BitcoinAfrica.io reached out to Particl spokesperson Desi-Rae, who hosts a YouTube channel called Crypto Ramble, which focuses on cryptocurrencies, privacy, and the Particl Project to find out more about the highly innovative privacy-focused cryptocurrency project and how Africans can benefit from it.

Desi-Rae is a native Jamaican turned New Yorker who first learned about cryptocurrencies in 2013. She started to become actively involved in the cryptocurrency community in early 2018 when an advisor at Particl asked her if she would like to create digital content to spread the word about the project.

What is Particl and how does it differ from other privacy-focused cryptocurrency projects?

Particl is a privacy coin that is currently building its first decentralised application (DApp): an online marketplace. The project is unique because of how its privacy technology is built, and the impact it will have on the world.

Particl uses RINGCT, initially developed by Monero, which allows transaction amounts and sender information to be hidden. Particl also provides recipient anonymity. RINGCT provides one of the highest levels of anonymity among privacy coins, compared to Dash’s CoinJoin for example, and without some of the disadvantages of other privacy technologies, such as a trusted setup.

Furthermore, because it is built on the Bitcoin codebase, this gives a stable and well-understood environment for the development of DApps and inclusion of new developers in the future. There are other achievements of the project, such as it being the first to implement hardware cold-staking, that highlight the innovation and talent of the development team.

In terms of its impact, the privacy and selling features it offers with e-commerce are unique. The marketplace is the first of its kind, due to the privacy offered by RINGCT, and additional governance and escrow services. It means that users can transact with each other without the power imbalance and subsequent threats that come from using the platforms of private companies. It solves current e-commerce and finance issues such as higher barriers to entry for sellers, exploitation of sellers’ sales data, global payment infrastructures being exclusive, and needing middlemen to provide escrow services.

Particl is also, conspicuously, one of a few cryptocurrency projects that are well beyond its idea stage. The coin’s privacy features were recently audited, and the marketplace has a testnet build already available with a usable product coming soon. It is a stellar project, building secure technology, and with a pragmatic product on the horizon.

What is your role at the Particl project?

I’m a Particl spokesperson and community member. I help bring awareness to the project by creating visual and written content that others can watch and read in order to discover what the project is about, how it works, and why they should get involved. I also introduce the project to as many people and contacts as I can.

I make content for Particl within the context of Crypto Ramble, a web series that focuses on cryptocurrencies, privacy, and Particl.

Why did you choose YouTube for your channel as opposed to some of the new video streaming alternatives out of the crypto sector?

I chose YouTube because I was already familiar with using YouTube as a platform to share my content. I also post Crypto Ramble videos on other platforms but have not done any live streaming in a solo capacity.

There will also be an audio podcast as an alternative to video content, coming soon.

How important is privacy for you and for cryptocurrency users, in general?

Privacy is very important to me. We are slowly allowing ourselves and future generations to be ensconced in an age of rapid technological change that is shedding basic tenets of self-sovereignty, such as privacy, due to the lure of convenience. I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but I would think that privacy is important for cryptocurrency users in general.

The spirit of cryptocurrency is to create a new form of institution, a decentralised one, that is not beholden to the corporate interests that dominate the status quo. Bitcoin was not just made to create a new form of money, but a trust-less form of money.

A lack of privacy equates to the same institutional powers being able to maintain that status quo. It is important to realise that privacy is not just desired by bad actors. It is a fundamental human right that is also identified by reputable institutions where these standards are established.

Particl is currently ranked 237th on CoinMarketCap and is not in the top ten largest privacy coins measured by market capitalisation. Why do you think that Particl has not managed to get more traction from investors?

Particl has an amazing development team, amazing being an appropriate word. This does not necessarily translate to the desire to generate hype while focusing on development. The project garnered a lot of attention at its start and there has been a proliferation of cryptocurrencies during and after that time. Investors and enthusiasts may not fully understand the space or may be looking for projects that they can quickly find promoted information on.

My personal assessment is that there is a lot of noise in the cryptocurrency space and that the project will make its mark again when it is ready to, with the right deliverables.

How can Africans benefit from what Particl has to offer?

Africans can benefit from what Particl has to offer by using the technology in ways that are useful to them. Cryptocurrencies allow users to take control of their personal finances and send money directly to others without the barrier of distance, and without the need to trust in companies. They can get their money across in a timely fashion and to the right people, without the stress of inefficiency or overcurious assistance.

Moreover, at this stage where cryptocurrency or blockchain as cryptocurrency is finding its feet as a new form of technology, the opportunity is there to learn how to use it and leverage the technology to deliver solutions to people in the untapped niches that make up their environment.

Particl is not just a privacy coin but a platform, with a software development kit (SDK) in the works. In a similar fashion to using a decentralised currency, Africans can use a decentralised marketplace that offers privacy, useful transaction features, and ownership of their data. They can use it in ways that are useful to themselves and their communities.

Does Particl have plans to move into the African market? Are there any existing initiatives in this regard?

As Africa is a big continent with many people self-identifying with different parts, this is an interesting question to answer. A central hub for Particl is South Africa, so Particl already has its feet firmly planted in Africa. Particl is more than open to bringing in new community members.

Particl is currently focused on the development of the project but will be focused on marketing and new projects in the future. We are open to making any new contacts. Perhaps your readers could even start thinking about potential products they would like to sell on the marketplace!

Where can people find out more about yourself and the Particl project?

People can find out more about me at http://cryptoramble.com and find out more about Particl at http://particl.io. There are links on the Particl website to various communication channels. Finally, you can follow @cryptoramble on YouTube, Twitter, and Steemit to stay up to date.