Hi all
First time poster, long time lurker. I am posting because I want to give my perspective on Electroneum. I believe it to be a fantastic innovation and here is why.
About meI work for a consulting company in Melbourne, Australia. We are involved in investigating and consulting on the future application of both cryptocurrency and blockchain technology in wide arrange of industry sectors, most notably financial services. I am also a qualified accountant. The views in this post are my own, not that of the company.
What is different about Electroneum?Electroneum offers something no other cryptocurrency has - the ability to mine with a mobile phone (without it blowing up), and, potentially in the future, the ability to mine with an Xbox or Playstation. This gives Electroneum an amazing advantage over competitors - it is a cryptocurrency that is accessible to everyday mums, dads, and kids
for the first time ever. The ability for individuals to easily mine and store a cryptocurrency is a huge step forward in technology and should not be sniffed at. In particular, I think that the ability to mine with gaming consoles is particularly exciting because consoles are constantly connected to a secure Wifi and are more powerful than phones. The latest Xbox to be produced will be very powerful indeed:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-au/store/d/xbox-one-x-1tb-console-project-scorpio-edition/8zjh508rnql0Why being accessible to the mass market is important for investors in ElectroneumPut simply, if the mass consumer market is able to hold Electroneum via simple mining (which, given customers will be able to mine from their phone and maybe gaming consoles which for the consumer is essentially free money...), this creates a demand for vendors to offer Electroneum as a payment method. This is particularly applicable to gaming companies and gambling companies, both markets worth tens of billions in annual revenue. This is something that could gain traction very quickly. There is a huge incentive for anyone who owns a gaming console or a Smartphone to download the app and start mining immediately - it is free cash after all and people would be stupid not to.
Why people may demand this currencyDevelopers will want to gain access to this huge potential marketplace of new currency. Part of the reason they will do this is because if people can buy things (e.g. gambling money or gaming cash) directly from their Electroneum wallets, they will not need to involve themselves in cold storage or other technical areas of cryptocurrency ownership and this is attractive to both the consumer and the developer. For example, in Australia if William Hill opened up their gambling site to accepting Electroneum, I would always deposit any mining amounts earned straight into my William Hill account as this, for me, turns it into cash. William Hill can then choose to pay customers in Electroneum when they withdraw or sell it to other consumers of Electroneum. Additionally, online/mobile gamers will be potentially able to use Electroneum across multiple games, allowing them to pay for virtual currency across multiple games rather than put it all into 1 for a single purchase. It will also allow them to transfer currency between games, with developers incentivised to allow this with spread commissions. As a mobile gamer, I know I would be much more likely to purchase gaming currency if I could move it later if I got sick of the game.
The marketingThe marketing for Electroneum has been second to none. Paired with a simple to use app, there could potentially be hundreds of thousands of users very quickly. This means hundreds of thousands of potential sellers and buyers. Raising awareness of Electroneum not just in consumer circles but corporate circles is essential to the success of this currency and they have made a fantastic start. The intention from the funds raised (it is already in the $5m-$10m range) is to translate it into over 30 languages - this is unprecedented and will tap into many markets that other currencies just cannot get involved with. Additionally, this will only help in their pursuit of getting corporates to accept Electroneum. When they are able to get a few signed up (which will take time initially as corporates begin to see the value due to the mass-consumer mining interest in the currency), it will quickly gain traction with others who wish to keep up.
Gaming strategyThe strategy to integrate with online gaming virtual currency purchases will take time. However, once some companies are on board, the idea of being able to transfer game currency between games is unique and innovative and is the future of online gaming. This is particularly attractive for game suppliers who make multiple games - allowing players to transfer virtual currency in the form of electroneum between games and earning commission on the spreads will encourage them to be content with players switching games that they play etc and encourage multiple purchases. Cross-marketing will become even more important. This also works extremely well for the consumer who will feel like they are paying less for virtual currency if they are able to take it to another game, and with integration between gaming apps and the exchange it will assist with encouraging people to actually purchase in-game products. Electroneum state that only 1.9% of mobile gamers purchase products in-game - if this was even doubled to 3.8% there is a huge gain to be made for developers.
Gambling StrategyMobile mining opens up the ability for many people to easily obtain Electroneum which could be transferred into a gambling account. This is particularly exciting for countries where bank accounts are limited - i.e. developing nations. Also, for gambling companies, the ability to identify an extremely convenient and risk-free method of getting more money into people's gambling accounts is exciting. People are basically mining Electroneum and getting it for free, and if they can put that 'free' money into a gambling account, bookmakers will be very happy indeed. The focus here is of course on the success of simple mobile and desktop mining.
ConclusionAs I stated at the top, my company is very interested in future applications of crypto technology. This is one of those futuristic ideas that is here
right now and that is why I have invested my money into Electroneum.
If you appreciated my thoughts, my referral link is in my signature. By using a referral code you get an extra 1% on your purchase.
Thanks for your time reading.