Stand with Crypto expands in the UK

Mission of Stand with Crypto in the UK

Stand with Crypto was born in the US as an advocacy organisation focused on mobilising the crypto community to directly engage in the legislative process. Stand with Crypto in the UK is all about shining a spotlight on the web3 entrepreneurs that are building their businesses on the blockchain, driving real world use cases, and solving society’s problems through this transformative new technology. By highlighting the depth, breadth and potential of Web3 innovation in the UK we hope to illustrate the importance of getting the regulatory and operating environment right.

Policymakers want to better understand the opportunities afforded by this new technology. And so the industry is coming together to better explain the social utility and benefits of blockchain, crypto assets and web3 innovation.

London Launch Event: A Major Milestone

Earlier this week, SwC reached a significant milestone with a launch event in London. Held in the UK Parliament, and hosted by Former Chancellor of the Exchequer and current member of the Coinbase Global Advisory Council, George Osborne, it was a cross-party event, with Ministerial representation from the Department of Business and Labour frontbench team. The event brought together some 100 web3 entrepreneurs, industry leaders, investors, leading academics and media.

Following remarks from George Osborne, Coinbase Chief Policy Officer Faryar Shirzad, a16z crypto Global Head of Policy Brian Quintenz, web3 founders provided two minute “elevator pitches” on their businesses. It was hugely inspiring to hear how so many small business leaders are building their businesses on the blockchain, and across so many sectors of the UK economy. We should not fall into the trap of thinking that blockchain use-cases are solely in the financial services sector. The case studies included:

• Telecommunications: WeaverLabs is building a decentralised physical network for the Telecoms industry, essentially coordinating smaller / independent telecoms networks to compete with bigger players using their cell stack orchestration software. Originally born out of the 5G Innovation Labs at King College London, CEO Maria Lema and team have worked on smart city partnerships with the Transport for Greater Manchester and Liverpool, among others, to build public sector 5G networks as well as private networks for venues like stadiums and event spaces. Weaver Labs is part of a £12 million grant to develop 6G mobile networks from the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology.

• Advertising: Aklimi is a decentralised programmatic ad exchange with the mission to guarantee the future of the ad funded internet. Alkimi provides more value for advertisers like AWS, Coca Cola, Cathay Pacific and Meta and for Publishers like News UK, Immediate Media and Conde Nast. Built by advertising veterans including CEO Ben Putley, Alkimi Exchange is a vertical app built on Ethereum specifically for the advertising ecosystem to more efficiently match brands to their targeted consumers. Alkimi is able to track the effectiveness of each ad dollar and match ad sellers to ad buyers at a lower cost due to the efficiency of a blockchain based exchange market. 

• E-Commerce: KnownOrigin is a digital art NFT marketplace with over 50 million USD trading volume on Ethereum. Co-founded in Manchester by Andy Gray in 2018, KnownOrigin was one of the pioneering NFT platforms that enabled creators and collectors to monetize their creativity and passion onchain. KnownOrigin was acquired by eBay in 2022 as part of a tech-led re-imagination that is ushering in a new era of digital collecting. Andy currently works on KnownOrigin x eBay web3 initiatives. eBay have offices in Manchester and London in the UK working with a global team focused on innovation.  

• Technology: Arcube’s software helps airlines better use their loyalty program data to improve retention and engagement. Co-founded by final year University of Manchester students Harvey Lowe and Prithveesh Reddy, Arcube has piloted their tokenized loyalty program with Etihad Airways for two years with 1,300 customers and has increased Eithad’s loyalty program revenues by 10%. Arcube is currently fundraising to expand partnerships to 15+ further airlines. 

In addition to all the London web3 based businesses, it was fantastic to see so many web3 businesses make the trip down from Manchester, where there is a thriving web3 ecosystem.

Conclusion

Stand with Crypto is making significant strides in the UK. The successful London launch event, marks a pivotal moment in the campaign’s expansion. As SwC continues to grow, its impact on the UK’s crypto landscape is set to be profound, fostering a grassroots movement that champions web3 innovation and economic growth.

Over the coming months, the movement is expanding to more cities. If you believe in the power of the blockchain and want to Stand with Crypto in the UK, sign up to the movement here, and join us on this journey.