BLINKED - THE BLOCKCHAIN-BASED RECOMMENDATION PLATFORM THAT DRIVES UP TO 90 PERCENT OF ADVERTISING REVENUE TO USERS.

pelo12 (40)in #bitcoin • 6 years ago

Hello ... If you are interested in joining a BLINKED project or you are interested in joining a BLINKED project, it is a good idea to read that can help you find information that might help you in seeing their vision and mission during the BLINKED project.

ABSTRACT
Blinked is an existing social media platform for recommendations that is building upon the innovations in blockchain technology by integrating a proprietary Blinked (BLKD) crypto-token that will enable users to get paid for their recommendations and for experiencing digital ads. It is the first media platform that will deliver up to 90 percent of advertising revenue to users through the Blinked decentralized social media model.

The Blinked (BLKD) token shall be used to:

• serve as the entry token for users that will fund the Blinked platform;
• serve as the staking token for users worldwide to claim an administrative role in their territory;
• serve as the buy-in token with which advertisers will engage users;
• convert to the Blinked reward chip, Blinked Gold (BGZD) for the purpose of compensating users for their engagement on the Blinked platform; and
• serve as the exchangeable ambassador token that will allow for the stabilization of the Blinked reward chip, Blinked Gold (BGZD).

Blinked Gold (BGZD) shall be used for the purpose of rewarding users on the Blinked platform for:

• contributing in-app recommendations;
• watching and engaging with digital ads (removing centralized social media, television networks, etc.);
• other social and administrative activity (i.e., patrolling bad actors);
• peer-to-peer tipping for useful recommendations;
• redeeming rewards in the Blinked Arcade (i.e., airline tickets, hotels stays, products, services and similar); and
• conversion to Blinked (BLKD) token.

The Blinked (BLKD) token will hold utility for both users and advertisers, as users will be compensated for their (1) recommendations. (2) their administrative roles, and (3) engagement with ads. It will also allow advertisers to drive much more effective and rewarding ad campaigns utilizing the full transparency of the blockchain.

The purpose of this document is to share information about the Blinked (BLKD) ERC-20 token. The Blinked (BLKD) token will revolutionize social media by becoming the first recommendation platform to enable users to get paid by both sharing recommendations and experiencing interest-specific advertising content.
ORGANIZATION & PURPOSE
Blinked was founded by J. Benlevi-Little, who brings more than 10 years of digital media experience in the recommendation space. The inspiration for Blinked came after a successful exit from JULIB.com, a previous recommendation platform that distributed recommendations in 16 cities worldwide and became the second largest recommendation platform in the U.S. at that time. Benlevi-Little realized that the world was saturated with recommendations, and it was time to create a hub that housed them all.

After struggling with reading reviews from unknown users on Yelp, Blinked was created to improve the way users find recommendations by enabling them to choose whom it follow, a functionality similar to other social media networks. Blinked currently has 13,000 active users acquired in stealth mode while in development and with minimal marketing.

There are more than a quarter-million recommendations on Blinked today, in categories such as Food & Drink, Fitness, Travel, Entertainment, Sports, Television, Fashion, Beauty and many more.

It takes as long to post a recommendation on Blinked as it does to post anything on any widely-used social media platforms.

Using proprietary Blinked technology, users simply enter the name of their recommendation and then other data (address, web site, images, etc.) automatically populates.

The Blinked team includes both influencers and investors such as Prince Amukamara (Chicago Bears) John Brenkus (ESPN), and Yoenis Cespedes (New York Mets). Blinked has also formed partnerships with Amazon, OpenTable, among others.

It takes as long to post a recommendation on Blinked as it does to post anything on Instagram.

PROBLEM 1:

Users Contribute Valuable Content to Social Media Platforms Everyday without Getting Paid.

Users on most platforms aren’t compensated for their genuine contributions. For example, users provide reviews on Yelp with no real compensation, yet that content is monetized by Yelp everyday. Users provide feedback on hotels and restaurants on Travelocity, yet aren’t paid as contributors even though Travelocity monetizes their contributions daily. Users write lengthy articles on Huffington Post, yet still no compensation. Although some users are able to monetize their audiences by becoming influencers online, they are not compensated for the core content that they contribute by the very platforms they use. Other examples of platforms that monetize user contributions include: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TripAdvisor, Twitter, Angie’s List and others.

SOLUTION 1:

Users are Paid for Their Recommendations and Content on Blinked.

Users on Blinked earn Blinked Gold [BGZD] for their contributions and recommendations. The more engagement a recommendation has with other users on the platform (likes, comments, etc.), the more a user may earn for that recommendation. For example, User A recommends a new phone charger that fully charges a mobile device in just 60 seconds. If it wasn’t for User A, most users would not have known about it. User A is compensated for the recommendation by Blinked in Blinked Gold [BGZD] AND is also tipped by other users in BLKD Gold [BGZD] for the helpful recommendation. (See more about Blinked BGZD further on.] The more useful and appreciated the recommendation, the more User A earns. User A is a valuable contributor to the Blinked platform and should be rewarded accordingly.

PROBLEM 2:

Centralized Social Media Networks Share No Revenue with the Very Users Who Make Their Platforms Successful.

In an environment where social media platforms earn billions of dollars in advertising revenue based on monthly active users (MUVs), consumers are not compensated or incentivized for viewing ads or watching commercials. Facebook, for example, earned $40.7 billion in 2017. When watching the Super Bowl this year, advertisers paid nearly $5 million for each 30-second spot. Of that, zero dollars went to consumers. Why should the social media and other networks generate 100 percent of revenue from Super Bowl ads, when it’s the viewers who are watching them?

SOLUTION 2:

Blinked is a Social Media Platform for Recommendations Where Users Share in Up to 90 Percent of Advertising Revenue.

On Blinked, users are paid In Blinked Gold [BGZD] for viewing digital ads in numerous ways. In fact, up to 90 (ninety) percent of all ad revenue on Blinked will be allocated to users for their activity on the platform, with the balance allocated to fund administrative expenses. It’s an ideal 360 degree ecosystem, where both users’ and advertisers’ interests are aligned.

PROBLEM 3:

Users Are Losing Trust in Centralized Social Media Platforms Due to Data Breach Issues.

With Mark Zuckerberg currently under investigation before Congress, and companies like Google collecting more private data each day, users of centralized platforms are growing increasingly weary by the minute. With more than 70 million+ user profiles shared by Facebook with Cambridge Analytica*, the general population is ceasing to accept such actions. Centralized platforms have no reliable technical mechanism for data security, compromising, losing and even selling user data regularly.

SOLUTION 3:

Blinked Integrity is Secured by the Blockchain.

Blockchain technology ensures system-wide integrity that centralized social media platforms currently lack. Users are ready for an environment where no single nefarious organization or bad actor within has the ability to profit off of users’ data by selling it to third parties. On the Blinked platform, A.I. algorithms will automatically match advertisers and viewers based on users’ own activity, so users can monetize their own data. [Image source: DZone, January 2018.]

PROBLEM 4:

Advertisers Must Rely on Social Media Platforms Themselves and Use Pricey Third-Party Platforms for Analytics.

With advertising campaign analytics solely owned by the centralized platforms themselves, advertisers must either trust the analytics provided and/or outsource pricey third-party tracking and auditing systems to verify their campaign results (i.e., open rate, click-thru rate, impressions, demographics, etc.). Campaign reach becomes part mystery, part history, with only some, but not all tracking accounted for (i.e. e-mail campaigns). Additionally, advertisers (and their agencies) often outsource third-party tracking platforms which add additional expense to the campaign budgets themselves.

SOLUTION 4:

Advertisers Have Full Transparency on Effectiveness of Their Ads on Blinked with Blockchain.

Using blockchain, advertisers can reach Blinked users directly, tracking each and every user who has viewed an ad without any expensive and complicated third-party systems. Additionally, since users are rewarded for viewing ads, they will be more likely to engage with them, making advertiser campaigns much more concentrated and effective. Advertisements will be automatically geared towards s for those who recommend the latest films they’ve seen). In this ecosystem, all full view advertisements are optional, but users are rewarded for viewing.

PROBLEM 5:

There are No Trusted, Pure Social Media Recommendation Platforms.

The current review market is highly flawed. Companies such as Yelp ($4 billion valuation) focus solely on reviews (not recommendations) from unverified users. Why trust a stranger for a review anyway? Yelp’s reputation as a pay-for-play platform (bogus reviews, phony users etc.) still leaves users with few other options when searching for recommendations. Most platforms that offer what may seem like recommendations, are really only in the review business.

SOLUTION 5:

Blinked is a True Recommendation Platform.

If you don’t like something, don’t recommend it. There are no “reviews.” With blockchain technology, not only can you find recommendations from verified users, but there’s full transparency that those users are who they say they are. The Blinked platform offers recommendations from friends, experts, influencers, and favorite, well-known publications that you may choose to follow. Following strangers is optional and it’s generally obvious when a user is promoting something versus genuinely recommending it. Promoting something means that you risk losing your followers, who can simply unfollow you. You can also be identified as a bad actor on the platform.

PROBLEM 6:

Platforms That Enable You to Recommend Anything are Non-Existent.

What if you like a pair of shoes from a shoe store, or a specific car that you bought, or a concert you went to? There are no platforms that permit all-encompassing recommendations of things such as people, places, products, services, technology, events and more. And none in the current space address anything considered a ‘non-business’.

SOLUTION 6:

The Recommendation Opportunities on the Blinked Platform Are Endless.

Blinked allows users to swiftly recommend an infinite number of items in dozens of categories including, but not limited, to food, dining, travel, entertainment, television, fashion, beauty and more.

THE NEW BLINKED TOKEN PLATFORM
The Blinked recommendation platform is currently available in iTunes without a token environment, (with Google Play support coming in 2018). The new BLKD token is currently being integrated into the platform and will work as follows.

What’s a Blink?

A Blink is a recommendation made by any user. It can be anything including a person, product, place, event, service, technology or other recommendation. Blinks made by friends appear in the Feed and may be viewed by swiping sideways. Blinks made by all users may be viewed in Discover.

Any user may like or comment on a Blink made by any other user. A Blink or comment made by a bad actor may be flagged by a Blinked admin and penalized.

Each Blink is created by using the Blinked icon at the bottom of most screens which uses Blinked technology to automatically pull up address, suggested images, links and other information upon entering merely the name of the Blink. Users must comment on their Blink and then submit. It takes less than a few seconds to create a Blink (and no less time than posting on other widely-used social media platforms).

New Crypto-Onboarding

Upon entering the app, users may either login (existing users) or sign up (new users). New members may first enter a mobile number, followed by an option to follow other users (family, friends in their address book, as well as Blinked influencers or Publications). After choosing users to follow, they will be presented with a brief and optional onboarding video explaining the new Blinked platform, BLKD, and their Blinked wallet. After viewing the instructional video, they will have the option to set up their Blinked wallet with a Google authenticator code. Upon setting up a wallet, they will have the option to watch one final brief video with an in-depth explanation about BLKD, as outlined in the “Token Utility” of this white paper. Once users are established within the Blinked app, they may engage.

THE NEW BLINKED PLATFORM [CONT’D]
The Blinked Feed

Users may view each Blink in the Blinked Feed made by users they choose to follow including any friends, influencers, experts or publications by swiping left to right in app.

Discover

Any user may find other new users, Blinks, influencers or publications and opt to follow them in Discover. A toggle is available to view images of them all categorically and a text field is available for a more defined search.

Map/Near Me

Any user may view recommendations made by friends nearby on a map, and may select either map or list view. Filters are available to view results categorically (i.e. Food & Drink or Shopping).

Profile

User profiles are available by tapping the upper right corner of the app. Profile images and settings may be adjusted. Users may also view any recommendations made by them to date. Filter categorically to see recommendations by city or category. Other users’ profiles are available by tapping their name or image anywhere viewed in app.

Ask

Users may “Ask” friends for a recommendation. The Ask becomes visible in the feed only. Anyone following a user may respond.

Blinked Arcade

Users may exchange Blinked Gold (BGZD). for rewards in the Blinked Arcade.

Wallet

Users may view totals of their BLKD token and BLKD Gold.

INTRODUCTION OF THE BLINKED [BLKD] TOKEN
Blinked is executing a token issuance and utility token sale under the name Blinked Token (BLKD).

As described in this white paper, the Blinked token is for use on the Blinked platform, engineered to serve as the advertising and reward product itself. An advertiser, business or user purchases Blinked token, exchanges it for the performance token, Blinked Gold [BGZD], and uses it to either (a) earn within the platform or (b) offers it to the end-user for engagement with digital advertising content. There is no other purpose of use of the Blinked token.

Blockchain will be incorporated in the distributed application software platform with the goal of addressing transparency and validation issues in online display advertising and reviews. Existing nonblockchain solutions do not offer a trusted resource. The inherent transparency offered by the blockchain will address many of the concerns individuals have with solutions like Yelp and Facebook. BLKD token and BGZD are paramount for users, businesses and advertisers.

TOKEN ECONOMIC MODEL & STABILIZATION
The Blinked (BLKD) token is a utility token, whose value comes from its use within the Blinked network. Blinked (BLKD) token holders include users, advertisers, brands, businesses, and a local decentralized sales team, as well as the independently operated stabilization fund.

Blinked Users acquire Blinked Gold (BGZD) by engaging with advertisers or other users. Blinked Gold (BGZD) can be converted back to Blinked (BLKD) token at a predetermined rate (and subsequently converted to fiat currency), spent on purchasing goods and services with the Blinked arcade, or used within Blinked network (such as challenging other users or playing games). The Blinked network incentivizes Blinked users to be more actively engaged with advertisers and other users. The users are classified into different tiers based on their levels of engagement: regular users, featured users, expert users, master users, ambassador users, and premium users.

Advertisers, brands and businesses purchase Blinked (BLKD) token to identify and acquire customers that use the Blinked network, and to better understand their consumer preferences. A Blinked (BLKD) token deposited into the Blinked network is converted into credits called Blinked Gold (BGZD). These credits are usable to sell advertisements (such as impression banners or videos), acquire loyalty programs, recommendations, or any other promotions that suits their needs - without a centralized authority dictating the terms. The Blinked (BLKD) token is thus a flexible tool that allows for different marketing strategies for advertisers.

Local Advertising Sales Administrators (LASAs) are users who acquire Blinked (BLKD) token on behalf of interested businesses who wish to advertise their local or national services on Blinked. LASAs must first stake their territory to reign in their city as a LASA, meaning they may own their territory. LASA positions will be allotted based on population and geographic region, and will be promotable or demotable based on LASA performance, governed purely by the Blinked platform itself. LASAs will earn commissions as any sales team would, dictated by the governance of Blinked platform itself.

TOKEN ECONOMIC MODEL [CONT’d]
The stabilization fund is digitally operated algorithmically by the Blinked platform itself to reduce the short-term exchange rate fluctuations of Blinked (BLKD) token to fiat currency and to maintain the purpose of Blinked (BLKD) token as a utility token. The stabilization fund prevents these fluctuations by engaging clearly defined monetary rules aimed at minimizing large fluctuations in value. These rules are intended to be neutral and transparent, in that they will not benefit any particular market participant. While an exact mathematical algorithm is to be determined, the underlying principle engages when the demand for Blinked (BLKD) token grows, the stabilization mechanism expands through small fees on Blinked system transactions. If there is a slump in demand for Blinked (BLKD) token due to seasonal cycles or a sudden speculative attack, the stabilization algorithm will trigger the Blinked (BLKD) token purchases to stimulate demand and maintain its relative price. A computerized implementation of the stabilization system increases the resilience of the system by detecting and preventing attempts to exploit the currency for illicit gain.

The interaction between network users and advertisers may result in “price discovery,” where advertisers have an incentive to make tokens attractive to the Blinked users at the lowest price the users are willing to accept. The give-and-take of advertisers’ supply and users’ demand provides balance to the flow of tokens in the system. As units of user rewards may have different value depending on the advertising promotion type, the value of the Blinked (BLKD) token can fluctuate depending on circumstances. This equilibrium price of the smart contract for a given transaction at a specific time will be a product of many things, including:

• the advertiser’s budget and the reserve cost per user,
• the buyer’s willingness to accept rewards,
• how much demand there is for the advertised product or service,
• how many active users are in the network at a particular time.
• what the rewards are being used for,
• who is soliciting the advertisement, and
• the overall sentiment in the market.

TOKEN ECONOMIC MODEL [CONT’d]
The supply of Blinked (BLKD) token is guided by the following economic rules intended to ensure stable growth in its value. At the time of the token sale, the supply of the Blinked (BLKD) token is fixed to a predetermined amount of 1 billion. Any new Blinked (BLKD) token will not be issued (minted) unless the monetary overhang (the difference between total tokens issued and the tokens in active circulation) is exhausted. After this occurs, the supply of new Blinked (BLKD) token increases inelastically (i.e., in limited amount that does not exceed demand for new tokens), subject to the following caps:

• Revenue cap.
The growth rate of the tokens should not exceed the advertising revenue growth + x%.

• Inflation cap.
The growth rate of the tokens should not exceed the growth in passive BG credits (i.e., BG credits
never used) + the growth of BG credits spent internally + y%.

These rules ensure that the supply of Blinked (BLKD) token expands and allows for a moderate inflation rate that creates additional revenues without resulting in erosion of the value of the token.

TOKEN FLOW

USERS

[a] RECOMMEND: Blinked users earn Blinked Gold (BGZD) by recommending things on the platform. Users may recommend anything (people, places, products, services, technology, events, etc.). The more likes and traction a recommendation gets from other users, the more is earned by the recommender.

[b] VIEW ADS: Blinked users earn Blinked Gold [BGZD] by viewing optional, interestspecific ads/commercials on the platform. Only users who are engaged and active on the platform qualify to share in advertising revenue. No user can use the platform strictly for viewing ads and earning.

[c] GET TIPPED: Blinked users earn Blinked Gold [BGZD] by getting tipped by other users who appreciate the recommendation made.

[d] WIN CHALLENGES: Blinked users earn Blinked Gold [BGZD] by participating in challenges created by others users. A challenge is a contest whereby a user seeks to find the best recommendation from other users.

[e] BECOME A LOCAL SALES ADMIN: Blinked users earn Blinked Gold [BGZD] by becoming Blinked Admins (patrollers) or Sales Admins (advertising sales persons).

HOW USERS SPEND

[a] ARCADE: Blinked users spend Blinked Gold [BGZD] by exchanging it for items in the Blinked Arcade, e.g., airline tickets, hotel rooms, dinners, products, services, event tickets, etc.

[b] TIPS: Blinked users spend Blinked Gold [BGZD] by tipping other users for their useful/appreciated recommendations.

[c] ADMIN: Blinked users spend Blinked Gold [BGZD] by first staking themselves as Blinked Admins or Blinked Sales Admins.

[d] CHALLENGE: Blinked users spend Blinked Gold [BGZD] by challenging other users to offer a recommendation. The best recommendation wins the challenge.

[e] BOOST: Blinked users spend Blinked Gold [BGZD] by boosting their reputation on the platform, thereby qualifying them to view and earn on ads.

HOW ADVERTISERS SPEND

[a] WHEN USER VIEWS AD: Advertiser pays user in Blinked Gold [BGZD] for watching optional, interest-specific video ad. Ad offered is based off of users’ activity on the platform. Only engaged users on the platform qualify for earning, such that no user may use the platform strictly for viewing ads.

[b] IF USER RATES ADS: Advertisers pays user in Blinked Gold [BGZD] for rating ads. [Optional]

[c] IF USER COMMENTS: Advertisers pays user in Blinked Gold [BGZD] for commenting on ads. [Optional]

[d] TO TOKEN POOL: Advertisers pay a portion in Blinked Gold [BGZD] to the Blinked Token Pool which is used to reward users for other activity on the platform.

[e] TO SALES ADMIN: Advertiser pays a commission to Sales Admin in Blinked Gold [BGZD] for managing sale. [If applicable.]

[f] TO BLINKED: Advertiser pays a fee to Blinked in Blinked Gold [BGZD] for administrative expenses.

THE BLINKED ARCADE
Users can exchange BLKD Gold [BGZD] for rewards in the Blinked Arcade. Rewards can include airline tickets, hotel rooms, products, services, dinners and more. The Blinked Arcade is funded by both Blinked and advertising partners. Blinked will prefund user rewards in the Blinked Arcade with funds raised during the ICO until revenue is generated from advertising sales.

REVENUE MODEL
Advertising Sales and LASAs

Although anyone can sell advertising on the decentralized Blinked platform, Blinked, Co. will introduce the first Advertising Sales Admins to the platform who have a history of selling multi-million dollar advertising campaigns (see Team). They will initiate the advertising sales process on Blinked and begin generating revenue. The first Sale Admin we will introduce joins Blinked from Indeed.com and generated approximately $16 million US in advertising revenue during 2017. [See Team]

Any user on Blinked may become a Local Advertising Sales Administrator (LASA) by first staking themselves in their city/territory and then by selling local advertisers BLKD token. LASAs shall earn a highly-competitive sliding scale commission on all sales introduced to Blinked.

REVENUE MODEL
Local Advertising Sales Administrators [LASAs] Worldwide

Users worldwide may claim Local Advertising Sales Administrator (LASA) status by first staking themselves in their city/territory and then by selling local advertisers BLKD token. LASAs shall earn a highly-competitive sliding scale commission on all sales introduced to Blinked.

ISSUANCE & PLAN [CONT’D]

TOKEN ALLOCATION
The BLKD token will be allocated as follows:

USE OF FUNDS
Funds from the sale of BLKD token will be allocated as follows:

ROADMAP

TEAM

INVESTORS & ADVISORS

Here is the information that I present to you in finding information and knowing the BLINKED project currently being run by their team, if there is any error in explaining this article, do not worry, I have written to get accurate information. Information and of course you will be able to speak directly with or their team, at the link.