Cryptocurrency
Human-readable code: Why branding is the programming language of humans
For too many Web3 projects, marketing is often an afterthought. The prevailing wisdom is that a visionary founder will generate a killer idea that will get VCs frothing, use their funding to hire a superstar developer (or an entire team of them) and bring the vision to life via the medium of code.
Once there’s a minimum viable product (MVP) to showcase, the project needs a user base to make this thing into a viable product. At this point, it’s time to fire up the Magical Marketing Machine, which connects to your various channels to create a nonstop value-generating stream of leads and conversions, drawn in by the irresistible lure of the initial killer idea. Once they hear about it.
This mindset isn’t helped by the stories of often inexplicable viral success that regularly punctuate the crypto headlines. But viral success isn’t the same as success. Just look at Terra’s LUNA collapse, the Squid Game scam or SafeMoon’s pump and dump for several relatively recent examples of viral “success.”
Of course, a few exceptional viral cases have managed to achieve longevity. For instance, Bored Ape Yacht Club and SushiSwap are two examples of projects that leveraged initial viral success to attain long-term recognition.
There is no formula or algorithm to guarantee viral success. But marketing, as a value-generating function of a commercial organization, is different. It has a toolkit at its disposal, and the most powerful of those tools is the brand — the programming that conveys the message of an offering to a human audience.
Effective branding relies on good code
Successful firms know that branding and marketing don’t happen by magic or according to checklist-type formulae. When it’s planned and executed well, a robust branding strategy is analogous to computer code. Blockchain developers use programming languages to translate their applications into a set of instructions that the blockchain can execute consistently. The branding strategy tells everyone in an ecosystem what messages they should be using and how to deliver them in a way that’s comprehensible and engaging.
Programming involves choosing the correct syntax and functions to generate a particular outcome efficiently, while branding involves selecting messaging that resonates and choosing the most effective ways to convey it. Solidity is Turing-complete, in that it can be used to program virtually any task. In this sense, branding as a programming language is also Turing-complete, as it can be used to craft any message you choose.
Beyond text, which already contains all the richness of tone and language, you send a message with every choice in the presentation of your offering, from colors and logos to advertising outlets and collaboration partners. Every nuance conveys the messages of your brand that will be decoded and disseminated by the world.
This is where you must beware. A Turing-complete language can also easily create unintended consequences. In blockchain terms, a bug in the code, a typo or an unknown eventuality created by an attacker may result in hacks, stolen funds and a loss of good reputation.
Marketing gaffes — a result of anyone being able to go out there and say whatever they like — can end up as PR disasters. No stolen funds, but irreparable damage to your brand will quickly hit your revenue source with precisely the same net result.
But more often than not, the worst outcome of bad branding is a massive loss of opportunity. Do you want to maximize the impact of your marketing budget? Start with your brand and its strategy.
A critical success factor or an afterthought?
It’s time for a mindset shift. Your branding is your product. After all, without recognition, the most amazing invention in the world is not a product — it’s just something someone dreamed up.
Despite the fact that branding is unquestionably a pivotal factor in commercial success, it’s baffling that Web3 founders tend to treat it as an afterthought. I’ve come across projects due to launch next month, where basic marketing planning is only just underway. I’ve also seen projects where the team is operating entirely on junior staffers with little prior experience in Web3 or marketing — let alone developing a brand from scratch.
It’s hard to imagine any founder leaving their programming to chance. How will the app perform if the only programmer has a high-school knowledge of coding? Or, what kind of quality could a star team of coders produce, given only a month for building and testing?
The more extensive and sophisticated the underlying code, the more powerful and impactful the technology. The same applies to branding.
Evaluating your stack
Ultimately, my message to Web3 founders is to examine your current branding approach and consider whether it accurately reflects the image you want your project to convey.
This may mean reexamining your overall strategy. For instance, is there a clear and consistent set of brand messages that forms the basis of all communications?
Are you confident that your marketing plans are rooted in the best possible practices for your offering and audience, and not simply a checklist of channels and touchpoints?
You may also need to evaluate time allocated to marketing and branding activities. Are there sufficiently available person-hours to generate interest and engagement ahead of a launch?
Assessing your approach may also involve evaluating your marketing talent and leveraging expertise as required. Do you have the right skills on board to develop and execute a branding strategy?
Finally, does your plan allow for activities such as testing campaign materials with target audiences or refining messages on different channels?
It’s true that all of the above activities will take time and effort and may uncover a need to invest further. But once your branding code is as robust and rigorous as your product code, you’ll already be ahead of the competition.
German is co-founder and chief relevance officer of THE RELEVANCE HOUSE, a branding and marketing agency focused on blockchain and Web3.
This article was published through Cointelegraph Innovation Circle, a vetted organization of senior executives and experts in the blockchain technology industry who are building the future through the power of connections, collaboration and thought leadership. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Cointelegraph.
Japanese crypto exchange bitFlyer announced that it has completed its acquisition of FTX Japan, making it a fully owned subsidiary.
The deal, finalized on July 26, will have bitFlyer taking 100% ownership of FTX Japan’s outstanding shares.
Crypto Custody Services
In a Friday press release, bitFlyer detailed its plans to rebrand the newly acquired entity as “Custody New Company” by August 26, 2024. This new entity will focus on expanding bitFlyer’s crypto custody business, leveraging the company’s existing operational resources and advanced wallet technology.
“By acquiring all shares and management rights of FTX Japan, we aim to achieve sustainable growth,” bitFlyer stated. “We will leverage synergies within the bitFlyer Group to develop new services, benefiting not only FTX Japan and its customers but all stakeholders of the bitFlyer Group.”
According to bitFlyer, the Custody New Company will focus on meeting the growing demand for secure crypto asset management among institutional investors.
“The increasing need for institutional investors to enter the crypto asset market and the need for professional security measures drive our strategy,” bitFlyer explained. “We believe that providing advanced crypto custody services and crypto asset ETF-related services will add significant value to the bitFlyer Group.”
bitFlyer also said that it is prepared to address this demand with advanced security measures, using its expertise in blockchain technology and security. The company has developed a highly secure wallet, which will be integral to its new crypto custody offerings.
The financial terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed. However, they stated that it is exploring the provision of services related to cryptocurrency derivatives ETFs while awaiting further legislative developments in Japan, including tax regulations. These offerings are aimed at meeting the needs of financial institutions and trust banks.
FTX Japan’s History
The acquisition follows a sale order issued by the U.S. Court of Insolvency on July 16, 2024. FTX Japan has been under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since November 2022, following the collapse of its parent company, FTX. The Japanese arm had stopped exchange operations after the bankruptcy filing but continued managing customer assets.
FTX Japan was launched in June 2022, facilitated by the acquisition of fintech company Liquid Group and its subsidiaries, including Quoine Corporation, one of Japan’s first crypto exchanges.
Despite its promising start, FTX Japan faced issues just five months later when its parent company collapsed amid allegations of embezzlement and misappropriation of billions of dollars in customer funds. FTX’s founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, was subsequently sentenced to 25 years in prison and ordered to reimburse $11 billion.
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[PRESS RELEASE – VILNIUS, Lithuania, July 26th, 2024]
In a significant move this July 2024, BTCC has launched up to 50x leverage on over 300 USDT-margined trading pairs. This development follows the successful introduction of 500x leverage on major trading pairs, including BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL, and DOGE. BTCC has now decided to elevate the futures trading experience by increasing the available leverage from 20x to 50x, setting a new standard in the crypto trading world where most exchanges only provide up to 20x leverage for their traders.
Since this launch, nearly 25% of orders have been placed with 50x leverage, showcasing the strong demand among traders. The 300+ cryptocurrencies feature many of the coins in the market right now, such as PEPE, SATS, WIF, SHIB, ZK, WLD, AVAX, and TON.
Alex, Head of Operations at BTCC, commented on the launch, “In June, we introduced 500x leverage on major pairs, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Our users have since been asking for higher leverage on other altcoins, especially memecoins. This feedback drove our decision to increase the leverage to 50x on over 300 trading pairs.”
The primary advantage of higher leverage can be the ability to open large market positions with a relatively small amount of capital, allowing traders to significantly amplify their potential profits. This feature can be attractive for experienced traders who can predict market movements. However, traders must be aware of the risks involved, and the stop-loss feature is an essential tool to help manage these risks effectively.
About BTCC Exchange
BTCC, established in 2011, is one of the world’s longest-serving and most reputable cryptocurrency exchanges. Known for its robust security measures and user-friendly platform, BTCC offers a wide range of features, including spot trading, futures trading, and copy trading, catering to both novice and experienced traders.
Website: https://www.btcc.com
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A wallet associated with the Ethereum Foundation has transferred 92,500 ETH, worth $294.9 million, after being inactive for nearly 6.6 years.
According to Lookonchain, these tokens have been held at the same address since 2017.
The Transfer Details
On-chain data indicates that the ETH was originally received from the Ethereum Foundation on September 1, 2015. The transfer, recorded on July 25, occurred just minutes after a smaller transaction of 1 ETH from the same wallet.
Before the transaction, the only other one from this address in the past seven years was a negligible movement of 0.000513 ETH 30 days ago.
An #EthereumFoundation-related wallet transferred 92,500 $ETH($294.9M) to a new wallet 9 hours ago after being dormant for 6.6 years.
Through on-chain tracking, it was found that these $ETH were received from the #EthereumFoundation on Sept 1, 2015.https://t.co/FKGsNCrBAT pic.twitter.com/vPOAMq4ccK
— Lookonchain (@lookonchain) July 26, 2024
At writing time, Etherscan shows that the funds remain in the new wallet. The reasons behind this transfer are still unknown, and the Ethereum Foundation has not commented on the situation.
Before this, the organization had not engaged in any major selling activity in the current market cycle, causing speculation about a potential change in strategy.
Analysts noted that, historically, the Foundation had strategically sold large amounts of ETH during each bull market, often timing these sales with market peaks. The absence of significant sales in the current cycle had raised questions about whether the market peak was still ahead or if the Foundation had altered its approach.
On July 25, the price of ETH dropped by 10% as spot Ethereum ETFs experienced $133 million in outflows on their second day. The asset fell from nearly $3,500 to a multi-day low of $3,130. At the time of writing, the token is trading at $3,266, having increased by 3% in the last 24 hours.
Previous Ethereum Foundation Transfers
Earlier in July, other wallets linked to the Ethereum Foundation made some transfers. On July 17, according to on-chain analytics firm SpotOnChain, an Ethereum Foundation wallet and another connected to an Ethereum initial coin offering (ICO) participant transferred $12.5 million and $9 million worth of ETH, respectively, to Kraken.
Two #Ethereum Foundation/ICO-related wallets deposited 3,631 $ETH ($12.5M) to #Kraken in the past 2 days as the market rebounded:
1️⃣ Wallet 0xdb3 unloaded 2,631 $ETH ($9.01M).
• It received $ETH from the Ethereum Foundation and Ethereum ICO participant 0xAb0.
• Since June 8,… pic.twitter.com/rpEC1Fe4jj
— Spot On Chain (@spotonchain) July 17, 2024
Since early June, these two wallets have deposited a total of 17,886 ETH, valued at around $65 million, to the centralized cryptocurrency trading platform, suggesting a possible sell-off.
In January, Arkham Intelligence identified a blockchain address associated with the Ethereum Foundation that sold $1.6 million worth of ETH.
Then, in April, Peckshield Alert reported that the Foundation had converted part of its ETH holdings into stablecoins, exchanging 100 ETH for 354,000 DAI during a time when ETH was trading above $3,600.
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