The First Year Of The Cypherpunk Guild
In April 2021, the Cypherpunk Guild was launched on NEAR Protocol, marking the beginning of a journey in the pursuit of self-sovereignty, privacy, and security in the digital age. Since its inception, the Cypherpunk Guild’s team has worked towards the attainment of these objectives by supporting privacy-enhancing projects and striking strategic partnerships to raise interest and awareness of the importance of its mission. Here we provide a quick recap of the CPG’s accomplishments as well as its objectives for the coming year.
Strategic Partnerships and Guild Evolution
- The Cypherpunk Guild’s launch was announced in early April 2021, when it also received a 100K seed grant from the NEAR Foundation to fund privacy-enhancing projects, and establish NEAR as a credible platform for privacy-first projects.
- In June 2121, the Cypherpunk Guild gets legally incorporated as an official Swiss association. The Cypherpunk association established itself as one of the first privacy-related entities to pioneer a private, and open internet. By becoming an official association the Cypherpunk Guild gained the ability to receive donations from organizations and individuals as well as to stake, invest and grant $NEAR.
- In September 2021, Jon Matonis, Chief Economist and director of the Cypherpunk Holding, joined the Cypherpunk Guild Council on the NEAR Protocol as a representative of the company. Cypherpunk Holdings is a sector leader in privacy technology investments that shares the Cypherpunk Guild’s mission and vision. The entrance of Matonis into the Cypherpunk Guild Council signaled the beginning of a close and mutually beneficial cooperation.
Projects Funded By The Cypherpunk Guild in 2021
In the months following its launch, the Cypherpunk Guild funded several projects focused on enhancing transaction privacy, establishing a private payment infrastructure, and developing a framework to prevent data leakage.
In addition to funding ZeroPool, Zecrey Protocol, Suterusu, and NYM, the cypherpunk guild has also launched a call for projects interested in developing privacy-enhancing social networks, and privacy solutions for DAOs and DeFi.
Looking Ahead
In 2022, the Cypherpunk Guild will continue soliciting, evaluating, and funding projects that aim for the creation of a privacy-respecting and open internet. Several projects are currently being evaluated, and the Guild’s doors will remain open to developers interested in building privacy-enhancing tools.
The Cypherpunk Guild will also work on raising awareness of the importance of creating privacy solutions in the digital age and boosting community engagement within the NEAR ecosystem. In the months to come, the Cypherpunk guild will intensify its efforts to initiate discussions about privacy and spark interest in its mission on NEAR and beyond.
About Cypherpunk Guild
The Cypherpunk Guild is a group of privacy-minded developers, marketers, and entrepreneurs, jointly collaborating to pioneer a future built around private transactions on NEAR Protocol and the larger crypto-verse. Led by two second-generation Cypherpunks, the Cypherpunk Guild supports the development of private applications on the Open Web, as a means of safeguarding user privacy and freedom.
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