1. Keep Network (USA) keep.network
The Keep Network project develops a privacy layer (add-on) for Ethereum. This is a new privacy tool for developing smart contracts based on public blockchains, providing secure storage and use of personal data along with providing infrastructure for the token market (including project´s own tokens, Keep).
The private infrastructure can be arranged on the basis of the public network Ethereum and later adapted for other public blockchains which are inconvenient for business due to the data openness and low scalability. A comprehensive solution to the existing problems of the Ethereum network, such as Keep, is indeed a must-have tool for the market.
Below are the main benefits of the Keep Network project:
- All calculations are made outside the main network (!), only the final result is recorded in the blockchain. This allows to avoid the load on the network;
- Availability of a private sMPC protocol allows to eliminate the risk of third-party interference;
The project core, which will enable building private blockchains on top of the Ethereum blockchain;
Besides, each user of the network will be able to create their own private wallets, including for cross-chain exchange (!);
Encrypted blockchain data storages and the construction of decentralized banking and marketplaces for digital goods are also implemented.
The cofounders of the project are Matt Luongo and Corbin Pon, graduates of the Georgia Institute of Technology, armed with rich experience in various technological projects – for example, they created the Fold and Card For Coin projects. There are "graduates" of the Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) team among the Keep engineers and developers. The project also has strong advisors: Brayton Williams (Boost VC), a venture capitalist; John Packel from ConsenSys; James Prestwich, a former Storj COO; Joseph Urgo, a District0x cofounder; Luis Cuende, an Aragon cofounder.
Keep’s indirect competitors may include NuCypher, Dfinity, and Dragonchain. HardCap of the project is $30,000,000. The sale date has not yet been announced.
To summarize, it can be said that Keep Network is something the Ethereum network indeed lacks. The private layer will provide the much-needed link of the business to the end user. The project has a good team and celebrity advisors. Drawback is lack of a finished product to date.
Analysts of The Token Fund are waiting for an official announcement of the sale dates and the draft detailed White Paper with the description of the product technology and the code repository on GitHub. The decision on the final recommendation will depend on the content of these WP sections, as well as on further marketing activities and community support.
2. Traxia (Switzerland) www.traxia.co
Traxia is the first project on the ICO market built on Cardano and solving the problem of small and medium-sized businesses access to funding. There is $43 trillion in accounts receivable at the moment, which is detrimental to the cash flow of small and medium-sized enterprises. Companies are forced to accept the terms of large players to survive in the market. As a rule, the average waiting time for payment in the current market is 60 days. Traxia solves this problem through LiqEase: a transparent platform for invoice trading by small and medium-sized businesses.
In short words, the technology works as follows: when all the necessary invoices and documents are provided, LiqEase turns assets into tokens that are traded on their marketplace. This scheme is known as factoring and allows investors to buy invoices with a discount (usually around 5%), while small and medium-sized businesses don’t have to wait 60 days to receive payment and increase the liquidity of their assets anymore.
The blockchain use in the project is determined by the fact that Traxia creates an ecosystem where all the necessary supporting information is stored on blockchain, access to private data depends on the level of admission, while payment terms, trade, and asset allocation are included in smart contracts.
In order to test the system capability, LiqEase entered into a partnership with Porsche China, launching invoices for $50,000 for payment with a grace period of 30 days. The test was successful. The white paper also declared cooperation with another German auto giant.
The TMT token will be used for access, operation, and payment of fees on LiqEase. Initially, it is planned to establish partnerships with companies engaged in import and export of everyday goods to/from China, with the subsequent expansion to related markets. The roadmap is stretched for the entire 2018, and full integration with Cardano is scheduled for the end of the year.
The following advisors are worth mentioning: William Bao Bean, a partner of the SOSV investment fund and a director of the Chinaccelerator business accelerator; John Burbidge, a director of the AMT Training financial training company; Darren Camas, an advisor of multiple blockchain projects and a former strategic advisor of IOHK; Carl Wegner, who worked for many financial companies and banks, including Deutsche Bank (DE:DBKGn), currently working in R3.
The token price is $0.15, but a discount of 40% is granted until March 20, 2018, for a minimum investment of 10ETH ($0.09/TMT), gradually decreasing to 0% with the ICO completion and token distribution on June 2. Attention to the project is shallow, and fundraising is going at a slow pace.
The Token Fund's analytical department considers the project interesting for consideration, as this is the first solution on the Cardano platform. In general, the niche is very promising, which gives Traixia high chances for success despite the lack of well-known figures in the team.