Prologue
Hello everybody!
My name is Mickey, also known as Tezkatlypoka from Reddit,
and I would like to introduce you to the energetic non-stop hustlin' leader and CEO at Hoard, Jason Davis.
Manual to this article: You have to read this article from front to back and show your grace. After all, that is how literature works, right?
(unless it is instruction manual, in which case no one reads them at all)
Introducing
| Web page | White Paper | Hoard 2.0 Soon |
|---|
Intermezzo
Have you ever heard about BQX?
Have you been one of those happy people who found this gem when it was in the ICO stage? Do you want to feel that power and opportunity again?
Have you taken a ride with BQX from zero to x20 and beyond?
Do you like the feeling of being on the boat and enjoying the party during the best times?
Are you patiently waiting for the Ethos application to be released? Waiting for the power of a multifunctional universal wallet? Waiting for another cool and comfortable way to handle your crypto in an app filled with features that can change the direction of the crypto world?
If so, let me tell you about the sleeping giant of 2018 … a player who will make Ethos look like it’s being run by a schoolkid.
This could be a good "beginning" of an "average" article, but you deserve something more. The man of today's interview deserves something more. This quality project deserves some proper handling.
Today's guest is a professional leader and I am honored to have some of his time to tell us more about this new digital newborn.
Let's go for a walk through the new sphere of self-banking and leave this barren land of modern dinosaurs behind. Welcome to banking on the edge of tomorrow.
Ladies and gentlemen: Ethos is an excellent project and I use it here only as a comparison. Let me introduce you to the world of Hoard, Inc. This company is paving a path> It will not build a bank, but reinvent them and financial services for the future. The vision for Hoard is to fill the gap in today's cryptocurrency world which lacks elegant self-banking solutions. But how will they accomplish this monumental task? At what point will we be able to use the Hoard application to receive our wages and finally get rid of our bank?
From what I know, Hoard created a hybrid wallet to quickly stock your coins or trade them via multiple exchanges. They will allow you to pay your everyday living expenses with your crypto assets through instant payments. We are talking about the hybrid wallet and the fiat gateway, with the possibility of automatically investing your profits … along with the support that comes directly from the banks/providers. You are reading about solutions which can be used by world governments. The guest of my interview is a man who understands the day-to-day problems in our financial and management systems, reinforced by a vast knowledge of blockchain technology to create the solution we have all been waiting for for so long.
Competition like OmiseGo, BlockPort or Hybrid Block are spreading rumors about a brand new player in the field of cryptocurrency banking systems. But dear readers, you can participate in one of the very first Token Generation Events (TGE) available in the US and bear witness to this historical moment. It’s a moment when 3-8% of world economy sits peacefully in the arms of cryptocurrencies. You can do this all from your smart device, with the help of an elegant and well-written application that deserves a label like “digital jewelry.”
My friends and dear readers, early adopters or passengers who are just buying their ticket for a revolutionary ride from today's world to the land Bitcoin has already been infiltrating, let me introduce you to Mr. Jason Davis. Jason is the leader of the uncontested idea to finally create an all-in-one solution for us.
Leťs Bank On! Release the Smaug (Kraken….whatever..)!
Part One - Why
Hello, Mr. Davis. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and, more importantly, explain how you became the leader and CEO of Hoard.
Thank you. I’m a 38-year-old family man with a small circle of close friends. I live a quiet, low-stress lifestyle and love the outdoors. I love a good challenge and always seem to want to fix something or build a better option. I often question authority. When crowds run in one direction, you will see me running the opposite way.
Hoard began when I became extremely frustrated by confusing applications with poor user experiences. Even though I worked in banking, I found myself in conflict with centralization after the inception of Bitcoin. Along my path to make a difference, I met amazing co-founders who shared the same strong sentiments about centralization and the common problems found in the current cryptocurrency landscape. Now, we’re here.
Is it true that the members of your family are involved in the banking sector?
No, that’s not true. My family members never worked in the banking or financial industry. Just me.
Have you been in a situation when your rebel attitude made your life more difficult because of your conviction? Have the ways you perceive the world been challenging as you try to stay true to your principles?
Actually, it’s been quite the opposite. Life has been pretty good to me. I’ve been knocked down a few times due to my rebellious approach to life, but I stand back up to learn from it and move forward. While I stick to my principles, I’m a very patient, tolerable, and flexible person. We’re all learning how to be better humans.
What is the most inspiring book you have read?
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen (1903). This book was giving to me by my late grandfather. It was impactful to him and his life. I’m not sure why (maybe sentimental reasons), but that book had an effect on me as a young man. He and I were very alike.
Can you tell us something about the most adventurous trip you have ever made, please?
I drove an older Ford F-350 across the United States (east coast to the west) to haul a trailer full of dirt bikes. We were headed to Dumont Dunes in Death Valley to ride on these behemoth sand dunes. Then, we went to ride sections of the Baja 1000 trails. I was 28 and I’ll never forget that trip.
How did you meet Dan Lipert, your CTO and co-founder? How long have you know each other?
Dan and I met nearly a year ago. I’m a member of a few large cryptocurrency Facebook groups. So is he. One day, I shared my designs with the group, asking for feedback and suggestions. Not surprised, many were positive and Dan mentioned wanting to work on a crypto project. We took it offline to discuss our philosophies, ideas, and concerns. It seemed like a perfect fit. So far, it’s been exactly that ... a perfect combination.
How old were you when you found your gift for creating elegant application jewelry?
Do you mean design? It’s something that came natural to me from a young age. Some would call it control issues, but I’ve always liked things in specific places because of how they made me feel, think, or act. It’s empathy, movement, response. Here’s an example: doors with pull handles that display “push” annoyed me since I was a child. I took this natural trait into the digital arena about 11 years ago. I learned how to use digital design tools and I haven’t looked back since.
I shared an introduction above. How would you describe Hoard to the people?
Through blockchain, Hoard is building one of the first ubiquitous mobile-first wallets to self-manage both cash and cryptocurrency holdings. The application simplifies how people buy, sell, invest in, trade, track, spend, send, and store virtually every valuable cryptocurrency available on the market today. The offering(s) will serve as a central location to monitor multi-asset portfolios across multiple platforms. To deliver the best and most secure experience possible, it’s being developed on top of the newest decentralized exchange and cross-exchange enablement technology. We’ll share the name and details about this soon.
In addition to the foundation, these efforts will be heavily supported by true artificial intelligence, bleeding-edge machine learning capabilities, and advanced voice/process automation tools. The Hoard platform and application will propel an industry-leading user experience through design standards that are only employed in modern, best-of-class consumer financial applications. As co-founder and CEO, our commitment to customer experience will be elevated from day one. We intend to pursue support for institutional brokerage services and a dedicated trading dashboard in the future.
Once again, Hoard is not building a bank, it’s reinventing them.
Suppose I am a newbie to the crypto world and I want to use your application. What steps should I take first?
When available to the public, you would simply download the mobile application, create a new wallet or import an existing wallet, and begin. From that point, you’ll be able to buy, sell, trade, track, or send/receive cryptocurrency.
What is your core vision and how can Hoard change the face of today's banking via crypto?
To shift 100 million people from fiat to cryptocurrency, globally. We aim to minimize the controlling reliance on the centralized banking system. Hoard will remove middlemen from transactions, reduce costs and increase the speed of cryptocurrency transactions. It’s really a matter of championing decentralization, censorship resistance, blockchain technology, and freedom.
How did you come up with the idea to create a banking-like platform with a multifunctional wallet and all of the other gambits?
Hoard offerings stem from many of the personal problems I faced in cryptocurrency and my observations of complaints others often share. I can’t take all of the credit, as my co-founder Dan and the rest of the team have been instrumental in crafting the Hoard vision. I refuse to sit around waiting for others to make my life better if I can do something about it. From that, Hoard was born.
How did you come up with the name Hoard? Was it your idea?
The definition of Hoard is "a stock or store of money or valued objects, typically one that is secret or carefully guarded." I couldn't come up with anything better than that definition. I loved it and it made sense with dragons … after the fact.
Is this your first project or do you already have experiences from previous startups, projects or corporation we could hear about?
This is not my first rodeo. The most well-known startup I co-founded was LegalHub, which was acquired years ago. Beyond this, I led customer experience and product design teams across the Wells Fargo digital channels for a multitude of retail consumer mobile banking products. Specifically, the roles involved UX engineering that heavily relied on interaction, interface, and strategy design.
So, did I understand your white paper right: you are the exact opposite of the Ripple? What is the main difference here?
Bingo! You can safely say that we’re the decentralized “people’s version” of Ripple in some ways.
I can see that you have a lot of competition, but my opinion is that they are specialized in one or two things at once while your goal is to cover all needed aspects leading to successful personal banking. Is that right?
Bingo again. That is correct. For the record, I have much respect for these teams, their visions, their communities, and the problems they intend to fix in this space.
Will you offer debit cards?
It’s highly doubtful. Why? A debit card, processed through 3rd-party companies like Visa or Mastercard, is in direct conflict with our vision and product offering. I want them out of my transactions to extend those savings to merchants. Blockchain technology and ‘trustlessness’ is the processor of the future.
So, I basically won't need my TENX card anymore? I can use Hoard app instead for day-to-day purchases, etc?
That’s our development goal. Hoard aims to offer anyone with a smartphone and a connection the ability to transact directly with the merchant, without a middleman processing or monitoring their transaction. This is achieved using any cryptocurrency they hold, EVEN IF the merchant does not want to accept cryptocurrency but instead prefers their local fiat currency. If we’re going to reinvent banking we’ve got to reinvent payments. Cryptocurrency debits cards are band-aids, not solutions.
People can use the Hoard app to transfer their funds across exchanges, from one wallet into another. Do you see a possibility that government agencies or banks could be using your app for their needs?
Our soon-to-be-revealed network will be an open source decentralized exchange technology. We welcome any organization or institution to take advantage of our open source technology and are happy to support them in their development. However, Hoard is being built for you and me, the people, small business owners, and anyone else who wants to participate in the crypto-economy with ease.
So Hoard is like a decentralized exchange where everybody acts as their “own” exchange?
That is correct. With our network, anyone will be able to build their own decentralized exchange or Dapps that need decentralized exchange technology.
Do you insist on a strict KYC process?
During the Token Generation Event (TGE), Know Your Customer (KYC) + Anti-Money Laundering (AML) protocols are an absolute must. When linking bank accounts or dealing with fiat currency, KYC + AML are crucial. However, anyone who chooses not to connect a bank account or deal in fiat currency can download our application, skip account creation, and use the wallet, payments, portfolio tracker, and decentralized exchange technology (up to certain limits) without identifying themselves.
What miracle needs to happen so that you can have the first ICO launched for US accredited investors?
Other U.S.-based companies have already launched successful token sales to accredited investors. t0 is one example. Hoard is pioneering the U.S. private sale with the addition of Rule 144A, which requires a 90-day freeze and 12-month lock-up of tokens. However, accredited investors can sell their holdings privately in a controlled paper-trading environment. Any investor who opts to sell will forfeit their discount and that discount is distributed to other investors. This will likely be the first of its kind in the U.S.
Part Two - HOW
I can consolidate my crypto for fiat and vice versa, thanks to the instant transaction system. However, what will be my exchange rate at that moment? Will you take a value of assets from Kraken or will you do average mean from the five most significant exchanges?
Our pipeline exchange technology can gather liquidity and pricing from nearly any 3rd-party exchange. There’s always a spread between these services. It will vary per transaction. We are working on something I like to call the community staking protocol. You provide liquidity to the network and in return, you pay nothing -- not even the spread. It’s akin to the BnB coin in a way, yet you get to keep 100% of the coin you stake.
Banks are interested in using blockchain technology. Can you use this interest the banks have to your advantage?
I would agree. Banks are very interested in blockchain technology, but they are far more interested in privacy and security. Banks are bullish on permissioned and private chains. This can be seen as a form of censorship with a lack of regard for trustlessness.
So the app will be available for everybody, but what about the Czech Republic? Will I be available to use it here in Euro? If so, which countries will be rolled out first?
Hoard will launch in the United States first. We have preliminary plans to roll out across all seven continents over time. The next regions and countries haven’t been decided yet.
At what point will I be able to use Hoard to get my wages paid and get rid of my bank?
I love this question. Payroll is a huge obstacle that will take some time to overcome. When workers are paid in digital currency, they will spend digital currency and the ‘flippening’ will truly begin. I can’t offer any dates, but this is something we will actively explore when the time is right.
So, once I am using Hoard to get paid, buy my weekly eggs and milk, fill my Lambo with petrol, and buy some more BTC, will Hoard be able to calculate my taxes?
Depending on the 2018 development sprints, statements and documents, there is a tool we intend to offer (in time) for next year's tax season. Exactly how it functions is still undecided at this point. Personally, I want to be able to use Hoard (as well as other platforms), track all transactions in a single location, and have the app tally P&L for me.
What financial institution you would like to have on your side and how would that help to Hoard?
The US regulators! The lack of innovation runway for financial technology in this country is challenging. We’re considering alternatives to the US, if we need more runway. Having them on our side would be huge, but I’m not holding my breath. Additionally, any financial institution that cares about innovation, new financial markets, and global access are the kinds of organizations we think we can benefit with together.
Does Hoard already have some significant partners or investors on board?
We’re just beginning to open the doors to our private sale. We’re making significant headway already. We’ve got a growing list of brand name investors interested. Partnerships will come from the many discussions underway and that will spark new opportunities as well. In the future, we’ll introduce integrative wallets. You can think of these as partnerships with companies like Twitch, YouTube, Reddit, etc. Nothing has been formalized yet. We’re still in the planning stages.
Do you need to onboard or partner with any banks for the Hoard project? If so, do you have any onboard yet?
No. Hoard is as close to a bank as you can get without calling it an actual bank. We do see a future where they will be interested in collaboration possibilities. For example, we spoke with Fiserv a few months ago (blog post). Right now, it’s all about development and delivery.
Are there people who are already signed up to be first in line when the Hoard app is released?
There is a growing list of about 7,000 people waiting to download the app. We’ve hardly begun to market our product. Once dedicated marketing efforts begin, we should see these numbers jump significantly in a few short months.
Imagine for a while that Mr. Stephen Corliss of Ethos just joined your team. Do you think your team would get a boost with a person like Mr. Corliss or do you have some all-stars of your own on the Hoard team?
I have a lot of respect for Mr. Corliss, as well as the Ethos team and project as a whole. However, and like he has personally mentioned, certain aspects of our companies align but we’re playing in different sandboxes. Our team is already all stars, but more will come. We’re growing headcount every month.
What makes you different from your competitors and what standout features make Hoard superior to them?
Superior is a strong word. At this stage, I’ll make no claims of superiority over any project. We’re all working to transform something. Some will transform one area, while another may not. However, we’re bringing some serious horsepower to the blockchain, cryptocurrency and FinTech market spaces.
Do you have a marketing strategy to raise awareness of Hoard and to get more people involved in the community? Is there a bounty program?
We’ll have a bug and account referral bounty. We’re still mapping this program out. Also, we’ve got code built to drive usership through our external payments system - the send engine. Send payments to anyone outside of Hoard on any platform (Facebook, Telegram, email, SMS, etc). We also recently hired a CMO. He’s a Forbes Top 50 CMO in the tech industry and we’ll be releasing the details on this new team member soon, so stay tuned. Additionally, we’re working with a licensed broker dealer marketing company to help us drive awareness. They haven’t started yet, but that should kick off soon. Lastly, we added the VP of Marketing from Argon Group as one of Hoard’s advisors. Like our CMO details, a more detailed announcement will come soon. Argon Group handled initial coin offerings for companies like Civic, Storj, Blockchain Capital and others. So, we’re excited about this.
Mr. Davis - the time you have given to our interview is slowly coming to an end. I would like to thank all of you for your kind reading and I am glad that you have found your way to this article. Let's get our host to finish this article with his final words ... and with his words we shall say goodbye. If you would like to know something else or you would like to get an answer for one of your questions, please leave a message below the article and I will try to make it work.
Have a good day.
Epilogue by Jason Davis
What kind of advice would you give to young Jason Davis today?
Stay young, stay relevant, stay focused and always always ignore the haters. I looked at my twenties as a time to explore. While many I knew were finishing college and taking entry-level jobs, I was exploring the world. I started my thirties focused on technology and raising my new family. Entering my forties soon, I’m now more laser-focused than ever before.
Have you ever been betrayed in your working history from somebody who was very charismatic at first glance and has done an excellent job for a while, but then made a fraud a few months later?
No.
What advice would the young Jason Davis give you? :)
I’m not sure. Probably something about not working so much. Live your life before it’s gone!
What does the future hold for Hoard?
The pioneers got us here, the innovators will take us there. I see Hoard as a household name. A suite of products and services built specifically for the tokenized future. Banking, reinvented.
Writers pendant:
Mr. Jason Davis is a professional in the banking arena, with skills and experiences in the fields of application design and development. Since he was inside the bank directly, he knows about the problems customers deal with on a daily basis, as well as issues he had to solve by himself. He had a lightbulb moment … he saw what was needed and came up with a solution to solve all these struggles!
His massive advantage includes his contacts across the banking world. Mr. Davis has been interested in cryptocurrency since 2010. He is an investor, trader, and innovator ... and knows how to use MatLab :).
Needless to say, in my opinion, Jason is a man who will cover your back when you need help and will look after you when problems arise. You can reach him quickly through the Hoard Telegram channel here:
Fair dinkum. Solid unit.
Ok ladies, wipe your tears away, he is married already.
If You have any questions regarding my article, send me a message in the bottle
(Prefer Tequila) at Telegram or shoot a shouted "Tweet".
Never stay tuned
Mickey