1/ Payments are not broken; for most consumers, it works perfectly fine. Yet, the foundational elements are ending their lifecycle - and that is where innovation stagnates, and processes get unnecessary cumbersome, slow and expensive, eventually, to the cost of us all.
2/ Innovation happens mainly above the surface, with well-designed interfaces, convenient integrations, (@ 1st glance) lucrative benefits, and great marketing. Yet, at the same time, the foundation remains unchanged and appears to lose connection with modern-day needs and demand.
3/ 95% of fintech still operates on top of old systems, limiting themselves from true product innovation. DeFi and blockchain have many technological advantages over legacy finance. Blockchain's superiority in encryption, transparency and p2-to-p2 empowerment is undeniable.
4/ Blockchain and the opportunity to decentralize enable us to rethink processes around trust, settlement, governance, security, and the distribution of value, not only in business but also in how we cooperate and agree with each other as a species.
5/ Payments do not need another competing fintech fighting for the consumers' or merchants' attention, offering marginal benefits to its competitor. Instead, it requires an alternative a layer deeper, which provides a more inclusive and beneficial method for exchanging value.
6/ A fresh and healthy, non-toxic soil on which new, small and large businesses can seed, grow and harvest better products and services.
7/ It not about promoting an anti-capitalism agenda but an essential contribution to the transition to a new foundation under capitalism - a new paradigm for building a business. DeFi powered payments are well-positioned to be the driving force behind this transition.
8/ What is the position of @FlexaHQ? Is Flexa the foundational payments rail for crypto/digital value exchange and not another competing payments provider or gateway?
9/ @Flexahq reimagined payments from the ground up, taking out 90% of the middlemen involved in legacy finance. This is amazing, but we should also be realistic; much of it can be ascribed to the characteristics of the chosen technology. Technology alone is not the winner here.
10/ The more fundamental difference is how equity and the network's profit get distributed via the collateral token $AMP: Flexa is a network, not a company - the business has no own revenue model - a statement that appeals to the imagination.
11/ The meaning of a network is simple; a group or system of interconnected people or entities with a shared incentive or belief. The holders of $amp form a network, providing the collateral for spending capacity.
12/ Compare it to a flock of birds; they fight each other for food and territory. But, more prominent movements they do as an entity, together they're more secure, more resilient and help each other navigate more fruitful places. The birds are equal but not the same.
13/ It comes to the core principles of running the economy sustainably, to what degree do we compete; and to what level do we harness the collective strength to move forward and create prosperity for all parties involved.
14/ This is likely what @FlexaHQ aspires to form. A network wherein merchants, financial service providers, and consumers have equal trust in a set of underlying core principles yet are challenged not to be the same and be competitive, again benefitting the network as a whole.
15/ For @Flexahq to reach significant global reach, the network shouldn't discriminate and welcome every entity that shares its foundational beliefs and contribute to the network's strength.
16/ Therefore, Flexa will not discriminate between startups, legacy players, banks, payment gateways, tokens, currencies, etc.; they are invaluable in getting the network from the ground at an unparalleled scale.
17/ They are the brands we know, trust, and already are familiar with - think of possibly @Venmo, @BankofAmerica, or @Marriott. They will elevate their existing products or build new revenue models - more aligned with merchants, modern consumer demand, and today's tech.
18/ For founders of new startups, @FlexaHQ could be integrated as (part of) the foundation of next-gen fintech products and services - concepts we have never seen before - and ones we're already getting teased with (@eco).
19/ The economics behind this project and the value of $amp are something we might not have seen before. If @FlexaHQ succeeds in growing its ecosystem and meaningful volume hits the network, we will get the first indications of what the future could have in store.
20/ Keep in mind, $amp not a stake in a company; it is potentially a stake in an extensive, global network of payment solutions and services that all bring in heavy transaction volume, which needs to be backed by liquidity - represented by $amp.
21/ All value created will find its way back to the network participants - in the form of the price development of $amp, and network rewards for every Liquidity Pool. In this way, every participant is incentified to keep the ecosystem healthy, secure, and alive.
22/ Is this replicable? Technically yes. Will we see more solutions? For sure - the true magic of @FlexaHQ will prove itself by the participants' conviction; their belief keeps the flock together and will organically be a magnet for new 'birds' to join the flock.
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