Latest news with #Web1
The Star
a day ago
- Business
- The Star
Brand new world: how smart companies are building communities, not just customers
While President Trump and Elon Musk were going at it like Ike and Tina, something far more interesting was happening in the background. The Trump administration's GENIUS Act isn't just another boring government bill – it's basically America's official "we're going all-in on Web3" announcement. What is Web3? Web3 represents the next evolution of the internet – from Web1's static websites to Web2's social platforms, and now to Web3's decentralised networks where users can own digital assets, participate in governance, and share in value creation. Think blockchain technology, digital tokens, NFTs, and community-owned platforms. Instead of tech giants controlling everything, Web3 promises shared ownership and transparent, community-driven ecosystems. For brands trying to figure out what on earth comes next, this is the clearest signal yet that the old playbook is getting tossed out the window. Welcome to the network effect economy Here's the thing about Reed's Law that business school probably didn't teach you: when networks grow, they don't just get bigger – they get exponentially more valuable. Every new person who joins doesn't just add one more connection; they create new groups, communities, and possibilities that benefit everyone already there. This isn't theoretical anymore. The real-world asset market just exploded 260% to $23 billion this year, and brands are suddenly realising they're not just selling stuff – they're building ecosystems. Think about it: every customer who joins your brand's digital community potentially makes that community more valuable for everyone else. It's like the difference between running a store and building a city. We're also seeing the rise of super apps – all-in-one platforms that combine social media, payments, commerce, and communication. Think WeChat in China, but imagine if X (Twitter), Meta, or Telegram successfully built Western versions. The great brand awakening The Web3 revolution is splitting brands into two camps: The Heritage Brands: Some of the world's most renowned consumer brands have clear head starts – millions of existing fans, significant marketing budgets, and brand recognition. They can afford to experiment. But do these companies, with decades of "this is how we do things" baked into their DNA, have what it takes to embrace decentralised communities and shared ownership? The Web3 Natives: The new kids are playing by completely different rules. They're building community ownership and shared governance from the ground up. They move fast, embrace chaos, and actually mean it when they talk about "power to the people." The plot twist? In Web3, authenticity beats budget. Communities have malarkey detectors that would make airport security jealous, and they'll absolutely destroy brands that are just playing dress-up with decentralisation. What's actually happening We're in the messy middle where old and new models are colliding: Communities Are Getting Louder: Customers are becoming more like stakeholders and collaborators. Web3 infrastructure is making these relationships more formal and potentially more rewarding. Customers are becoming more like stakeholders and collaborators. Web3 infrastructure is making these relationships more formal and potentially more rewarding. Engagement Never Sleeps: The days of launch-campaign-and-disappear are numbered. Brands need ongoing conversations with their communities, not just broadcasts to them. The days of launch-campaign-and-disappear are numbered. Brands need ongoing conversations with their communities, not just broadcasts to them. Super App Evolution: As platforms evolve toward super app status, brands are watching carefully. Will these become Web2-style gatekeepers, or embrace Web3 principles of shared ownership? The GENIUS Act: when government gets it While everyone was doom-scrolling through the Twitter fight, the real story was hiding in plain sight. The GENIUS Act isn't just regulation – it's infrastructure. It's the government essentially saying, "We're building the highway system for the digital economy." Notice how Circle, issuer of the USDC digital dollar stablecoin, quietly listed 34 million shares on the New York Stock Exchange under ticker CRCL? Mainstream media was still headlining the billionaire brawl. Regulatory clarity transforms Web3 from a risky experiment into a legitimate business strategy. When the U.S. government creates clear rules for digital assets, it's giving brands permission to go all-in without worrying about regulatory whiplash. Where smart brands are paying attention Rather than prescribing what brands must do, here's what forward-thinking ones are quietly testing: Community-First Experiments: Testing token-based loyalty programs and co-creating products with engaged users Testing token-based loyalty programs and co-creating products with engaged users Platform Strategy Diversification: Not putting all eggs in one basket, whether traditional social media or emerging Web3 platforms Not putting all eggs in one basket, whether traditional social media or emerging Web3 platforms Long-Term Infrastructure Building: Focusing on genuine community value, regardless of underlying technology Focusing on genuine community value, regardless of underlying technology Authenticity Over Hype: Bringing real utility and community focus, not just blockchain buzzwords The direction of travel We're watching the early stages of a fundamental shift from broadcasting messages to passive audiences toward creating spaces where communities form, grow, and create value together. While President Trump and Elon Musk might be feuding on social media, they're both building toward the same future – one where networks become more important than individual companies, where communities develop more influence than traditional marketing campaigns, and where the smartest brands position themselves to grow alongside the communities they serve. The future probably belongs to brands that understand they're not just selling products – they're potentially building worlds. And in those worlds, the value grows when the network grows. Dale Healy, Partner, Adams & Adams, Pretoria
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Anthony Scaramucci was a hot Wall Street manager last year thanks to crypto. Now he sees bitcoin hitting $200,000 — this year.
Anthony Scaramucci, who runs one of Wall Street's hottest crypto exchange-traded funds, has predicted bitcoin will hit $200,000 in 2025 with a U.S. reserve for the crypto also in the cards. That's according to excerpts of an interview he gave to Saxo Bank, where he discussed his views on the sector. His First Trust SkyBridge Crypto Industry & Digital Economy ETF CRPT returned 74% in 2024, according to MarketWatch data, and by some accounts was the best-performing ETF last year. Last week showed the stock market has moved on from obsessing about inflation. Here's the new playbook. What drove this Vanguard fund to just top the U.S.'s oldest and largest ETF by $1.5 billion 'I have fear of financial insecurity': I'm 58, recently widowed with $1 million saved for retirement. What if the economy tanks? I want to leave my home to my children from my first marriage — not to my second husband. Is that ethical and fair? 'She's bleeding her retirement dry': My friend earns $9 an hour, but wastes money on vacations and massages. What can I do? The former communications director during President Trump's first term credited that 2024 performance to owning 'components of the digital ecosystems' such as MicroStrategy Inc. MSTR or Coinbase Global Inc. COIN. He said his firm came up with a list of 20 stocks, which 'did well and then it crashed' in 2021 along with bitcoin BTCUSD. 'But if you were like us, we were buying it at $3 or $4 a share and now it's back up to $18. This year, there's probably a $35-36 price target for that ETF,' Scaramucci said. The founder of the alternative-investment firm Skybridge believes bitcoin will become a $200,000 asset in 2025, 'a 100% return from where we are right now,' putting it at a $4 trillion market cap. But for bitcoin 'to truly be an asset class, it would have to trade into the $15-$20 trillion zone,' and he also believes that's the case. As for his current crypto recommendations, Scaramucci has a 'nine-figure position,' in Solana SOLUSD, and sees that and bitcoin itself as core assets. He also owns some Avalanche AVAXUSD and Polkadot DOTUSD for the longer term, and away from that, has 'big positions' in AI companies including Nvidia Corp. NVDA, even if 'some people think they're bubbles.' He sees AI as 'revolutionary stuff' that reminds him of Web1, the early days of the internet, and while the ensuing crash was painful for some, those who held on got very wealthy. 'And I think we're in the same situation today as we were with Web1 and with these two asset classes, crypto and AI.' He also commented on Trump's vow to build a strategic bitcoin reserve in the U.S. during his campaign — the president signed an executive order last month to set up a working group and help propose a federal regulatory framework. Scaramucci said it's 'workable … and will happen,' but that Trump first needs to get bipartisan commitment to a reserve. By the end of the year, he expects there will be a 'framework for it.' 'Will they buy 50,000 bitcoins? Will they buy 100,000? Will they buy the BlackRock ETF? They're going to do something, in this category, And so I think it's very clear to the rest of the world that the Americans are going to do something which is why the rest of the world lots of these sovereigns are already getting in place. It's sort of like a Nash game theory. If you're doing it, I've got to do it. And I think you'll see people doing it. And this is another reason why I think bitcoin is going to go higher this year,' he said. When asked why he thought Trump launched a memecoin, Scaramucci responded: 'Because he's a grifter, is the answer … I would like to buy his World Liberty coin and I'd like to buy his Truth Social — and shut all three of those things down because it's a national embarrassment.' He said Trump's actions have 'slowed down positive crypto regulation and he's proliferated. The meme coins are going into the stratosphere, meaning there are hundreds of them. So that's a disaster and he's a grifter.' Read: Should you give up on ether, XRP and dogecoin as bitcoin continues to dominate the crypto market? Super Micro's stock is its most overbought in a year. Here's why that's bullish. 20 stocks of companies expected to put up numbers to back investors' new 'growth mindset' The biggest U.S. stocks haven't been this expensive since the dot-com era. That's making investors nervous. My friend, 62, may only have weeks to live. How does he prevent his second wife from inheriting everything? 'They are as different as day and night': My son is upset that his brother got more financial support. Now it's payback time. What should I do? Sign in to access your portfolio
