Experty: An ICO for intelligent investors

I want to introduce readers to a concept called "Whaleproofing". That is, the ability for an ICO to prevent investors who want to gobble up a disproportionate share of tokens in a TGE or ICO, from doing so.

As the crypto landscape shifts, and investors gain experience, the bar is being set higher for projects. 6 months ago, it was enough to write a simple whitepaper, drop the name of a few high profile 'advisors' and raise tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. In the short term, this paid off, but those who held tokens found that more often than not, the market could not sustain the amount raised. This left investors holding at a loss, and a culture of gaming ICOs to quickly profit and flip tokens emerged.

I want to share my experience investing in dozens of ICOs with you today, and share with you my pick for January 2018. But don't just take my word for it, let me explain what I mean.

The most successful projects have a few things in common over and above concept and team, and it has been these things I've looked for when advising my friends.

• KYC (upload passport or driver's license)
• Small individual cap
• Whitelist that utilizes whaleproofing
• Presale discounts kept to a minimum
• Reasonable market cap
• And of course.. community!

I've updated my infographic for intelligent investors. You can see it below. This is your cheat sheet when investing in any ICO.

However, even this is no longer enough. What do you do when the demand for your ICO is so overwhelming, that even these measures don't keep out those who are willing to collect multiple passports and pieces of ID in order to profit?

Enter: Experty.io and 'Proof of Caring'

"Proof of Caring.. Hm, where have we seen this before?". Why, Quantstamp, of course. The project that aims to automate smart contract auditing. Their 'Proof of caring' is a strategy that takes Whaleproofing that extra step further, and Experty has consulted their CEO (Richard Ma) and successfully implemented it here.

Before I talk about this ICO, I want to give my readers a breakdown of what exactly Experty is proposing. Experty wants to connect knowledge seekers and knowledge providers on the blockchain using conferencing software, like Skype, and seamlessly transact time spent on the call for tokens for instant settlement.

Who would use this service?

Several industries. Think lawyers, consultants, psychologists, health care professionals, even adult services. Anyone whose time is billed on a clock.

What's wrong with just paying before or after the call?

If the knowledge seeker pays before, there is less incentive for the knowledge provider to give good expert advice. If the seeker pays after, there is a chance of the seeker refusing to pay. On top of this, is the time required to transact. To make this seamless, experts can set fees beforehand, making them completely transparent.

Excerpt from their whitepaper:

"We have developed a blockchain-based calling platform that allows two or more parties to connect via video or audio call. Within the application, a knowledge provider can set their rate per minute, which is paid by the knowledge seeker when they call. This exchange is settled seamlessly through the Blockchain using an Ethereum smart contract coupled with off-chain software. Experty adds value to the consulting industry through simplifying the exchange of knowledge for currency."

Experty is:

• Creating a community of Knowledge Providers, Seekers and third party protocol users.
• Will use an automated system to set rates, and to execute the calls and record the time spent on the blockchain.
• Are allowing the community to market in exchange for crowdsale incentives.
• Was founded by consultants who saw a problem and created a solution (the premise of any good startup).
• Is not just software, but a protocol that can be connected to other conferencing platforms.
• Has a Mobile and Webapp set to be launched in Q1 2018.
• Is incentivizing people who care.

Experty wants to introduce experts and knowledge seekers to the world of fast, seamless, smart contract settlement.

If you want to learn more, you can read the whitepaper yourself.
https://docsend.com/view/metua2p

So what's so special about this ICO?

The concept of 'proof of caring'. For those paying attention, you may have noticed something interesting about Cindicator and Quantstamp's token sale. It was actually pretty difficult to participate. That was no accident. These were pioneers in what I'm calling 'ICO 2.0', and I believe that proof of caring is an extension of this.

What is 'proof of caring'? Let me give you my take. It's proof that you actually read the whitepaper, understand the goals of the project, and aren't just looking for a quick flip on your investment.

A Good ICO needs you less than you need them. Experty is a good ICO in a world with many, many BAD ICOs.

I won't give everything away, but if you start poking around their site, you may notice something different. Experty is watching. They know if you've joined their mailing list. They know if you've seen their whitepaper. They know if you're in Telegram. Further, they know if you care. The days of throwing ETH at projects to see if they stick are coming to an end, and Experty is first in line.