July 18, 2024
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This article was originally published July 18, 2024 on Genfinity.
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In a collaborative effort with Genfinity, HashPack has launched a HashPack community showcase initiative, aimed at spotlighting significant milestones and updates from various projects within the Hedera ecosystem. Under the leadership of May Chan, the CEO of HashPack, this initiative will highlight achievements and foster a spirit of collaboration and community engagement amongst members of the Hedera community.
With a focus on promoting positivity and exploring future potentials in cross-chain interactions, the bi-weekly showcases will serve as a pivotal platform for celebrating innovation and fostering dialogue within the Hedera network.
Join us while we explore some of Hedera’s hottest projects, including PixFi, TierBot, Bonzo Finance Labs, Hashinals, and Hyzen AI.
Tom Baiga, the CEO and co-founder of PixFi and PixLabs LLC, reflected on his journey into the world of cryptocurrency and decentralized technologies. Tom’s interest in crypto began in 2017 when he conducted an analysis of blockchain’s enterprise use cases. However, he was deterred by the high gas fees and other complexities prevalent at the time. Despite this initial setback, he continued to monitor the crypto market, waiting for the right opportunity.
In late 2020 and early 2021, Tom discovered Hedera and quickly became involved in its community. Notably, one of the first projects he engaged with on Hedera was a nascent team developing a crypto wallet, which would later evolve into HashPack, spearheaded by May Chan. Notably, by late 2022, Tom and his team at PixFi began focusing on expanding their platform’s capabilities beyond Hedera. Their goal was to create a cross-chain ecosystem akin to established marketplace aggregators like OpenSea and Magic Eden but inclusive of DLT-based networks.
PixFi’s application, currently in closed beta, offers users a PixFi profile — a multi-chain wallet enabling interactions with OpenSea and Magic Eden ecosystems. Users can seamlessly manage and trade NFTs and tokens directly from third-party wallets such as HashPack for HBAR, Metamask for Ethereum, MATIC, and more.
Tom emphasized the simplicity of their platform’s interface, where clicking on an item initiates payment through the user’s preferred wallet extension in the browser. This integration marks PixFi’s stride toward bridging multiple blockchain networks and enhancing accessibility within the decentralized marketplace landscape.
We asked for Tom’s perspective on the importance of creating a level playing field for Hedera’s NFT communities in the broader crypto landscape. Essentially, we asked him to discuss why he believes it’s crucial for platforms like PixFi to showcase Hedera-based NFTs alongside those from Ethereum, Solana, and other networks.
The PixFi CEO recalled how many of his friends, colleagues, and advisors in the community were creators themselves, which inspired him and his team at PixFi to explore multi-chain capabilities actively. Recognizing the limitations of being the dominant force in a small ecosystem, they sought new avenues for growth and community engagement.
They initiated discussions about the potential of projects like Dead Pixels Ghost Club thriving on different networks such as Polygon or Solana or perhaps finding their niche on platforms like Algorand, Aptos, or Avalanche. Conversations with creators revealed diverse preferences; some were drawn to the scalability of Solana, for example, while others saw potential in smaller, emerging communities.
Subsequently, this exploration led to the conceptualization of an aggregator — a unified platform where users could explore and purchase NFTs across various networks. This approach aimed to level the playing field, offering equal visibility regardless of the blockchain on which the NFTs were minted. This vision became the cornerstone of PixFi’s development strategy.
Moreover, PixFi focused on empowering creators to shape their product lines and communities according to their unique visions, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach. The team designed their landing page as a cross-chain launchpad, enabling creators to launch collections seamlessly across multiple networks while maintaining the core minting on a single, cost-effective blockchain like Hedera. Creators can bridge and wrap portions of their collections for exposure on other networks like Solana and Algorand. Overall, PixFi’s strategy enables broad outreach to diverse communities while centralizing the core functionalities of Hedera.
Moving along in the interview, we inquired if PixFi plans to integrate features that allow different NFT communities to engage with each other, such as messaging, commenting, or other forms of communication.
The CEO emphasized the importance of fostering community interaction among different NFT communities through platforms like PixFi’s Discord channel. His vision is to create specialized chat rooms for communities such as Algorand and Hedera alongside more general discussion spaces. This approach aims to facilitate organic collaboration and knowledge sharing across diverse blockchain ecosystems.
Moreover, Tom pointed out the potential of integrating advanced analytics powered by AI into NFT platforms. He cited discussions with TierBot and noted interest from Hgraph in developing analytical tools. He envisions a future where users could leverage AI to query and analyze NFT collections across multiple chains, enhancing decision-making and investment strategies.
Notably, Tom identified a gap in DeFi tools tailored for NFT creators, known as NFT.Fi, particularly those outside Ethereum’s ecosystem. He criticized existing protocols for favoring traders over creators due to exploitable loopholes in royalty mechanisms and trading fees. In response, PixFi plans to integrate DeFi tools directly into the Hedera EVM, ensuring a fairer playing field.
Furthermore, PixFi intends to incentivize participation through its native token, earmarking a portion of its tokenomics for ecosystem development. Tom proposed using tokens as staking rewards for creators, enabling them to create staking protocols like liquidity pools tied to NFTs and tokens. Notably, this initiative aims to stimulate creativity and innovation within the NFT space while enhancing utility through novel token interactions.
Additionally, the CEO outlined PixFi’s roadmap for integrating various classes of DeFi tools, starting with basic functionalities such as peer-to-peer lending and NFT rentals. He envisioned a phased approach to complexity, with each quarter introducing more advanced tools to empower communities and expand the utility of NFTs within the broader blockchain ecosystem.
Baiga mentioned that he had closely observed the path blazed by May at HashPack and her team withthe token PACK, which had guided his own venture. Their future token, PIX, aims to redefine loyalty rewards in the DeFi landscape. Users would earn PIX through various activities within the DeFi realm and by trading NFTs on their platform.
The distinctive feature of PIX lies in its role as the protocol’s gas token, which is essential across multiple chains to avoid any hint of favoritism towards a single blockchain. Furthermore, he explained how PIX seamlessly converted to HBAR tokens behind the scenes for transactions on the Hedera network. This abstraction ensured that users interfacing with Pix.Fi needed only PIX, regardless of the underlying blockchain infrastructure supporting their DeFi tools.
Moreover, addressing the community’s participation metrics, Tom unveiled their innovative approach. At the initial INO phase, equal pools of PIX tokens would be available, designed to be agnostic across Hedera, Ethereum, Solana, and other networks. Their token transfer protocol mirrored the functionality of USDC, enabling swift inter-network transfers with a click. This capability allowed users to move PIX between chains effortlessly, facilitating a unified experience and enhancing accessibility to diverse DeFi activities like arbitrage.
Tom’s vision extended beyond mere functionality; he envisioned PIX becoming a universal token for NFT valuation, potentially fostering broader adoption and community engagement. He mused about creators potentially valuing their collections in PIX, which could further bolster community cohesion and activity visibility over the token’s emission schedule.
Looking ahead to the INO launch, Tom outlined plans to establish liquidity pools not only on Hedera and Ethereum but also on Uniswap and Solana. Moreover, he emphasized the importance of listing PIX on both decentralized and centralized exchanges across different blockchain formats (Hedera, ERC-20, and SPL-20), ensuring robust liquidity and accessibility for users.
In essence, the INO aimed to seed the token engine with ample liquidity, catalyzing market engagement and enabling users to harness PIX across a spectrum of DeFi opportunities.
In his closing remarks, Tom emphasized the unique opportunity presented by the Pix.Fi Founder’s Token. He pointed out its current price at $60 or around 750 HBAR at the existing exchange rate. Notably, he mentioned that the token’s resale value was designed to double, potentially providing a built-in mechanism for potential profit.
Furthermore, Tom detailed additional perks of holding the Founder’s Token, including access to the upcoming Discord Faucet. Out of their total token supply, 50 million tokens had been allocated to the Faucet, scheduled for launch later in the summer. This initiative would potentially allow token holders to earn approximately 10 tokens daily for each NFT owned, with multipliers possibly increasing this yield. Even for those not participating in the initial INO, the Faucet promised a steady accumulation of tokens — up to 1,500 or more per NFT over its operational period.
Ryan Solomon, the CEO of Genfinity, introduced HashPack as a significant partner in the initiative to showcase projects within the Hedera ecosystem. HashPack’s collaboration with Genfinity aims to provide a consistent platform for projects to highlight their significant milestones and updates. Furthermore, Ryan underscored the initiative’s ethos of promoting positivity and fostering collaboration among projects, with potential future discussions on cross-chain interactions.
May Chan, the CEO of HashPack, reflected on Tom’s recent interview, highlighting HashPack’s community engagement efforts and its focus on strengthening community ties. She noted that both Tom and HashPack emerged from Club HBAR, emphasizing their shared roots and commitment to amplifying voices within the Hedera network. Crucially, HashPack recognizes an opportunity to enhance visibility for projects within the Hedera ecosystem.
“Moreover,” May added, “our collaboration with Genfinity on podcasts aims to provide a platform where projects can showcase their initiatives and engage directly with the community.” She envisioned the podcast as a space for listeners to learn, ask questions, and explore opportunities for involvement. “We want to empower the community,” May expressed, “by providing avenues like Twitter, Discord, and support channels for open dialogue.”
Moving forward, May anticipated that live sessions, such as upcoming AMAs, would foster interactive discussions about HashPack’s direction and community involvement. This AMA marks a new chapter for them, inviting direct engagement from their community — a step they’ve been eager to take.
In collaboration with Genfinity, May emphasized leveraging each company’s strengths to create dynamic and inclusive spaces. They were excited to announce upcoming initiatives and invite everyone building on the Hedera network to share their stories. Notably, they aim for these sessions not just to spotlight HashPack but also to celebrate the diverse voices and innovations shaping the Hedera ecosystem.
The CTO of HashPack, Tyler Coté, noted some of the recent product developments aimed at empowering creators and projects within HashPack. He began by discussing a significant update to the address book, which now allows for the syncing of contacts across different instances of HashPack, such as on new devices or computers. This enhancement, akin to the handling of themes, profiles, and currencies, was part of HashPack’s broader user profile system.
Furthermore, Tyler explained that this user profile system extends beyond basic profile information to include token gating, ensuring that user profile pictures and usernames are integrated seamlessly across various dApps within the Hedera ecosystem. Notably, popular dApps like SaucerSwap, SentX, and Amari already leverage this update to display your user information upon login.
Additionally, he emphasized the system’s flexibility, mentioning that users can mark certain contacts as private to prevent them from syncing. In essence, enhancing user profiles and identity management within the ecosystem is a pivotal step toward empowering users and fostering decentralized applications.
May shared more of her insights, unveiling a long-considered initiative within HashPack aimed at enhancing user connectivity and interaction across dApps. For some time, the team had deliberated on the concept’s feasibility and its potential reception among users. The primary goal was to create smoother connections between people and dApps within the ecosystem.
Moreover, HashPack’s CEO highlighted the practical benefits, envisioning a streamlined experience where users’ profile pictures and usernames seamlessly accompany them across various platforms like SaucerSwap and SentX. She noted how this integration enhances user recognition and community cohesion, particularly through features like leaderboards that showcase active users with identifiable profiles.
Furthermore, she stressed the importance of providing users with options to personalize their profiles, contrasting recognizable usernames and profile pictures with anonymous cryptographic addresses. This approach fosters a sense of community and identity within the ecosystem.
Looking ahead, May outlined HashPack’s ambitions to decentralize its user profile system, aiming for broader adoption across diverse services and dApps. She expressed confidence in creating a robust yet user-friendly platform that would eventually support decentralized applications universally.
Tyler described the iterative process that HashPack follows in refining its user experience. He explained that they begin with initial designs, iterate based on internal usage and feedback, and continually refine based on user input. This approach ensures that every aspect, from interface design to functional screens, evolves to meet user expectations and usability standards.
Moreover, Tyler emphasized the team’s close attention to user feedback, noting how suggestions for improvements, such as adding an address book button or refining interface layouts, are taken seriously and integrated into ongoing updates. This hands-on approach reflects HashPack’s commitment to directly responding to user needs and enhancing usability.
Regarding the broader strategic vision, the CTO hinted at upcoming developments aimed at connecting the ecosystem more comprehensively. While he couldn’t divulge specific details yet, he hinted at innovative features in development that aim to elevate the user experience beyond what is currently seen in other wallets. This forward-looking approach underscores HashPack’s ambition to push boundaries and innovate within the crypto wallet space.
May agreed with Tyler regarding HashPack’s approach to development as iterative and community-driven. She emphasized the team’s strategy of implementing features incrementally based on community feedback rather than developing large, monolithic updates in isolation. This method ensures that each new feature or improvement is well-received and aligns with user needs and preferences.
Additionally, she pointed out the vocal nature of the HashPack community, expressing gratitude for their active participation and valuable feedback across various platforms. Overall, the community plays a significant role in shaping HashPack’s roadmap and influencing what ultimately gets implemented in the platform.
In illustrating the community’s impact, May referenced a blog post she recently started, where she discusses specific features that originated from user suggestions. She recalled instances like the integration of a “max button” for HBAR swaps and transactions, which originated from a user’s Twitter inquiry. Such quality-of-life enhancements often stem directly from user feedback, demonstrating HashPack’s commitment to responsiveness and user-centric design.
We asked HashPack about their initiative to highlight and showcase community members who actively contribute to the platform and its ecosystem. Our audience wanted to explore how HashPack celebrates community champions who create content like memes, videos, and infographics, aiming to enhance community engagement.
May Chan expressed HashPack’s admiration for its vibrant community and their creative contributions through memes, images, and infographics. Despite lacking a dedicated marketing team, she emphasized HashPack’s desire to showcase these community efforts more prominently. May highlighted the collaboration with H Monkeys as an example of their community-centric approach, aiming to amplify the voices of active members who contribute positively to the ecosystem.
Looking to the future, May articulated her commitment to recognizing and promoting community members who engage actively on platforms like Discord, spread positivity, and assist in HashPack’s growth. She encouraged community members to share their ideas on how HashPack can better support and highlight their contributions, underscoring her dedication to empowering the community.
Next, we were keen to delve into HashPack’s initiatives and commitment to fostering collaborations within the Hedera ecosystem. Specifically, we aimed to understand how HashPack supports projects through these collaborations and to explore their ambitions for promoting greater collaborative endeavors.
HashPack discussed their extensive collaboration history with various projects within the Hedera ecosystem. May highlighted recent examples such as giveaways conducted with Bonzo Finance and ongoing promotions with Pix.Fi, encouraging listeners to check HashPack’s Twitter for details. Notably, the CEO emphasized the significance of the Gold HashPack NFT in empowering early supporters within their community, granting them exclusive access to giveaways and airdrops.
Regarding collaborations, May outlined a method involving bountyblock, a platform facilitating user engagement through challenges and giveaways linked to project promotions on Twitter. This approach boosts project visibility and additionally engages HashPack’s active community members in supporting these initiatives.
Furthermore, May expressed enthusiasm about HashPack’s role in promoting projects on Hedera, stressing their open invitation to reach out for any project seeking to enhance their visibility. She acknowledged the community’s participation in these activities and expressed a desire to showcase these collaborations and opportunities better within the Discord channel.
The best way to get in touch with HashPack is through their Discord channel. She emphasized that the Discord server provides an ideal platform for chatting with the HashPack team and getting involved in their community. Moreover, May mentioned that if someone represents a project, they would be assigned a developer or creator role and directed to a specific channel tailored for project-related discussions.
Additionally, she expressed HashPack’s commitment to enhancing community engagement by involving members in activities such as voting on who gets featured in their spaces or nominating community champions. They aim to make interactions more interactive and enjoyable for everyone involved.
Regarding updates and queries about HashPack’s token and other developments, May announced an upcoming AMA session scheduled in two weeks. She encouraged individuals to submit their questions via Discord, Twitter DMs, or other channels, promising that HashPack would provide comprehensive answers during the AMA. This initiative aims to keep the community informed and engaged with the latest developments within the HashPack app.
May Chan explained that the current showcase initiative serves as more than just an introduction to new projects. She emphasized that the collaboration with Genfinity provides a platform where projects can highlight significant updates, new features, or innovations within their platforms or sites to the community. May clarified that the goal is to provide a space where projects can effectively demonstrate their offerings and engage with the community.
She pointed out that participation is open to both new and established projects alike as long as they have something of value to showcase and share with potential users. The focus is on generating interest and facilitating understanding among community members by allowing project representatives to walk through their developments. This makes complex concepts like lending or other features more accessible through visual demonstration and interactive Q&A sessions.
In essence, May sees the showcase initiative as a powerful tool for highlighting the vibrancy and innovation within the Hedera ecosystem, fostering community engagement, and facilitating meaningful interactions between projects and their audience.
Michael Kantor, the founder and CEO of TierBot and co-creator of the Hashinals standard on Hedera, introduced himself with a rich background in technology spanning nearly 15 years. His journey began at 16 with coding, followed by freelance work and roles in diverse sectors like FinTech and nonprofits. Despite a successful career, Michael harbored a persistent ambition to explore startups and develop his own projects.
In 2022, Michael delved into the crypto space as an investor, driven by a desire to address the chaotic nature of the industry. Witnessing the unpredictability and misinformation prevalent in crypto markets fueled his determination to make a difference. Subsequently, this led to the birth of TierBot, which focuses on providing analytics and support for traders, investors, enterprises, and businesses. The platform empowers users with timely data insights to make informed decisions, which is particularly crucial in scenarios like avoiding rug pulls during meme coin launches.
Transitioning to Hashinals, Michael explained it as a standard similar to Ordinals on Bitcoin, specifically designed for storing NFT metadata on the Hedera Consensus Service. Unlike traditional methods using off-chain storage like IPFS, Hashinals enables on-chain storage by breaking files into smaller segments, which are reassembled upon access. Notably, this approach ensures data integrity and accessibility while leveraging the speed and security of the Hedera network.
During the session, Michael provided a step-by-step demonstration of the inscription process using TierBot’s inscribe webpage. He showcased how users can easily upload files, input metadata and attributes, and choose between dynamic or immutable Hashinals. Furthermore, he pointed out the platform’s efficiency, facilitated by the Hedera Consensus Service, which supports rapid transaction speeds far exceeding those of traditional methods.
Kantor showcased the ease and efficiency of creating tokens and minting NFTs using Hashinals on Hedera after inscribing them. Moreover, he emphasized the security aspect by clarifying that they did not store users’ private keys, ensuring user control and security. Firstly, once the inscription was completed, users could download their keys, which were necessary for minting the NFT. Each minted NFT remained unique, leveraging the initial inscription.
Furthermore, he discussed the scalability and cost-effectiveness of using Hedera’s Consensus Service compared to Bitcoin’s blockchain. For instance, his team inscribed the DEFIANTS collection, totaling 3.1 gigabytes of data, which took three days and cost under $1000 on Hedera. In contrast, he contrasted this with the cost of inscribing data on Bitcoin, which was significantly higher — over 3 million dollars. This cost differential shows the economic advantage of utilizing the Hedera network for large-scale data inscriptions.
Genfinity inquired about Michael’s vision for the evolution of inscriptions over time, especially in terms of their integration across multiple networks such as Bitcoin and Hedera.
The co-creator of Hashinals envisions the evolution of inscriptions with cross-chain aspects, particularly between Ordinals on Bitcoin and Hashinals on Hedera. He discusses potential scenarios where assets on Ordinals could be bridged to Hedera as wrapped Hashinals. This process may involve users placing their Ordinal assets into a vault or bridge mechanism and converting them into Hashinals on Hedera. This transition could allow for faster transaction finalization and liquidity compared to Bitcoin’s slower transaction times due to its mempool challenges.
The main advantage may lie in the instant liquidity and faster trade execution facilitated by the Hedera network’s efficient transaction processing via the Hedera Consensus Service. This approach could retain the asset’s value and functionality while leveraging Hedera’s speed and security.
Alternatively, Michael mentioned another possibility where Ordinals users might utilize the Hedera Consensus Service as a pointer, akin to using IPFS for off-chain storage. However, he acknowledges that this approach may depend on individual creators’ preferences and the specific requirements of their projects.
Jake, the Lead Marketer and co-founder at Hyzen AI, recounted his journey from global clothing distribution to focusing full-time on marketing and networking with his team at Hyzen. His primary goal involves expanding the community and introducing tools to businesses in both Web3 and Web2 domains. Transitioning to a demonstration, Jake shared the screen to showcase Hyzen AI’s array of tools and platform offerings.
Firstly, HAI Bot serves as the most versatile AI aggregator on Discord, consolidating over 150 large language models along with various functionalities such as video processing, image generation, text-to-speech, image editing, music creation, audio generation, and QR code generation. This comprehensive array of AI tools aims to cater to a diverse user base, including creators, content creators, musicians, and artists who enjoy utilizing AI technologies.
Furthermore, Jake emphasized their vision to expand beyond Discord and Telegram, aiming to establish HAI Bot as the leading AI aggregator across multiple platforms. Their objective was to foster a community where individuals could explore and utilize these tools seamlessly.
Next, we spoke with Hyzen’s main developer, Lee. Lee’s primary responsibility at Hyzen AI involves actively developing the backend systems. He was directly responsible for creating various utilities such as the Hai Bot and other chatbots.
Moreover, Lee emphasized that his expertise and skills had been honed through extensive experience with Hyzen AI since its inception over two years ago. He highlighted the continuous growth of his capabilities, attributing it to the ongoing projects and challenges he encountered along the way. This journey allowed him to progressively enhance his proficiency, culminating in the ability to craft increasingly sophisticated technologies.
Lee spoke enthusiastically about HAI Bot, Hyzen AI’s flagship product during his interview. He described it as an AI API aggregator that brings together various service providers and aggregators, encompassing a wide array of models and modalities. This aggregation, he explained, allows users to seamlessly switch between over 100 different text models, offering extensive customization options.
Furthermore, Lee highlighted the hyper-customizability of HAI Bot, emphasizing that developers have full access to configure their AI bots precisely to their specifications. He noted that this flexibility extends to advanced features such as search and replace, where users can manipulate images by querying attributes like hairstyle and modifying them as desired. Additionally, he announced that HAI Bot had recently entered its closed beta phase, allowing developers to integrate these capabilities into their websites and chatbots, thereby enhancing their applications with a comprehensive suite of AI functionalities.
We asked the team to opine regarding how AI may evolve to transform our daily routines and interactions with technology on a personal level over the next five to ten years.
Lee discussed the future trajectory of AI, particularly focusing on AI agents that operate autonomously, making proactive decisions based on real-time data. He emphasized that these AI agents would represent a significant advancement, enabling users to leverage autonomous capabilities across various tasks more extensively than before.
Currently, such autonomous functionalities are niche and specialized. However, he envisioned a future where these capabilities become more accessible and versatile, evolving beyond their current limited scope. This evolution would involve integrating new AI models swiftly into existing frameworks, ensuring that users have access to cutting-edge technologies without the need for separate subscriptions or platforms.
Additionally, the developer highlighted Hyzen AI’s role as an aggregator, ensuring that whenever new AI models are released, they are promptly integrated into their systems. This approach keeps their AI offerings at the forefront of technological advancements, allowing users to seamlessly switch between different models and utilize the latest innovations as they become available.
Moreover, Lee pointed out the importance of future-proofing their API ecosystem. He explained that Hyzen AI continuously updates its infrastructure to incorporate emerging AI advancements, ensuring that their users always have access to the most advanced tools and capabilities in AI technology.
Jake highlighted Hyzen AI’s current focus on use cases during his discussion. He emphasized the integration of the Hedera Consensus Service (HCS) into HAI Bot as a crucial development. Notably, every interaction within HAI Bot that involves using credits from the Hedera Consensus Service constitutes a transaction on the Hedera Network. This integration ensures that each use of HAI Bot for AI tools or applications built on the Hyzen API generates transactions that are logged on the Hedera Network.
Jake illustrated this with examples such as developers building applications using Hyzen API or integrating HAI Bot into Discord servers, where each user interaction translates into transactions on the network. As the user base grows, so do the transactions, further enhancing the platform’s utilization and visibility.
Jake elaborated on Babel, an innovative feature offered by Hyzen AI, designed to streamline multilingual communication within Discord servers. He explained that Babel allows server administrators to select up to 25 languages they wish to support. Once chosen, Babel automatically creates dedicated channels for each language selected.
Furthermore, he emphasized that Babel operates seamlessly by leveraging AI to generate translations in real time. When a user sends a message in their preferred language in the main channel, Babel swiftly translates it into all selected languages, creating a unified conversation across channels. This approach ensures that users can communicate effortlessly without the need for manual translation or the inconvenience of copying and pasting text into external translation tools.
Noting the user experience aspect of Babel, he explained that each participant sees only messages in their preferred language in the main channel, eliminating clutter and enhancing readability. Users retain their profiles and can engage naturally across different languages, fostering inclusive and efficient communication.
Notably, while translation tools have been available for some time, Babel removes the friction associated with multilingual conversations by centralizing translations within the Discord server. This streamlining of communication processes saves time and additionally connects communities more effectively, promoting interaction and collaboration across language barriers.
The co-founder and CEO of Bonzo Finance Labs, Brady Gentile, reflected on his journey, which began with his tenure at Hedera and Swirlds Labs. His roles in product marketing and as a director of marketing spanned five and a half years, during which he immersed himself in the realms of Web3 retail and DeFi ecosystems on Hedera. Notably, his belief in Hedera’s long-term prospects fueled his desire to address a crucial gap in its DeFi ecosystem — specifically, the need for lending and borrowing solutions.
Transitioning from his corporate roles, Brady co-founded Bonzo Finance Labs in March of the previous year. The core mission — to develop the Bonds of Finance protocol, a lending and borrowing framework inspired by Aave V2, tailored for Hedera. Currently operational on testnet, the team comprises five members — three developers and two marketing/business strategists. Additionally, the roadmap anticipates the mainnet launch in Q3 of 2024, tentatively set for August, pending smart contract audit outcomes.
During the developmental phase, Brady and his team navigated a code freeze, awaiting critical feedback from auditors. However, the team’s innovation didn’t stop there. They leveraged an NFT saleto bolster community engagement and utility within their protocol. The Bonzo NFT collectibles, integral to the ecosystem, conferred multipliers on the points accrued through lending and borrowing activities, thereby incentivizing user participation and loyalty.
Brady opined on the critical role of education in the DeFi space, emphasizing its pivotal importance for user adoption and understanding. He drew parallels with SaucerSwap, a leading DEX on Hedera, renowned for its robust educational efforts upon launch. Brady admired how SaucerSwap dedicated substantial resources to tutorials, articles, video walkthroughs, and detailed documentation. Their approach successfully educated both HBAR holders and users from other ecosystems about decentralized exchanges and maximizing utility on Hedera.
Consequently, Brady and his team at Bonzo Finance Labs adopted a similar educational strategy. They aimed to empower users with comprehensive knowledge about lending and borrowing strategies in Web3. Additionally, he emphasized that their educational initiatives were designed to benefit the broader community, fostering understanding and engagement across various blockchain ecosystems. By sharing insights and strategies, Bonzo Finance Labs aimed to equip users with the knowledge needed to navigate and participate effectively in decentralized finance, irrespective of the platform they choose.
Brady delved into the transformative potential of blockchain technology, particularly in decentralized finance, contrasting it with traditional financial systems. He emphasized blockchain’s disruptive nature, envisioning a future where DeFi competes directly with traditional finance. While some institutions explore tokenizing real-world assets, Brady argued that their traditional business models inherently rely on intermediation, limiting their ability to fully leverage blockchain’s potential without significant restructuring.
Looking ahead, Brady foresaw decentralized protocols gaining traction as regulatory frameworks mature and technological advancements continue. He anticipated these protocols challenging and potentially outperforming traditional financial institutions, prompting them to adapt or risk losing market relevance.
We inquired about Brady’s perspective on the evolving role of NFTs beyond collectibles, asking if he envisioned a future where these digital assets could be borrowed, lent, or used in collaborative ventures, thereby expanding their utility and appeal.
The CEO shared his perspective on the future potential of NFTs within the blockchain ecosystem, emphasizing Bonzo Finance Labs’ current focus on fungible tokens and real-world assets (RWAs), such as the Diamond Standard CARAT token on Hedera. He highlighted the accessibility of these tokens on both decentralized and centralized exchanges, underscoring their role as digital representations of tangible assets like diamonds.
While Bonzo Finance Labs primarily concentrates on fungible tokens, Brady acknowledged the burgeoning utility of NFTs, particularly when they offer practical benefits to holders. He envisioned scenarios where borrowing and lending NFTs could prove valuable. For instance, he illustrated a situation involving an NFT from a musical artist like Taylor Swift, which grants early access to concert tickets. In this hypothetical example, holders of such NFTs could lend them out to others who wish to secure priority access to tickets, thereby creating a market for NFT lending.
Brady emphasized that for NFT lending to gain traction, the NFT itself must offer meaningful utility or benefits. He cited examples like airdrops exclusive to NFT holders or opportunities for staking NFTs, where ownership confers participation privileges or rewards in various blockchain activities. These functionalities enhance the appeal and potential market demand for borrowing and lending NFTs.
In essence, Brady highlighted the evolving landscape where NFTs are not merely collectibles but functional assets with tangible uses, suggesting a future where borrowing and lending mechanisms could further integrate into the broader blockchain economy, catering to diverse user needs and preferences.
Brady pointed out the early success and community-driven approach of Bonzo Finance Labs, particularly through their Discord platform. With over 600 active members, their early tester role has engaged hundreds in testing the protocol on the testnet, gathering crucial feedback and refining the user experience. This initiative also leveraged a campaign tied to their NFT sale, offering early testers privileged access to initial or discounted NFT offerings.
The response from testers has been overwhelmingly positive, praising the intuitive UI/UX design meticulously crafted by Brady’s team. Brady emphasized the critical importance of user experience in decentralized protocols, noting that in an open-source environment, strong community building and exceptional user interfaces serve as pivotal advantages. Notably, these elements attract initial users and additionally sustain long-term engagement and adoption.
In terms of future developments, the CEO outlined their strategy to further enhance Bonzo’s offering with unique features and functionalities aimed at differentiating their protocol within the competitive landscape of Web3. However, he drove the point home that community engagement and user experience remain foundational pillars driving Bonzo Finance Labs’ growth and success.
Brady provided an overview of the latest developments at Bonzo Finance, emphasizing their involvement in the ongoing DeFi campaign led by the HBAR Foundation. Central to this initiative is the focus on credit markets, specifically decentralized lending and borrowing, which addresses a significant gap in the current DeFi landscape. Brady highlighted their active participation in the campaign, including the submission of proposals for development grants and liquidity incentives from the HBAR Foundation.
Moreover, he praised the HBAR Foundation for its deep understanding of Web3 ecosystems and its pivotal role in supporting projects like Bonzo Finance Labs that contribute to Hedera’s growth. The CEO also noted upcoming developments, such as bridges scheduled to launch in August through Axelar, which he anticipates may significantly boost liquidity within the Hedera ecosystem. Additionally, he mentioned the imminent integration of Chainlink oracles, enhancing cross-chain interoperability capabilities, which are crucial for expanding Hedera’s utility and visibility.
Looking forward, Brady expressed excitement about these advancements, which will bring greater awareness to Hedera, particularly within its retail and DeFi sectors. He underscored Bonzo Finance Labs’ alignment with Hedera’s vision and their upcoming mainnet launch, potentially targeted for August, marking a pivotal milestone in their journey.
Regarding Bonzo Finance Labs’ upcoming initiatives and events, Brady revealed that their mainnet launch will feature a safety module with staking options for the BONZO token. Notably, his mechanism will enable users to participate in safeguarding the protocol through single-sided staking, contributing to a dedicated safety module reserve.
In addition to the staking mechanism, Brady highlighted the implementation of a points systemstructured across three seasons, each lasting six months. At the conclusion of each season, participants will receive airdrops as a reward for supporting the protocol and engaging in its activities. This system will be fully operational from day one of the mainnet launch.
Finally, the Bonzo Finance team will be attending Karate Combat, coinciding with a Bitcoin event in Nashville. They will have a booth at the event, providing an opportunity to engage with attendees and showcase their platform.
In conclusion, HashPack’s collaborative efforts with Genfinity underscore a commitment to amplifying and celebrating innovation within the Hedera ecosystem. By providing a dedicated platform for projects to showcase their milestones and updates, HashPack enhances visibility and fosters a spirit of community and collaboration.
Stay tuned to our Twitter page for updates regarding Hedera projects!
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