single definition of what it means to be a girl. The Miss O Cool Girls each feature unique and diverse traits familiar to young teen girls, such as acne, braces, and gap teeth. The brand also released a safe, non-toxic, and bully-free platform for girls to communicate about anything and everything, called the Girl2Girl Wall App. MissOCoolGirls.xyz helps support the Miss O and Friends mission of empowering and building self-esteem in girls against toxic bullying, trolling, and negative role models.

MissOCoolGirls.xyz

MissOCoolGirls.xyz

Founders Hermine Brindak and Juliette Brindak Blake will invest 3% of initial sales towards the creation of the Miss O Cool Girls NFT Fund, aimed to support other girl and women-focused NFT projects. These will be suggested and voted on by the Miss O Discord community. Sales from MissOCoolGirls.xyz will help fund the development of the Miss O community across all different media platforms, as well as marketing and growing their roadmap. MissOCoolGirls.xyz will donate 7% of initial sales to charities that are aligned with the brand’s mission, such as Girl Up, a movement to advance girls’ skills, rights and opportunities to be leaders. For more information, you can follow the project on Twitter and Instagram or visit MissOCoolGirls.xyz.

Creators behind elusive NFT collection Bored Ape Yacht Club introduce new NFT project with Otherside.xyz

Otherside.xyzGoogle Domains customer – (United States)

Otherside.xyz is a gamified metaverse currently under development that aims to unite various NFT projects including the Bored Ape Yacht Club, CryptoPunks, Meebits, and Cool Cats. In this web3-boosted role-playing game, your NFTs can become playable characters, and thousands can play together in real-time. Bored Ape Yacht Club creator Yuga Labs is developing the experience in partnership with NFT game publisher Animoca Brands.

Otherside.xyz

In April 2022, Yuga Labs launched Otherdeed NFTs for the game, which are believed to serve as a deed to some type of virtual land in the game. Otherdeed NFTs were sold to the public as well as provided to existing Bored Ape owners. You can learn more by following the innovative project on Twitter, by joining the Discord, or by visiting Otherside.xyz.

We are inspired by the many exciting web3 projects launching on .xyz domains. MissOCoolGirls.xyz and Otherside.xyz each serve to demonstrate the incredible innovation and creativity that defines the .xyz community.

Offbeat.xyzGoDaddy customer– (United States)

Accomplished creative agencies are establishing their online homes on .xyz domains. Germany-based type design studio NaN.xyz aims to explore the relationship that type has with technology in an effort to deliver projects with purpose for clients including Google and Virgin. Creative agency ArtsandLetters.xyz works with a client roster of world-renowned brands like Google and ESPN under the direction of former creative director Charles Hodges. FOX Entertainment’s web3 studio BCL.xyz provides content creators like Dolly Parton with tools and solutions to create and manage NFT-related content. This week’s #WebsiteWednesday features the website of a successful media company with a client list of national brands that includes McDonald’s and Netflix: Offbeat.xyz.

Offbeat.xyz

Offbeat.xyz is the online home of Offbeat Media Group, an agency aimed at creating media for the digital generation. Co-Founders Christopher Travers, Shep Ogden, and Bailey Grady created the Atlanta-based Offbeat.xyz in 2018. They immediately began disrupting traditional marketing industries by offering brands a more organic way of reaching younger generations who were spending more time on their smartphones than watching television. Offbeat.xyz has developed an extensive social media network of publishers and virtual influencers. They work primarily with brands at the intersection of lifestyle, entertainment, and culture, such as McDonald’s, Netflix, TikTok, and Universal Music Group. Offbeat.xyz builds campaigns across social media through meme marketing, TikTok influencer activations, custom sound creation, bespoke AR Lens creation, and virtual influencer brokerage and creation. In 2021, Offbeat.xyz received new investments from renowned billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban and VC firm Atlanta Ventures1, and have begun growing their team and expanding their own original content. In June 2022, the fully remote company celebrated their 4th anniversary in their virtual clubhouse, where employees mingled with one another in virtual reality.

@paytonking #ad @McDonald’s ♬ original sound – Payton King

Offbeat.xyz
Zero, the virtual cyborg

The agency has produced some incredibly successful and widely viewed media content for the clients and for their own intellectual properties. In March 2022 they developed a campaign for leading fast-food restaurant chain McDonald’s and its new Crispy Chicken sandwich. They partnered with some top creators on Tik Tok, including Payton King, to create a series of funny and relatable content that would fit seamlessly within each creator’s feed. Payton has over 5M followers, and his post alone garnered over 20.5 million views, 1.8 million likes, and 27K shares. In February 2022, Offbeat.xyz created their own virtual influencer named Zero to connect with fans in the human world through social media. Zero is designed to be a virtual cyborg who is trapped in his bunker in the metaverse. He is dedicated to looking for a way out and, of course, engaging with his growing fan base. Zero engages with his fans daily via his own social media profiles, including Instagram where he has over 119K followers. Zero also streams multiple times a week on Twitch.

As Co-founder Christopher Travers explained to us, “Building on the XYZ domain was a natural choice considering the culture of innovation and internet exploration that defines the XYZ community. As curators of wholly new applications of virtual media, we feel at home using an XYZ domain to represent us. We would rather first build independent value and a name for ourselves in a culture of innovation by using an XYZ domain than to make a big, risky investment into a premium legacy TLD as an early act of business.” We look forward to many more creative and innovative campaigns to be generated by Offbeat.xyz and their talented team. To learn more about this studio and view more examples of their work, you can follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and you can visit Offbeat.xyz.

1 https://hypepotamus.com/feature/offbeat-music-group-lands-investment-from-mark-cuban-and-local-atlanta-investors/

Mara.xyzGoDaddy customer – (Africa)

Developers are using .xyz domains to help foster greater accessibility and increased participation in the web3 space. Community platform TheHug.xyz is designed to embrace and empower all web3 creators, including marginalized groups like women, non-native English speakers, BIPOC, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, and LBGTQ+ folks, in hopes of creating “the inclusiverse.” NFT project TheBlackArts.xyz is aimed at celebrating and supporting Black creativity in the web3 space. In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, we’ll introduce you to a web3 company that aims to empower more Africans to enter the world of crypto: Mara.xyz.

Mara.xyz

Mara.xyz is the online home of Mara, a Kenya-based company that is developing a suite of crypto products designed to help increase the number of Africans who can participate in the crypto economy. The company aims to realize Africa’s economic potential and serve as the continent’s portal to crypto. While many African countries still prohibit local financial institutions from doing business with crypto companies, there are now a growing number of African governments looking to integrate cryptocurrency into their economies. On May 11, 2022, Mara.xyz announced the raise of $23 million from multiple investors, including crypto and blockchain-focused Coinbase Ventures.1

The web3 company is building a suite of products that target various crypto-based needs for the African audience. Mara.xyz’s initial product is a consumer crypto-brokerage app that helps users to buy, send, sell, and withdraw fiat and crypto assets. The suite of products will also include a crypto wallet and a layer-one blockchain network. The company anticipates the network will become the default network for developers to build Africa-focused crypto and blockchain products. Mara.xyz will launch in Kenya and Nigeria before expanding to other African countries.

Mara.xyz co-founder and CEO Chi Nnadi previously headed Sustainability International, a nonprofit organization that managed community-led solutions for solving UN Sustainable Development Goals. While running Sustainability International, Chi became aware of the societal and financial challenges affecting Africans and began conceptualizing Mara.xyz. The company has already developed a partnership with the Central African Republic (CAR) to become its official crypto partner and an advisor to President Faustin-Archange Touadera on crypto strategy and planning. Mara.xyz has plans to engage more African governments to see the benefits of blockchain. 

On June 7, 2022 Mara.xyz appointed former Apple executive Susan Younis as its Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). In her role, Susan will be in charge of brand awareness and will help lead Mara towards a goal of becoming a digital finance and crypto market leader across Africa.2

Mara recently upgraded their domain from Coinmara.com to the more memorable and universally friendly Mara.xyz. We are proud to have innovators like Chi defining the .xyz community, and look forward to the release of Mara.xyz’s services. You can learn more by joining the Discord, following the company on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and by visiting Mara.xyz.

1 https://www.coindesk.com/business/2022/05/11/mara-raises-23m-from-coinbase-alameda-to-spread-crypto-adoption-across-africa/
2 https://techcabal.com/2022/06/07/mara-susan-younis-hires-ex-apple-executive-as-chief-marketing-officer/

In this XYZ Quarterly we’ll cover seven examples of how to improve SEO and increase traffic to your website. We’ll also provide a recap of XYZ’s Q2 2022 activity.

2022 Quarterly Q2

Your selection of a memorable and easily discoverable domain name is an epic start in your quest for a powerful online presence. In today’s digital world, potential shoppers, collaborators, and clients come across countless websites on a regular basis. There are things you can do to help your website stand out, to appear first in internet searches, and to provide potential visitors with a sense of confidence about your website. This fundamental aspect of a strong online presence is called Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Strong SEO can lead your website to appear in more search results, which can generate authority and trust. Appearing in more search results can also generate more traffic to your website. More visits to your website means more people are experiencing your online presence, considering your products and services, and learning about your skills and talents.

For a strong online presence, complement your domain name with SEO strategies that can help deliver more of what you want the most – engaged visitors. That’s the reason we’re sharing SEO tips, to help increase traffic to your website, as part of this year’s XYZ Quarterly theme of Back to Basics. We’ll provide you with seven SEO tips that can help generate more traffic to your website, as well as seven .xyz websites that are already putting these tips to use.

Read on for Part 1: “Seven SEO tips to help drive traffic to your website”

Or jump down to Part 2: XYZ’s Q2 2022 Recap.”

Tip 1. Create a structured and organized website

Tip 1. Create a structured and organized website
When people visit your website, your goal should be to provide them with the information they are looking for and make it easy to take full advantage of your website. This can be accomplished with thoughtful consideration of the design and organization of your website. A common feature of a successful website is the smart layout of its content. Your website should be structured and organized in a logical way with an easy-to-follow navigation system. Visitors should feel encouraged to explore the content. Encouraging exploration with an inviting layout will help your visitors gain access to all the content you want them to find, absorb, and share. If your website’s layout is confusing or the content is difficult to find, your visitors may decide to quickly move on to the next website where they might have an easier time finding what they’re looking for. A well-thought-out layout can keep your visitors engaged and interested in continued or regular use of your website.

Questy.xyz

Questy.xyz is an example of a website with a structured layout of its content and an easy-to-follow navigation system. This digital talent measurement solution aims to help organizations automate recruitment workflow, assess candidates’ skills, and map a complete employee development lifecycle. The top of the homepage features an easy-to-navigate menu to help visitors learn more about the company and their services. By clicking on the Education page, you can learn more about Questy.xyz’s multidisciplinary assessments, which can help organizations screen, select, and hire appropriate candidates. This page also details Questy.xyz’s library of questions, which contains curated questions of varying difficulty levels designed to measure domain knowledge, aptitude, cognitive, behavioral, and technical skills. On the company’s Remote Hiring page, you can learn about features such as the “Interviewee Only Test.” At the base of their website, Questy.xyz makes additional features available under the “Company” heading. This includes a Blog, with insightful posts such as Live Video Assessment: An Aid for Those Who Want to Hire the Best Remotely, which reviews the benefits of ​​conducting video interviews with potential employees. Questy.xyz also provides a Sitemap that clearly illustrates the logical organization of their content. With Questy.xyz’s organization method, potential clients can quickly see the variety of services being offered. The cohesive organization of Questy.xyz makes it inviting for visitors to explore the website and gain a strong understanding of each of the available features.

A structured and logically organized website can encourage visitors to explore, absorb, and share your content. A straightforward design can help your visitors find the information they are looking for and make it easier for them to take full advantage of your website.

Tip 2. Provide unique content

Tip 2. Provide unique content

The content of your website can influence your ranking in search results. The value of your content determines  whether or not your visitors will come back for repeated visits. A great way to provide value is to focus your content on a specific topic, and break that topic down into subtopics, called content hubs. This can encourage visitors to discover and absorb your full range of expertise. Providing valuable content can demonstrate that you’re an expert in your niche, which can help your website show up more frequently in search results.

BostonSeaport.xyz

BostonSeaport.xyz is an example of a website that features content hubs that break down and categorize its content. Boston Seaport is a 7.6 million square foot lifestyle center in Boston’s Seaport district. It is comprised of residential, hotel, office, retail, entertainment, and public open spaces. The overall topic of the website is the lifestyle center, but the content is broken down into hubs, including a regularly updated calendar of events, transportation services, parking information, lists of services and amenities, and more. There’s also a comprehensive directory of over 35 shopping destinations. BostonSeaport.xyz has become an online information hub for all things related to the development project. By breaking their content down into hubs and silos, BostonSeaport.xyz demonstrates they are the authority on all things related to Boston Seaport. This may also be helping them rank higher in search engines. If someone is searching for information about “snowport winter village” or for “lolita boston,” BostonSeaport.xyz will appear on the first page of Google search results with information about the center’s Snowport winter holiday market or the Lolita restaurant and tequila bar (as of July 11, 2022).

A website with focused and unique content that is broken down and categorized into hubs can help you demonstrate authority and help you rank higher in search engine results.

Tip 3. Optimize your images

Tip 3. Optimize your images

Images play an important role on your website. They can keep your visitors engaged by enticing them to check out your products and services or entertaining them while breaking up large blocks of text. It is important to ensure your images are sized correctly and are not so large that they take too long to download. Making sure your website loads quickly is a good experience for the user, which is factored into search results. Another way to optimize your images is to utilize alt text. Also called alt tags and alt descriptions, this text helps screen-reading tools describe images to visually impaired readers, and allows search engines to showcase your content for the appropriate keywords.

SuperstarX.xyz

SuperstarX.xyz is an example of a website that optimizes images and implements alt text. The multimedia collective is aimed at destigmatizing and celebrating our differences, with a goal of connection and eradicating oppression. They work to support their goals through the production of art, film, music, and fashion. SuperstarX.xyz shares the work of their collective through assorted channels such as TheXShop.xyz, an e-commerce art gallery with products that feature artwork by the collective’s artists. The online catalog of products includes items like hoodies, tote bags, and kitchenware, and the imagery is properly sized and optimized for immediate display. They highlight the products for sale, and break up large text blocks to keep visitors engaged. They also utilize alt text, which contributes to their keyword strategy. Take for example the WOMXN’S ALL-OVER-PRINT T-SHIRT. The main image is using the following alt text:“X” by Edward K. Weatherly – Womxn’s All-Over-Print T-Shirt. If you search Google simply for “Edward Weatherly T-shirt,” TheXShop.xyz’s listing is the very first result (as of July 11, 2022).

Optimized images can decrease download times, highlight the product or services that you want to sell, break up large text blocks to keep your visitors engaged, and contribute to better SEO.

Tip 4. Utilize internal linking

Tip 4. Utilize internal linking
When you want to link certain words in your content to other pages, there are two main types of links. Internal links point to other pages on the same website, and external links point to pages on other websites. Linking to pages within your own website can send visitors deeper into your site, allowing them to interact with more content and keeping them engaged longer. For SEO purposes, internal links help search engines find, index, and understand all of the pages on your site. When implemented strategically, internal links can show search engines the relevancy of your content, which can help increase your website’s position in search results.

TimeMarket.xyz

TimeMarket.xyz is an example of how internal linking can help lead visitors deeper into your website, and encourage them to explore more of your content. Tucson-based TimeMarket.xyz is a bakery, restaurant, grocery store, and gift shop located near the University of Arizona. Their online store makes it easy to enjoy their selection of products if you’re unable to shop there in person. The marketplace has categories of products such as Cookware, Candles, and Cookbooks. When a visitor selects a product, such as the hand-stitched full grain leather potholder in the Cookware section, they will discover additional selections at the bottom of the screen under a heading of “You may also like.” This is designed to help make sure visitors don’t miss out on any available options. The multiple opportunities to access each of their products and dig deeper into the selections helps ensure that visitors will fully explore all of the available content on TimeMarket.xyz. These internal links show search engines the relevancy of the content.

Implementing internal linking can encourage visitors to dive deeper into the content throughout your website. Internal links can also demonstrate the relevancy of your content to search engines, which can help increase your website’s position in search results.

Tip 5. Use common search terms

Tip 5. Use common search terms
Using strategic keywords can help improve your SEO. These are words and terms that help define what your website’s content is all about. Keywords are often the most popular search terms that users enter into search engines. You should aim to make the keywords on your page relevant to what people are searching for so they have a better chance of finding your content among the results. You can also consider backing up standard keywords with long-tail keywords, which are more specific searches. You may find that long-tail keywords have less competition, allowing opportunity for a smaller website to appear on the results pages. For more information about the importance of keywords and implementing keyword research, look into popular keyword research platforms.

Foodism.xyz

Foodism.xyz is an example of a website that uses keywords. The food-centered social media platform aims to gather all food enthusiasts under a single digital roof. What began as an online presence for their print magazine evolved into a full-fledged platform with content including user-submitted recipes and blog posts written by the Foodism staff. These posts have topics from “what is continental food” to “why it’s time to change up your cooking oil.” The platform’s website uses keywords that may be contributing to their visibility in Google searches. Searching keywords such as “continental food,” and the popular Indian dessert “paisam” in Google shows Foodism.xyz at the top of the results page (as of July 11, 2022).

If your website uses relevant phrases and content that matches people’s search intent, there is a greater chance that your website will appear when someone performs a search.

Tip 6. Keep your website updated with dynamic content

Tip 6. Keep your website updated with dynamic content
An excellent way to increase the chances of return visits to your website is by regularly updating your content. Keeping things fresh and exciting on a regular basis provides value that can make people want to return and see what’s new. There are many ways to keep your content updated, depending on the nature of your website. You can update landing pages with seasonal promotions, feature an active blog with a consistent schedule, or even add new videos that visitors will want to watch and share. The idea is to keep your great website updated with quality content that will encourage people to revisit.

TrashMag.xyz

TrashMag.xyz is a prime example of a website that encourages return visits to their page by regularly updating content. Trash Mag is a women and queer-led independent zine aimed at cultivating community through creativity. The zine has core values such as independence, empathy, vulnerability, community, and representation, which help inform and guide their issues. Each issue features submissions from around the world, including an interview with Madison Sinclair from the Harry Styles-focused merch brand, BugGirl200, and an essay on normalizing embarrassing moments, because we all have them. New essays, features, and merchandise selections are added nearly every week, which can help capture their audience’s attention and encourage a positive impression on their brand.

Showing your brand is active and cares to provide value to visitors can help establish trust and foster a positive association with your brand. Regularly updating your website with high quality content can increase the chances of return visits, which is a factor that contributes to your overall ranking in search engines.

Tip 7. Include a Call to Action (CTA)

Tip 7. Include a Call to Action (CTA)
Last but not least, including a Call to Action (CTA) on your website can provide your visitors with added value and help encourage them to complete an action to unlock that value. A CTA is simple instructional text guiding the visitor to take an action that aligns with your shared goals. For example, if your goal is to be able to connect with your visitor after they leave your website, and your visitor likely wants to get reminders and future information, your CTA might be “Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated!” Encouraging subscriptions and collecting a mailing list creates a great opportunity to keep subscribers informed. If your goal is to bring awareness to helpful resources and organizations that align with your own mission, and your customer is interested in learning more about the topic, your CTA can be “Visit these resources to learn more!” Sending visitors to like-minded organizations can help them better understand your mission and gain the helpful resources they may need.

Launchpool.xyz

Launchpool.xyz is an example of a website that implements clear and obvious CTAs. The London-based cryptocurrency investment platform operates under an egalitarian investing philosophy that states “all project stakeholders are as important as each other.” Launchpool.xyz aims to connect investment funds and communities to work together towards the same goals. They host investment projects and offer valuable exposure to their growing community, who combines their knowledge and pools their resources. Launchpool.xyz’s website features a CTA encouraging visitors to “Launch App.” By reminding visitors to take the action of launching the app, Launchpool.xyz stands to increase usage of their platform, which can help the platform and all involved stakeholders to prosper. The website also has a CTA recommending that visitors “Buy $LPOOL,” the platform’s crypto token. $LPOOL is needed to register your interest in the platform’s investment projects, and with more community members involved, there can be greater benefit to the platform and all stakeholders.

Including CTAs on your website can simplify the user experience, and help your visitors determine what to do next. A strong CTA can provide added value to your visitors and help you achieve your desired goals.

Conclusion

Mindful SEO practices can help you reach a global audience and keep their attention. Recognizing the importance of your website’s structure, demonstrating your subject matter expertise, and careful attention to search terms can keep your quest for a powerful online presence on the right track. Following the examples of the seven .xyz websites above can help increase the amount of traffic you receive.




XYZ Q2 2022 Quarterly Recap

We are sailing through 2022 and still riding the wave of joy from our recent 8th anniversary celebration. For XYZ, the second quarter of 2022 was packed with great ways to help the new generation of internet users to get online. We celebrated our anniversary with an 8-day sale, featured #WebsiteWednesday posts that showcase our creative community members, supported 39 hackathons and their dedicated student participants, and more. Here’s everything we accomplished during Q2.

.XYZ’s 8th anniversary

.XYZ’s 8th anniversary

We spent the month of June celebrating the 8th anniversary of .xyz’s launch! Now with over 4 million registrations, we are excited to share that .xyz surpassed .info in 2022, becoming the #4 generic domain ending. That’s right – at only 8 years old, .xyz is only trailing 3 generic domains from the 1980s. Many thanks go to our global network of registrar partners and their customers whose support has helped make .xyz a top choice worldwide. To make the anniversary celebration extra special, our retail partners offered .xyz domains for as low as $0.88 for 8 days only!

#WebsiteWednesday

Every Wednesday we present a #WebsiteWednesday blog post highlighting an innovative and creative member of the .xyz community.

Blockchain and web3-focused developers are continuing to build on .xyz domains, and we featured some very awesome websites this quarter:

  • NftyChat.xyz is a web3 chat platform that only requires you to connect your MetaMask, Coinbase, or WalletConnect crypto wallet to start chatting.
  • Entropy.xyz is the online home of Entropy, a decentralized crypto custodian aiming to revolutionize the way crypto is stored.
  • BCL.xyz is the online home of FOX Entertainment’s new NFT-focused web3 studio Blockchain Creative Labs.
  • StarTrek.xyz is Paramount’s experiential NFT marketplace for the first and all future releases of Star Trek NFT launches.
  • Relics.xyz is record label Monstercat’s debut NFT platform where fans can collect and display music collectibles.
  • TheBlackArts.xyz is a curated NFT project aimed at celebrating and supporting Black creativity in the web3 space.

Some memorable music, culture, and lifestyle websites have been developing in the .xyz community. We showcased a few:

  • TrashMag.xyz is the online home of women and queer-led independent zine Trash Mag, aimed at cultivating community through creativity.
  • TheCulture.xyz is the online home of digital lifestyle platform The Culture, aimed at producing forward-thinking content to reach the Black community.

Unique businesses and changemaking organizations establish their online homes on .xyz domains. Here’s a couple of standout organizations that we’ve recognized:

  • Sole2Soul.xyz is a family run non-profit organization designed to facilitate the donation of sneakers to underserved youth.

Useful digital solutions and innovative services are setting up shop on .xyz domains. We had the pleasure to highlight a couple:

  • Questy.xyz is a digital talent measurement solution that aims to automate recruitment workflow, assess candidates’ skills, and map a complete employee development lifecycle.
  • Adaptive.xyz is a modular building system designed for sustainable living.

XYZ Anti-Abuse

At the start of the quarter, the XYZ Registry’s no-tolerance policy for abuse in our zones was recognized by Spamhaus, the leading authority on IP and domain reputation data. Spamhaus published a 3-part series of collaborative blog posts with XYZ regarding domain abuse, combating bad actors, and best practices when emailing from a new domain.

Getting the low-down from XYZ Registry on combating domain abuse – Spamhaus Technology

We started off our series diving into what XYZ considers abuse, the XYZ Anti-Abuse Policy and the process we use to protect the internet from bad actors.

XYZ discusses industry collaboration to ban bad actors – Spamhaus Technology

For this installment, we discuss how the registry, registrar, and cybersecurity organizations should work together to stop bad actors.

XYZ’s best practice on new domains and email deliverability

In the final part of this series, we identify what it takes to get you flagged for spamming, and common deliverability issues that new domain users come across and ways to potentially overcome them.

The XYZ Registry continues to enhance the Anti-Abuse process by partnering with cybersecurity companies, regularly scanning our zones for bad actors and seeking out more ways to keep the XYZ namespace safe. For more information on reporting abuse or partnering with the Anti-Abuse Team please visit https://gen.xyz/abuse.

XYZ Registry domains across the globe

XYZ Registry domains across the globe

With 33 amazing domain endings in the XYZ family, there are individuals, businesses, and brands from all over the world using our diverse range of options to launch their ideas. We continue to see unique projects ranging from innovative blockchain based games and cyber awareness solutions to cosmetic beauty services based all over the world.  Some of the remarkable websites we highlighted this quarter include:

  • Seattle-based esthetician Nicole Kleinbrook’s Microblading.Makeup offers microblading and medical esthetics services.
  • Blockchain game Dreams.Quest welcomes players to the DreamsVerse, where your dreams and subconscious intertwine with the physical world.
  • Netherlands-based skin care brand DeltaDerma.Skin highlights their assorted bacteria-fighting products designed to protect and nourish skin.
  • Germany-based guitarist Peter Rack’s Guitar.College provides customized guitar lessons.
  • Cybersecurity solution Eye.Security offers monitoring and cyber awareness services.
  • Italy-based Sundeck.Yachts shares information about their custom fiberglass yachts.

Innovators, creators, and makers have 33 versatile domain extensions to choose from within the XYZ family. Now’s your chance – register your own domain today!

Let’s hear it for .Audio and all of our newest domains

Let’s hear it for .Audio and all of our newest domains
Small businesses, creative individuals, and dynamic brands all over the world have already started building on our newest selection of domains: .Game, .Guitars, .Audio, .Christmas, .Diet, .Flowers, .Hosting, .Pics, .Mom, and .LOL. Here are a few more unique projects on our newest selection of domains that we’ve recognized this quarter:

  • Web app Extract.Pics helps you extract, view, and download images from any website.
  • London-based flower subscription service Wonder.Flowers offers ready-to-display flower arrangements all year long.
  • Germany’s Wurst.Guitars offers selected vintage and modern pre-owned instruments.
  • Feline adventure game Stray.Game puts you in charge of helping a stray cat untangle an ancient mystery and escape a long-forgotten city.
  • Audio equipment seller Apos.Audio showcases products from a carefully curated set of brands.

Use these descriptive, memorable, and keyword-rich domains to establish your brand online and stand out to your audience. Don’t miss out – register your .Game, .Guitars, .Audio, .Christmas, .Diet, .Flowers, .Hosting, .Pics, .Mom, or .LOL domain names today!

XYZ provides domains for participants at 39 hackathons around the world

XYZ provides domains for participants at 39 hackathons around the world

XYZ helped support participants at 39 hackathons in the second quarter of 2022! Inspired coders received .xyz domains to help encourage them to develop their creative ideas online. Many hackathons were held virtually, while others took place throughout the world:

HACKTRIX, MEGAHacks2022, Techotsav, Ctrl Alt Delete, HackOFiesta v3.0, TechX’22, GDSC – VIT Vellore, Jaypee Hacks, Pitcher’s Den, RECURSION 3.0, Hack 36, HackNUthon 3.0, Multiverse Of Coding, Design-a-thon, HACKFIT, GATES 2022 ,Chimera, Labyrinth, MasseyHacks VIII, InnoHacks, HACKFLEDGE, HackMoreish Hackathon 2022, Holiday Hacks, ML Hacks, JAMHacks, NHacks VII Hackathon, Execute Hackathon 2.0, StuyPy-a-Thon, Hack the Woodz, Devhost:22, Hydra Hacks, MontyHacks, V Hack-a-bit, Hacking Heist 2.0, Quantum v1.0, FreyHacks, VSHacks, Learnathon22, SPSHacks

XYZ is dedicated to helping young coders share their concepts and ideas with a global audience on their own .xyz domains. If you are interested in signing up your own hackathon with XYZ to help the next generation of internet users build the future of tech, contact us today!

We are enthusiastic to see continued growth and more exciting development in the .xyz community for the second half of the year. We will continue helping the next generation of internet users bring their amazing ideas to life… 4 million domains and beyond.

Stay up to date by subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

NinaFraser.xyzNamecheap customer– (Portugal)

The .xyz community consists of many talented creatives using .xyz to showcase and promote their work. Visual effects specialist Christopher Kerr uses ChristopherKerr.xyz to share his professional film and television experience. Designer, artist, and software instructor Erindale Woodford displays their 3D design experience on Erindale.xyz. Illustrator 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 a multidisciplinary artist who showcases her assortment of creative work on a personal website using a “FirstNameLastName” .xyz domain: NinaFraser.xyz.

NinaFraser.xyz

NinaFraser.xyz is the personal website of Portugal-based artist Nina Fraser. Practicing multiple disciplines, Nina has developed a substantial collection of work including collage, painting, assemblage, sculpture, and illustration. As she explains on her Info page, Nina conceives her artistic path as “a shared journey, co-creating projects and practical structures to improve our social and human experience.” Nina graduated from Winchester College of Art in Hampshire, England with a Bachelor’s degree in Textile Art. After successfully collaborating on the creation and operation of a highly-rated organic cafe and arts venue in Southampton called The Art House,1 Nina moved to Lisbon, Portugal in 2014 to begin developing her art practice in collage and sculpture. Since then, Nina has shared her work in group and solo exhibitions in England, Portugal, Germany, and the United States, and her collages have been selected for publication in the United States, Italy, Spain, and Portugal.

NinaFraser.xyz

Nina’s diverse artwork is displayed in a well-organized manner for visitors to easily navigate, which can help her to attract collaborators, co-creators, and clients. The eye-catching homepage of NinaFraser.xyz contains an overview of her varied artwork. Visitors can click on any image to learn more about it, such as Tales of Turbulence and Tulips, which explores the relationship between the individual and the collective. The remarkable creation includes fragments of colorful magazines that have been arranged and pasted, blurring boundaries between painting, collage, and the photographic image. Nina created the work with the assistance of a studio intern, which gave her the opportunity to explore collaboration and the idea of sharing artistic experience. For a chronological view of Nina’s work, visitors can view pieces by year, from 2016 to present. In 2018’s Caught Up in the Field, Nina uses magazine imagery of women to explore the subject of femininity, desire, and spirituality. On this page, visitors can learn more details about the collage including its size and its inclusion in the 2019 Sublime exhibition at MUTE Gallery in Lisbon, Portugal. For a glimpse at the various publications that Nina has worked with, visitors can hover over the Print menu to select Publications. Here, you can find 10 publications that have shared Nina’s work, including Cut Me Up magazine, a collage-focused art magazine founded by New York-based artist Andrea Burgay.2 With Nina’s work cohesively displayed and organized on NinaFraser.xyz, website visitors have the opportunity to review her extensive experience all in one place. This simplified navigation makes it easy for visitors to get a strong sense of Nina’s abilities and help them consider her for a collaboration.

Using a FirstNameLastName.xyz domain like NinaFraser.xyz can help make it easier for Nina and her artwork to be discoverable online. Anyone who Googles “nina fraser” will see  NinaFraser.xyz at the top of the search results page. With a professional website using a domain name that matches your full name, it’s more likely that your website will show up in relevant results. In addition, there is a great benefit to a branded email address like [email protected]. Much of her communication will likely be email-based, so it’s a great idea 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 email address to find your website and feel confident that they’re reaching out to the appropriate person. 

Nina believes the .xyz domain is a great option for artists. As she explained to us, 

“I couldn’t settle on anything else that wasn’t location-specific until I found .xyz. Being a millennial, I thought it would be fun to tap into this new domain. It doesn’t have an inherent meaning, and it sits outside of the box – in terms of how people quickly decide what it is you are doing based on your website. For artists this is nice – to be a little more ambiguous.” 

We are proud to have Nina among the thriving .xyz community of artists, creators, and makers. You can learn more about Nina by following her on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, and by visiting NinaFraser.xyz.

1https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g186299-d2176702-Reviews-The_Art_House_Performance_Venue_Social_Centre-Southampton_Hampshire_England.html
2 https://www.cutmeupmagazine.com/issue-8-guided-by-instinct

Formless.xyzGoDaddy customer – (United States)

Web3 developers are using .xyz domains to innovate the entertainment industry. Crypto music publishing platform Sound.xyz aims to disrupt the music industry by helping recording artists gain more of their music’s value by harnessing the power of blockchain technology to turn songs into collectible NFTs. NFT platform Relics.xyz is designed for fans to collect and display music collectibles which include a unique visual and full-length song from Monstercat’s roster of Electronic musicians. NFT studio BCL.xyz works to help content creators and Intellectual Property owners like Dolly Parton and FOX’s The Masked Singer to build, launch, manage, and market NFT-related content and experiences. In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, we’ll introduce you to a music tech company that aims to empower creators so they can make choices about how their content is valued and distributed: Formless.xyz.

Formless.xyz

Formless.xyz is a music technology company aiming to change the way music and other digital content is valued and distributed using the power of blockchain technology. The Boston-based company’s vision is proudly shared on their homepage: “To illuminate true human purpose through technology.” Formless.xyz is founded by Forbes-featured artist and former staff engineer at Google, Brandon Tory.1 In 2021, Brandon and Formless.xyz partnered with Grammy Award Winning songwriter Dallas Austin to release the album Unicorn.2 Later that year, Brandon was nominated “New Artist of The Year” by the Boston Music Awards.3 On June 3, 2022, Formless.xyz announced that their new Share protocol for audio and video content distribution is now available on the Ethereum and Polygon testnet blockchains.

The creator-focused Formless.xyz is determined to fundamentally change the industry in which music is served and the infrastructure used to serve it by way of “smart content.” Smart content includes instructions about content ownership and terms around consumption and exchange that would otherwise be specified by a third party distributor. The Share protocol is designed to change the way music and other digital content are valued and distributed, and is also aimed to shift how artists get compensated for their art.4 Share administers the content, or experience, as well as the rules of access to that experience. Formless.xyz has named this a Pay-For-Access (PFA) smart contract. The protocol is designed to act like a digital vending machine where the owner selects the terms of access, licensing, and distribution independent of the property on which the machine operates. A publicly available beta version will be available later this year. In the meantime, content creators and developers have been invited to sample the decentralized application intended to showcase the power of the protocol. 

As shared on the company’s Mission page, the name “Formless” represents the disruption of the typical rigid identity structures associated with either music or technology. We look forward to watching the evolution of the Share protocol and everything that comes next. Formless.xyz selected the handles @formless_xyz on Twitter, @formlessxyz on Instagram, and @formlessxyz on LinkedIn, which makes them easily discoverable and promotes their website URL right in their social media handle. You can read more about this useful technique in our latest XYZ Quarterly. Learn more by joining the Discord, following the company on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn, or by visiting Formless.xyz.

1https://www.forbes.com/sites/margiegoldsmith/2019/01/21/google-a-i-engineerrapper-wants-kids-to-know-its-cool-to-be-a-genius/?sh=4cd96b3940c6
2 https://open.spotify.com/album/5xH3cFrrIfucXEhXRQRx0p
3 https://bostonmusicawards.com/nominees/
4 https://money.yahoo.com/formless-announces-pre-release-availability-150000235.html

Entropy.xyzGoogle Domains customer – (United States)

.XYZ’s blossoming reputation as the domain of choice for crypto and blockchain projects has inspired many remarkably talented individuals to join the movement and launch their ideas on .xyz domains. Facebook Live creator Randi Zuckerberg and venture capital firm M13 founder Debbie Soon developed their community platform designed to embrace and empower all web3 creators on TheHug.xyz. Venture capitalist Kevin Rose hosts his NFT-focused podcast on Proof.xyz, which led to the development of his record-breaking NFT collection Moonbirds.xyz1. Accomplished finance professional Alex Slobodnik created web3 chat platform NftyChat.xyz to foster community amongst ENS users, and chose .xyz because “.xyz felt new and fresh, just like web3.” In this week’s #WebsiteWednesday, as interviewed by some of our own LGBTQ+ members of the XYZ Team, we’ll introduce you to Tux Pacific, a trailblazing hacker, cryptographer, anarchist, entrepreneur, and member of the transgender community, who raised $25 million to launch an innovative crypto custodian: Entropy.xyz.
Entropy.xyz
Entropy.xyz is the online home of Entropy, a decentralized crypto custodian aiming to revolutionize the way crypto is stored. The Brooklyn, New York-based startup offers services that specialize in creating a decentralized network harnessing advanced threshold cryptography. TechCrunch recently featured founder and CEO Tux Pacific in praise of raising $25 million for Entropy’s seed round led by technology venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz2. Previously, Entropy.xyz completed a $1.95 million pre-seed raise in January 2022. Learning of Entropy.xyz‘s momentum and Tux Pacific’s powerful individuality inspired us to reach out to learn more.

.XYZ regularly celebrates our diverse community, and we wanted to take this incredible opportunity to bring visibility to Tux and their experience as a member of the transgender community. Representation matters in so many ways. It can serve as an opportunity for marginalized people to find community support and validation. If there are other members of the transgender community looking to make their way in tech, perhaps getting to know more about Tux can help encourage them. Additionally, exposure through media representation (including this #WebsiteWednesday) can aid in the reduction of stereotypes of marginalized groups, like the LGBTQ+ community. We applaud when someone who has the opportunity to represent their identity group, especially within the field of tech, makes conscious efforts to use their influence to remind others that their communities not only exist, but are doing great things. We are appreciative of Tux for taking the time to speak with us.

XYZ: You recently expressed to TechCrunch that you’re accustomed to forging your own path, and lacked relatable role models while you were growing up. What advice would you offer to a member of the LGBTQ+ community who may feel alone or isolated, but is looking to forge their way in tech?

Tux: Kill your idols. Be so unique that they can’t look away or forget your name. We stand on the shoulders of giants who all carved their own paths in eccentric loneliness. Your eccentricity is what will force you to carve your own path, but it will also attract similar eccentrics who will make that easier.

XYZ: That is powerful. Many people give up safety in order to live their most authentic and eccentric lives, and it can be a bold move to make. Sometimes it is necessary for survival, and sometimes it is born out of the urge to be the change. Did you set out hoping to become that role model that you never had yourself? Or was it an added bonus?

Tux: I don’t really want to be a role model. I’m almost certain that those who may look up to me will find themselves disappointed by many things. I set out with my own personal aspirations and I am seeking to accomplish them. I suggest others do the same with or without my inspiration

XYZ: The term role model is something that can carry additional weight and expectations. Representation is often just as valuable. Simply being visible and sharing information about your own path can make such a difference. We’re grateful that you chose to share more of your story with us! Are you comfortable sharing if you’ve faced any particular pushback as a founder, related to being trans or having they/them pronouns? Speaking of – have you seen Pronouny.xyz?

Tux: I have seen Pronouny — it’s a very cool project! The only pushback I’ve received, thankfully, are various bits here and there of transmisogyny. When you’re in a position of power (which so few trans people find themselves in), you will find that the other common inhabitants of power begin to warp their perception of reality to your own in a game of mimicry to either impress or otherwise get something from you. Whether or not they truly believe in your liberation and freedom is a different topic. I would suggest to other trans founders that they try and find similar positions of power to inhabit such that it becomes nonoptimal for folks to give them any “pushback.”

XYZ: For those that are not familiar, the term transmisogyny is a form of discriminmation, harassment, contempt, and other negative experiences directed at and experienced by trans women and transfeminine people. We have listed some resources at the bottom of this post that are tech communities centered around supporting LGBTQ+ groups, which can be of help when combating these experiences. Were you motivated by anyone/anything in particular during the ups and downs of the journey to becoming a founder?

Tux: My biggest inspiration is my favorite poet – an Anarchist from Italy by the name of Renzo Novatore. His poetry has delivered me from the most trying of times. Renzo’s poetry has been so influential that I have taken his name as my own – Tux Novatore Pacific. The words of Bell Hooks (RIP) have also been quite impactful.

XYZ: We learned from the Techcrunch article that you previously worked at cryptography network NuCypher, where you acquired advanced cryptographic techniques. You then applied these techniques to your innovative crypto custodian. Can you tell us how you first became interested in crypto?

Tux: I started off in the hacker space. You know the folks at DEFCON, HOPE, etc. Naturally, I became interested in privacy very young. I got intrigued by encryption and cryptography. Shortly after being hired for my first software engineering gig, I met a sysadmin who happened to have a degree in mathematics. He showed off some cryptography-related math (actually Shannon’s Entropy equation, which I now have tattooed on my wrist) and it was all downhill from there. The obsession began.

XYZ: For some reason, the word “Entropy” is giving us Bill Nye vibes. We know that “Entropy” means a lack of order or predictability – How did you land on that name?

Tux: In cryptography, we require that keys be random (or unpredictable), which we would say “a key is of high entropy” should that be the case. In fact, we can measure the amount of randomness via Shannon’s Entropy equation. I settled on the name Entropy because of the relation of Shannon’s Entropy to threshold cryptography and distributed key generation, and also due to my history with it as my sort of rabbit hole moment with cryptography.

 XYZ: $25M in funding is quite a feat. Was there anything that you did or were exposed to that you felt prepared you to push through the hurdles to get this funding?

Tux: My preseed raise haha. Fundraising is hard, but only in an annoying way. If you have a solid idea, with a solid team, and a solid vision, then the convincing part isn’t difficult – it’s the social, emotional, and logistical parts that are difficult. Having gone through the preseed, I knew what to expect and how to execute better. It definitely prepared me for it. Additionally having a mentor to help guide you through things makes things so much better.

My advice to any other would-be founders is to find a fundraising buddy – someone who is raising money at the same time as you, perhaps in a similar field or even tech. Your fundraising buddy should be willing to help you with some hurdles, and you should be willing to help them with some hurdles. It’s all about cooperation.

XYZ: What factors, if any, contributed to your decision to build on .xyz?

Tux: For whatever reason, crypto has decided that .xyz domains are ours. For us, the .com wasn’t even interesting. I immediately purchased Entropy.xyz the moment I decided on the name.

Many thanks to Tux for speaking with us, and allowing us this opportunity to learn of their experiences. You can learn more about Tux’s crypto custodian startup by joining the Discord, following the company on Twitter, or by visiting Entropy.xyz.

For additional assistance and support for LGBTQ+ in tech, please consider the following resources:

TransTech
Lesbians Who Tech & Allies
LGBTQ in Technology
QueerTech
Out in Tech
LGBT Tech
oStem
StartOut

1https://www.yahoo.com/video/moonbirds-shatter-opensea-records-240m-170054768.html

2https://techcrunch.com/2022/06/08/the-trans-queer-anarchist-crypto-founder-seed-round-a16z-andreessen-horowitz/