When we released our very first roadmap at the outset of 2021, we sent a strong message to the NFT space and the crypto realm. We were ambitious, confident and prepared to be damn busy as we built an idea into an innovative, fully operational and highly versatile platform to protect, manage and monetize creative work via blockchain technology.
Now, well into the fourth quarter of the calendar year and at the close of our fiscal year, we’re pleased to note that we accomplished most of what we set out to produce while also advancing several growth elements that we didn’t figure we’d tackle this quickly.
Reflecting on the original roadmap
From a technical standpoint, Q1 and Q2 were focused on developing foundational processes and a corresponding software platform to enable those processes. It wasn’t sexy, but it’s where we mixed the cement. Without that, we’d have little to offer our clients and Tokenholders.
This is where we created and deployed the authentication, originality and verification processes that would be used to certify the ownership of a creation on the platform. It’s where we signed up and trained a group of global Validators who would certify the pieces as they came to the platform. And it’s where we applied for a patent of our company’s foundational IP, which is expected to be completed early in 2022.
Also behind the scenes, we ticked a critical Q1 box by completing a third-party audit of our smart contracts early in the year. This set a lot of the ensuing, publicly celebrated steps in motion.
Closed beta: Upon exiting stealth mode in the new year, we successfully launched and completed our closed beta minimum viable product (MVP). In the process, we registered and onboarded the platform’s first batches of Validators and Creators. On schedule, we had all of our technological and personnel ducks in a row for BK the Artist to mint the world’s first-ever Responsibly Minted™ NFT on our platform in April.
The URQA token: In Q2, we successfully listed our token on the Bittrex Global Exchange. And within weeks, we checked off another roadmap box by launching our first set of high-ROI Staking Pools at UREEQA.com. We followed that up with another pool party when we launched two more earlier this Fall.
Public MVP: A key Q2 focus was on transitioning from closed beta to public MVP, which launched in July. Since then, we’ve provided Packages of Proof™ to a wide array of notable Creators, including Major League Baseball star Trey Mancini, popular rapper and songwriter Benny the Butcher, Lifehouse bassist and vocalist Bryce Soderberg, boxing champion Trevor Bryan Jr., race car driver Garrett Smithley and lauded Brazilian guitarist Kiko Pereira of Roupa Nova.
Bolstering the leadership team: We wouldn’t have been able to make so much roadmap progress without several game-changing additions to the UREEQA team, all of which came in Q2 and Q3.
- In May, former KPMG director of market relations and versatile industry executive Rakan Aown became the organization’s new Vice President of Business Development and former SAS director of consulting services and celebrated business leader Joe Pillitteri became the company’s new Vice President of Operations.
- At around the same time, we tapped music industry veteran Scot McCracken (who has worked with a number of legendary musicians such as Black Eyed Peas, 98 Degrees, Joan Osborne and Fugees) to enhance our music industry expertise.
- And, in September, experienced technology marketing industry leader, Kirk Fergusson, was named CEO (allowing co-founder Harsch Khandelwal to take on the Executive Chairman role).
The UREEQA machine is now well-oiled, as we’ve shored up several functional areas with talented leaders.
UREEQA Community Qards: Later in Q2, we gave Tokenholders and NFT collectors a unique new opportunity to secure perks as well as increased access to the UREEQA brain trust by acquiring collectible “persona” NFTs. Our Qards represented the world’s first truly, publicly and transparently authenticated lot of collectible NFT cards. Three of the seven personas were released in Q2 and Q3, with more to come soon.
Marketplace action: Meanwhile, in Q3, Mancini, Benny the Butcher, Pereira, Bryan and Smithley took their validated NFTs to our state-of-the-art NFT 2.0 Marketplace, which launched in July and allowed them to complete the process of monetizing their creations via closed auction, open auction, fixed-price sale or a combination thereof.
Advisory Board comes together: In Q3, we made waves by announcing that legendary music and film producer and established entrepreneur Harvey Mason Jr. had joined the UREEQA Advisory Board. Mason is now part of an all-star team of advisors that also includes Michael Sheresky and Ramses IsHak of United Talent Agency as well as officialCommunity CEO Kevin Leflar and former SOCAN VP Janice Scott.
Protector program progress: A key element to the UREEQA model has always been protection. At the outset, that means providing security to Creators via our technology and the blockchain. But beyond that, our fully-loaded system involves an army of trained Protectors who can seek out unauthorized use of UREEQA-validated work and help Creators remedy those incidents. In Q3, we took a critical step in registering potential Protectors for training and certification.
Verification Center in the pipeline: Very soon, we’ll launch our Verification Center featuring an Authenticity Checker, a Validator Dashboard and a Redemption Center. These tools will provide a unique set of functionality associated with creations on our Marketplace.
Finishing touches: Finally, Q4 will include the harmonization of the Marketplace and the Platform on our website, resulting in a single connected entity complemented by enhanced visual elements. We’ll be making cosmetic changes to UREEQA.com as well, bolstering our product altogether.
Crypto project becomes crypto platform
That’s it in a nutshell. Most companies in this space never transition beyond the idea and hype into something tangible. But here we are, with a stacked executive team, a deep roster of experts on staff, a venerable Advisory Board, and a live production-grade product that is delivering on our promises within the market.
Now, the possibilities are endless. Moving forward, the idea is to go far beyond the capabilities we’ve developed to eventually serve the needs of a broader community beyond our platform.
Soon you’ll get more details about our stepped-up efforts in the music industry, but we’re resisting the urge to pre-empt that announcement for now. So stay tuned!
Beyond that, it gets pretty awesome when you consider the business-to-business potential that exists with what we have in place and what we’re developing. It’s not hard to envision a future in which online marketplaces, internet service providers and even copyright organizations would avail themselves of UREEQA’s gold standard, one-of-a-kind validation service by simply plugging that functionality into their systems.
And why wouldn’t they? We protect, manage and monetize. That’s our domain, and we have the patented infrastructure to do it far better and more efficiently than anybody else in market today. If copyright offices are ready to join the 21st century, we can easily take them there. And if more ISPs begin to realize they’re vulnerable from a legal standpoint if they don’t offer more protective solutions to Creators, we can pick up the slack and potentially save them a bundle along the way.
“Eventually, we have to tame the Wild West a notch and take some of the risk out of the proposition,” UREEQA CEO Kirk Fergusson said of the NFT space and his company’s place in it. “That means giving people a higher degree of assurance, giving people more visibility. The infrastructure we’ve built can provide exactly that, and we’re on the cusp of taking it global.”
UREEQA cofounder Harsch Khandelwal stated early in this process that we’d have to walk first and work our way up to a sprint. We’re moving pretty quickly now, but we can absolutely reach that flapping-cheek speed very soon. Just watch!
About UREEQA
The UREEQA platform strives to protect Creators’ work, their rights and their revenue by harnessing the power of blockchain technology.
Established in Canada in 2020, UREEQA is modernizing the inefficient and bureaucratic systems currently in place for copyright, patent, industrial design and trademark protection. By building a robust and compelling Package of Proof™ for source creative work, UREEQA only mints Validated NFTs™ to represent creative rights. This helps keep buyers safe by giving them confidence that the work they are purchasing was minted by the smart contract approved by the Creator of the work and is therefore authentic.
UREEQA provides value and opportunities for its Creators, Validators and Token holders via URQA, the token at the heart of the UREEQA ecosystem.
For more information on UREEQA and upcoming announcements, please visit our website, join our Telegram channel and Discord server, and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Disclaimer:
Statements in this article, including any statements relating to UREEQA’s future plans and objectives or expected results, may include forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions and are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties inherent in technology development and commercialization. As a result, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking statements. Do your own research!
