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Copyright: © Richard Jacobs
Gridcoin is an open-source cryptocurrency that rewards voluntary computing through the BOINC platform. The BOINC platform allows scientific projects in need of distributed computing power to connect with and reward the volunteers who can provide it.Examples of projects that are currently or have in the past been posted on BOINC are scientists attempting to discover cures for HIV/AIDS, cancer, malaria, and Ebola, mapping the Milky Way, and crack Enigma code machines. The platform is free to use, for both scientists with projects and volunteers, and each project is given equal amounts of Gridcoin to rewards its volunteers. Gridcoin can be kept, or traded for other cryptocurrencies and fiat through several centralized or de-centralized exchanges. In the future, Gridcoin hopes to be able to scale to the point where they can list more projects and ultimately reward a greater percentage of their user base. For more information, visit www.gridcoin.us.
Open Bazaar is an open-source, peer to peer, online market place that connects buyers and sellers of all types of products to connect with each other, without fees or censorship. There are some major development projects coming out in the next 6-12 months, the biggest being what they call their Developer Playground. In order to maintain the collective resources needed to nurture the Open Bazaar platform and maintain developer collaboration, the Developer Playground will allow developers and contributors to compete in contributor activities, earn badges and rankings, vote for new ideas, create features, and manage their accounts. Open Bazaar is also looking for increased integration with 3rd party applications, and to streamline the process of using GitHub to further develop the platform. Position: Developer Network Lead (OpenBazaar) Email: braden@openbazaar.org For more information, or to get involved, visit www.openbazaar.org.
In this day and age, people around the world need to be able to store and use items that are incredibly valuable. To this end, Vida Identity is creating a password-less encryption system for all of your important data and files. Unlike traditional key managers, there is no master password to all a user's accounts. Instead, each password and file is encrypted with a different private key. Those keys are then sharded, and distributed to different devices, such as a smartphone. That device would need to be present, in order to create a transaction on the blockchain. Though this system is currently still in testing, Erik believes it could be ready for market in 3-6 months–quick enough to get the product out to consumers quickly, but secure enough for all users. For more information, visit www.vidaidentity.com.
Expanse, which runs on the first stable fork of the Ethereum blockchain, creates decentralized applications for their clients. One of their applications is Token Labs, which does token and ICO management. Similar to an ERC-20 token, Token Lab has released their own token protocol, ERC-644. It is similar to the ERC-20 token, but allows for the token to be upgraded. Past and current clients include Check-in, Pretorium Group (PAX), and Dropped, a company looking to make big changes to how music artists connect with their fans. Becoming a client takes not only a great idea, but the capacity to actually make their idea a reality. Within the next year, Token Lab will add a marketplace and an exchange, while Expanse will be working towards greater community involvement. For more information, visit www.expanse.tech or www.tokenlab.io.
"Trust in the charity sector has basically collapsed in the last few years. It's something that's true in the UK, the US, Canada, and all around Europe…there is just this general cynicism in the charity sector," says Raphael Mazet, CEO of Alice. Whether that cynicism has emerged from the existence of corruption, the mismanagement of funds or just the opacity of the charity industry in general, Alice is a blockchain-based donation platform that offers a transparent solution. Unlike traditional donation platforms, Alice retains a donor's contribution in escrow until the pre-specified goal for which it was intended has been accomplished and independently verified as such. Press play to learn more. Mazet also discusses: * Specific charity projects that are soon to be launched * Alice's current business model (and plans for a future, modified business model) * How to connect and make donations through Alice
"Normally, you would host your own node to interact with the blockchain and sync the blockchain, but what we're doing is using a superior messaging protocol and proof of stake collateral system, so you can connect your mobile device to these Ethereum nodes that already exist," explains Nick Fierro, CEO of Mimir Blockchain Solutions. So, what does this accomplish? By allowing users and developers to bypass the process of setting up their own nodes and syncing them to the blockchain, it reduces the time necessary to scale projects. But that's not all: the more people that join the network, the more nodes, and as the number of nodes increase, so too does the level of security in the system. It's the first of its kind, and it's already generating a good deal of interest. Tune in to learn more. Fierro also discusses: * How Mimir incentivizes people to join the network and how that, in turn, allows for more secure transfers of information between nodes and mobile devices. * An upcoming blockchain-based augmented reality application (and the benefits of using the blockchain for this purpose). * The prospect of creating an incentivized economy for finding escape routes and making them available to victims of natural disasters via mobile device apps. * How developers and users can get in contact with Mimir Blockchain.
Described by its users as the next generation PayPal with built-in trust, Monetha was founded on the idea that merchants cannot be given trust without transactions occuring. Monetha has two parts that work together. The first is a payment processor on the Ethereum blockchain, powered by smart contracts. The second, and more important part, is a decentralized trust and reputation system for online merchants on the platform, allowing users to see and contribute to trust ratings. When users pay for transactions, their transaction is rated by a smart contract system that looks at not only the value of the transactions, but whether the user experienced any issues, had to return their purchase, and a number of other data points collected both during and after the transactions. Though Monetha is currently for online merchants who allow payments to be made in Ethereum-based coins, in the future they hope to allow fiat transactions, and expand to brick-and-mortar merchants. For more information, visit www.monetha.io.
As co-founders of HireMatch, Chad Kettering and Armando Pantoja have developed a solution to the inefficiencies of the current employee recruitment industry. By utilizing blockchain technology to decentralize the employee recruitment market, HireMatch casts an unrestricted net on the pool of all applicants at any given time. "The decentralized nature of it is one of the beauties, because…if I hire a typical recruiting agency, they typically are just going to put forward…whoever is under their umbrella. You're not necessarily getting the best candidate out there, you're getting the best candidate with that recruitment agency," says Pantoja. When a job seeker posts their resume on HireMatch, recruiters will verify and carefully match their qualifications with an open position and then submit a recommendation on their behalf. As a result, employers end up with just a few high-quality, fully vetted candidates. What's in it for the recruiters? A tiered system of token-based payments. Tune in to learn more. Kettering and Pantoja also discuss: * How HireMatch benefits to job seekers in addition to employers. * Common complaints about and problems with traditional recruiters, and how the HireMatch model incentivizes a consistently high level of success from its recruiters. * HireMatch's current crowdfunding sale and alpha version, as well as the upcoming beta version set for release by the end of this year.
Cashaa aims to provide free financial services to the banked and unbanked populations around the globe, in a way that is simple and user-friendly. To this end, they have created several different financial tools for their users. Cashaa allows users to trade Bitcoin for local currency, send remittance payments, and request microloans. All of this is done through their blockchain-based AuxLedger, created by their parent company, Auxesis Group. Focusing on the unbanked population of the world, their financial services are being rolled out first in India, Indonesia, Philippines, Nigeria, South Africa, UK, and Europe, with the US slated for roll-out in 2020. Overall, these financial tools and services will not only allow the world's unbanked populations access to financial services for the first time, but will empower all people to take advantage of greater investment opportunities. For more information, visit www.cashaa.com.
500 Startups is a seed investor for companies and startups around the globe, who are shipping (or about to ship) a product and looking to grow. 500 Startups is committed to diversity, and looks for companies from outside the US, or are owned by women or minorities. When a company or startup's proposal is accepted, they spend 4 months working with the 500 Startups team, on everything from product markets to business plans. They have worked with several blockchain-related companies, who are working in industries ranging from finance to healthcare. Robert also offers his thoughts on impending government regulations in the bitcoin and blockchain spaces. For more information, or to submit a proposal at the next opening, visit www.500.co.
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