Cere Network AMA Recap @ Sept 29th, 2021
Another incredible AMA with Martijn Broesma, CMO of Cere Network! We shed insights into the upcoming mainnet launch and NFT platform.
Martijn: Ready here! 🚀
Host: Awesome, let’s start then!
Firstly, long time no speak Martijn! It’s a pleasure to host you again in our community.
So much has changed since our last AMA. We have the mainnet and the TGE just around the corner now!
We have a line-up of some interesting questions today. So let’s start this AMA.
You guys have released a lot of updates recently and so I thought today, we could base our conversation around some of the key points.
Host: Here is one statement from your recent update:
“In the coming weeks, there will be an avalanche of information about the Cere Mainnet, staking rewards, extended developer program and a sneak peek of our NFT platform!”
As a Cere evangelist, our team is flooded with anticipation from this recent update.
So now I would love to break this down a bit.
Q: Will the staking program go live as soon as the mainnet? And what can we expect in terms of potential incentives for the community?
Martijn: Pretty much, yes. But, it will be a phased process. We currently have 6 mainnet validators (coming from the extended developer program). Other participants of the program will stake early, as reward for their participation, after which the larger roll out will take place.
The staking economics are fairly similar to polkadot, which sees to an avg 10% APY
Host: Got it. Seems fair.
Recently you guys shared some stats for the Extended Developer Program.
Q: How important is the extended developer program to the success of the platform? Could you give some examples of concrete results from the EDP?
Martijn: It's one of the cornerstones of the platform. If you want a decentralized network, you need a decentralized developer community to achieve this goal.
Fred (CEO) was a developer, and had his own gaming company backed by Tencent with 30m DAU. This means he understands gamified incentives for developers, which we aim to be among the very best in. The program is young, but we see it develop into something massive in the future
The most important result is that with the help from these great developers (see stats), we were able to launch our own mainnet from the ground up. Without them this wouldnt be possible
You can read participants’ experiences here https://blog.cere.network/external-developer-program-update/ amongst more EDP info
Host: Exactly. It’s reassuring to see such an initiative in action. The bigger the developer community you have, the more robust the tech is, the more applications that can be built/integrated on the DDC, more use cases and the list goes on!
Not too long ago, we saw Cere Network shift one of its core product positioning towards the NFT space.
Here is a recent statement by your team:
“Next to that, our Decentralized Data Cloud will become an industry standard for extending any NFT platform and standard out there. The DDC will also function as a tool to extend every NFT project on every other Layer 1 — with currently ETH and DOT integrated already.”
Q: Will the DDC act as a multi-chain, interoperability hub/tool for different NFT L1s? Could you perhaps elaborate on this statement?
Martijn: The DDC will function as a (fairly simple) API to extend every single NFT (both erc721 and erc1155). Anything you want to be unlocked with an NFT (think content) as a developer, is a couple clicks away
So yes, it will function with every layer1, since we will be building these integrations ourselves for turnkey use, as we did so far with Polygon, Ethereum and Polkadot
We’re in talks with many parties to extend their existing offering. In the end its a network transaction game to determine network value, so we want to have it used as much as we can, in cool ways by creative developers.
Host: Can’t wait to see this in action. Would be curious to see if you guys will integrate with Lukso in the future with its ERC-725 standard.
Martijn: Never heard of them, will check it out!
Host: Q: How are these talks going? From these talks, would you say the product offering has hit some product-market-fit?
Host: Their mainnet is also around the corner ;) (replying on Lukso)
Martijn: Definitely! They will be announced fairly shortly. We would like to have the proper momentum to do a rocking joint pr campaign around them.
Fred and Kenzi were in New York for mainnet 2021 which was almost 100% NFTs and all the top guys ate it up.
Host: Great. With the current pace of NFT adoption, we get excited when we hear about the possibilities of expanding the entire NFT ecosystem!
So now speaking of adoption, I also read this:
“The NFT marketplace will be directly integrated with social media, enabling supercharged adoption. Our new royalty NFT contract will be the standard for direct, real-world stakeholder revenue distribution.”
Q: How would the Cere NFT marketplace be different from platforms such as OpenSea? At the moment, users are able to directly share their NFTs on Twitter/Facebook via OpenSea.
Martijn: Sharing is different than buying 😉
Our proprietary NFT platform is something we’ve been building for 6 months with a 40 person team. I don’t want to spill too much beans on it, because I want the launch to be a mindblower. Expected release in 1,5 month for web, Apple and Android
So the buying of NFTs without leaving IG is what you’ll have to take for tonight as a sneak peek 👀
Host: 🤯
Wow, that will fuel NFT adoption to a whole another level.
Q: Would the CERE token have a part in the token model of the NFT platform?
Will need to see this demo ASAP sir.
Martijn: Yes — the DDC is driven by the Cere token, meaning that every asset/conten view/play on our NFT platform will require Cere tokens, to incentivise the data nodes
We’re fixing this 🙂
Host: Food for thought. Thanks for sharing this info with our community.
Okay I saw another bold statement by your team:
“Let’s say Netflix wants to have insight into Spotify listening data to optimize my watching recommendations. Now, this would be impossible for dozens of reasons (compliance, privacy, security, etc). Cere allows for integrating our DDC into these platforms to actually facilitate this, today!”
This use case would supercharge hyper-personalisation in the consumer industry. And as we know, hyper-personalisation is the MAIN BUZZWORD in consumer marketing with unlimited budget from decision makers. But this is almost scary for us consumers.
Q: It’s great for enterprises but do you realistically see such cooperation happening in the future between two tech incumbents?
Martijn: Why wouldn’t they?
As long as the information exchange is 100% secure and compliant and these 2 companies dont have confliciting interests
I use spotify, i use Netflix. I rarely want to use them at the same time (Spotify, bike — Netflix, couch)
So if they could both facilitate me better as a user by exchanging insights in this compliant way when both benefiting
Data isnt even exchanged, it’s sampled via machine learning tech like federated learning. If you apply this ML principle to DDC, data that is being sampled by another party never leaves your cloud, while the data in that cloud is anonymized and encrypted by default.
Host: It’s true. At the end of the day, they are separately already collecting personal data from us. So the data is already out there. If they can use it to optimise our personal preferences for a better experience, I can see this happening.
Martijn: Facebook already does this via their ad auctions. But regulation will become a problem for them soon, and we don’t have that issue since we’re as consumer data compliant as one can theoretically be (given current encryption methods available)
Host: So I had a chance to scope the new website. And I saw this statement:
“Cere SaaS-DeFi enables enterprises to better utilize their sidelined capital, optimize their financial operations, create frictionless payment experiences for their customer base, and tap into the supercharged liquidity of DeFi.”
Q: Would the SaaS-Defi solution compete with the likes of AAVE PRO and COMPOUND TREASURY?
Martijn: Not really — they would be in its extend. Companies exchange crypto (whether that’s cere, btc or usdt) in the near future when doing B2B data contracts (on Cere, with its enterprise b2b focus). These assets would need to be used in DeFi, as current corporate finance do know in CeFi. We facilitate that bridge for ease of use to the DeFi realm by using our own AMM smart contracts as a turnkey solution for enterprises. To save them the hassle basically
Like this:
Host: Got it. This is another value case for SaaS clients to lock into the Cere platform. I’m curious if the Defi yield will be similar to the likes of Compound/AAVE & co.
I got two final questions then we can wrap this up for the public to ask some questions.
Martijn: We would actually be using protocols like these — its more of a easy service to use them for enterprises
Host: Yeah makes sense. I think your dev team has enough on their plate ;)
Q: How is the progress on the POCs?
Martijn: Good! Testnet is being used well at the moment. Of Course with the goal to have them run on decentralized mainnet once we achieve that.
Host: Yes, I know there must be a lot in the pipeline.
Q: Okay so in regards to the TGE. Is the final date for around mid Oct? Timing is everything in life and for me personally, it was a great move to postpone for macro reasons.
Martijn: Aimed date, yes. Final date is -as you can imagine- hard to say.
China actually banning crypto was just unlucky this last week. With exchanges telling us they are shutting down, massive internal operations to take care of by Chinese tier1 exchanges to become compliant again, we just had to make this decision. It’s also very inconvenient that golden week is just the week following.
I can assure everyone who doubts our plan and intentions, is that my team is viciously working every day to build incredible things. For ourselves and for our communities. It’s difficult to see that being diminished in public channels by the loudest yellers, but you have to let people vent as well who cant see behind the screens.
So, i’d say open up the room for questions for as much insights as i can give Jujukaizen
Host: Yes let's do that!
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Tolga: Any possibility of Cere Network working with data-focused projects like Covalent or Kylin which are data oracle part? What is exact market cap in decentralized data now in cryptosphere?
Martijn: Yes, im speaking to Covalent often, great team to work with. More on this soon!
We have (i think) about 10 audit reports from top security firm Halborn, which well all release in due time
Mr Tigger: Could you tell us a bit more about your parachain strategy? I assume you’re not going to bid for KSM parachain but instead going to DOT. Why and are you looking to get early slots or wait for a while?
Martin: Its the next step after decentralized mainnet. First things first 🙂
Tolga Atli: “NFT marketplace will be directly integrated with social media” I wonder which social media platforms will be targeted mostly and will there be special campaigns for those platforms.. Is it like “Sell Your NFT on Twitter” or more?
Martin: Much more, just as the info thats coming on this soon 😉
All sales have been closed
Selmon Bhoi: @broersma So far, what major achievements has Your Project achieved? What difficulties and risks did you encounter in the process of project implementation, and what factors prompted you to overcome the difficulties?
Martijn: Achievements: building and running a mainnet from scratch
Difficulties: B2B enteprise saas/blockchain sales for corporates.
Overcoming difficulties: NFTs are soothing the transition, while they still get hooked on DDC
Luka: Will you be working with arweave for permanent data storage ?
Martijn: We could, since cere is storage agnostic. Currently using IPFS, but we’ll move to a coldstack model in the future where you can pick your storage (elevated by DDC) to your needs as a customer
I’m NGMI: why did you ban people asking question about your delay?
Martijn: We don’t ban anyone who’s asking about a delay. My admins have proven to have nerves of steele, which i’m incredibly grateful for (@Scabboy the absolute 🐐). If you’re banned, its for a good reason.
Lunar Eclipse: 1. How are data nodes and validator nodes getting stored differently and who will authenticate the requests?
2. On how many data nodes will the same customer data be duplicated in a normal scenario?
3. Will you have downtime/maintenance time like other SaaS services?
4. When will you offer documentation so that other developers can upskill themselves on Cere?
5. Will you provide Cere certification programs, and when?
6. Will you allow 3rd parties/devs to create packages/apps on your platform to enhance Cere’s functionality?
7. Will Cere be able to offer private blockchain networks to its clients? Will that require any hardware setup by Cere or its clients if that works?
8. Will the clients be governed by governor limits as they are using a shared tenant architecture?
9. Will you have a sales team, and a product development team, developer partner companies to help Cere reach its potential?
10. Will Cere charge clients on a tier based pricing model or a Usage based one?
Martijn: Ok, let me answer these as much as I can.
1. Getting back to you on this
2. More then 1 ;). I’ll ask my devs.
3. Yes, our (data) node smart contracts function as regular SLA’s, else these companies wouldnt be using them
4. We already do, via the EDP tasks + Gitbook. Its still a WIP, but it gives a good idea: https://cere-network.gitbook.io/cere-network/
5. Yes, we want to implement this into the current EDP bootcamp, as a nice extra.
6. Yes! That’s something we very much look forward to and will highly incentivise via the EDP
7. Yes, this is already built and rewarded by Web3 https://cere-network.medium.com/cere-network-awarded-grant-to-develop-turn-key-private-blockchain-network-c0c45c8d968c
8. Yes (i believe)
9. Already in place, both internal sales as external channel partners with incredible deal pipelines
10. Depends on how much help they need, as long as they use the cere token!
Martijn: Cool — i think i covered most of the questions here
wdyt Jujukaizen
Host: Great. @broersma we really appreciate you carving out all this time for us and answering all these questions. It was a very insightful session and you gave a lot to walk away from.
Martijn: You're most welcome guys, thanks for the relevant questions. Nice AMA format to keep me honest 😉
