There is an extensive list of key differences between SHOP and other projects in the space.

First, users get paid if they choose to share their personal data, because we believe that it is completely irresponsible to use technology just to increase corporate profits and not develop the digital sovereignty of users.

Further important differences are that SHOP already has a large codebase, owns key technology patents, and has already made a number of key corporate and IP acquisitions to extend and build upon the SHOP Protocol infrastructure. This means we are not building from scratch, but instead are in a position to take functioning ecommerce solutions and upgrade them to the decentralized Web 3.0. We have an impressive head start in the industry.

We will also have a number of brands active on the marketplace from the very first day the platform goes live in the next few months. Our team has a spectacular and unique track record of working with large brands and businesses, and this extremely diverse network of relationships with traditional brands, as well as the many decade long set of experiences working with multi-billion dollar companies means SHOP is completely without competition in the space in critical ways. We already have extensive, functioning, open sourced code (see our GitHub: http://www.github.com/shoppersshop, and our API documentation: https://developers.shoppers.shop/) , and very soon we will be launching the SHOP Protocol so that anyone, whether an independent shopper or a billion dollar brand, can quickly get up and running and benefit from a decentralized retail platform. Few blockchain projects can claim this, though our entire team is incredibly inspired by all of the innovative visions in the distributed technology space.

We also have an incredible plan to utilize almost half of our entire token supply to incentivize developers, brands, and shoppers to build on and make use of the SHOP Protocol. This plan was formed with the intention of making SHOP not only the first decentralized, mainstream eCommerce platform, but making it extremely easy and exciting to participate in the development and use of. Having worked with well known, successful, international companies means our entire team knows what an effective platform looks like, and exactly how to get people engaged and eager to participate in it.

SHOP is also structured as a legal cooperative, so unlike many projects where the only way to be a part of the economic and governance model is to own tokens or be an employee, every single user of the SHOP Protocol is a co-owner and shares in the success of the platform. It is a completely open and flat structure where every member, be they a huge retail conglomerate or a single consumer gets an equivalent vote. The only way to have a bigger voice in the discussion is to write code and build on the platform.

In short, the SHOP Protocol is not just a P2P marketplace for people who appreciate their own data security and impressive technology. SHOP is building something everyone, including multi-billion dollar brands, will want to use. We are not aiming at a niche use case, but have the plans in place to be the global open standard for digital commerce. We are building something not just for enthusiasts and cypherpunks, but something that all people will be a part of, and all brands will build on, because it will simply be better than anything else.

Our main competitor is Amazon, and they have already proven they have no respect for user privacy, and at this point their track record is so tarnished there is no way they will ever be able to catch up with us. SHOP will be a marketplace where the user is not just another product in the eyes of the company. With SHOP, every person is an owner of the platform itself, and the relationship of all parties, from shoppers to brands and developers is transparent, open, and balanced. We are building not just a prototype of what the future of ecommerce should be, we are building the fully functioning, mainstream paradigm for the next step in selling, shopping, and transacting.