Not really a 'blockchain alternative' -- just a clone of Airbnb that lets you pay in cryptocurrencies. Kind of a shame when there are other actually decentralized home sharing platforms like Beetoken, Origin, etc.
The business potential for this one is much greater because people who own cryptocurrencies are incentivized to use it over alternatives.
If you own shares in a business you're less likely to use a competitor... That would be like shareholders of Pepsi drinking Coca Cola or Apple shareholders using Samsung tablets.
That's the reason why cryptocurrency will take over; it lets everyone be a consumer of the goods and services of their own communities which they have a stake in.
Every time you buy something with a Cryptocurrency using income you derived from your fiat day job, you drive up the price... So if you own crypto, buying stuff using crypto helps to drive up the price. It's a bit like Amway but everyone is going to be in on it.
actually, we're on good terms with both of the projects you mentioned. I still don't see why there needs to be an ICO for a smart contract solution though
I always ask this for "x in crypto", and I'll ask it again: What important problem are you solving with this? Or, put differently: Why is this significantly (i.e. 10x) better than existing solutions?
PS: If my stance is not clear from my comment: I think most crypto-based startups are not solving a real problem, just adding crypto to an existing problem.
The sole problem crypto currency solves is the problem of centralization. Regarding the Airbnb case, why would people want to pay the Airbnb commission when they can have direct payment and bookkeeping using the blockchain?
Of course there are still the (important) issues of disputes, insurance etc. that are provided by the centralized entity. These might be solved in the future and might be not.
I think there is potential for using smart contracts for traditional agent based hotel bookings. Settlement of these booking between the agent (ie., booking.com) and the hotelier is a messy and complicated process. It varies from invoicing or manual transfer, to generating virtual credit cards and emailing them to the front desk.
Using a contract to do this actually makes a lot of sense and could limit breakage (where the supplier doesn't or can't charge the agent for the booking).
My main concern about this (which isn't addressed anywhere in the white paper) is privacy. If this is done poorly, you are effectively linking accounts on a public ledger with real world locations and dates. Not only that, the guest and the host know a lot about the financial state of each.
You don't need to be solving something that the unwashed masses consider an "important problem". If you have a product, and people want to pay you for it, then that's a viable business.
FWIW, I am staying in a flat sourced through cryptocribs later this year, and looking forward to it.
If you want to pay with a debit card, you can use AirBnB. If you want to pay with Bitcoin, you can use cryptocribs.
not everything needs to be on the blockchain. we are thinking about putting only the most crucial touchpoints of flatsharing on chain, such as reputation and trust data. but immutability is not necessarily desired for some of this data either (even if it's just an IPFS that's put on chain). we're still actively thinking through this. also, it's not just about the ability to pay with crypto obviously, although that leverages the core stength of the technology. We take a small fee in the beginning which goes to 0 after a few bookings. Compare that to the 20% fees on Airbnb. Also, we don't censor messages between the guest and hosts, so if someone wants to pay directly they always can. We stand for giving users as much freedom as possible
Pretty nice looking clone website; very accurate cloning including similar styling of most widgets. I do like the mono spaced font. Most clones I’ve checked out really bungle the UX in a lot of ways, so kudos there.
Worked great on my phone.
Nit: Some of the photos didn’t have the Airbnb logo removed.
not everything needs to be on the blockchain. we are thinking about putting only the most crucial touchpoints of flatsharing on chain, such as reputation and trust data. but immutability is not necessarily desired for some of this data either (even if it's just an IPFS that's put on chain). we're still actively thinking through this. also, it's not just about the ability to pay with crypto obviously, although that leverages the core stength of the technology. We take a small fee in the beginning which goes to 0 after a few bookings. Compare that to the 20% fees on Airbnb. Also, we don't censor messages between the guest and hosts, so if someone wants to pay directly they always can. We stand for giving users as much freedom as possible
on careers page it states: "Competitive salary (paid exclusively in crypto currencies)".. With that mindset I really hope the actual salary is described in a fixed dollar amount.
> it is appealling to hosts as they don't have to register with tax
Fascinating to realise people will go to jail for upgrading a civil dispute (e.g. short-stay and subletting restriction violations) to felony money laundering and tax fraud.
tomhschmidt|8 years ago
jondubois|8 years ago
If you own shares in a business you're less likely to use a competitor... That would be like shareholders of Pepsi drinking Coca Cola or Apple shareholders using Samsung tablets.
That's the reason why cryptocurrency will take over; it lets everyone be a consumer of the goods and services of their own communities which they have a stake in.
Every time you buy something with a Cryptocurrency using income you derived from your fiat day job, you drive up the price... So if you own crypto, buying stuff using crypto helps to drive up the price. It's a bit like Amway but everyone is going to be in on it.
toomim|8 years ago
Delta0|8 years ago
shafyy|8 years ago
PS: If my stance is not clear from my comment: I think most crypto-based startups are not solving a real problem, just adding crypto to an existing problem.
yuvalr1|8 years ago
Of course there are still the (important) issues of disputes, insurance etc. that are provided by the centralized entity. These might be solved in the future and might be not.
healsjnr1|8 years ago
Using a contract to do this actually makes a lot of sense and could limit breakage (where the supplier doesn't or can't charge the agent for the booking).
My main concern about this (which isn't addressed anywhere in the white paper) is privacy. If this is done poorly, you are effectively linking accounts on a public ledger with real world locations and dates. Not only that, the guest and the host know a lot about the financial state of each.
jstanley|8 years ago
FWIW, I am staying in a flat sourced through cryptocribs later this year, and looking forward to it.
If you want to pay with a debit card, you can use AirBnB. If you want to pay with Bitcoin, you can use cryptocribs.
Delta0|8 years ago
enz|8 years ago
michel__|8 years ago
No, it won't be revolutionary when AirBnB starts accepting cryptocurrency. In fact, it'll fold immediately.
jitl|8 years ago
Worked great on my phone.
Nit: Some of the photos didn’t have the Airbnb logo removed.
Are the reviews pulled from Airbnb as well?
snr|8 years ago
Do you take a transaction fee? If yes, I don't see how this is any different. If no, how do you make money?
akerro|8 years ago
markfer|8 years ago
everdev|8 years ago
nyolfen|8 years ago
Delta0|8 years ago
rebuilder|8 years ago
brod|8 years ago
monochromatic|8 years ago
icelancer|8 years ago
https://dedi.jochen-hoenicke.de/queue/#24h
If you're going to use insults, keep them up to date, at least.
rymate1234|8 years ago
And technologies such as the lightning network should help as well to ease congestion assuming it gets adopted by merchants
jameskegel|8 years ago
icebraining|8 years ago
zubairq|8 years ago
JumpCrisscross|8 years ago
Fascinating to realise people will go to jail for upgrading a civil dispute (e.g. short-stay and subletting restriction violations) to felony money laundering and tax fraud.
bgdkbtv|8 years ago
Delta0|8 years ago
equalunique|8 years ago
glejhandhesahi|8 years ago
xandar11|8 years ago
[deleted]
noomerikal|8 years ago