MATRIX AI Network (MAN) is a global open-source, public, intelligent blockchain-based distributed computing platform and operating system that combines artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain. MATRIX was created to make blockchains faster, more flexible, more secure, and more intelligent. Besides boasting an impressive 50.000 transactions per second, there are a couple of features which makes Matrix AI Network stand out from its competitors. Matrix adopts a Hybrid PoS + PoW consensus mechanism instead of the traditional Hash computations. The mechanism makes use of value-added computation through the use of the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) computations. This computation set is to be used as the Proof-of-Work protocol. This allows the mining process to not only generate MAN tokens but to also be used to power real-world applications. Currently being used in collaboration with Beijing cancer Research hospital to improve speed and accuracy of a cancer diagnosis. While the project seems ambitious with the integration of a working AI in so many areas, the AI-part is already done. Matrix now only has to deliver a working blockchain solution. MATRIX will be launching several community activities after its testnet launch, including a Bug Bounty Program and a Dapp competition, as well as introducing the MATRIX Blockchain Browser and Online Wallet Prototype. Details and instructions will be shared over the coming weeks. Full manner is set to launch December 2018. The MATRIX mining machine is set to launch for sale end of the year 2018.
Pundi X is the project that wants to make spending crypto as easy as a credit card. Creators of the NPXS token hope that it will one day be used on their Ethereum-based Point-of-Sale devices. This approach could give basic banking services to underdeveloped regions like Latin America and Indonesia. One of the most notorious pain points in crypto is the ability to actually make purchases. Pundi X cryptocurrency plans to change all that by distributing hundreds to thousands of point-of-sale smart devices to retailers so they can accept payment in the form of NPXS, the network’s proprietary crypto token. If it can distribute the devices for free and with lower transaction fees than current card and mobile payment solutions provide, it’s a grand-slam idea. Pundi X raised $35 million during its ICO from September 2017 through January 21, 2018. 35,000,000,000 NPXS (at the time known as PXS) were sold during the ICO presale and crowd sale. The team retained 15,750,000 and another 1,750,000,000 was distributed to early investors and the rest was held by Pundi X for further development and marketing. It also set aside 2 percent of sold tokens to fund bounty programs across social media and online platforms. The Pundi X team are a talented group of technologists and entrepreneurs, which seems to be exactly what this project will need for success. In general the management team is comprised of computer engineers turned serial entrepreneur. The glaring exception to this is CEO and founder Zac Cheah, who was formerly an HTML games developer, but perhaps this is why he surrounded himself with such a strong team. The President of Pundi X, Constantin Papadimitrou, has a long history of founding successful fintech companies, and scaling them, which makes him an ideal fit for a project that will need rapid growth and adoption. The CTO/COO Pitt Huang created and sold his first business by the age of 25 and went on to create and sell several more business, including one that had over 200 employees. The company is working on developing a card, which they are naming the XPASS card, which will work together with the mobile app and wallet, enabling payments and deposits by card (a familiar medium for most) that are pulled from the mobile wallet. In addition, users should be able to see the current market price of each cryptocurrency before paying for goods and services, allowing them to pay with the cryptocurrency that brings the best value at the time. This ability to pay for things easily with cryptocurrencies is what will finally give them real value in a widespread sense. Pundi X has taken on an impressive and ambitious task in tackling what could amount to everyday adoption of cryptocurrencies by the masses, if their vision is realized. The technology seems appropriate for what they’re attempting, and the delivery of the first 500 POS devices shows that there is substance behind their efforts.'