Let’s face it, blockchain is going to happen with or without crypto businesses.

Yet while we wring our hands waiting for mass adoption, the clock is ticking. This crazy space of innovation, disruption and pioneering business development needs to learn a lesson from those that have trod this path before.

Because if we don’t, the naïve assumption that we are the only people looking at this disruptive technology will leave us open to being marginalised and becoming obsolete as big business colonises the space and forces their agenda upon our users.

We are not the first pioneers, nor the last… the mainstream adoption of blockchain technology and ultimately crypto relies on an altogether more adult attitude to business that requires respect for investors and other crypto businesses alike. There are existing models of governance, structure and accountability that if applied to every crypto business, could transform the prospects of the market going forward… and guess what, they look a lot like the core principles of blockchain.

Transparency

When setting up Omnitude, our intention was to do it the hard way — a project funded by the everyday investor. Not only from a truly altruistic point of view but from a logical thought that with a spread of investment, we would be less exposed to manipulation and coercion of token price, and a stable token would help us realise a more controllable business model.

So no big discounts to private investors or VCs — what you see is what you get. That transparency is fundamental in building trust. Sure, there is still huge exposure to market fluctuations like with all cryptocurrency, but there is a principle in having done all you can to protect investors in a volatile environment. And most importantly, openness and honesty, at a time when your participants are making their investment choices, is crucial.

Hiding big private investment at huge discounts is dishonest and harmful. While there is nothing fundamentally wrong in seeking this kind of funding — in fact it can be make or break for big projects — at least have the courage to be open about it.

Utility

Launch a token that actually does something, whilst understanding that there is a genuine need for blockchain solutions in your target market. Blockchain doesn’t solve everything, its protocols have specific advantages for specific problems. Markets that are low on trust, or have security issues are a really good match. Markets that have issues with provenance, safety and reputation are key in leveraging these benefits. Think supply chain, finance and payments, provenance, data transmission and manipulation. New technologies like IOT, machine learning and AI are good matches. Don’t invent the useless to indulge in the cash grab of token trading alone — long term it will just undermine what this technology can really achieve.

Governance

Take responsibilities seriously, register in legitimate territories — not tax havens. If we believe in our businesses, we need to put our money where our mouth is and make sure we are accountable under law. If we don’t, we don’t deserve investment. Why shouldn’t we shoulder the burden of these responsibilities like more established businesses?

Consensus

Go a step further like Omnitude has and deliver a governance system similar to the Omnitude Foundation, where the big decisions about the future of our ecosystem are decided not by the few, but by the many in the community.

Respect

Pointing and shouting “Sh*tcoin!” at everyone else is just a desperate ploy to elevate the individual business by being the noisiest chimp in the cage.

Well how about this novel idea? Why not engage other crypto businesses with respect, seek mutual advantage through co-operation and coalition, and create communities that take your lead and behave accordingly? Then perhaps we may be pleasantly surprised by the intelligence, creativity and integrity of our peers. Yes, at Omnitude we love our project, but there are others out there that we love too. Be bigger than self-interest compels you to be.

We are not a voice in the wilderness… there are plenty of blockchain projects out there that believe in the technology and what it can achieve. There are also plenty of savvy investors who believe likewise…

So … we say “enough” to the fakers and hype-machines and welcome a coalition of the genuine pioneers. If you’ve read this far, why not join us through our telegram channel or email us at evolve@omnitude.tech and let’s talk about how we can push this disruptive tech into the real-world whilst keeping it true to its principles of decentralisation, security, privacy and transparency. It’s an open invitation — why not take it?

Or you could always just point and shout “Sh*tcoin!” whilst big corporations colonise our future.