Introducing Keep Advisor: Joe Urgo & Announcing Keep Partner district0x

We are thrilled to announce that Joe Urgo is Keep Network’s newest advisor and district0x our newest partner.

Joe is the cofounder of district0x and also the CEO of Sourcerers. District0x, our newest partner, is a network of decentralized marketplaces and communities powered by Ethereum, Aragon, and IPFS. Joe has also been a competitive poker player, a derivatives trader, and has led operations for several cryptocurrency companies including Coinbase and Ethlance.

Tell us more about your background and interests in the space.

Prior to discovering Bitcoin, my interests always resided near an intersection of game theory and finance. I started trading stocks when I was 12, dropped out of college a couple months in to play poker professionally, which I spent 7 years doing before meeting a hedge fund manager at the World Series of Poker who eventually offered me a job as a derivatives trader at Three Arrows Capital.

During my time at Three Arrows I came across Bitcoin when it first rallied beyond $100. As a trader I took an interest in the volatility and potential for profits initially, but quickly realized the greater potential after reading Satoshi’s white paper and spent the next few months going down the Bitcoin rabbit hole before deciding I wanted to work for a company in the space. I applied to Coinbase and spent almost 3 years there as an Operations Manager, eventually leaving to start up Sourcerers.

Can you speak to what district0x is and what it does for people?

district0x is a network of decentralized markets powered by Ethereum, Aragon, and IPFS. We aim to facilitate the operation and governance of marketplaces and communities as decentralized entities. The district0x Network will enable the recreation of many of the internet’s most popular applications and services while eliminating rent-seeking and the relinquishment of decisions and personal data to third-parties.

What qualities do you look for in projects that you advise and support?

To start, I look for projects that are solving real problems, rather than ones simply looking to introduce a token to their platform or protocol for the sake of being able to do a token sale. We are still extremely early on in Ethereum’s lifecycle, so I am most drawn to projects building out infrastructure which can enable future applications, with security and scaling being two of the most important areas at this time. Last, but certainly not least, I strive to support founders who share in my principle of extreme transparency and who I believe genuinely aim to push the space forward for all.

What attracted you to the Keep project in particular?

I came across the Keep whitepaper a few months back when it was initially released and was immediately impressed by the depth of thought apparent throughout and the carefully considered mechanism design powering the token model. I reached out to Matt Luongo to learn some more about Keep and how we could potentially leverage the technology at district0x, and was blown away by his long term vision for the project and overview of the challenges the industry faces at large.

How will your community potentially benefit from Keep?

At district0x, we aim to allow anyone to create their own markets and begin selling goods within a matter of minutes. We expect digital goods to make up for the bulk of exchange across the network. Keep provides a perfect solution for creators looking to sell music, images, and other types of digital art. We also envision members of districts leveraging Keep to privately share data necessary to effectively govern their district.

What is coming up next for district0x?

Keep an eye out for the release of the Meme Factory whitepaper within the next few weeks, outlining our plans for a decentralized platform for the creation and exchange of digital collectibles. With Aragon rolling out on the main net soon, we also look forward to rolling out district staking, allowing token holders to participate in the governance of their favorite markets on the network.