Zeros

When Digital Assets Meet Community: Lessons from Polymarket, Kalshi, and Dogecoin's Next Chapter A remarkable event recently occurred in the prediction markets space that should make the broader digital currency community pause and take note. Both Polymarket and Kalshi launched free grocery store pop-ups, offering essential goods to their communities at no cost. These weren't publicity stunts—they were genuine efforts to give back to the people who've supported these platforms. And here's where it gets interesting for those of us watching the digital asset landscape: these initiatives raise important questions about how platforms in this space generate and share value. The Revenue Revolution The traditional model for digital currency platforms has been straightforward: transaction fees, trading spreads, and service charges . But prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi are exploring a different path. While both platforms do charge fees on certain tr...

Reimagining Fiscal Systems: Two Blockchain Proposals for Tax Relief and Universal Basic Income The intersection of blockchain technology and social welfare presents intriguing possibilities that deserve serious consideration. I've been developing two complementary concepts that could fundamentally transform how Americans interact with taxation and receive baseline economic support— both powered by advertising revenue rather than traditional government spending . The Tax Offset Network The first proposal establishes a blockchain-based system where citizens receive NGO-issued tablets that function as network nodes . These devices would display targeted advertising focused on financial services, tax preparation software, legal resources, and civic information— content that's actually relevant when people are thinking about their tax obligations . The blockchain would track each citizen's tax liability through smart contracts while simultaneously allocating advert...

XDC Network Joins GoodDollar: Expanding Blockchain-Based Universal Basic Income XDC Network has invested $900,000 in GoodDollar to expand blockchain-based Universal Basic Income globally, supporting over 910,000 people across 210 countries. This partnership marks a significant development for both the XDC ecosystem and the broader mission of financial inclusion through digital currency. What Is XDC Network? XDC Network is an enterprise-grade, open-source blockchain protocol that is EVM-compatible and uniquely suited to revolutionize trade finance through the tokenization of real world assets and financial instruments. The protocol supports smart contracts, 2000 transactions per second, and features 2-second transaction times. The blockchain operates on a specialized consensus mechanism called XinFin Delegated Proof of Stake (XDPoS) . As of January 2025, there are 300+ XDC Network validator masternode candidates, of which 108 actively operate as validator masternodes. Th...

A Three-Tiered UBI: Meeting People Where They Are One of the most common criticisms of Universal Basic Income is that it treats everyone the same, regardless of their circumstances or capacity to contribute. But what if UBI could be both universal and adaptable ? Let me propose a three-tiered system that acknowledges different life situations while maintaining the core promise of economic security. Funding Through Attention Before diving into the tiers, it's worth addressing how such a system could be sustainably funded. One promising model involves shared advertising revenue . As UBI recipients, participants become part of a stable, engaged audience— whether through streaming services, digital platforms, or public spaces where media is present . This predictable audience base makes advertising models more valuable and reliable, creating a revenue stream that directly funds the program. In essence, our attention becomes a shared resource. Rather than cor...

From Failed Experiments to Future Solutions : Could Mobile Top-Ups Power Universal Basic Income? If you've ever sent mobile credit to family back home or topped up a prepaid plan for international calls , you're already part of a massive global economy. Billions of people worldwide rely on mobile top-ups to stay connected across borders. What you might not know is that dozens of cryptocurrency projects have tried— and largely failed —to revolutionize this market using blockchain technology. But what if those failures were just early attempts at something bigger? What if the real opportunity isn't just cheaper phone credits, but the foundation for a working Universal Basic Income system? The Graveyard of Good Intentions Over the past decade, numerous blockchain-based mobile top-up projects launched with ambitious promises. They'd eliminate middlemen, reduce fees, and bring financial inclusion to underserved communities. Projects with names l...

The Viral Economy at Work : How Venmo's PayPal Stablecoin Ads Preview the Future of Digital UBI If you've been using Venmo lately, you've probably seen them: those persistent ads encouraging you to invest in PayPal's stablecoin (PYUSD) with promises of earning rewards . You're not alone in wondering what this is all about, and you're right to see it as something bigger than just another investment opportunity. What we're witnessing is a perfect case study of the viral economy in action—and a compelling preview of how Universal Basic Income could actually work in our digital future. The Viral Economy Meets Digital Currency Venmo's aggressive push for PYUSD adoption isn't just about getting you to buy cryptocurrency. PayPal is offering a 3.7% annual yield on PYUSD holdings, with rewards accruing daily and paid monthly. But here's where it gets interesting: this isn't traditional investing— it's viral economics at its finest...

The Marketing Freelancer's UBI: Building Economic Security in the Creator Economy Examining why creative professionals need a parallel welfare system that actually understands their reality. The traditional employment model is broken for millions of creative professionals, marketing freelancers, and digital nomads worldwide. We exist in an economic limbo —too skilled for conventional welfare, too inconsistent for traditional employment benefits, and too often dismissed by systems designed for 9-to-5 workers who never existed in our reality. But what if we stopped waiting for governments to catch up and built our own solution instead? The Professional Association Revolution Imagine a marketing professional association unlike any other—one specifically designed for the gig economy reality. This isn't your grandfather's union demanding, better chairs  in the break room. This is a digital-first organization that combines UBI distributio...

The Pop Culture Economy : Where NFTs Meet UBI in the Essentials Marketplace The convergence of Universal Basic Income (UBI) and NFT culture isn't happening in government halls or corporate boardrooms—it's brewing in the space between what we need and what we want , powered by the same forces that make memes go viral and collectibles skyrocket in value. Beyond Necessities: The Essentials Economy While necessities keep us alive —food, shelter, healthcare— essentials keep us human . That limited-edition sneaker drop, the concert ticket, the artisanal coffee, the streaming subscription that connects you to your tribe. These aren't survival items, but they're not luxuries either. They're the cultural currency of belonging, status, and self-expression. This distinction becomes revolutionary when applied to inflation-proof necessity clubs using shared digital currencies. Imagine expanding these networks to include essentials markets alongside basic nee...

Building a Parallel Welfare System: The Digital UBI Revolution What if we could create a welfare system that actually works for the people who need it most? Not through government bureaucracy or political promises, but through the decentralized power of digital currency networks and community organizing . The pieces are already there, waiting to be assembled into something transformative. The Foundation : Micro-UBI Through Digital Assets and Self-Selecting Anyone who's ever spare-changed or witnessed digital panhandling understands the fundamental math: ten cents collected ten times equals a dollar . This simple principle can scale into a revolutionary parallel welfare system using cryptocurrency claims . Instead of waiting for politicians to debate UBI , we can build it ourselves. Picture this : a network where individuals can claim small digital currency amounts—perhaps daily or weekly—that accumulate into meaningful support. These aren't traditional...

Digital Currency and Universal Basic Income: Current Approaches and Models As discussions around Universal Basic Income (UBI) continue to evolve, digital currencies have emerged as a potential delivery mechanism for basic income programs. Two notable projects— GoodDollar and SocialGood —represent different philosophical approaches to implementing UBI through blockchain technology, each with distinct models that reflect broader debates about how basic income should function. The Daily Claim Model: GoodDollar's Per Diem Approach GoodDollar operates on what could be described as a (daily) per diem system. Users can claim a small amount of G$ tokens each day through their platform, creating a consistent but modest income stream. This approach mirrors traditional per diem concepts—regular, small payments designed to cover basic daily expenses rather than comprehensive monthly stipends. The daily claim structure offers several practical advantages. It creates habit for...