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.
iExec is an open-source, decentralized cloud computing platform, running on Ethereum blockchain. iExec allows decentralized applications (dApps) an on-demand access to computing resources and technologies on iExec cloud. iExec has built a blockchain network where dApps can take advantage of cost effective and high-performance resources such as servers, databases, SaaS applications, web hosting and computer farms. iExec’s native cryptocurrency — The RLC token is the primary asset used to access services in iExec infrastructure. RLC is short for “Run on Lots of Computers.” iExec is headquartered at Lyon, France. It was founded by Gilles Fedak and Haiwu He, both are serving as Chief Executive Officer and Head of Asian-Pacific Region of iExec, respectively. Oleg Lodygensky is the Chief Technical Officer. Gilles Fedak received his PhD from the University of Paris Sud in 2003, and has been working as INRIA (Inventeurs du Monde Numerique) research scientist at ENS in Lyon, France. Similarly, Haiwu completed his M.Sc. and PhD from the University of Sciences and Technologies of Lille, France. On April 19, 2017, iExec launched its token sale and raised more than $12 million in exchange for 86,999,784 RLC. In order to support dApps, smart contracts, and their platforms, iExec takes processing-intensive computations off-chain so as to keep a blockchain’s on-chain functions running smoothly. To do this, iExec makes use of XtremWeb-HEP, an open-sourced Desktop Grid Software. Desktop Grid computing (also known as Volunteer Computing) pools unused computing resources to be used by applications and platforms, and according to iExec’s whitepaper, XtremWeb-HEP “implements all the needed features” to make this possible on a global scale, including “fault-tolerance, multi-applications, multi-users, hybrid public/private infrastructure, deployment of virtual images, data management, security and accountability, and many more.” Essentially, with this software, dApps can utilize any computing resource in the iExec framework to run their programs. In their whitepaper, the iExec team lays out the project’s competitive landscape and explains these competitors in relation to iExec. They’re quick to note that decentralized cloud storage providers like Filecoin, Storj, and Siacoin are not direct competitors, and it’s easy to see why. While iExec could theoretically take a step in this direction as it matures, it’s not a storage platform; it’s a computing platform. This does put it in competition with other decentralized computing protocols like Golem and SONM. Both of these, however, are taking aim at a different animal. Essentially, they’re both building a decentralized supercomputer on blockchain technology, while iExec is targeting dApp development and sustainability. Both look towards a future of a blockchain-powered, decentralized internet, but their functions, while sometimes similar, are more complementary than conflicting.