社区团购和会员店能取代传统零售吗

零售行业每次发生代际交替,都是一场革命,充满了创新和混乱。而眼下,中国正在经历第三次零售革命。

第一波浪潮是连锁超市和家电零售(2000~2010年);第二波是电商(2010~2020年);第三波则是新零售(前置仓、社区团购、会员店)。

消费者的钱包是有限的,每一次革命中新巨头的崛起都是对老巨头的血洗。这点在第三次革命中,呈现的尤为极致。

第一代的永辉,2021年前三季度亏损21.78亿元,增加207%。同期苏宁亏损75.68亿元,增加1483.29%。第二代的阿里,2021年7-9月收入2007亿元,同比只增长29%。预计全年总收入增速只有20-23%,创下自2014年上市以来新低。

而这第三次战争,新势力也同样付出了高昂的代价。

2021年第三季度,美团的新业务收入为137亿元,增加66.7%,经营亏损109亿元,增加437.5%。同季度,叮咚和每日优鲜合计亏损41亿元。

零售乱战之中谁能胜出,是每个从业者、老板和投资者的终极问题。

通过分析这三次零售革命的内在逻辑变化,我们找到了一条主线。依据这条主线,我们发现社区团购和会员店将是第三次革命的赢家,但超市和电商并不会消亡,而会自我革新,最终新老零售巨头将共存。

最令我们惊讶的发现是,美团和拼多多等电商巨头现在的亏损其实并无太大意义。

01 概述

在具体解释我们的发现之前,我们先得回溯下前两次革命,理清一下其中脉络。

打个比方,第一、二代的零售巨头模式类似于渔民,都是通过织网捞鱼的模式来盈利。

连锁超市和电商都是坐拥线下或线上流量,然后依靠丰富的商品,将人流/流量转化成销售额。

超市是一张小网,只覆盖附近3km的消费者,其网眼也稀释,每个人走过的路径都是一样,触发购买概率低。电商则是一张巨大的网,覆盖全国消费者,网眼也更加密,每个人看到的商品都不一样,触发购买的概率更高。

织网捞鱼模式的关注点是:流量、转化和交付。在通过算法、快递/骑手将转化和交付的门槛降至极低后,只要有了流量,谁都可以做电商。虽有阿里和京东矗立于前,后继者还是前仆后继的涌入,社交的拼多多、短视频的抖音快手、外卖的美团,阿里和京东挡也挡不住。

第一、二代零售的重点都是场和货,而第三代零售关注的则是人——即针对特定的消费者,零售商作为产品经理为其开发质优、价好且消费者无法抗拒的商品。

第一二代零售是商品多、客单低,第三代则是商品很少、客单极高。根据我们估算,消费者一年在永辉的消费金额为3800元,淘宝为9200元,中国山姆会员店为3万+。

如果放到全世界看,前十大零售商里,三代都有代表性玩家。

  • 超市-数万SKU:Walmart、Kroger、家乐福
  • 电商-数亿SKU:亚马逊、京东
  • 会员店-3千SKU:Costco、Lidl(Schwarz)、Aldi、山姆会员店(Walmart)

注:Lidl和Aldi并不收取会员费,但都是一样经营思路,为了描述方便将其归纳到会员店类型。

接下来我们先回顾下前两次革命,借此才能明白为什么永辉、阿里能成功,而其成功又为什么会在第三次革命时变成了致命的障碍。(能明白上述零售逻辑的朋友可以直接跳过下面超市和电商部分)

02 第一次零售革命:超市

改革开放后,为了解决居民住房严重不足的问题,上海市政府在曲阳地区建设了大面积的曲阳新村。1991年9月,上海第一家连锁超市——联华超市在曲阳开业,拉开了中国连锁超市大发展的序幕。到了2010年,连锁超市开始全国化。以永辉为例,2010年收入123亿元增长到2020年的931亿,门店从135家增长到1017家。10年涨了6.5x。

开一家超市的第一步,找一个人口密度高的位置,签下15~20年的低价租约。第二步将货架租给供应商,第三步,做活动吸引周边3~5公里的消费者。等到消费者建立认知后,这家店就稳了。接着,这个超市在一个区域内,不断重复这个开店过程,以此,连锁超市通过门店和商品所织的一张网,覆盖住本地的消费者。

这种商业模式极度依赖线下的选址,在形成一定区域内的密度后,对手很难进入。这塑造了中国分散的超市零售格局,每个城市都有自己的零售小霸王。

但也因为这种区域化选址的特征,即使强如永辉也只是借助生鲜的优势实现了4个区域的连锁,并不能算是真正的全国性连锁超市。

2020年永辉收入近1000亿。相比之下,Walmart在美国小镇附近找空地就可以开店,没有选址障碍,其收入5500亿美元,是永辉的30多倍。

我们再看下称霸山东的家家悦的门店布局,其在山东很多地市都未渗透进去,就更能理解选址在中国零售业的重要性。

03 电商:从阿里到抖音

2012年的双十一,天猫创造了191亿的销售额,所有快递公司的仓库都出现了爆仓。自此,中国电商行业开始进入黄金发展期。阿里的GMV从2012年的0.67万亿到2020年的7万亿,8年增长了6.5x。

电商的优势在于三点:1)无限的货架提供了无限的选择(供给),2)全国的消费者(流量),3)数据+算法提高两者的匹配度(AI)。

前两者都很好理解,淘宝有一段时间的口号是“只有想不到,没有买不到”,而淘系拥有8.9亿用户,占到全国人口的61.8%,几乎是城镇人口的全部。两者都有了,关键是如何让消费者能看到对眼的商品成交。由于两者量级都是数亿,不可能依靠人工推荐,必须依靠数据+算法。对不同的消费者展示不同的商品,以此来提高其购买概率。

阿里的难题是没有足够数据。淘系卖的是长尾商品,消费者购买十分随机。通过买双袜子、买件裙子、买只口红的购买记录,阿里根本猜不出这个消费者还想买啥?只能再推荐一支口红或裙子。

有限的数据养出的算法,必然会产生信息茧房。

为了获得更多数据,阿里在2013年忽然all in移动社交。在所有人都看不懂的情况下,推出挑战微信的社交软件——来往;另一方面,还入股收购微博和友盟。来往不出意外的挂了,但入股微博、友盟还是带给阿里丰厚的数据。微博代表的是社交数据,友盟代表长尾APP用户的行为数据,其意义在于:

拿到多维度的消费者的数据后,阿里开始利用AI对消费者进行尽可能精准的画像,最终在2015年第一次推出基于算法和大数据,为用户做大规模的、个性化的商品推荐,即“千人千面”。

以前消费者画像不清晰,只有几十个竞价的卖家,消费者浏览一次几厘钱至几分钱。现在消费者画像清晰,竞价的卖家多达几百个,一次CPC可高达2毛。价格翻了几倍。换成人话的意思是,阿里终于可以以更高的价格把消费者拍卖给卖家了!

既有巨大的流量,又有了变现利器,阿里财报的表现就如同开挂了一样。自2015年后阿里的货币化率就不断提高,2015年为2.4%。2020年货币化率高达7.4%(from一财),这5年里增长了200%!同期阿里收入从2016财年的1011亿元,增长到2021年的7172亿。净利润从721亿增长到1505亿。

然而,撇去京东、拼多多这些跟阿里类似的竞争对手不谈,在2016年短视频兴起后,阿里的市场份额又被进一步蚕食了。作为与阿里从形态、模式上有明显差异化的短视频电商平台,我们也在此重点讨论一下。

短视频在阿里三大壁垒(供给、流量和AI)上都更有优势。抖音电商2020年全年GMV(商品成交总额)超过5000亿元,是2019年三倍。

在供给上,短视频兼容淘系、拼多多和京东的卖家。在流量上,短视频现在用户使用时长最多的APP,占到29.8%,甚至超过微信。在AI上,短视频的优势不但在于用户画像更精准,而且还在于短视频可以通过不同的内容来影响消费者的消费决策,俗称种草。

短视频积累数据多:短视频平均人均使用时间是1.5小时,一个视频只有几十秒到数分钟。这意味着用户一天可以累积下大量的浏览、观看、点赞、转发和评论等数据。当这些数据与手机通讯录打通后,对比朋友间的数据,用户的数据量会几何级别的增加。相应算法可以获得对用户非常完整的画像。

短视频能更好影响决策:这些画像精准到第三方可以借助针对性的视频内容来缓慢的、无感知的对用户洗脑,最终改变人们的想法。最为极端的例子就是剑桥分析通过针对不同人群投放不同内容,最终帮助川普从不被看好的小丑变成美国总统。最为常见的例子则是品牌商通过各路网红给用户种草,灌注消费的欲望。如小红书。

总之,用户数据值钱、精准的用户数据更值钱、能被种草的用户最值钱。

从短视频的电商购买流程也可以看出,平台希望消费者最大化冲动消费,而不要有一丝冷静。

短视频的购买流程非常简单。点击商品进入一个购买页面,消费者直接点击购买,不用比价、不用付款、不用购物车,货到付款,也称为COD(Cash on Delivery)。

这种冲动消费导致短视频电商的退货比例远高于阿里。但抖音对卖家采用OCPM的收费方式,即按照成交金额收取广告费。退货高低不关平台事,平台的佣金和广告费照收不误。这意味着商家需要把更多的成本转嫁给消费者。

同样的商品、同样的卖家,短视频卖的会更贵。

要知道COD最早起源于东南亚、印度等支付和快递不发达的电商市场,只能依靠线下收货时付现金的方式。但在2020年的中国,短视频居然沿用这种方式,完全是出于自身利益的考虑。这导致短视频卖的畅销品都带有收智商税的味道,如管道疏通剂、手掌一般的大虾等。

短视频正在试图扭转其急功近利的一面,抖音已经开始增加先付款的GMV比例,但这并不会对第三次革命浪潮产生实质的影响,因为电商已经是一个没有多少增量的内卷市场。

05 新零售,内卷下的创新

在线上流量日益枯竭(表现为越来越贵),电商日趋内卷(二选一)的背景下,创业公司和巨头都将目光重新投到线下生鲜零售,这个唯一没被电商染指的领域。外卖市场证明了消费者在本地庞大的餐饮消费可以被线上化,而将超市线上化、半小时送到家的新零售成为所有人关注的焦点。

新零售看似革新,抓到了新市场,但无形中让零售的内卷又加剧了。

2016年从京东出来的侯毅加入阿里,回到上海并开设第一家店盒马门店。盒马模式在当时十分新鲜:消费者线上下单,半小时送货到家。新零售们的创新,一是解决消费者“懒”的痛点,二是花了大力气在商品上讨好消费者。

盒马搞了巨大的水池养着龙虾等海鲜,每日优鲜上新各种网红商品,叮咚提供活鱼代杀。商品是会挑选消费者的,新零售希望通过提供的这些新的商品来吸引80-90后这批消费者。

这批诞生在中国经济增长最好年代的消费者,被认为会如美国、日本二战后一代一样,有着庞大、狂热的消费能力。但消费主义并未在中国这代消费者身上出现,至少没有在买菜上体现。

没有小孩的年轻人被996、狼性文化给绑架,压根没有时间做饭,吃外卖是他们最多的选择。有小孩的家庭背着看病贵、房子贵、上学难三座大山,在吃的上这批消费者也如长辈一代一样精打细算。

新零售的雄心是同时改进商品和服务,但这个过程的背后包含了太多的试错成本,最终高企的商品价格让吃的好一点变成了一种奢侈。为此新零售的玩家不得不通过补贴来吸引消费者,这带来大规模的亏损。2021年Q3每日优鲜 GMV同比增长47%,亏损增长88%。

新零售的两个支撑脚是“半小时送达+新商品”,到2018年之后,其中一条脚没有了,被美团抢去。

拥有外卖骑手和流量优势的美团将半小时送上门变成家常便饭,并扶植起一批新零售玩家。各种基于前置仓的暗店在美团上遍地开花,有便利店、超市、药店、宠物用品店等等。2021上半年美团闪购业务GTV(总交易额)增长估计超过100%,王兴说未来订单量会达到1000万单/日,超过现在所有新零售玩家的总和。

美团打瘸的不只是新零售的玩家的腿,也打折了超市的。如前所述,连锁超市的核心壁垒是选址。优质位置对任何线下零售商而言都是稀缺资源,但美团让线下哪里都可以开店,比如不临街的仓库,人烟稀少的门脸(前置仓)。买药不用去药店,买菜不用去超市,都是美团骑手从前置仓送来。

以往消费者在线下的流量转到了线上,直接导致线上的流量价值超过了线下的商铺价值。最直观的影响是,过去养三代的商铺现在没人要,相应美团的股价却一路上涨,直到碰到反垄断。

王兴以为闪购是新零售的终局,但他错了。

美团带给连锁超市的很多是30元左右的低价订单,当外卖骑手的成本从7元上涨到10元,并还会持续上涨时。美团主力的低价订单会相应减少,这是美团不能容忍的。

因此美团希望连锁超市如餐厅一样,通过提高售价隐形的向消费者转嫁日益高涨的外卖费,而不是直接在订单最后向消费者收取额外的外卖费。但连锁超市的商品同质化程度很高,一瓶可乐多少钱,消费者心里门清。这种撸羊毛的行为一旦被消费者察觉,连锁超市将永久损失客户。

虽然这是杯毒酒,很多连锁超市还是喝下去了,并且美团的补贴让其负面效果没有那么快显现。但未来美团一旦停止补贴,超市用户大量流失,闪购的GMV和订单都将会出现下跌。

不论美团如何,新零售和连锁超市寄望于线上订单翻牌的希望是不切实际的。对于连锁超市而言,消费者的口袋就只有那么大,美团并没有帮助他们扩大市场规模。

幸或者不幸,新零售整个的试错成本由资本来买单,而不是消费者。

06 被巨头扭曲的社区团购

当流量增量见顶,用户数据受到保护,算法效率难以提升时,连锁超市、电商两大零售业态开始不断内卷时,行业必然要经历剧变。

选择一是进入新市场,选择二是走向深耕,将市场进行细分。

前者包括下沉市场和海外,后者则意味着替消费者筛选出针对的、优质、价美的商品,让消费者认可零售商是在为自己服务,而不是把自己卖给广告商。

在新零售玩家还在存量市场为会员打磨商品时,针对增量的下沉市场,提供少量物美价廉商品的模式,却被一个开小卖部的湖南老板给跑通了,其名字叫“兴盛优选”。

兴盛优选所代表的社区团购模式兼具了选择一和选择二的特点,立刻被巨头瞧上了,成了他们必争的战场。

社区团购与连锁超市和电商最大的区别在于:SKU少。社区团购只有1000个商品,远少于一般商超的1.5~3w个。

如果按连锁超市和电商的流量+变现的模型,只有1000个商品的社区团购变现难度极大。如果将商品看成网,流量看成鱼,社区团购这张网要比超市稀疏很多,更无法与电商相提并论。

兴盛优选的成功是基于经过数年打磨,摸清楚了本地消费者的口味,选择好了商品组合,打磨好了与供应商、物流商的合作等所有环节,精准的抓住了消费者的每分钱,才终于在湖南实现了盈利。

如果说兴盛的成功是来自精准的消费者+精准的商品组合,那么这种模式与电商巨头流量+变现的模型完全不同。这种慢慢积累的成功无法满足电商巨头为了快速建立第二增长曲线,对大规模、高增长的GMV的需求。于是社区团购变成了一个扭曲的游戏。

在这个扭曲之中,GMV是第一位,消费者要的必需品做不好不关键,消费者需要怎样的百货和零售也不重要。

比如肉类:上游的工厂缺乏小包装加工能力,压根找不到供应商,社区团购只能自己做。但管理一帮在零度工作十几个小时的工人队伍明显不是零售商擅长的,更别提做在办公室的电商。

为了GMV规模的疯狂增长,巨头不得不背负高达20%的亏损率。2021上半年的单个巨头每月的亏损高达20亿。相比之下,打车、共享单车大战都是小儿科了。

社区团购各家采用了不同的方法来降低亏损,但出乎意料的是,真正符合上述商业逻辑的反而是没有一点电商基因的橙心优选。在烧了一年钱后,橙心优选大刀阔斧的进行了改革。

  • 以小店为核心客户,向其批发商品(即大件货),链接品牌商和小店,借此搭建不亏钱履约体系。
  • 砍掉多个省份,砍掉一二三线城市,砍SKU,只专注下沉市场2C的团购,集中精力和资源为该消费群体选购商品。

虽然美团和拼多多的规模虽然日均达到了4100万件和3500万件,单件价格从3元提升到8元。但美团和拼多多在社区团购上没有实现0到1的突破。

不客气点说,巨头目前在进行社区团购业务时动作剧烈走形,这是因为电商将消费者作为商品卖给商家,而社区团购需要把消费者当做上帝。

07 会员店会是零售业的救赎吗?

我们曾怀疑过,独立思考的王兴、天才的黄铮难道真没有看透社区团购的本质?老大们的认知难道已经如此固化?是不是大概率是我们看错了?

直到我们深入看清了会员店的投资机会,这种疑虑才被打消。

我们发现社区团购的本质与会员店无异。SKU都很少,兼做批发和零售。只不过一个针对下沉市场,一个针对中产阶级。而会员店已经诞生了Costco、Lidl和山姆会员店等多个世界零售10强企业。

中国社区团购其实是美国会员店在中国的电商版本。

在2019年开出中国上海开出第一家店的Costco是全球仓储式会员店的老大,2020年收入1632亿美元。Costco前身是美国会员店的鼻祖Price Club,而Price Club则是在抄袭德国的Cash&Carry(超市批发购物模式,类似麦德龙),改进的更偏零售。

在Costco开始时,其目标客户是餐厅、加油站等小店的老板,并满足其在生意上和生活上的需求,如做生意的消耗品纸巾。个人消费的电视。在后续的发展中,Costco针对这群消费者,逐渐扩展了个人消费的商品。

当时Costco开始时,西雅图是连锁超市Safeway的天下,其拥有60%的垄断性市场份额。超市内主要卖的非食品。而当时欧洲超市买食品非常好,非食品不行。但美国消费升级对食品的品质要求比较高,所以Costco整合了两者的优势推出会员店。

在服务会员至上的思路指导下,会员店形成对其他零售业务的差异化竞争。

会员店的核心逻辑可以分解为几步:

第一步是收会员费,不是为了收费,而是为了筛出精准的客户。

第二步是关注会员续卡率,而非收入和利润,以此保证自己的选品和定价切合消费者的需求。

第三步是集合消费者的需求,向上建立最大的采购能力,获得最好品质、最好价格。

第四步是只收取极低的加价率,将利益最大程度反馈给消费者。

这就是Costco不断成长的飞轮逻辑。这套逻辑不但在国外适用,在国内也同样是。2021年9月,Walmart在上海开出全球最大的山姆会员店。这是近两年的时间内,山姆开出了第11家会员店。

逻辑说起来容易,做起来极为艰难。电商巨头并不是没有尝试过。阿里有淘工厂、拼多多有拼工厂、创业公司有必要等都曾做过尝试。但这种投入巨大,见效慢的情况下,投入产出比不高,最终都被巨头给放弃了。上市后,华尔街每个月要看利润,收广告费和坑位费才是王道,见效慢的事情哪里顾得上。

在规模不大时,要做到集采是非常艰难和漫长,Costco也是经历了供应商不愿意定制,到接受贴牌,最终到量大到可以让生产商按其设计进行代工。在中国如何突破生鲜的地域限制,找到可以畅销全国的商品,山姆会员店也是经历了数年的低潮,终于在2019年靠烘焙和预制菜翻盘。

在国内零售行业内,阿里盒马花了数年时间来搭建这种能力。阿里整合的淘菜菜也号称在致力于此。但从结果看,似乎盒马在形式上做到了,但底子却差点远。这体现在:

一是过高的加价率。

以正大的虾肉馄饨为例,盒马为29.9元/144g,山姆会员店为105元/750g,正大优鲜(美团闪购店)为39.5元/255g——每100g的价格分别为20.7元、14元和15.4元。盒马分别贵了48%和34%。盒马的商品价格普遍要比连锁超市和会员店贵,这背后也许是盒马的供应链比较弱,也许是基因的问题。

Costco的创始人说了一个关于基因的例子,曾经Costco搞到一批Lee的牛仔裤,加了$1卖$29.99/条。很快卖完后,没想到又以更低的$21.99搞到一批。如果还卖$29.99可以多赚$8。前者毛利为3%,后者为27%。但Costco还是只加了$1卖了,因为赚这$8就像吸毒一样,干过一次就会上瘾。

二是团队建设薄弱。

Costco企业内部有产品经理级别的采购团队。完全围绕目标会员群体日常消费需求开发定制产品,全面降低SKU数量并在部分品类通过PB商品去品牌化,显著提升产品品质及性价比。

这种人才即使拿着高薪,培养也需要时间。而Costco员工的平均工作年限30年,6%的流失率。Costco不但有医保和退休金,薪水比walmart高60%。公司曾答应给员工提供90%的医疗报销,但只做到了88%,创始人兼CEO发现后自掏腰包补上了2%。

全商业犯罪调查科级的廉政团队。全链条下无限接近于0的内部贪腐程度,从根本保证会员所花的每一分钱都是为产品本身。

对比看盒马,除了店长,员工签的外包公司劳务用工合同。加班是常态,都不止996。具体大家自己去搜吧。

会员至上的理念,以及所有内功,最终都会体现在财务指标上。从财务上看,Costco全面碾压连锁超市,更不用说新零售了。

更有趣的财务细节是,Costco常年的毛利率只有11~12%,而Walmart是25%、永辉是19%、大润发是26%。这来自于Costco创始人订了一个奇葩的规律:所有商品的加价率不能超过15%。

这意味Costco所有商品的收益都返还给会员。这条规定不但约束了公司对提高毛利率的渴望,也约束管理层给自己发高工资和期权,或给股东大额分红。

事实上,Costco的创始人的工资+期权只有美国CEO平均的1/3,其股权身家只有几十亿美元。作为全球第二大零售商Costco的创始人从来没有进入过福布斯的排行榜。

08 第三次零售乱战何时能尘埃落地?

在第一、二次革命兴起时,玩家们面对的都是一个新市场,采用的是一种平地起高楼的打法。通过针对消费者一个痛点、搭建粗暴高效的团队、烧足够的钱、摆平几个对手可以短短数年获得成功。

但第三次革命时玩家面对的是一个老市场,是要采用对旧房升级改造的打法。这需要解决消费者从品质到价格的全部痛点,搭建精耕细作又了解现状的团队,并要不被烧钱的数据给扭曲的、联合行业内现有的大部分人,才能获得成功。

在完全不同的打法下,巨头过去的成功反而成为现在最大障碍。

那具备新的能力的企业,会在什么细分行业里最先跑出来?他们的业态具体是啥样子?

这其中关键在于这个细分市场目标消费人群是否够多了,能支撑起一个足够体量的业务。如果不够,则业态还不成熟。

以连锁便利店为例。日系连锁便利店爆发是1980年后,当时日本人均GDP为9138美元,相当于现在的17万人民币。而2020年中国人均GDP超过15万人民币的城市只有10个,要达到1980年日本的水平仍需要数年的经济增长。消费人群的差异导致体现在连锁便利店的单店收入上。2020年全家在内地的单店流水只有8673元/天,而台湾地区为1.35万/天。

最后,我们根据不同业态的目标消费者是否够多,分析了第三次革命下的各个细分市场,有如下发现:

  • 第一个跑出来:针对下沉市场的社区团购。根据《阿里巴巴2020“十一”假期消费出行趋势报告》,“十一”期间,53%的电器卖向县域市场,48%的购买者来自小镇用户。没有三座大山的县域经济,已成为中国消费持续增长的新动力。
  • 第二个跑出来:针对城市中产的会员店,如山姆会员店。这块市场的增长十分明确。根据汇丰预测中国中产阶层的数量将增长逾45%,从2021的约3.4亿人增至未来的5亿人以上。当然玩家也众多,山姆会员店计划未来2年新开26家电,国内也有物美麦德龙、永辉、Fudi等。
  • 需要5年以上跑出来的:针对城市年轻单身的连锁便利店,如全家。全家自2004年进入中国,花了16年时间做到2967家。2020年实现收入92.9亿,预计仍是亏损。同样711等日系便利店、国内的便利蜂也都是实现盈利的长路漫漫。
  • 还看不清的:针对城市白领的咖啡和新茶饮。类似瑞幸的案例在国外是有成功案例的,如台湾定位平价而精致的路易莎。但这类零售需要较强的文化来卖出附加值,这个是国内玩家都还缺少的。
  • 暂无人做的:针对城市普通消费者的低价连锁超市,如Lidl。Lidl只有1300个SKU,90%以上自有品牌。国内暂时还未有对标,大概率是现有连锁超市的企业会有转型做的。

By 彭程柚子

滴滴创下中概股退市最快纪录

众说纷纭的滴滴退市一事迎来实质性进展。

12月3日早间,滴滴发布微博称:经认真研究,公司即日起启动在纽交所退市的工作,并启动在香港上市的准备工作。

上市5个月便启动退市,滴滴创下了中概股最快退市记录。

北京时间6月30日夜间,没有大张旗鼓,没有敲锣仪式,滴滴于纽交所挂牌。闯关上市不足48小时后,滴滴被启动网络安全审查,暂停新用户注册。两天后,25款与滴滴出行相关的APP被全部下架。两周后,滴滴迎来了包括国家安全部在内的七部门进驻。

上市后,滴滴股价最高跳至16.4美元(以收盘价计,下同)。但被启动调查后,股价一路下跌,最低达到7.2美元,接近腰斩。上两个交易日,滴滴股价均出现高开低走的情况,如昨日晚间美股开盘,滴滴盘中涨幅超过10%,但收于微跌0.15%,报7.8美元。

一家9年间累计获得超过200亿美元风险投资的公司,一个看似压制了整个行业的胜出者,在资本簇拥下选择上市,又在不体面的退市中上演了一场无限接近“失败”的资本故事。

退市面临“两条路”,能否平移到港股仍存问号

一系列风波之后,美股退市后在港股上市,对于滴滴来说并不是最差的选择。

资深投行人士王骥跃对搜狐科技分析称,在退市上,摆在滴滴面前的有“两条路”。

一是直接从美股私有化退市,再去港交所上市。这种方式下,滴滴需要按照“市价”或接受部分溢价从市场上回购股票。

中国社科院金融所金融科技研究室主任尹振涛对搜狐科技解释称,美股退市需要经历多个环节,在确定价格时,大股东之间比较容易形成统一意见,但难度在于拿回二级市场上流通的中小股东手里的股票。

艾媒咨询首席分析师张毅介绍道,一般而言,投资者能接受的私有化溢价在20-30%之间。但这并非定论,举例来说,近期私有化的雷蛇溢价率仅有5.6%,华人置业的私有化溢价率则达到了83.5%。

滴滴上市时发行价14美元,募资44亿美元。如果按照市价7.8美元进行私有化,不计上市融资相关费用,那么滴滴甚至可能退市中“获利”约19.5亿美元。

不过,张毅表示,理论上讲,通过退市来“赚钱”并不会很轻松。鉴于滴滴在上市后不到2天内就被网络安全审查,涉嫌“虚假披露或隐瞒重大信息”,或将面临SEC的处罚,以及来自美国律所的集体诉讼和巨额赔偿。

另外,据报道,已经有美国Rosen、Labaton Sucharown、Schall等多家律师事务所宣称将代表股东对滴滴发起集体诉讼。不过,对于滴滴具体的赔偿金额,市场仍未有定论。参照此前深陷财务造假丑闻的瑞幸咖啡,和解费用约为1.8亿美元。

因此,也有传闻称滴滴或将以发行价格购回股票。

无论以市价还是发行价,私有化退市都需要大笔资金流出。截至2021年一季度末,滴滴账上现金及现金等价物约为234.5亿元人民币,短期理财约为239.7亿元,两者合计474.2亿元。

考虑到滴滴上市后积极拓展社区团购等新业务,且近三年来均大额亏损,净亏损分别达到149.8亿、97.3亿和106.1亿元,至少约24.5亿美元((7.8/14)*44亿美元)的资金流出将对其产生不小的现金流挑战。

另一种做法是,直接将美股股票转换到港股,即现有股东直接到香港联交所登记。

目前看来,滴滴更倾向于此。滴滴在最新公告中称,从纽交所将ADS摘牌后,将在确保ADS持有人的选择下,转换为未来港股上市的自由流通股。上述决议仍待召开股东大会进行表决。另据凤凰网科技消息,滴滴将在明年3月左右在香港提交IPO招股书。

实际上,滴滴不是没考虑过香港上市,首次被传IPO时目的地就是港股。但不久后,市场就有声音称,滴滴因合规问题被港股拒之门外,紧接着就传来了滴滴美股秘密递表的消息。

网约车做到完全合规,需要“三证”齐备:司机拥有《网络预约出租汽车驾驶员证》,车辆获得《网络预约出租汽车运输证》,平台在各地方拿到《网络预约出租汽车经营许可证》。根据交通部公布的最新数据,10月份,滴滴的合规率仅为43%,且在近期以来提升有限。

也有私募投资人士曾对搜狐科技表示,港股上市所说的合规是“大合规”的概念,也有可能是滴滴在数据权限等问题上没解决好。截至目前,滴滴的网络安全审查仍未结束。

但无论是何种问题,都很难在短时间内得到解决,这无疑给滴滴股票从美股平移到港股增添了变数。

对于急于解套的大股东来说,滴滴上市也没有给他们带来期待中的脱手机会。据了解,美股上市的解禁期一般为180天,如今尚未达成。更进一步来说,由于上市后遭遇审查,以及中概股整体走势不佳,滴滴股价一蹶不振,已经跌破在软银、苹果等在2016年40亿美元战略融资时的成本价9.5美元,这也是滴滴获得的最大的一笔风险投资,约占总融资额的1/5。

“IPO就是扒层皮”,滴滴美股5个月游花掉超6亿元

经历美股上市、退市再经港股上市,这其中涉及到的中介费磨损巨大。

市场上常有“IPO就是扒层皮”的说法。筹备上市时,公司通常需要组建以CFO为代表的财务团队,同时在保荐、承销、法律咨询等多个环节付出成本。

根据滴滴的招股书,本次滴滴上市时,不包括承销折扣和佣金,总费用预估应达到了1480万美元。承销折扣和佣金为8870.4万美元,两者合计超过1亿美元,约合人民币6.4亿元。

与上市相关的费用

滴滴上市时的承销折扣及佣金

不过,对于滴滴来说,急于上市的背景下,更重要的损失可能不是资本,而是消失的增长空间。

滴滴停止用户注册的5个月的时间里,网约车市场“群雄逐鹿”。美团打车、高德打车采用各种免佣策略抢占市场,曹操出行、T3出行等更是分别获得了38亿元及77亿元的大额融资。

张毅对搜狐科技表示,滴滴出现问题后,第二梯队的这些企业基本都是受益者,但从实际执行角度上来看,没有明显的谁比谁更厉害,只能说有些公司在细节方面做得更好。

从数据增长上来看,交通部公布的数据显示,在6月至9月,除7月外,滴滴订单量环比均在下跌。环比数据分别为-13.40%、13.10%、-21.1%和-0.6%。但很难说,这些下跌是受市场环境影响还是滴滴因APP下架所致,因为同期美团打车订单量也在下滑,分别是-16.70%、23.80%、-1.10%和-8.10%。

滴滴退市尘埃落定,闯关上市没带来意料之内的好结果,反而于己、于投资人、于行业都留下一地鸡毛。是赚是赔,不言而喻。

By 尹莉娜

What is Klaytn (KLAY)?

The origination of Klaytn started through South Korea’s largest publicly traded tech firm, Kakao. This highly reputable firm in South Korea is renowned for its diverse services and the many users in the country.

Kakao decided to venture into the crypto sector after the 2017 bull run caught its eye being a multi-service firm. In that context, the firm was inspired to create a cryptocurrency, which resulted in the innovation of Klaytn.

The efforts to actualize the Klaytn initiative were nearly altered as the firm encountered many backlashes from the nation’s financial regulators, which is similar to the system used in Facebook’s Libra.

Nonetheless, the crypto vision of the company’s CEO, Yeo Minsoo, was in the end actualized in mid-2019. The firm dived its way through multiple restrictions and hindrances with the assistance of its blockchain-based subsidiary known as Ground X. Later on, it successfully unveiled the Klaytn blockchain.

Core Technology Of Klaytn

The blockchain utilizes an enhanced version of an Instanbul BFT that substitutes for other blockchain’s Proof-of-Stake (PoS) and Proof-of-Work (PoW). With that in mind, the network implements Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) with the modifications to operate with the integrated blockchain performances it has.

Nonetheless, it allows beginners to use a Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism. Hence, it powers a limited number of validators. This blockchain network is a business-oriented network that functions nearly like the Ethereum (ETH) network.

It takes up an unaltered clone of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) for its smart contracts that quicken transactions with a high speed. In its uniqueness, the blockchain can process 4000 transactions per second.

Blockchain Apps

The blockchain platform offers excellent services for all types of users mainly enterprises. It owns and hosts over 50 blockchain applications. The applications have many functionalities since they have diverse duties to perform on the blockchain network.

Klaytn also extends its hostage to diverse crypto gaming networks and a variety of staking services. To name several of these blockchain applications that are hosted on the platform, there are Quotabook, Tessa, Orbit Bridge, Makestar, and many others.

It also hosts several gaming apps including Games Knight Story, Crypto Sword, Crypto dragon, and many others.

The Governance Council

Being an enterprise-oriented blockchain platform, Klaytn has delegated most of the operations about the improvement and activities within the ecosystem to several multinational organizations and businesses.

The governing council members comprise multinational enterprises and organizations. Therefore, the council members have the right to vote and propose any adjustments about the performances of the platform and its node network.

More particularly, the council members are now responsible for guaranteeing the growth and development of the platform’s thriving ecosystem.

Klaytn Improvement Reserve (KIR)

By description, Klaytn Improvement Reserve (KIR) is a mechanism the project adopts to provide reward services to the users that contribute to the growth and enhancement of its entire ecosystem.

Whenever the qualified users submit proposals on activities for example community incentives, making adjustments on the platform, and enhancing its user, they can get subsidies or rewards for their contribution to the ecosystem via the KIR program.

Klaytn Improvement Reserve enables partner developers to innovate, deploy and execute smart contract-based applications with excellent speeds alongside the extremely cheap fees. That is because the platform had incurred some fee policy which implies that Klaytn will be fully responsible for all the transaction fees that the developers are subjected to.

KLAY Token

KLAY is the native token that powers the Klaytn blockchain. This token is used for all transactions that take place on the blockchain network and all other blockchain applications on the network.

It mainly works as a means of payment and exchange for app applications that run within the Klaytn ecosystem. Based on data acquired from the first quarter of 2021, more than 2 billion KLAY tokens were in circulation in the cryptocurrency market, gaining a growing rate of enthusiasm and increased recognition in the crypto sector.

Use Cases

This platform is designed to offer a gross development avenue that empowers various levels of blockchain development for a plethora of use cases. Klaytn blockchain is mainly bringing blockchain to businesses.

In simple terms, it serves enterprises, including small-scale and large-scale businesses. The main purpose was to provide them with a chance to integrate their technological infrastructure with a blockchain network.

Furthermore, the supported businesses enjoy the service of a public and private blockchain through Klaytn’s ecosystem. Many users prefer this platform since the private blockchain functionality of the network guarantees discreteness. Furthermore, it guarantees the maximum security of sensitive data which increases the scalability nature of the network.

In the meantime, the public blockchain within Klaytn’s network supports the decentralization of data and ensures the distribution of governance. It accommodates all the important mechanisms that can make the platform as scalable and user-friendly as possible.

Advantages Of Using Klaytn

This blockchain comes with several benefits for the institutional and retail clients that it serves. Some of them include:

  • Low Cost – all of the services offered by the nascent platform have a fixed unit price. It means that each transaction is handled equally and always assured execution when its time comes. Furthermore, the users do not need to struggle to determine the right unit price and the blockchain helps users save the cost of gas fees by paying some of it.
  • High Transactions Speed – the design of the blockchain ensures that transactions on the platform are completed quickly. Users say that they experience nearly instant transactions within a fraction of blockchain time. Klaytn’s main net handles up to 4 transactions per second.
  • The platform is developer-friendly – the API services of the network have a variety of functions that developers can use to create some useful apps. Additionally, the platform is designed to support the solidity programming language and in that context, Ethereum developers can readily migrate to Klaytn without requiring to learn any new language.
  • User-friendly – users report that they enjoyed engaging with this platform since it is designed in a manner that using it feels easy like sending and receiving text messages. The users can access their assets and wallets from smartphones through their Klaytn account. Every wallet is printed with an integrated QR code address that can be scanned with a phone camera. With that code, users can receive assets into their crypto/blockchain wallet. Thus, users do not have to memorize any private keys.
  • Business development – another significant benefit of Klaytn is that it supports businesses’ technical operations that are a push forth for businesses. With the blockchain’s flexible scalable nature, it provides businesses and developers the ability to follow the fast-moving world of blockchain. Therefore, businesses can easily and readily venture into the blockchain sector and enjoy the benefits that come with it.

Disadvantages Of Klaytn

Although the blockchain platform has many advantages, some shortcomings plague its operations.

  • Kakao is developing a series of apps that are designed mainly for use on the Klaytn blockchain. Among these apps is Peatix, which is a ticketing service that has a built-in customer base. It could give Kakao’s other services an advantage over startups aiming to compete with Kakao for users.
  • Kakao is the only firm that has announced the intention to launch a project on the Klaytn blockchain. It might be problematic since it might limit the growth potential of the blockchain and its in-house cryptocurrency.
  • Once the blockchain launches, Kakao is expected to take a huge fee off of each transaction. That adds to the gas fee that users will also have to pay. That might be a challenge for the startups launching on the blockchain since it will reduce the profits from token sales.
  • The communication is quite bad. At first, developers seemed quite confused about what they needed to be talking about. Although the platform is thriving, there are a few operational challenges that still exist but developers are striving relentlessly to resolve them.

By JOHN WANGUBA

Published
Categorized as Hot Crypto

What is Request (REQ)?

Request crypto has been around since 1997. But for most of its existence, it had mostly traded for just a few cents per token. However, a major boost in interest came from it being added to the Coinbase exchange. This was welcomed news for traders and long-term holders. And it was further proof of the big shift in Coinbase’s philosophy.

Illustration showing Request crypto buying process

Not long ago, a listing on Coinbase equaled a major stamp of approval. To get listed on Coinbase, crypto engineers had to jump though a lot of hoops. In the process, they really had to prove to Coinbase thier token was worthy of a listing. In this way, the exchange acted as a sort of crypto gatekeeper.

More recently, though, Coinbase has changed its tune… as you can see in this tweet from its CEO:https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=investmentu&dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3NwYWNlX2NhcmQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib2ZmIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1409555338836078592&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Finvestmentu.com%2Frequest-crypto%2F&sessionId=58dbe1e9b652d6fb671109bb87528294fe521d03&siteScreenName=investmentu&theme=light&widgetsVersion=f001879%3A1634581029404&width=550px

He went on to mention that beyond the exchange’s listing standards (regarding safety and legality), this was a move toward freer markets. And, as he concluded, it was the way to make Coinbase more innovative. It also happens to be a way that can make Coinbase more money. After all, the more tokens it lists, the more opportunities there are for trades. And charging trading fees is a big part of how Coinbase makes its coin.

So no complaints from the peanut gallery here. Coinbase is a publicly traded company now. It’s beholden to its shareholders. And increasing profits is one of the easiest ways to keep shareholders happy.

But now back to the important information on Request crypto (REQ).

All About Request Crypto

In a nutshell, Request crypto is a utility token. It was created to ensure the stability and performance standards of the Request Network. This network is an Ethereum-based decentralized payment system. It allows folks to request a payment and receive money in a secure way. It also removed third-party oversight requirements. This is an important detail… because it’s one of the quickest ways to reduce transaction costs.

The other key benefit of the Request Network is that it works with currencies all around the world. It’s not limited to just crypto. It’s not limited to fiat currencies. It transfers dollars to the Korean won and just about everything in between. It’s a robust network with an impressive amount of capabilities.

This process works by having one user create a payment request – or invoice. The invoice needs to include the address the payment should be sent and the amount it should be in. The terms of payment can also be included here for business transactions. Then, the request is delivered to the payer of the invoice. All the while, each and every step of the process is stored on the Request Network. This makes it easy to keep track of transactions, both for the payer and the payee.

The last thing worth mentioning about the Request Network – which is powered by Request crypto – is that it has incorporated laws from all around the world. This, it hopes, will keep it compliant with the various trade laws of every country around the world… an impressive feat in of itself.

There really is some exciting engineering behind both the Request Network and the Request crypto that powers it. But as far as payment systems go, it does have a lot of competition. And not just from the likes of Visa (NYSE: V), Square (NYSE: SQ) or PayPal (Nasdaq: PYPL).

The Competition Is Stiff

Beyond the legacy payment processing companies mentioned above, there are lots of other companies operating in the crypto space now. Circle, which issues the stablecoin USD Coin (USDC), has been in the payment processing game for close to a decade. Incidentally, it was the first company to receive a BitLicense from the New York State Department of Financial Services.

Request crypto also faces competition from Solana crypto and, to a lesser extent, Telcoin. Then of course there is Coinbase Commerce, Electroneum, BitPay or CoinGate, among others. But specifically for business-to-business applications, Request crypto and the network it supports still manage to stand out. What it boils down to though is adoption.

This could be an exceptional tool for freelancers who pick up jobs around the world. Business consultants, writers, web designers and recruiters could all make good use of this type of payment system. And it has the possibility of cutting down on the paperwork needed for quarterly tax filings… since payments are vetted though international trade laws.

The Bottom Line on Request Crypto

As an experiment, there’s a lot to like about the Request Network. As an investment, there’s reason for both excitement and pause. It’s a penny crypto, after all…

Since its inception in 2017, it has yet to break the $1 mark. In fact, not long ago, you could pick it up for less than $0.05 a token. But trading volume has changed all of that. With the Coinbase listing came a lot of interest. Around 200% more interest than usual. If trading volume stays anywhere near that level, anything’s possible. And with the more recent spike, Request crypto looks as if it could finally launch past the $1 any day now… But that’s far from certain.

As a buy-and-hold play, Request crypto could be worth a gamble. If the Request Network does begin to catch on, you could see a slow but steady rise in value. But that’s a very big “if.” That being said, it’s a token we’ll be keeping a close eye on. A little momentum and an uplisting to Coinbase could be enough for companies to take notice of Request’s underlying capabilities.

Which products support REQ? 

 Send/ReceiveTrading
Coinbase         ✔      ✔
Pro         ✔      ✔
Wallet         ✔     ✖️

What regions support REQ? 

 USNYCANEUUKIEDESG
Coinbase    ✔  ✔  ✔ ✔ ✔✖️✖️
Pro   ✔  ✔  ✔ ✔ ✔✖️✖️
Wallet ✔  ✔  ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔


Crypto to fiat trading pairs

 USUKEU
USD  ✔ ✖️ ✖️
GBP ✖️  ✔ ✖️
EUR ✖️  ✔ ✔

Note: Coinbase Wallet does not support direct bank transactions. You’ll need to transfer your crypto to Coinbase.com or send it to an external address in order to cash out.

Crypto to crypto trading pairs 

  USDCBTCETHUSDT
REQ    ✖️  ✔ ✖️   ✔

See the full list of countries that Coinbase supports for crypto-to-crypto trading.

Note: Only assets hosted on the Ethereum blockchain can be converted through the Coinbase Wallet mobile app at this time. Learn more about trading on Coinbase Wallet.

How many confirmations are needed for REQ?

REQ requires 35 network confirmations. Learn about transaction confirmations.

Which blockchain network hosts REQ?

REQ is hosted on Ethereum. 

What are the minimum and maximum withdrawal amounts?

Coinbase has implemented safeguards to ensure a healthy and efficient network both on-chain and through our platform.  

These safeguards include both minimum and maximum amounts for each cryptocurrency we allow customers to send through the blockchain.

Minimum: 0.000000000000000001 REQ

Maximum: 250,000 REQ

By Matt Makowski , Coinbase

Published
Categorized as Hot Crypto

What is PlayDapp (PLA)?

PlayDapp (PLA) is an Ethereum token that powers PlayDapp, a blockchain gaming platform and non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace. PLA acts as the primary token for processing transactions on PlayDapp. Game developers can also receive PLA when users make in-game purchases.

What products support PLA? 

 Send/ReceiveTrading
Coinbase           ✔     ✔
Pro           ✔     ✔
Wallet           ✔    ✖️

What regions support PLA?

 US NY EUUKCASG
Coinbase ✔  ✔  ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Pro ✔  ✔   ✔  ✔ ✔ ✔
Wallet ✔  ✔   ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Crypto to fiat trading pairs

  USUKEU
USD   ✔ ✖️ ✖️
GBP ✖️✖️✖️
EUR ✖️✖️✖️

Note: Coinbase Wallet does not support direct bank transactions. You’ll need to transfer your crypto to Coinbase.com or send it to an external address in order to cash out.

Crypto to crypto trading pairs

 USDCUSDTBTCETH
PLA   ✖️  ✖️ ✖️ ✖️

See the full list of countries that Coinbase supports for crypto-to-crypto trading.

Note: Only assets hosted on the Ethereum blockchain can be converted through the Coinbase Wallet mobile app at this time. Learn more about trading on Coinbase Wallet.

How many confirmations are needed for PLA?

PLA requires 35 network confirmations. Learn about transaction confirmations.

Which blockchain network hosts PLA?

PLA is hosted on Ethereum.

What are the minimum and maximum withdrawal amounts?

Coinbase has implemented safeguards to ensure a healthy and efficient network both on-chain and through our platform.  

These safeguards include both minimum and maximum amounts for each cryptocurrency we allow customers to send through the blockchain.

Minimum: 0.000000000000000001

Maximum: 700,000

In Oct 2021, fast-rising Blockchain gaming platform PlayDapp has revealed the addition of a Play-to-Earn feature on its flagship game ‘’Along with the Gods: Knights of the Dawn’’. This development is expected to build on the existing features offered by PlayDapp.

Play-to-Earn gaming is a rising phenomenon that has gathered steam in recent months. This is due to the positive benefits, as gamers have more freedom to build the gaming economy and receive rewards for transacting in-game assets. 

PlayDapp’s flagship game, Along with the Gods’’ Knights of the Dawn already has massive traction with thousands of gamers competing for rewards in NFTs. Players can earn on the flagship game by collecting Hero and Rune NFTs and selling them to other players for PLA tokens and other cryptocurrencies. 

Adding the Play-to-Earn feature will expand the potential for earning, and gamers can now stake PlayDapp Town NFTs for daily and weekly rewards in PLA tokens. To be eligible for daily rewards (5 PLA), players will need to stake three SR grade PlayDAPP TOWN NFTs, while weekly rewards require staking one SSR grade PlayDAPP TOWN NFT and competing in PvP to earn up to 5,000 PLA.   

The P2E staking feature on PlayDapp is lossless as gamers receive rewards in PLA tokens while still having control of their staked NFTs. In addition, to ensure the proper transition for gamers, PlayDapp has announced the launch of a P2E pre-staking period starting from October 20th, 2021. This will help players get ready to start earning when the game update releases on October 27, 2021. 

Interested players can load their NFTs into PlayDapp’s Item Manager in-game to ensure they can earn from the moment the P2E launches. 

A Fast-growing ecosystem 

PlayDapp is regarded as one of the fastest-growing blockchain gaming platforms and has achieved several milestones since its launch. In recent months, it has established strategic partnerships with top tech and blockchain platforms, including Samsung, Polygon, Chainlink, Portis, Klatyn, and LINE. 

PLA token has also witnessed major adoption and is available as a trading token in blockchain games like League of Kingdoms and COMETH. The token can also be traded on global crypto exchanges such as Upbit, Crypto.com, Coinbase, and more. 

PlayDapp’s core team consists of persons with vast experience in the gaming and tech industry. Some team members have worked in top platforms like Netmarble, Naver, Microsoft, ItemBay, and NCSOFT, bringing a wealth of knowledge to the gaming platform. 

PlayDapp team has revealed that it intends to launch a couple of features and products in the future. Some of these include, Along with the Gods Play2Earn specialized server launch, an SDK plugin launch on Naver Gamepot operation service, migrating to the popular Binance Smart Chain ecosystem, and a PvP tournament system. 

By Coinbase and Anjali Sriniwasan

Published
Categorized as Hot Crypto

What is Alchemix (ALCX)?

DeFi Lending and Alchemix Crypto Loans

Alchemix is a decentralized finance (DeFi) lending platform that differentiates itself in a highly competitive field with flexible loans that automatically repay themselves over time. Built into its design, Alchemix automates the process of paying back crypto-backed loans so that, with ample time, all loans on the Alchemix crypto platform should be sufficiently paid back and liquidations should never occur. While many stablecoin-backed DeFi lending platforms exist, most leave it up to the user to manage keeping the loan collateralized and paying it off. Alchemix seeks to automate this process for users interested in receiving stablecoin-backed loans. 

The Alchemix loan repayment process functions as follows: Users deposit DAI — a stablecoin built on Ethereum — to Alchemix as collateral in order to mint alUSD, which is a synthetic protocol token that tokenizes a user’s future yield. The deposited DAI is then used to generate yield in Yearn.Finance vaults, and the yield is used to pay off the loan. Depending on the depositor’s intentions, synthetic assets like alUSD can be converted back into DAI and subsequently exchanged for fiat, or they can be put to work generating even more yield in Alchemix staking pools or liquidity pools

This process of repayment — which a user must typically complete manually elsewhere — is automated on the Alchemix crypto platform. Since alUSD continuously flows in as yield that is generated from Yearn.Finance, the supply of alUSD is automatically converted back to DAI at a 1:1 ratio in order to pay off the loan as yield is accrued. Alchemix’s interconnectivity with DeFi products like Yearn.Finance and DAI is a characteristic known as composability, or the ability for a crypto product to interact with other products in the space to increase functionality. 

The Alchemix Crypto Protocol’s Transmuter

When obtaining an Alchemix loan, users deposit DAI to Alchemix vaults. Upon doing so, they can borrow funds up to a 200% collateralization ratio — or one alUSD for every two DAI deposited. This is standard practice for many DeFi lending platforms, but Alchemix’s model leverages yield farming through Yearn.Finance vaults to pay down a user’s debts automatically. Users are able to choose from an increasingly wide selection of yield farming strategies in order to repay their debt.

Once users have deposited DAI with Alchemix to mint alUSD they have an array of options. The Alchemix crypto protocol employs a pegging mechanism for the platform’s synthetic tokens called the Transmuter. It ensures that users can exchange alUSD for DAI at a 1:1 ratio. Yield generated from Yearn.Finance vaults is sent to the Transmuter and converted into DAI continually as it flows in. Users can deposit their alUSD to the Transmuter smart contract, which rewards them with DAI in proportion to the amount they have staked. When they withdraw these DAI rewards, an equal amount of alUSD is burned. Users can also use the Transmuter to swap their alUSD back to DAI, which is easier to convert to fiat currency if the crypto-backed loan was taken in order to make a purchase in fiat. 

At all times, a user’s loan collateralization ratio must be at least 200%. If the collateralization ratio drops below this level, then a user may choose to liquidate part of their collateral to retain the appropriate level of collateralization. If the collateralization ratio exceeds 200% due to yield generation, then a user can withdraw DAI or mint more alUSD until it reaches a 200% collateralization ratio again. For the sake of flexibility, users are also able to settle their crypto loans early — should they need access to their underlying collateral — by repaying their debt with either alUSD or DAI, which are treated the same in the Alchemix system. Once a user has zero alUSD debt remaining, they can withdraw all of their deposited collateral. 

Alchemix Staking and ALCX Liquidity Pools

Alchemix relies on platform participants to contribute to its liquidity pools and staking pools in order to facilitate its lending mechanism. These pools also present an opportunity for users to generate further yield on their synthetic assets like alUSD. As a reward for staking in Alchemix staking pools or providing liquidity to Alchemix liquidity pools, users can earn a proportional amount of ALCX tokens — the platform’s native governance token.

Upon the platform’s launch, there are two staking pools:

  • alUSD: Users can stake alUSD to earn ALCX. This pool exists to help establish a peg for alUSD as close as possible to $1 USD.
  • ALCX: Users can stake ALCX to earn ALCX. This pool exists to provide a less risky opportunity for risk-averse ALCX holders to earn rewards.

There are also two Alchemix liquidity pools that utilize Sushi Liquidity Provider (SLP) tokens

  • ALCX/ETH SLP tokens: Users can stake SLP tokens to earn ALCX. This pool exists to provide liquidity for the ALCX token.
  • alUSD/DAI SLP tokens: Users can stake SLP tokens to incentivize holding alUSD until the alUSD/DAI pair finds sufficient liquidity. 

Alchemix Governance and the ALCX Token

Alchemix uses its native token — ALCX — for platform governance through a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO). ALCX token holders have the ability to vote on protocol parameters, the development of new features, funding, and the structure of the DAO itself. The Alchemix DAO receives 10% of the entire platform’s Yearn.Finance profits, and uses the funds to pay its developers, cover infrastructure costs, award development grants, and fund other projects as determined at the community’s discretion. 

The ALCX token was initially released via a fair launch, without any early investors or the development team setting aside their own supply. The protocol is designed to function optimally when the majority of ALCX token holders are platform participants themselves. 

ALCX does not have a hard cap on its token supply, though it does adhere to a set release schedule that reduces issuance weekly over time — rewarding early platform participants most heavily for their early contributions. ALCX rewards will finally reach a flat weekly release of 2,200 ALCX per week three years after launch. It is projected according to this schedule that the total token supply will be somewhere near 2.4 million ALCX at the close of this timeframe. 

The Alchemix DAO initially received 15% of the projected token supply three years after launch, with another 5% reserved for bug bounties to reward security auditors for reporting potential bugs in the protocol’s code. The remaining 80% of ALCX tokens can be earned by staking certain tokens in the platform’s staking and liquidity pools. Through this mechanism, those who actually contribute to the platform will receive ALCX tokens and have the ability to participate in community governance. 

Alchemix Crypto-Backed Loans and the Future

Launched in March 2021, Alchemix is still a very young DeFi protocol. While the Alchemix crypto platform is relatively new, it is quickly adding compatibility with more cryptocurrencies and types of collateral, as well as offering users more ways to customize the structure of their crypto loans. Alchemix also intends to implement additional decentralized applications (dApps) to expand its ecosystem. 

Alchemix is already a platform for users interested in capital-efficient loans that allow their collateral deposits to generate yield in the background. It offers several unique features and benefits to users, such as the ability to customize their loan structure and yield strategy, borrow against stablecoins without risk of traditional liquidations, and enjoy low-maintenance lending with crypto-backed loans that amorize themselves automatically. Alchemix also presents a lucrative opportunity for participants to deposit collateral in order to mint synthetic assets that they can then stake and provide liquidity for — even if they never intend on withdrawing funds from their crypto loan.

Which products support ALCX? 

 Send/ReceiveTrading
Coinbase          ✔     ✔
Pro          ✔     ✔
Wallet          ✔     ✖️

What regions support ALCX? 

 USNYCANEUUKDESGJP
Coinbase    ✔✖️   ✔ ✔ ✔✖️✖️✖️
Pro   ✔✖️   ✔ ✔ ✔✖️✖️✖️
Wallet ✔ ✔   ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔✖️

Crypto to fiat trading pairs

 USUKEU
USD  ✔ ✖️ ✖️
GBP ✖️ ✖️ ✖️
EUR ✖️ ✔ ✔

Note: Coinbase Wallet does not support direct bank transactions. You’ll need to transfer your crypto to Coinbase.com or send it to an external address in order to cash out.

Crypto to crypto trading pairs 

  USDCBTC
ETHUSDT
ALCX   ✖️  ✖️
 ✖️  ✔

See the full list of countries that Coinbase supports for crypto-to-crypto trading.

Note: Only assets hosted on the Ethereum blockchain can be converted through the Coinbase Wallet mobile app at this time. Learn more about trading on Coinbase Wallet.

How many confirmations are needed for ALCX?

ALCX requires 35 network confirmations. Learn about transaction confirmations.

Which blockchain network hosts ALCX?

ALCX is hosted on Ethereum. 

What are the minimum and maximum withdrawal amounts?

Coinbase has implemented safeguards to ensure a healthy and efficient network both on-chain and through our platform.  

These safeguards include both minimum and maximum amounts for each cryptocurrency we allow customers to send through the blockchain.

Minimum:  0.000000000000000001 ALCX

Maximum:  307 ALCX

By Gemini and Coinbase

Published
Categorized as Hot Crypto

What is Kyber Network (KNC)?

Kyber Network is a decentralized, blockchain-based protocol that facilitates the exchange of tokens without an intermediary and provides liquidity for decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. At the time of this writing, Kyber Network is integrated with more than 100 applications, and powers KyberSwap, Kyber Network’s decentralized exchange (DEX). Kyber Network is governed by the holders of its native KNC token through KyberDAO, a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO).

Kyber Network Provides Critical Liquidity to DeFi

Before examining Kyber Network’s design, let’s first unpack why liquidity is important to the DeFi ecosystem. In the cryptocurrency community, liquidity refers to several things: the ability to exchange an asset without substantially shifting its price in the process, the amount of trading activity in a market, and the ease with which an asset can be converted to cash. Liquidity is essential to healthy, functional, user-friendly markets, but can be difficult for new DeFi protocols to both attain and retain.

In traditional financial markets, liquidity providers are centralized entities like banks and financial institutions. However, utilizing centralized entities to provide liquidity in DeFi markets would run contrary to the ecosystem’s ethos of decentralization. As a result, permissionless protocols like Kyber Network have emerged to take their place. Kyber Network’s mission is to create a world in which any token of value can be used anywhere for swaps in any wallet, as well as for payment services, and other newly developed financial products.

How Does Kyber Network Work?

Kyber Network consists of a set of smart contracts that can be implemented on any smart contract-capable blockchain, though it is only implemented on Ethereum as of December 2020. The protocol aggregates liquidity from a variety of reserves, including token holders, market makers, and decentralized exchanges, into a single liquidity pool on its network. Anyone can provide liquidity to the network. Kyber Network enables its three primary users — decentralized applications (dApps), vendors, and crypto wallets — to execute instant token swaps without the use of a trusted third party.

Let’s run through two types of trades.

In every trade, there is the token that represents the core asset. Ether (ETH) currently acts as this token in the Ethereum implementation of the protocol, so any trade must involve an exchange of ETH for another token. Imagine that you want to trade ETH for BAT, Brave’s Basic Attention Token:

  • You send your ETH to the Kyber Network smart contract.
  • The contract then queries all of its reserves for the best ETH to BAT exchange rate.
  • The contract then sends the ETH to the reserve with the best ETH to BAT exchange rate.
  • Finally, that reserve then sends you your BAT.

Now let’s imagine that you want to trade BAT for DAI. In this example, since you are not trading directly in ETH, some additional steps are required because ETH is the core asset:

  • You send your BAT to the Kyber Network smart contract. 
  • The contract then queries all of its reserves for the best BAT to ETH exchange rate.
  • The contract then sends the BAT to the reserve with the best BAT to ETH exchange rate. 
  • That reserve then sends ETH to the contract. 
  • The contract then queries all of its reserves for the best ETH to DAI exchange rate. 
  • The contract then sends the ETH to the reserve with the best ETH to DAI exchange rate.
  • Finally, that reserve then sends you your DAI.

Despite the second trade involving more steps, both trades are completed in a single blockchain transaction. Likewise, with Kyber Network, all trades are instantly settled on the blockchain and are either executed in full or reverted. In other words, your trades should never be partially executed (though they may be partially executed on other types of exchanges). Additionally, all exchange rates offered by reserves are publicly verifiable if you query the smart contracts.

When integrated into dApps, DeFi platforms, and crypto wallets, the Kyber Network has a wide range of use cases. For example, a dApp that would like to accept users who do not hold its native token can integrate the Kyber protocol to allow for in-app token swap and token conversion functionalities. These features enable the dApp’s users to utilize any Kyber Network-supported token and simultaneously enable the dApp to receive payment in the token of its choice.

KyberDAO and KNC

Holders of KNC can participate in the governance of Kyber Network through KyberDAO. By staking their tokens, KNC holders can vote on the network’s fee model, rebates for reserves, and other proposals, and also earn staking rewards denominated in ether. KNC is a deflationary staking token, which means its supply will decrease over time. KNC is only an ERC-20 token as of December 2020, but Kyber Network anticipates that it will also be implemented on other blockchains in the future. Nonetheless, its supply will be managed as if it were a single token, and Kyber Network is developing technologies that will enable the transfer of KNC across blockchains.

Kyber Network’s broadly integrated protocol offers an on-chain, decentralized solution to DeFi’s liquidity challenges and provides ERC-20 tokens with ecosystem-wide utility.

What products support KNC?

 Send/ReceiveTrading
Coinbase            ✔      ✔
Pro           ✔      ✔

What regions support KNC?

 USNYEUUKCA/SG
Coinbase    ✔  ✔  ✔  ✔     ✔
Pro    ✔  ✔  ✔     ✔

Crypto to fiat trading pairs

  US  UK  EU 
USD   ✔ ✖️✖️
GBP  ✖️  ✔✖️
EUR  ✖️  ✔ ✔

Crypto to crypto trading pairs

 USDC BTC ETH 
KNC    ✖️  ✔ ✖️

See the full list of countries that Coinbase supports for crypto-to-crypto trading.

How many confirmations are needed for KNC?

KNC requires 35 network confirmations. Learn about transaction confirmations.

Which blockchain network hosts KNC?

KNC is hosted on the Ethereum blockchain.

What are the minimum and maximum withdrawal amounts?

Coinbase has implemented safeguards to ensure a healthy and efficient network both on-chain and through our platform.  

These safeguards include both minimum and maximum amounts for each cryptocurrency we allow customers to send through the blockchain.

Minimum: 0.01 KNC

Maximum: 121,000 KNC

On April 20, 2021, KNC (Kyber) deployed their new token and swap contracts. You can reference KNC’s tweet for more on the token swap. While we won’t support the new smart contract at the time of the initial token swap, we will support it a later date in 2021. 

What do I need to know about the KNC token swap?

The new KNC smart contract will be available on Coinbase and Coinbase Pro.

New smart contract

Coinbase will not support the new smart contract at the time of the token swap. You won’t be able to trade (buy/sell) the new token. You can still trade the older version of KNC before the conversion tha occurs later in 2021. 

Once Coinbase supports the new smart contract later in 2021, Coinbase will automatically convert all the KNC tokens in your account and trading will be enabled. If you have KNC in your Coinbase accunt, we’ll notify you a few weeks before the conversion once a conversion date is determined. 

Moving KNC Tokens

You have the option to move your KNC tokens out of Coinbase any time before the conversion date. 

Sending and receiving KNC Tokens

When sending/receiving KNC tokens, please check what version of KNC tokens you currently hold. Exchanges and wallets might have or have not updated to the new token contract, and your funds might be lost if you send an unsupported version of KNC. The Ethereum contract address for the old KNC token is: 0xdd974d5c2e2928dea5f71b9825b8b646686bd200.

Will I be able to deposit the new KNC token to Coinbase before the conversion? 

No. Coinbase KNC wallets supporting the new smart contract won’t be available until afterthe conversion later this year.  We’ll announce this date on Twitter once we know.

What happens if I deposit the new KNC token into my Coinbase account before the conversion?

If you transfer the new KNC token from another exchange to Coinbase before the upgrade then the token will not be accessible or available for withdrawal from Coinbase until the KNC smart contract is supported.

What happens if I deposit the old KNC smart contract after it’s deprecated on Coinbase?

These deposits would not be supported and would be treated as an unsupported digital currency. Depositing unsupported assets in your Coinbase account will cause you to lose them.

Sending and receiving

Old KNC: You will be able to send & receive the old KNC before update/conversion.

New KNC smart contract: You will not be able to send & receive the new KNC smart contract before the upgrade/conversion.

After the upgrade, sending and receiving the new KNC tokens will be enabled on Coinbase Pro but sending and receiving old KNC tokens will no longer be available.

What happens to my KNC after the mandatory conversion to the new KNC smart contract?

As previously mentioned, all of your KNC tokens will automatically convert to the new smart contract and your new KNC tokens will be available in Coinbase products. You’ll then be able to buy, sell and convert KNC on Coinbase products.

Will we support the new KNC token on Pro trading books?

Yes, but only after Coinbase supports the conversion later this year.

What does this mean for KNC in my standalone Coinbase Wallet?

If you have KNC in your Coinbase Wallet, KNC funds will not convert to the KNC. You will need to follow the instructions outlined by KNC in their Migration Guide

By Gemini and Coinbase

Published
Categorized as Hot Crypto

What is MASK Network (MASK)?

Mask Network is a portal that allows users to seamlessly send encrypted messages, cryptocurrencies, and even DApps (Defi, NFTs, DAO) over the top of social networks without migrating, and thereby creating a decentralized Applet(DApplet) ecosystem. In short, we want to bridge the New, Open Internet right on top of the current one.

An Overview 🔍

Instead of creating a new platform, Mask Network aims to bridge Web2 (the current web) and so-called Web3, to empower the general public to use the better web within the current mainstream platforms, without using any API or centralized server.

Our Vision 🚩

People live on the Internet. The current version of the internet consists of big techs after big techs where people essentially have to give up control of their own autonomy and cannot even get a breathing room in between the platforms. Many want to overthrow them by starting new ones.

We don’t — We want to create something above them. Cryptography and Web 3 technology (including blockchain, decentralized storage, and peer to peer networks, etc) is enabling us to pull off the job.

The historical reference is the Operating system vs Web browser. Microsoft Windows used to be the ‘evil’ dominant player, taking over 90% of the OS market share. But the Internet (more specifically, Web) changes everything. Everyone still uses operating systems, but the pie has been significantly diluted by the Internet. The web browser is built inside the operating system and sucks in most of the operating system usage gradually and effectively — became the operating system. Microsoft had to preinstall IE to fight back against Netscape — finally leading to DOJ’s action against Microsoft.

Historical Parallel: Microsoft Windows — Netscape Navigator

Now onto the social networks. Some 90% of the global Internet users are social network users. Social networks have become the infrastructure that few can bypass. Directly competing against those giants seems infeasible. What if we can create something over-the-top of them that people want? Lots of problems have arisen in social networks. They can barely do cross border payments, no space to permanently store files, no real secure encryption. They monetize based on our data and labor and we have little bargain power to stop that.

Is there something that can fix all those problems? The rise of peer to peer networks, blockchain, decentralized storage, collectively denominated as Web 3, are giving us a silver lining. We want to piece them together and give ordinary users a whole new Internet inside the existing one.

Mask Network — the bridge connect Web2 and Web3

What Have We Done and How Has it Been Received

Mask Network has been up and running for almost a year. In the earliest version back in July 2019. The basic function it provides is sending and receiving encrypted posts (tweets/fb posts) with access control. This is achieved without having a centralized server. We also kept UI consistency with platforms to reduce on-boarding costs.

What products support MASK? 

 Send/ReceiveTrading
  Coinbase           ✖️     ✖️
  Pro           ✔      ✔
Wallet          ✖️     ✖️

What regions support MASK?

 USNYCANEUUKDESGJP
Coinbase   ✔✖️  ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔✖️✖️
Pro   ✔✖️  ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔✖️✖️
Wallet✖️✖️  ✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️✖️

Crypto to fiat trading pairs

  USUKEU
USD   ✔ ✖️ ✖️
GBP ✖️ ✔✖️
EUR ✖️ ✔ ✔

Crypto to crypto trading pairs

 USDCUSDTBTCETH
MASK   ✖️   ✔ ✖️ ✖️

See the full list of countries that Coinbase supports for crypto-to-crypto trading.

How many confirmations are needed for MASK?

MASK requires 35 network confirmations. Learn about transaction confirmations.

Which blockchain network hosts MASK?

MASK is hosted on Ethereum.

What are the minimum and maximum withdrawal amounts?

Coinbase has implemented safeguards to ensure a healthy and efficient network both on-chain and through our platform.  

These safeguards include both minimum and maximum amounts for each cryptocurrency we allow customers to send through the blockchain.

Minimum: 0.000000010000000000

Maximum: 33,069

By Mask Network and Coinbase

Published
Categorized as Hot Crypto

刘慈欣和周鸿祎为什么唱衰元宇宙

1865年,有英国人在北京做蒸汽机车实验,这在当时是新鲜事物,李岳瑞 《春冰室野乘记》载:“京师人诧所未闻,骇为妖物,举国若狂,几至大变。旋经步军统领衙门饬令拆卸,群疑始息。”意思是,北京人觉得它是妖怪,群情沸腾,后来步军统领衙门就把它拆了,这样,事情才止息。

美国

火车入京,骇为妖物。据《点石斋画报》

1876年吴淞铁路建成通车,吃瓜群众纷纷围观。后来,发生了一起火车压死人的事故,于是反对火车的声音达到高潮。最终,清政府收购了这条铁路,并将其拆了。

在当时的某些国人看来,火车这个玩意儿因为需要铁轨,需要开山铺路,对风水是大大不利的。

李鸿章是个明白人,他还是要修火车。1881年唐胥铁路建成,李鸿章说这是运输煤炭的“马路”,希望就此蒙混过关。结果,太后英明,说是“机车直驶,震动东陵,且喷出黑烟,有伤禾稼”,意思是这个破玩意儿惊扰了祖宗,而且不利于环保,要改进。于是,既然是“马路”,就改为驴马拖拽吧。

最后,居然有一个阶段就真的是用驴马来拖拽着车厢在铁轨上滑行的。

美国

驴马拉车厢,还需要人来赶驴

当年,火车是妖怪,如今元宇宙是妖怪。

1.妖魔化元宇宙的风气很不好

10月28日,马克·扎克伯格在facebook connect大会上宣布,脸书更名为“meta”。脸书于当天回应:改名是为了重塑品牌,以配合公司从“社交媒体公司”向“元宇宙公司”这一转向。

随后,元宇宙一词大火。

于是,有人卖课赚了百万,有公司借助元宇宙概念赚了几十亿的市值。

这个里面的确有炒作、割韭菜的行为,不过,这一切和正经的元宇宙概念与应用有啥关系?一个明星唱歌唱得好,有人假借他的名义在某城市开演唱会卖票,结果李逵没来,来的是李鬼。难道这罪名该李逵背吗?难道不是该怪自己太大意,又或者李鬼太可恨吗?

现在有一股妖魔化元宇宙的风气,我看很不好。

这就像几百年前,很多人根本就不知道火车是什么,就瞅了几眼,就跟着瞎起哄,说这玩意儿是妖怪一样。

现在很多人根本不知道元宇宙是什么,就跟着媒体、名人起哄说元宇宙是妖怪。

此前有媒体评论说:“推动新概念及其产业逐步走向成熟需要时间,通向令人神往的科技未来需要脚踏实地、打好发展地基。正如不论虚拟现实、增强现实还是混合现实,中心词都是‘现实’,这也预示着离开了现实的支撑,终归是海市蜃楼无本之木。‘基础不牢地动山摇’,这样的道理不论在真实宇宙还是元宇宙,应该都是适用的”。

很多人对此理解为批评元宇宙,这其实是几句放之四海而皆准的大道理。你想想互联网发展之初,有人这样说是不是也很有道理?

可是这是批评元宇宙吗?这是批评不好好推进元宇宙,某些人只想借元宇宙割韭菜、炒概念。

人家前面还有一句话“不过可以明确的是,一些新概念承载着人们对技术发展的信心,以及对未来美好生活的期待”。

2.元宇宙办公室可以节省通勤时间

擅长构建虚拟宇宙世界的刘慈欣,近日在公开演讲中怒怼元宇宙,称“元宇宙将引导人类走向死路。”刘慈欣觉得元宇宙是极具诱惑、高度致幻的“精神鸦片”,担忧人类沉浸在虚拟世界固步自封。

刘慈欣是科幻作家,以前当过电工,但是他一天老板都没当过,他也没做过技术公司,他有很高的写作天分和想象力,可是他没有什么商业思维。

 我个人是不玩游戏的,我也反对未成年人玩游戏。我想刘慈欣觉得元宇宙是极具诱惑、高度致幻的“精神鸦片”,大多也是从这个角度考虑。

不过,元宇宙不等于游戏,游戏应用只是元宇宙的一部分。

在虚拟空间里,人们可以购物,甚至可以进行体育锻炼,戴上AR眼镜跑步、打球并不是幻觉,如果技术再成熟一点,还会有大规模的虚拟办公室、会议室出现,会极大地缓解交通拥堵问题。

美国

有人说从燕郊到北京,“我的上班路,就像一场战斗”,有媒体报道:早上5:30分,天还漆黑,街上难觅人影,燕京航城北门外的818路快车公交车始发站,这里已经站了两排等待进京的乘客。有乘客说,这是到北京最快的一班车。走得早,不堵车,一个小时多一点就能到。

如果有了元宇宙办公室,且解决了拟真感、低延迟的问题,有些比较跟得上潮流的公司会考虑元宇宙办公室,因为在元宇宙办公室也可以打卡,也有电脑。

这是正经的工作空间和工作需求,而且可以省交通费,可以节省一大笔买房、租房的费用,和“精神鸦片”完全搭不上边。

想想看,每天节省来回四五个小时的通勤时间,这是多么令人高兴的事儿。而且老板也比较放心,因为他可以观察员工在元宇宙办公室的工作状态。

3.元宇宙不是现实世界的敌人

在11月20日晚播出的央视对话节目中,360集团创始人周鸿祎表示,元宇宙的概念最近炒得很热,很多人找到了新的圈钱手段。他认为,第一,元宇宙幻想的虚拟现实,还要假以时日;第二,Facebook的幻想不代表未来,而是代表人类的没落。

美国

周鸿祎发言截屏(下同)

我仔细看了周鸿祎发言的视频,他说他和美国同行交流,美国同行告诉他元宇宙的最高未来是实现脑机接口,“躺床上,插着氧供着营养液,通过脑机接口刺激大脑,在虚拟世界里形成幻觉”。

美国

其实,周鸿祎还是在反对脑机接口,这个观点他早就表达过,在去年的ISC2020大会上,周鸿祎谈马斯克脑机接口时表示强烈反对,称马斯克是半疯半狂的人。周鸿祎认为如果脑机接口用于帮助残障人士,那是合适的。如果每个人都连上了互联网,数据保护会变成很大的挑战。

周鸿祎认为元宇宙的最高未来就是脑机接口,这个结论是“美国同行”告诉他的。不过,这个“美国同行”怎么就能确认元宇宙的最高未来就是脑机接口?

美国

众所周知,元宇宙是一个发展中的概念,未来在技术上有哪些突破,根本就无法预测。这个美国同行居然就把元宇宙的最高未来给预测了,他是上帝还是神?

何况,脑机接口只是数据接入的形式之一,个人也可以选择眼镜和头盔呀,周鸿祎只强调脑机接口,并不妥当。

周鸿祎在发言中还把虚拟世界的行为和个人在现实工作中的奋斗对立起来,他说“如果我们摆脱现实,在现实中不经过艰苦的努力去获得一种成就,大家都生活在一个虚幻的空间里……”。

美国

谁说了利用元宇宙作为生活、工作的工具,就要完全脱离现实生活?这不是刻意制造对立吗?

现实情况是李四在元宇宙教室听了易中天的讲课之后,还会去买易中天的书来看,如果有易中天的演讲在本城举行,他也会去参加,而且希望获得签名。

工作日的晚上,在元宇宙健身房锻炼的李四,到周末也希望去郊区跑个10公里,因为空气质量完全不一样。

元宇宙不是现实世界的敌人,不是精神鸦片,只是一个工具。

全世界每年因交通事故死亡人数超过百万,我们会拒绝使用汽车吗?

4.沈葆桢曾国藩都曾反对修铁路

说回前面的历史,1876年吴淞铁路被拆,你们知道出主意的是谁吗?是名臣沈葆桢,“自沈幼丹(即沈葆桢)任江督时,力主铁路不宜筑之议,决意将重价购回拆毁。”

美国

苏州火车开往吴淞的年画

沈葆桢是晚清时期的重要大臣,政治家、军事家、外交家、民族英雄,中国近代造船、航运、海军建设事业的奠基人之一,是清朝抵抗侵略的封疆大吏林则徐之婿。

即使是这样聪明睿智的人物,也有自己认知的局限性。

如今,沈葆桢的故乡福州早已经通了高铁。

有人认为,中国历史上出过两个半完人。一个是孔子,第二个是王守仁,曾国藩则被评为半个完人。在曾国藩的倡议下,建造了中国第一艘轮船,建立了第一所兵工学堂,印刷翻译了第一批西方书籍,安排了第一批赴美留学生。

就是这样一位被梁启超称为“立德、立功、立言三不朽”的人物,也是坚决反对在中国修建铁路的,甚至反对一切带有铁路意义的技术手段。曾国藩认为铁路是西方人用来侵夺中国利益的手段。

曾国藩任直隶总督时,为消除永定河水患,有人曾禀请购买和使用挖河机器,为此需要修建轻便铁路,曾国藩对此的答复是:“近年中国力拒外洋来开铁路之议,岂可反自中国作俑!此层决不可行。”自己修铁路也不行!

李瀚章称赞曾国藩:“其深识远略,公而忘私,尤有古人所不能及者”。但是在技术问题的认识上,曾国藩也有自己的不足之处。

所以,保持自己的独立思考很重要,元宇宙的发展还需要安静观察,不要轻易否定。

美国

毕竟,刘慈欣、周鸿祎、沈葆桢、曾国藩都可能会说错。

有人在不断创新,引领时代,创造财富和令人欣喜的未来。

有人停止学习,或者学习能力跟不上,只想巩固现有的利益和地盘,最终会被时代的高铁抛弃。

嗯,高铁抛弃某些人的时候,连招呼都不会打一声。

保持学习力,时时刷新自己的思维力,随时准备微调甚至重构自己的思维体系和认知框架很重要。

没有什么不变的,唯一不变的只有“不变”本身。

By 抱朴财经

职业电竞不好做:万分之一出道率,24岁退役魔咒

BP是一个游戏术语,B是禁用(Ban),P是选择(Pick)。BP通常出现在上场前:两队决定禁用哪些英雄,并选择那些未被禁用的英雄。如何选择,考验着双方的谋略战术。

  中国的电竞行业在这两年进入发展的快车道,成为全球赛事营收最高、核心观众最多的市场,在这一过程中,也面临很多BP时刻。年轻人要不要做职业选手?退役的选手从高光回归寻常,如何规划未来的路?俱乐部该不该全面拥抱商业化甚至饭圈化?当电竞火爆,对青少年的影响与日俱增,社会该不该更冷静地去关注虚拟与现实的边界?

  澎湃新闻行业观察与产业调查栏目“痛点”推出《电竞人生BP指南》专题,通过采访俱乐部管理者、电竞赛训负责人、在役与退役的职业选手、电竞行业研究学者,呈现行业现状。

  上海浦东某别墅小区,幽深静谧,最近的商业区要打车走上一会儿,JDG京东电子竞技俱乐部英雄联盟分部驻扎在此。近两年,JDG的成绩爬升很快,在2020年斩获《英雄联盟》职业联赛(LPL)春季赛冠军及夏季赛亚军,挺进全球总决赛八强。

  在游戏里叱咤风云的“探险家”、“机械公敌”、“兽灵行者”,是生活里一群二十岁左右的少年。赢得比赛是他们最大的向往。

  24岁的JDG上单选手张星冉,从进入这个行业开始,已经过了差不多8年这样的生活,经历了电竞从“不务正业”到“为国争光”的转变——现在,中国已是全球赛事收入最高的电竞市场,2021年电竞用户预计达到4.25亿。是这群电竞选手们,支撑起了电竞产业链的基座。

  但在光环的另一侧,是极其苛刻的选拔条件、日复一日的枯燥训练、日夜颠倒的生活作息。

  JDG的选手们,大约在午间起床,训练,吃饭,然后继续训练,直到凌晨入睡。别墅一层最大的房间作为训练室,十多台电脑微微发烫,坐在电竞椅上的选手们目不转睛。到点了,便走向另一侧的小食堂。如果不是比赛外出,选手每天接触最多的人,除了队友、教练、经理,就是食堂阿姨,很适合全身心地投入到训练里。

  别的电竞俱乐部也大抵如此,阔绰一点儿的包下别墅,艰苦一点的则是“网吧队”,住四人间六人间上下铺。他们的经历大都相似:十多岁,在游戏内的排行中崭露头角,被俱乐部选中参与青训,经过极高的淘汰率后,真正进入到职业序列中,开始“打怪升级”。

  在网上,流传着他们精彩操作的视频,精妙绝伦。但在生活中,他们是什么样子?进入这个圈子,有哪些门槛?退役之后,有哪些未来的方向?澎湃新闻采访了多位职业电竞选手,他们有的刚从青训体系中闯关成功,有的正值当打之年,还有的已谢幕台前,正寻找新的方向。

  万分之一“出道率”

  什么样的人可以成为职业电竞选手呢?这个问题,听到最多的回答是,要有天赋。几乎每个人都认同,天赋的决定因素,比重甚至超过了后天的训练。

  如果把天赋具象化,就是游戏系统里的排名系统。《英雄联盟》设有排位赛机制,匹配段位实力相近的玩家来对局,根据胜负获得点数的增加或扣减,通过不断累积胜点,晋升到更高段位。从黑铁、青铜、白银、黄金、铂金到钻石,共分为六个大段。每个大段有五个小段,每个小段需积满100胜点。

  到达钻石段位后是超凡大师,此时不再有100胜点上限,大师胜点超200分后,全服前500名可以晋升傲世宗师,全服前200名为最强王者。

  这就和高考分数一样,被划出985、211、一本、二本。从各家俱乐部青训招募的标准来看,要求基本都在985级别:即大师段位以上。

  “排行能打得很高,就知道自己有天赋。”JDG上单选手张星冉向澎湃新闻表示。

  张星冉谈道,家里表哥表姐特别会读书,家里不缺读书的料,而自己的技能点被“点”在了游戏上。“因为当时排行比较高,国服前几十吧,所以就想打职业。国服当时职业选手也在打,碰到之后没觉得有什么差距,既然水平都差不多,所以我也有机会打职业。”

  打到国服前几十是什么概念?《英雄联盟》国服(指中国区服务器)人数最多的大区艾欧尼亚在千万用户之多,其他区则在百万级别,前几十名,无疑是十万挑一。难度,不亚于高考考上985大学。

  “我的建议就是韩服必须是王者,国服最好是峡谷1000分,如果没有这个前提,我建议你不要打职业。”前LPL职业选手、原LNG战队辅助段德良(游戏ID:Duan)向澎湃新闻记者表示。

  天赋的差异,则是一件很残酷的事情,尤其是当它比较难以用后天的努力来弥补时。

  人社部曾在2019年发布《新职业——电子竞技员就业景气现状分析报告》,报告称,目前我国正在运营的电子竞技战队(含俱乐部)多达5000余家,电子竞技职业选手约10万人,还有大批量半职业、业余电子竞技选手活跃在各种中小规模电子竞技赛事的赛场上。

  10万人,数字看着庞大,但真正能进入大众视野的,凤毛麟角。就像是分布在一个金字塔上,越顶级,越稀少。天赋,已经天然决定了他们的位置在哪儿。

  游戏陪练平台比心推出了电竞青训选拔项目“星火计划”,全国范围内16到18岁的青少年可报名,从中选拔出具有职业选手潜力的玩家,输送至电竞俱乐部参与青训。广西男生韦荣是其中之一,他是身边朋友中打游戏打得最好的,在《英雄联盟》韩服(韩国地区服务器)的成绩是“大师150点”。通过星火计划,他获得了老牌电竞俱乐部WE的试训资格。

  韦荣是从10万人中脱颖而出。截至2020年,比心星火的报名人数超过10万,进入线下试训84人,比例不到千分之一。其中真正入俱乐部成为职业选手的有9人,比例进一步被缩小至万分之一。

  来试训的所有的人,都在游戏这一项活动上有着过人的天赋。这就像各个省市的状元们考上清华北大,然后发现这里依然有排名,有人可以继续拿A,也有人只能吃到C和D。

  在训练赛中表现不佳,以及年龄问题,7天的试训结束后,韦荣未能被选上。

  韦荣是个乐观小伙儿,从WE离开后,他去了另一家电竞俱乐部,和另外两名选手争夺一个上单首发的位置。但在这场竞争中,韦荣输给了一位来得更晚、03年出生的男生。“年纪小的一来压力就大,因为他过来的时候只有400分(指大师段位的胜点),他两周之内时间打上了800分。”

  这让韦荣开始质疑自己。“一个人如果有很过人的天赋,他会在排位升降级中打得很快,不会在一个阶段停留很久,很快刷到能跟LPL那些人正面对抗(的段位)。”

  教练委婉地向他表达:“打(端游)的话可能没那么好出来,提前去做手游准备吧。”言外之意,不言自明。

  排名冷冰冰地展现天赋的差异,如果继续追问天赋到底是什么,还有很多种解释。

  “别人不懂的你能懂,别人会的,你会的比他更多,甚至不用去学习,都能明白的那种状态。”这是韦荣琢磨出的理解。韦荣已经做得比大多数人要更好。但这个领域里,总有更强的人冒出。

  “比如像Faker那样的职业选手,《英雄联盟》刚出来一个新英雄,他只需要玩一把,或者是训练模式玩一下,他就知道这个英雄具体要怎么玩。”段德良说,“只需要玩一把,差不多就精通了,这就是天赋。”

  也有的人用学科天赋与电竞天赋类比。“老师教你一套公式来解这道题,但有天赋的人会重新创造一种方式来解题。”某电竞俱乐部经理安齐(化名)说。安齐带过几个战队,在他看来,一个孩子有没有天赋,其实一两天就能看出。

  职业选手,这是一个少有的,经验只排在第二位的工作,但这不代表经验和后天的努力不重要。

  “训练其实主要是要练团队之间的配合。”张星冉说。归根结底,《英雄联盟》是一款极其讲究团队配合的游戏,光一个人“Carry”,难以长久。

  张星冉认为,自己作为有着多年职业经历的选手,过了“只用天赋打游戏”的阶段。“经验这个东西,细节到每一个小操作、每一个处理方式。有一百多个英雄,一个英雄和另一个英雄对峙,哪些时间该做哪些事情,这些就是经验一个个累积下来。”

  韦荣的几段训练经历,也让他积累了大量实战经验。韦荣现在已经向《英雄联盟》手游转型。《英雄联盟》手游职业赛事蓄势待发,像他这样在端游赛事中经验丰富的选手,很快被吸纳。

  24岁这个坎

  在JDG俱乐部的冰箱里,叠放着一大摞饮料,可乐一定是无糖的,茶饮一定是低卡的。近两年,俱乐部还为选手请了理疗师,应对肩颈、背、腰的劳损问题。

  健康问题,在电竞的圈子里的关注程度越来越高。毕竟,当你天赋异禀,踏上了电竞职业之路,当你运气卓绝,一路过关斩将打入顶级赛事,最害怕的事情,是巅峰期太短暂。

  足球、篮球、网球等商业价值顶级的赛事,不乏三十、四十岁仍活跃的选手,但电竞选手的职业黄金期通常比较短。人力资源和社会保障部曾在2019年出具的《电子竞技员就业景气现状分析报告》显示,被调查的电子竞技员超过半数在16到22岁之间,有不到三成在23至30岁之间,年龄普遍偏低。

  澎湃新闻记者统计发现,近两年来LPL退役的知名选手年龄在21到26岁区间,平均约23.5岁。

  公认国内最顶级的LPL选手、曾出战雅加达亚运会并获得冠军的简自豪(游戏ID:Uzi),是23岁退役的,原因是被诊断出二型糖尿病。

  压力大、肥胖、饮食不规律、熬夜,这是简自豪总结的病因。“这半年我有慢慢的改变作息,控制饮食,减肥,运动和吃药,可是情况没有得到改变。并且因为吃药。我的精神状态没有以前那么好了。医生也说如果再继续严重下去,并发症很快就会出现,加上我原本手伤就比较严重,我的身体条件不允许我再继续战斗下去了。”Uzi在微博上写道。

  Uzi此前在接受澎湃新闻采访时谈道,自己的作息大约是每天中午12点起来,吃好饭开始训练,打Rank,然后团队训练,一直训练到第二天早上6、7点。

  “每天十几个小时的训练,你可能坚持个一周两周,到了第三周的时候你就会想说,我能不能休息一下?但现实是不允许的。”Uzi说,“只有平时付出的足够多,赛场上才会有成果。”

  每天十几个小时的训练,是电竞选手的生活常态,熬夜似乎是这一行的必备技能。

  张星冉的平均入睡时间是凌晨4点。问及为什么不改成早睡早起,他笑了笑说,“也不可能早上六七点起来打游戏,要玩基本都是玩得很晚。因为所有的人都是这个点,如果你错开了,就和其他战队错开,训练赛也会错开。”

  韦荣现在的队伍是合宿,中午12点“上班”,夜里12点结束“下班”,晚一点要练到一两点。回到房间里,队友们再玩玩手机聊聊天,不知不觉又到深夜。

  如果“夜猫子”这件事,年轻人都还比较能扛,那么久坐带来的发胖,则不那么愉快了。

  身高186公分的张星冉,曾一度“胖到自己无法忍受的程度”,奋而在训练之余走上了减肥之路。健身的时间是挤出来的,他选择比队友的起床时间早一两个小时,去做锻炼。经过一年的努力,他瘦了60斤,被调侃为“电竞男模”。

  24岁的张星冉坚持运动,希望保持健康的状态,让职业生涯尽可能地久一点。“暂时不会退役。等我觉得我谁都打不过的时候,我肯定会自觉地退役。我的自尊心不会允许我水平退了还强行打。”

  段德良则在24岁这一年,选择了退役,原因正是在于状态的下滑。

  “因为我退役之前那个赛季打得特别差,我自己这边有点接受不了,接受不了自己没有以前那么厉害了。”段德良向澎湃新闻记者说。

  1996年生的段德良职业经历曲折:十多岁时离开家,在网吧做网管,和伙伴组成“网吧队”,“打得很猛,被青训的看上了”。2015年底,他被职业电竞俱乐部VG选中,开启了职业选手生涯。2017年,VG因成绩不佳而被降至了次级联赛。段德良没有选择离开,而是陪伴队伍重新打回LPL,团队精神是这个游戏的内核,段德良很在乎义气这件事情。

  回到LPL后,小段却坐了大半年替补席。直到2019年,他加盟LNG,才真正在LPL圈子里崭露头角。当时他23岁,对于LNG为什么引进这样一位“大龄”选手,还曾引起俱乐部粉丝的质疑。小段很快用出彩且稳定的表现,回应了外界声音。可巅峰期太短暂,一个赛季的表现不佳,让他背负起巨大的心理压力。即使才24岁,他已是“在LPL里年龄最大的辅助选手”。

  2020年11月,段德良在微博写了一篇五百字的小作文儿,郑重宣布了自己退役的消息。

  “看比赛的时候总会听解说说到年轻真好,是啊年轻真好,当我察觉到自己的反应操作集中力开始下降的时候,也会时不时的感慨上一句年轻真好!”

  “虽然走到今天没取得过什么成绩,但因为很热爱所以一直在努力坚持,直到我发现自己真的力不从心,我不想拖累队友,也不想让大家看到一个很差的自己,所以也到了说再见的时候了。”

  问及为何没有再尝试一阵儿,再给自己一点机会,就像当年逆风翻盘回到LPL。电话那头的小段,长叹了一口气。“当时真的是对自己打击很大,就觉得自己实力不够了,没有资格打LPL了。”

  退役之后

  高光过后,退役的选手们,都去哪儿了?这就像是毕业生从学校踏上社会,退役的电竞选手,同样是从象牙塔,被弹射回现实世界里。

  现在,他们要将自己从过往抽离,然后到找到下一个全身心热爱的事业,这对谁都不是件轻而易举的事情。

  从电竞选手Duan做回24岁的段德良,要做些什么呢?段德良脑海里闪现过去开一家奶茶店的想法。但奶茶店该怎么开呢?会不会赔钱?

  看起来,更为稳妥和普遍的做法,是追寻前辈们的选择。大部分的选手,虽然离开了赛场,但仍留在这个蓬勃发展的领域里,成为解说、教练、领队,实现自循环。

  还有不少顶尖选手的退役去向,是成为游戏主播。刘谋(PDD)是其中的代表。这位曾经的IG战队上单选手,现为斗鱼平台人气最高的游戏主播之一,为后续电竞选手转型铺出了路。

  站在更上游的人,也希望帮助他们跑通这条路。在今年腾讯电竞的活动上,腾讯电竞称将与直播平台虎牙联合推出电竞选手职业生涯保障计划,为选手们提供再就业机会。

  但走到顶端的,始终是少数。做游戏直播,除了游戏打得好,还得能说会道、插科打诨,一天数小时滔滔不绝。这些都做到了,能不能有人气依旧是一门玄学。

  段德良尝试直播了一段时间,规定自己很早起床,尝试了不同时间段做直播,“特别认真在做,但效果不是特别好。因为我这个位置又不好做直播,而且怎么说,喜欢看辅助的会很少。”

  小主播能出头,大都背后倚靠着一家实力不错的MCN机构,做形象、内容包装。也许未来可以考虑签约一个MCN机构,比单打独斗要上升得快一点。段德良知道这些门道,但谈到这,似乎没有特别打动他。

  还有一批LPL退役选手,以及一直在次级联赛(LDL)但未能有机会打入LPL的选手,瞄准了《英雄联盟》手游的机会。

  “可以试试。”段德良说。过了一会儿,段德良又直言,“不想去做手游,如果。”他顿了顿,“也没有如果。就还是想去做端游。”

  或者,十几岁离开家,闯荡电竞江湖的的他,是不是可以回去继续读书?

  电竞行业和中国其他的体育行业类似。当踏上职业道路,生活就不再是寻常道路:读书、高考、大学与工作,而是训练与比赛交替。目前我国有针对高水平运动员的大学招生计划,但对于电竞选手,似乎还未发展到这一步。

  目前,行业有自发推出的电竞奖学金计划,启动两年来有29名选手被北京邮电大学和广州体育学院的成人教育专业录取,这是一个比较好的开始。

  现在的段德良,还在玩着《英雄联盟》。“你有想过给自己放假放到什么时候,后面再去做一点事情吗?”记者问。“应该快了,快了。”段德良说。 

  张星冉在今年的LPL春季赛中表现不错,正鏖战夏季赛,以争取S赛(《英雄联盟》全球总决赛)资格。他跳过了记者问未来规划的问题,白净的娃娃脸,浮起一丝狡黠的笑意,“有想过,但肯定不能说”。

  韦荣在备战《英雄联盟》手游联赛的上线,最新的消息是,职业资格赛阶段将于9月开始。但所在队伍训练赛表现状态不佳,教练在要不要换人这件事上,给了他不小的心理压力。

  这个年龄,还经得住一次落选吗?无论如何,在他看来,这里的生活,比回到老家三点一线的工作要更有魅力。“最快乐的时候是每天和队友很努力训练,然后得到自己想要的答案和成绩。”他说。

By 陈宇曦、秦盛