Blockchain had a big 2017.

The technology upon which bitcoin operates is suddenly the hot new thing. Acolytes believe it will change how we conduct business, elections, and even finding a mate (more on that later). Suddenly, there’s a blockchain startup for just about everything.

As much as we wish we could, we can’t write about them all. But when thinking back on the year, our email inboxes were so often filled with blockchain pitches that the topic itself deserved attention. 

In trying to capture this craziness, we have put together some of our favorite blockchain pitches of 2017 in an attempt to provide you with an idea of just how much of a gold rush we’re witnessing. Some of these pitches are pretty good; others are decidedly not good. As you'll see below, we awarded each of them with a superlative, included the subject line, and abridged versions of the email.

What they provide is a snapshot of just how many startups are trying to use blockchain’s distributed ledger technology to become the next big thing. It’s a gold rush unseen since the early days of the internet. 

See for yourself.

Blockchain pitch of the year

Subject line: Cats are coming to the blockchain

Sent you a DM in Twitter. Long story short, we’re making the blockchain accessible to the rest of the world. I’ve never seen so many moms, daughters, sons, cousins over this Thanksgiving weekend want to play CryptoKitties.

It’s going to make the blockchain accessible to everyone. Since you’ve noted in your bio 50% weird, I think this will be your quota before the end of the year.

Anyway.

Let me know if you dig this.

This is not some doge coin joke/scam/ICO

We’re legit.

Most “maybe actually useful for my life pitch but also problematic” blockchain pitch 

Subject line: Vanywhere uses blockchain so you can speak, eat, and shop like a local on your next vacation

I know you occasionally cover blockchain topics as well as the everyday awesome app update, I’m happy to introduce you to Vanywhere, a peer-to-peer, skill-sharing platform that wants you to experience the best holiday vacation by connecting you to expert locals, because the best spots in town are always the hidden ones!

The holidays are coming up, which means you’ve probably booked your flights to spend the joyful days with your family, to your Miami Beach escape from the cold, or to your romantic Italian getaway, for two weeks of Roman spaghetti and Tuscan views. Vanywhere’s platform will connect you through live, 1-on-1 video, voice or chat to a “Skiller” approved by the platform, in order to get you personalized results tailored to exactly your needs.

As the driving idea behind Vanywhere is that everyone in the world has a skill that they can market and monetize, by building the platform on blockchain technology it provides an equal opportunity to anyone looking to market their skills, even those without a bank account. The technology behind blockchain also allows Vanywhere’s fees to be lowered by as much as 80% in relation to other platforms such as Fiverr and Upwork.

Most boring blockchain pitch

Subject line: Blockchain is Solving the Issues of Modern Business Practices

I hope all is well over your way. SophiaTX, considered the Ultimate Blockchain for Business, is currently in the middle of the Token Generation Event (Dec. 7 - 17), where we have already raised well over $11 Million USD!

SophiaTX is ready to show off what it can do for businesses on a global scale. We just opened registration for Early Adoption Program which will launch in early 2018. The early adoption program offers exclusive, membership only access to SophiaTX technology, the use of a testnet platform, detailed use case description for implementation, and learning opportunities for businesses of all sizes.

See more details below and I'm also sending you the press release about SophiaTX Early Adoption Program. If you have any questions about the project don't hesitate to contact me.

Most “Uber for” blockchain pitch

Subject line: Intro to Venmo on the blockchain

I saw your recent piece on cryptocurrency saving Venezuela and thought you’d be interested in an introductory call with the CEO and Co-founder of Metal, Marshall Hayner.

Metal is developing a blockchain-based payment platform that rewards users for sending and receiving payment to the tune of 5%--for buyers AND sellers--key to driving adoption. Richard Branson is involved with more major announcements to come soon.

Marshall's an interesting guy and I thought you'd be interested in a conversation with him around:

Why millenials hate banking--and how the secret ingredient of fun might just change all that (see Venmo)

Most "Airbnb for" blockchain pitch

Subject line: Cryptocurrency’s new venture into… your bedroom?

Good afternoon,

As global as the hospitality industry spans, it’s not surprising the emergence of cryptocurrency start-ups in the space — Why not operate under one unified form of payment that the French, Persians and Chinese can use to accommodate their globetrotting needs?

Enter CryptoBnB — a block chain service aiming to change the short-term rental industry by fixing current weaknesses/gaps on some of our favorite travel sites.

Combining the rise in popularity and universality of crypto payments as well as the security and finality of blockchain security, CyrptoBnB wants to help businesses ensure user/host safety, flag fraudulence through engraved blockchain, promote a crypto DNA wallet and help us better communicate/search globally.

Most “about fake news (because of course)” blockchain pitch

Subject line: How blockchain and AI can fix the issue of fake news, PUBLIQ reveals

I read your article on how Russians coordinated their election attacks across Twitter and Facebook, so I wanted to introduce you to PUBLIQ, the startup that is building a blockchain based content platform which fights fake news.

Whether it be another Kardashian pregnancy or claims that Obama isn’t really American, fake news tends to easily find its way into our precious digital media space. While the dubious headlines attract readership, what can we do as a society to make sure we are consuming high quality content rather than misleading facts?

PUBLIQ is announcing today the launch of its decentralized content platform that uses a reward based scoring system as well as advanced technologies, such as AI and Blockchain, in order to negate the massive flow of fake and fabricated news. Content on PUBLIQ's blockchain based platform is cryptographically sealed, distributed, and published, preventing any third parties from tampering with the author’s work. This means that by the time content gets to the reader, PUBLIQ has secured every step of the media distribution process.

Most buzzwords in a single blockchain pitch

Subject line: Sia Announces Integration with Nextcloud to Enable Seamless Decentralized Private Cloud Storage

Sia (sia.tech), a Boston-based subsidiary of Nebulous Inc., has announced their integration with popular open-source Dropbox/Google Drive alternative Nextcloud (nextcloud.com) to provide users with seamless decentralized private cloud storage.

“Sia and NextCloud share the vision of giving customers full control of their data. A partnership was obvious,” said David Vorick, CEO and co-founder of Sia. “For the first time, Nextcloud users can expand their capacity with decentralized cloud storage through the Sia integration. We are excited to support and improve this integration over time.”

Most ambitious blockchain pitch

Subject line: How Blockchain is Shaking Up Advertising

Data has quickly become the world’s most precious resource, and tech giants like Facebook and Google are capitalizing on this resource by selling massive amounts of user data without consumer knowledge for targeted advertising gains.

Algebraix Data is putting consumers in control of their own data. They’ve developed a permission-based advertising network that allows consumers to choose what ads they see and who their data goes to, and they get paid for viewing these ads via cryptocurrency.

I’d like to connect you with the CEO of Algebraix Data to discuss the benefits of this new advertising network for both advertisers and consumers, especially compared to the “creepy” way FB is monetizing data now. Can I set up a call?

Tastiest blockchain pitch

Subject line: Alibaba to Explore Blockchain Technology to Curb Food Fraud

Alibaba (Australia) Company Pty. Ltd. (Alibaba), a member of Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA), announced today that it will work with PricewaterhouseCoopers firms in Australia, New Zealand and China for their provision of services and advice to build better trust in the supply chain of food products. A memorandum of understanding was signed today setting out Alibaba’s intentions and the involvement of Blackmores Limited and Australia Post.

Dice-rollingest bitcoin pitch

Subject line: World's first land-based casinos digital currency

CryptoChip, the world’s first and only platform that converts Bitcoin to real land-based casino chips (“CryptoChipping”) announced a successful pilot with 5-star casino hotels in Europe.

In its Whitepaper, the self-funded UK-based blockchain startup revealed copies of signed agreements with the casinos operating inside the Hilton Bucharest and Intercontinental Malta.

CryptoChip is not just the world’s first and only platform that converts Bitcoin to real land-based casino chips but is also the first ever “booking.com” for free casino trips (“Junkets”).  

Blockchain pitch that tries most to violate economic reason

Subject line: Can this blockchain platform put an end to coin price volatility?

CORION, is a new cryptocurrency company eliminating guesswork of fluctuating coin prices with its stable-rate coin. That means if someone purchases CORION coin for $1, they can be sure the price will always be $1. How is this possible?

CORION's game-changing business model features an automated inflation and deflation control system that keeps the coin price stable by regulating the amount of coin emissions. Consumers can shop the marketplace without the risk and earn rewards by connecting their CORION wallet with preferred service providers so both can share coin bonuses from daily incentive emissions for loyal users. This method helps to keep the price stable for coin holders and yield a profit for investors. Would you be interested learning more about this for Mashable? I'd love to connect you with CEO Miklos Denkler this week.

Blockchain pitch most likely to destroy Facebook (or even more likely to become the next Ello)

Subject line: Blockchain; power to the content creators

Initially created to be a dating platform, Matchpool has grown to become the first community and incentive driven social network built on top of the Ethereum blockchain. The ambitious project combines the best features of social platforms like Slack, Facebook, and popular online dating apps to provide a way to bring together like-minded people. Matchpool members use specific currency Guppy tokens (GUP) inside the platform. They get revenue in GUP for matchmaking people together, can use the currency to gain access or subscribe to pay-walled groups (pools), and can purchase content created by other users on the platform. Any content creator or thought leader on the internet would be able to monetize his premium content with his crowd and the money they will pay will go straight to him.

Blockchain pitch that most resembles a normal pitch with "blockchain" added to it

Subject line: Blockchain Entertainment Studio SingularDTV Launches New Entertainment Division

SingularDTV has launched a new entertainment division that will finance, produce, and distribute original films and television series, as well as acquire exclusive content. SingularDTV Co-Founder Kim Jackson will serve as the company’s President of Entertainment and steer the studio’s development and production objectives. Veteran film distribution executive Jason Tyrrell has joined SingularDTV as the company’s Vice President of Content, tasked with leading the studio’s acquisitions and distribution strategy.

SingularDTV is a rapidly expanding entertainment technology company utilizing blockchain technology to create a new, decentralized entertainment economy that empowers both content creators and consumers. The company’s entertainment division will present filmmakers and artists the opportunity to capitalize on its proprietary blockchain-based technology in order to fund, distribute and market their content in a peer-to-peer ecosystem, removing the burdensome and costly interference of traditional Hollywood middlemen. SingularDTV is also developing an ambitious slate of original productions, including feature narrative and documentary films, as well as episodic sci-fi series.

 

Blockchain pitch that's most likely to add us to their professional network

Subject line: Article Consideration: How 'The Blockchain's LinkedIn' is paying its users to share their data

After LinkedIn's precedent-setting defeat in Federal Court last week, I wanted to reach out to suggest coverage of the professional network on the blockchain that is paying its users to share their data...

Indorse is the decentralised 'LinkedIn' alternative that financially rewards users... after they gamble on themselves.

How? Say I am a fantastic java script programmer interested in sharing that information with potential employers. I make that claim on the Indorse platform and stake some of my cryptocurrency on that claim — I gamble on myself and bet that my claims and accomplishments are true. Other users check the claim by reading certificates, testing me, or look at a portfolio of my work. As the advertising revenue comes in when that claim and corresponding data is shared, I get paid for making the claim, they get paid for reviewing the claim and, throughout the process, I get to have control over my data being shared.

Blockchain Wikipedia, naturally

Subject line: Wikipedia Co-Founder Joins Blockchain Encyclopedia

Wikipedia's co-founder, Dr. Larry Sanger is joining the world’s first blockchain encyclopedia with a decentralized protocol for accessing and sharing knowledge. The new, open-source wiki network incentivizes editors by rewarding them with tokens for curating articles and allows everyone to become a stakeholder in the network.

Would you be interested in learning more from the company’s CEO and Dr. Sanger before the news is announced later this month? Let me know what your availability looks like for a quick call in the next couple weeks.

Dankest blockchain pitch 

Subject line: New blockchain venture eyes marijuana, contracts, voting, and more

I wanted to make sure you knew that MassRoots is developing blockchain-based solutions for the cannabis industry through its newly formed subsidiary, MassRoots Blockchain Technologies, Inc.

MassRoots, which is a leading marijuana tech platform, has identified several areas of innovation with blockchain technology, including seed-to-sale tracking, smart contracts, eliminating intermediaries to conduct transactions, voting, and identity management.

You can find more details on these innovations and MassRoots Blockchain Technologies in the press release below my signature.

Love on the blockchain

Subject line: World’s First Ai & Blockchain-Based Dating & Relationship Project – Viola.ai, Sets to Disrupt the Love Industry

Asia’s First and Largest Lunch Dating Company Lunch Actually Group announces the launch of its Initial Coin Offering (ICO); set to commence its pre-sale today with the largest bonus. It offers local and global users an exciting and unique opportunity to be a part of the industry’s first AI-driven platform which is set to become the world’s most powerful and effective platform for dating and relationships.