We’re Not Like Every Other Crypto Company… So Here’s Our “Purple” Paper.
If you’re not new to SquareWon, you won’t be surprised to see a “Purple Paper” instead of a White Paper.
We’re a Crypto Adoption company committed to bringing Crypto to the masses but without the heavy emphasis on technical jargon, acronyms, and the confusion surrounding these assets. Our focus is on creating a safe, fun, and successful user experience, and a very technical White Paper did not mesh with that vision.
For those that long for the hard-to-read, tech-heavy White Papers of old, fear not! Our blockchain integration will come in the new year, so once the details of that have been solidified a more traditional White Paper will be made available.
If you want to get all of the legal detail on this, then head to our website where you’ll be able to download the full, unabridged version of this paper.
The Future Of Cryptocurrency and Blockchain
Cryptocurrency and blockchain are revolutionary technologies that have the potential to break the control and power that centralized organizations, governments, and conglomerates have on individuals and smaller groups.
Because cryptocurrencies threaten the status quo, many of the world’s governments and organizations have tried to squash their adoption and usage. China has even gone so far as to ban the mining and trading of cryptocurrency altogether. The organizations in power are quick to point out the flaws of cryptocurrencies and blockchain while also downplaying their benefits.
Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology are still in their infancy. They do have some drawbacks but they also have undeniable strengths and potential that don’t align with the interests of the powerful organisations that are in a position to influence public opinion.
We believe that cryptocurrencies and blockchain will be as revolutionary as the Internet — meaning that in 5 to 10 years it will be impossible to do business without integrating these technologies. Understanding the crypto space won’t be a luxury, it will be a necessary and crucial life skill.
There is an inherent unfairness in the current systems of governance, finance, and business. Those with wealth and power remain wealthy and powerful because they have access to the best advice, education, and opportunities. People at the bottom of the current system, no matter how smart and talented, don’t have the means to pull themselves out of this cycle and so rarely fulfill their full potential. This is not only a loss for those who are suppressed by the system but for society as a whole.
Cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology have the potential to disrupt the current systems that rely on gatekeepers, replacing them with fairer, more equitable systems that truly democratize how we value things. Artists will no longer have to rely on a gallery or art house to sell their work. Hollywood studios won’t be the only power that green lights films. Banks won’t be the only ones who can give people mortgages and loans.
SquareWon is starting at the beginning of this amazing and fascinating journey — hence the name, SquareWon. We want to help people understand this technology so they can go out and influence their communities and bring their own ideas into the conversation.
This document aims to show how SquareWon will bring to market a safe and fun, educational/gaming platform that will improve the onboarding process for millions into the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry, helping people to adopt this technology in ways we cannot even begin to imagine.
The Effects Of A Late/Slow Adoption Curve
Cryptocurrency and blockchain are sure to disrupt entire industries and change the way we interact with businesses and with each other. Those who are first or early to the market will be the ones who will dominate. Bitcoin, which was only created in 2009, was the first cryptocurrency and it is by far the biggest and most widely adopted coin. That was a little over 10 years ago. If we look at the lifecycle of most products we can deduce that cryptocurrency is still in the early adoption phase, meaning we haven’t yet reached what Malcolm Gladwell, the renowned psychologist, sociologist, and bestselling author called the “Tipping Point”.
The term “early adopter” was first coined by author Everett M. Rogers, in his book Diffusion of Innovations in which he discusses five types of adopter stages for products. These are innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggard.
Early adopters have less competition which means more brand recognition and loyalty, leading to superior and more reliable revenue while late adopters struggle to catch up. We see this in almost every technological industry including computers, phones, e-commerce, and social media.
For example, if we look at the personal computer (the PC) which was invented in 1974, we are still using it 47 years later. Thus, we are likely in the laggard stage of the PC. If we use this as a benchmark then we still have decades of growth ahead.
SquareWon believes that we are nearing the end of the early adoption phase of cryptocurrency and blockchain. It is our mission to help bring the bulk of consumers in, as we enter the early and, eventually, the late majority phase. We believe through our platform we will see mass adoption of this fascinating technology which will continue to democratize many — if not all — industries, allowing better access, increased freedom, and wider choices for consumers.
The Potential of Cryptocurrency
The global cryptocurrency market is valued at over $2 trillion U.S. dollars in 2020 and is projected to reach an astounding $5 trillion by 2030.
The interest in cryptocurrency is in large part due to the growing demand for transparency in the payment system and to get away from centralized control of financial markets. Because of better data transparency and independence across payments in banks, financial services, insurance, and other business sectors, the cryptocurrency market is likely to grow rapidly in future years. The usage of cryptocurrency in payment processing and settlements has many advantages, including the ability to send and receive payments quickly and transparently without the necessity of involving a third party (e.g. a bank) and the secure storage of customer information for future use.
Furthermore, newer distributed technology protocols are projected to eliminate the requirement for certain organizational solutions and allow several stakeholders to share payment transparently across businesses. Such methods increase supply chain transparency, which aids in the prevention of environmental crime, fraud, and other types of crime.
Looking at the growth of cryptocurrency in the last couple of years, we can forecast that it isn’t likely to slow down anytime soon. We will see wider adoption of cryptocurrency as it matures into a more viable payment method for smaller items such as those that a household needs on a daily basis.
The Gap In the Market
While cryptocurrency games and online learning (or learning management systems “LMS”) are nothing new — having been around almost as long as the industry itself — there haven’t been any that combine the gamification of learning with education and the prospect of winning a massive crypto pot. SquareWon will.
In other words, there are ways to learn about crypto and there are ways to practice trading skills, but none that are designed to work in tandem. Without the ability to use newly acquired skills, learning is limited, and without the ability to learn the theory behind trading, or learn about the space itself, the ability to accelerate one’s understanding of the space (and thereby feel comfortable with trading/investing in this lucrative asset class) is limited.
The appetite for fantasy-style competitive gaming is massive. According to the research company Statista, the fantasy sports gaming industry within the United States is worth $8.48 billion, including the unlikely-seeming statistic that over 3 million Americans each year play “Fantasy Bachelor,” betting on the outcome of the popular reality TV show. All this would seem to strongly indicate that there is plenty of opportunity for a cryptocurrency fantasy trading game in the market.
However, the game is only the beginning of a much larger platform that SquareWon is building which enables people to learn about cryptocurrency in a fun, safe, and interesting way. A survey done by Cardify, a company that collects business data, found that only 1 in 3 cryptocurrency investors understand what they are doing. In addition, the survey found that these same people aren’t doing their due diligence or research before jumping headlong into investing.
They found that only 16.9% of the investors fully understood the value and potential of cryptocurrency while an astonishing 33.5% of investors had either zero knowledge or an “emerging” understanding of the space.
This data shows that there is a strong need for a company to help people become better informed about cryptocurrency and how to invest in it. While people jumping into the market may be good for the industry, there is also potential for backlash as people lose money and then withdraw from the space, adding more cryptocurrency naysayers to a world that already has enough of them. Arming people with knowledge and practical experience creates more savvy investors, who are more likely to make informed investment choices, leading to a more mature market overall and hopefully reducing the very volatility that turns many would-be investors off.
For people new to the cryptocurrency space, the terminology (including the plethora of acronyms), the technical nature of the available information, and the actual technology itself can seem overwhelmingly complicated. Trustworthy information sources that people can rely on to help them with these problems can be hard to find. SquareWon is creating a safe, fun, and affordable, all-in-one platform that teaches people how to invest in cryptocurrency. The platform offers everything newbies need to know about both cryptocurrency and blockchain through a gamified system, making the technology easy to use and understand. In addition, there will be real mentors who can help users along the way if they get stuck, frustrated, or just feel unsure about the next step.
The learning platforms currently on the market don’t offer real-life applications of the concepts in the way that SquareWon will. Instead, they try to dump information onto the consumer in the hopes that they will absorb it all. Research presented by the American Psychological Association shows that simply presenting information in a visual and auditory way is an ineffective way to learn. This is exactly how many of the courses and so-called gurus in the space try to teach these complex concepts. SquareWon will focus on facilitating an outcomes-based interactive approach to education that is supported by coaching, access to a cohort of other learners, and gameplay to hone newly learned skills. This will increase levels of understanding while shortening the time needed to become competent in the space.
Another problem in this space is the deep mistrust in cryptocurrency companies and even the concept in general. Many people who have read the news are extremely wary of the entire space. This is not necessarily without good reason. There have been plenty of bad companies, scammers, and unscrupulous people involved in the cryptocurrency space, but there have also been a lot of good companies and smart people, too. SquareWon will highlight the positive side of crypto, dispelling some of the myths that paint all crypto as bad, and winning over those who are jaded, weary, or who have had a bad experience in the past, while also helping people to be aware of some of the typical scams in the space and how to use these assets securely. Lastly, some people feel like they have missed the heyday of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies and that it’s too late to invest and make money. Through the mock trading game and Learning Management System (LMS) SquareWon aims to highlight that the world is still very much in the early days of adoption and that there are many opportunities still available — some that haven’t even been imagined yet.
Introduction to SquareWon
SquareWon is a comprehensive educational and gaming platform that will allow users to learn about cryptocurrency in a safe, fun, and curated environment. It aims to be the go-to platform for people who have little or no understanding of blockchain and cryptocurrency. A place where they can come to learn, play, and develop the ability to invest with confidence in this emerging asset class.
Beyond the basics, SquareWon will help people test their existing knowledge and deepen their understanding of the space. Crucially, it will enable people to acquire the essential skills that will allow them to thrive when cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology become widely utilized.
SquareWon was first conceived when Dean and Dan, two of the Co-Founders, saw that professionals and clients in the traditional financial industries didn’t understand the implications of cryptocurrency and dismissed it outright as a passing fad. They were both working for large financial institutions and saw that an increasing number of people were looking into this market and wanted to find out more, but didn’t know where to turn or who to trust. Most financial professionals seemed to dismiss cryptocurrency and didn’t understand how it could disrupt not only the entire finance industry but bring about a positive shift in all aspects of our lives.
SquareWon believes that the limitations imposed on financial and investment advisors which prohibits them from recommending cryptocurrency as a powerful way to build wealth is a disservice to their clients. As a result, many investors are missing out on incredible opportunities simply because they do not possess an understanding of the industry. It seems obvious that if more people understand the cryptocurrency market and participate in it, it will more quickly become a positively disruptive force in our world, ushering in a new, more transparent, and equitable era of global commerce.
SquareWon’s original idea was to introduce people to crypto and blockchain technology through a fantasy football-style mock trading game in which users could compete with their friends and get used to cryptocurrency without having to put any of their own money at risk.
The concept is simple: pay a nominal entry fee for each game and get $1000 in “play money” that players can divide among the top 100 Cryptocurrencies in whatever way they choose. The initial game will be a week-long contest. Once the contest starts everyone’s picks are locked in and no changes can be made (though in-game trades and other features are on the road map). The picks in each contestant’s “Playfolio” are compared against the actual cryptocurrency’s value using (for now) an API from a website called CoinMarketCap and at the end of each contest, a winner is declared. The winner receives the pot which consists of half of all of that game’s entry fees plus any goodies that SquareWon sponsors have added to the pot. 200,000 paid users in a game, would result in a $1 Million USD payout. Once SquareWon has achieved this milestone they will have fulfilled one part of their mission: to create crypto millionaires every week.
The original vision for SquareWon was expanded to be more than just the game, but a platform that serves as an entry point into Crypto for new people. This vision includes an individually focused, outcomes-based, and analytical approach to learning. It was at this point that Chad was brought on board and the team of three began planning in earnest.
Using a series of analytical tools on the back end (and eventually embedding machine learning into the app/LMS) the team will use the LEAN methodology to continually assess and optimize the learning process. With each user that joins, there will be a better understanding of the needs of these users and the ability to provide them with a more effective learning pathway. The team at SquareWon believes that their platform will be the best place for people who are new to crypto to begin their journey. By gamifying the learning process, the average person can gain the knowledge and experience to allow them to prosper within this space while having a blast.
SquareWon aims to be that “killer App” that serves as the place that new people get started: an all-in-one platform that provides the tools that a new person needs to get their start in crypto. Along with the fantasy trading game and Learning Management System, SquareWon will house industry news, market information, coin prices, and portfolio tracking as well as offer daily games related to the space and will incentivize users to interact with the App by giving “Smile tokens” to the early adopters as a reward for various activities throughout the App.
The Team
Dean Lariviere
Co-Founder @ SquareWon
Certified Financial Planner, Cash Flow Specialist, Crypto Enthusiast.
In his role as a Director with a major Canadian Financial institution, Dean was responsible for helping new advisors build financial planning practices, having made the transition himself from a safety training role in logistics and construction to Finance in 2015.
Dean started a career in finance, partly due to the massive knowledge gap in the area of personal finance. He didn’t learn about money at home and while running his safety training business he recognized his own lack of skill in this area and began to educate himself, finding through that process that many people did not know the basics of financial planning. Eventually, he made the move fully into finance and has helped many families get on track with their finances. As a Director responsible for 12–15 advisors, bringing in millions of investable assets each year and providing further millions of insurance coverage, that impact expanded considerably.
He and Dan had spent long hours together discussing Crypto and blockchain over the years and the concept of SquareWon was born out of those discussions, mostly centering around the theme of “How do we get people to understand these assets and to be more willing to utilize them?” Simply put, they both believe that these assets will be essential parts of financial planning in the future, a life skill like using email is now, and that many people will be left behind unless there is a place — like SquareWon — for people to start.
When he is not working on SquareWon he spends his spare time being a jungle gym to two small children, learning from his adult son, working out, running the local trails, snowboarding, relaxing on the beach (ideally with a craft beer in hand) or in his hot tub (ideally with a craft beer in hand), reading, and engaging in personal growth.
Daniel Henry
Co-Founder @ SquareWon
Entrepreneur, Financial Planner, Father, Crypto Enthusiast.
Daniel grew up in Toronto, Ontario and lived in Belfast, Northern Ireland as a youth for three years. He did his undergraduate studies, majoring in law, at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario. Daniel has been an entrepreneur for most of his adult life, having been involved in a variety of businesses from running a bike courier business, an E.S.L. outdoor adventure school and advising a franchise program for a national elderly home care company.
After moving to Vancouver in 1996, Daniel joined Greenpeace Canada and has sailed on two of Greenpeace’s boats, the Arctic Sunrise and the Moby Dick. Having rock climbing experience Daniel became one of Greenpeace’s climbing activists and was involved in dozens of protests with a focus on protecting BC’s Coastal Old Growth forests.
His main business success was founding and managing an Organic grocery delivery company from 1998–2017 and being a very early adopter in the online grocery home delivery space. Before selling the company in 2017 he put together a franchise program and sold 5 franchises throughout Western Canada.
Over the last 4 years, he has worked as a self-employed Financial Advisor focusing on working with entrepreneurs by leaning on his over 20 years of experience of running and operating his own companies.
In his spare time, Daniel enjoys playing soccer and coaching his 12-year-old son’s soccer team. Other interests include travelling, playing guitar, and learning. He has been an investor in the crypto space since 2017 (wishing he got involved in 2013 when he first heard about it!).
Chad Weir
Co-Founder @ SquareWon
Chad is an Impact focused Entrepreneur, Project Manager, Marketing Director, Business Consultant and Change Management Researcher. As the Apple commercial once said, Chad is one of the “crazy ones”. He believes that those of us who are crazy enough to think we can change the world, are the ones who do.
Chad has spent the majority of the last decade splitting his time between co-founding several businesses, corporate project management, consulting small businesses, and leading a strategic marketing agency. The most recent initiative is a hat company that’s committed to doing something about mental health (wirthhats.com).
After getting his start at the Walt Disney Company in 1996, Chad worked in a number of industries including; technology, events, digital media, human development, technology, health & wellness, personal development, athletics, and leadership development.
When he is not working on SquareWon he spends his spare time working out, riding motorcycles, road cycling or on the mountain bike trails, climbing mountains, relaxing on the beach, ski touring in the winter, playing Football (aka soccer), reading, attending personal growth workshops, learning to sail, playing the cello and getting his pilot’s license.
Mckenna Lee
Director of Marketing
Video Director & Editor, Social Media Marketer, Event Producer
Born and raised in sunny California, Mckenna grew up with a passion for entertaining audiences and the medium she found most enthralling was video. What started as a teenage hobby became a passionate career for this young Silicon Valley girl and led her down the ever-changing path of marketing.
Priding herself on project management and communication, Mckenna has helped companies develop marketing strategies, grow online communities, launch and produce virtual conferences, and lead the charge in video campaigns that convert.
A leader at heart but a lover of learning, her creatively fuelled brain and go-getter personality help her to stay on top of the latest trends and methods to help bring success to companies.
When she is not in work mode, she’s probably still in work mode, always looking for ways to be productive, be it through making music, self-development, or creating content. With the exception of a true “OOO” where she is either travelling the globe, riding her e-bike around town, or answering to plant mom duties.
Joel Mark Harris
Copywriter, Learning Management Manager
Joel Mark Harris is an author, ghostwriter and marketer. After he graduated from the Langara School of Journalism in 2007, he worked as a newspaper reporter, PR specialist before diving headfirst into marketing. He founded several marketing companies, including Kipling Media and Rankcon Marketing to help businesses grow and scale their business before he started a ghostwriting company. Ghostwriters & Company, Canada’s largest ghostwriting company, designed to help people tell their stories. With ghostwriting, Joel is able to combine all his passions into one.
Joel is also an award-winning journalist, novelist, screenwriter and producer. His first novel “A Thousand Bayonets” won an Editors Choice Award and the Pinnacle Achievement Award for Best Thriller. His feature-length film Neutral Territory won ten awards and played in festivals across the world. He has ghostwritten numerous books in all types of genres, including true crime, business, memoirs, and self-help. He has helped hundreds of business owners scale their businesses and increase their visibility.
Evan Lariviere-Katalinic
Evan wants to impact the world positively and create products that help all people they touch. Born in rainy Vancouver with a side of dry humor to go with it he brings a fun and positive outlook along with a pragmatic approach to problem-solving to the team.
He enjoys discovering efficient and useful ways of approaching a problem, focusing first on principles-thinking to dig deep into what matters the most at that time. Diving headlong into Blockchain and Distributed Ledger Technology he continues to learn more about the fast-growing industry every day, and discovering how to combine the best parts of distributed and traditional systems. He enjoys working at the intersections of many disciplines and seeing the innovative new ways of thinking that originate from hybrid systems to brand new category bending projects.
Currently, he is designing the future blockchain integration of the SquareWon platform, and researching the most effective, interesting, and forward-thinking projects to showcase along with the project updates.
Ash Coxon
Copywriter, Sales & Communication Manager
Ash is a newly cut copywriter. After graduating from university with a degree in History, he branched out and did what all good History grads do: got involved in Finance and IT. After some years getting his hands mucky (quite literally!) with IT systems at a local manufacturing firm, he left his sleepy hometown in Derbyshire, UK to chase the bright lights of consultancy in London.
As an IT consultant, Ash has worked with a multitude of different clients in a range of industries, helping them understand their data, get more from it than just boring old spreadsheets and worked with them to plan for the future. Working in systems implementation, he has a keen eye for detail and understands the different moving parts of complex projects.
As an avid reader growing up, he yearned for a more creative outlet. As a lover of stories and history, he decided to branch out into the world of marketing. As a copywriter, he helps his clients refine their brand story to engage with their customers in a powerful and impactful way.
Path to Market
SquareWon has three main phases during this initial stage of the initiative.
Planning, Discovery & Development
Currently developing the Go-To-Market strategy, the content, and unique Tech Stack, integrating an LMS and the mock trading App. This will have several subscription levels which will give users access to different features. In addition, the Tech Stack can be duplicated as a SAAS play for enterprise-level clients and financial institutions who wish to use it as an educational and training tool.
IDO Offering
The SQ1 token will be minted and made available on a decentralized exchange platform. This will provide the funds necessary to develop the technology platform, execute the go-to-market strategy, and operate the business for the first year, as well as distribute the tokens which will be vital to the functioning of the App and, in particular the mock trading game.
Post IDO
After the IDO, we will break the company into two entities. One will be for the North American market and the other will be for the offshore market.
The North American Market will focus on a “Pay to Learn” model, which will cater to those just entering the market. It will focus on the user’s development, enabling them to reach a level of competency and comfortability in the space. Another differentiator of the “Pay to Learn” entity is that there will not be a payout at the end of the game in the fantasy trading app (to remain compliant with the gambling regulations in Canada, the United States, and other jurisdictions).
The “Pay To Win’’ model will focus more on the mock trading app and will likely cater to a more crypto-savvy user, one who has a higher tolerance for risk i.e. enjoys gambling. It will function under a different entity that will allow for a payout at the end of each game and will only be available in those jurisdictions that do not prohibit gambling.
Tokenomics
Post IDO the SquareWon tokens will be utilized throughout the platform. They will be used to pay the entry fee in the “Play To Win” version, but can also be used for courses, upgrades and merchandise, etc.
The tokens will also be used as a reward when people refer friends to the app, share our social content, take courses, or play (and especially when they win) the “Play To Learn” version.
Conclusion
SquareWon will deliver a fun, safe, and easy entry point for people who are nervous and uncertain about the crypto space but still want to understand the principles of the technology and learn about the currencies without risking large sums of money.
Our mission is to become the most widely adopted and trusted platform to learn everything they need to know about cryptocurrencies and blockchain, making our users crypto millionaires along the way. As we see this interesting industry grow, we hope to introduce new people to this space, bringing in people who have been on the sidelines and helping them see the potential not only in investing but in the way this technology will change the world.
Find out even more, and download the full version of this “Purple” Paper at our website.
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