Lunyr (pronounced Lunar), however, is one of the most unique implementations of blockchain yet, aiming to be a decentralized, and peer-to-peer knowledge database, aka the “Blockchain-based Wikipedia”. It strives to be the most innovative and comprehensive source of knowledge in domains like crypto projects, technology, finance, law, investment, and more, on the web. The cofounders of Lunyr are Arnold Pham, Andrew Tran, and Christopher Smith. The Lunyr ICO ended on 26th April 2017, with around USD 0.3 million in capital being generated. The open beta was then launched on 30th January 2018. It is based on the Ethereum network. The reward system which enables writers to earn rewards for authoring articles was also launched at the same time, allowing writers to earn LUN coins in exchange for quality pieces. Initially, Lunyr will mostly focus on the world of cryptocurrencies and related domains, with emphasis on up and coming projects. After an active and dedicated community of readers and writers is developed, Lunyr will branch into other areas such as science and technology, investment, finance, etc. Lunyr is unique in its vision, and usage of the blockchain technology in order to provide a comprehensive, decentralised, crowdsource, and peer-reviewed vault of knowledge, open and free to everyone. Lunyr aims to not only be a knowledge encyclopedia for the web, but also intends to enhance the blockchain technology by giving DApps (Decentralised Applications) the ability to tap into the knowledge base and access real-time data. This innovative feature can be used in applications ranging from Virtual Reality to Artificial Intelligence. The decentralised and peer-to-peer nature of Lunyr allows all content on the knowledge-base to be free from manipulation, and censorship. Since all submissions are peer-reviewed by the community, the chances of incorrect or dubious data making its way onto the encyclopedia are very low.
Aave is a decentralized lending platform that runs on Ethereum Network which offers secure, peer-to-peer lending Smart Contracts. Aave strives to break through the traditional bank loans system with a more efficient solution. Aave also uniquely allows a borrower and a lender to decide on important loan details that can eliminate the need of a middle man. Due to the elimination of middlemen, process fee for a loan does not exist on this platform. This provide convenience to any lender and borrower to create loans on their agreed terms. Decentralized lending has fixed many issues and one of the reasons why is the transparency of loan. The Ethereum network provides a transparent ledger where all transactions are available to be inspected. Secondly, it isn’t necessary to find a trusted loan provider because all collateral which is the digital asset for loans are stored and locked in a smart contract and broadcasted on the public ethereum blockchain. It is also flexible for borrower to manage the collateral by refilling or withdrawing part of it. Borrower may make such changes when the lender is notified and aware of such movement. If the lender finds out that the action is not communicated, the lender is allowed to initiate a margin call. This year, Aave has made a major upgrades in its Q1 2018. They have deployed the new development for their peer-to-peer lending application named Alpha 0.3. The development process of Alpha 0.3 has started since the early of 2017. The new release also includes a completely new user interface which targets to lower the learning curve of user experience on the app. Furthermore, the new user interface has new sections to make lending process simpler such as including a ‘My Loan’ section, collectible badges and more. Other than that, the team is also in the process of developing more updates for the smart contracts. Hence, the team has decided to provide zero-fee lending with the use of LEND token as a medium of exchange, as an alternative to borrowing in Ethereum. The purpose of this is to provide a cross-blockchain lending currency which will prompt users to use LEND as the medium of exchange.