Mining cryptocurrencies is a costly business, in terms of energy usage. All told, the information technology industry consumes a whooping 1,500 Terawatts of electricity per year, which roughly equals the power generated by countries like Japan and Germany combined. To put this into perspective, it is about 10% of the total electricity produced in the entire world.
The rapid growth of cryptocurrencies has meant that the requirement for energy has also grown exponentially. This has induced a stress factor on electricity grids around the world, and as cryptocurrencies continue to gain further ground, the demand for power is only going to grow larger. Future projections indicate that electricity might become a scarce and precious resource in the near future, which may drive prices up big time.
The main issue with electricity production is that it cannot be shipped or transported like fossil fuels, for instance. Power generation relies on a network of thousands of local substations to move electricity around via high voltage cables. This method is effective for short distances, but long distance transmission of electricity incurs losses due to resistance, quality of conductors, etc., which reduces the cost effectiveness coefficient. Theoretically, electricity can be distributed in a cost effective manner between 2,500 to 4,300 miles, depending on the type of current. In reality however, profitable distances are far shorter than these.
Energy-efficient mining rigs are therefore a must, to ensure the longevity and profitability of any mining operation. Enter Envion, a Swiss-based blockchain startup from Berlin, offering a brand new ICO that intends to offer a decentralized, cost-effective solution to the problem of energy supply for mining cryptocurrencies.
https://twitter.com/envion_org/status/933039174353080325
This piece is a full disclosure, a statement of facts without any intention of advice or endorsement about Envion’s value offer.
Envion’s asset of choice: Mobile Mining Units (MMUs)
https://twitter.com/envion_org/status/935253079380852736
https://vimeo.com/240523807
Envion’s vision includes the provision of Mobile Mining Units (MMUs), which are scalable, modular mining rigs fitted inside standard 20ft intermodal containers. The MMUs form the core of Envion’s proposed Crypto Infrastructure, and can be placed directly in, or nearby the energy source, to maximize yield and minimize energy extraction and distribution costs. MMUs are fitted with a patented cooling system to manage heat exchange, and are remotely maintained.
You can learn more about MMUs here.
Envion in numbers & quick facts
https://twitter.com/envion_org/status/936235198043377664
- ICO Start Date – December 15, 2017 (Pre-sale)
- ICO End Date – December 31, 2017
- Accepted form of payment BTC, ETH, credit cards
Discounts
Time period
01.12 – 02.12 2017 – $ 0.70
03.12 – 07.12 2017 – $ 0.80
08.12 – 15.12 2017 – $ 0.90
16.12 – 31.12 2017 – $ 1.00
- Token name – Envion token (EVN)
- Token Issue Date January 10, 2018
- Token volume issued – 150,000,000
- Token worth – 1 EVN = 0.70/0.80/0.90/1US$
- Accepted form of payment BTC, ETH, credit cards
Read this note about ICO changes.
The Envion token
- As with any other ICO, the company will issue its own currency, the Envion token (EVN). EVN is based on the ERC-20 standard, which utilizes the Ethereum blockchain.
Once created, the tokens will be allocated as follows:
- 83% investors
- 10% founders
- 5% envion company, e.g. for the remuneration of advisors, etc.
- 2% bounty program
The team
https://twitter.com/envion_org/status/934040457537052672
The company’s website presents a core team of 14 people, and states ‘many more’, as the team may be in the process of expanding.
The team includes the usual mix of technology- and finance-based roles that are required to make an enterprise such as this to be successful.
It is of particular relevance in this case that the team features at least one lecturer, one energy expert, and one blockchain advocate. All this imbues Envion with enhanced credibility and potential for success.
https://twitter.com/envion_org/status/934010452748709888
You can learn more about Envion’s team here.
Social Media presence and digital footprint
A strong presence on Social Media is usually a good indicator of a company’s popularity, though it is not the only factor that determines success.
Here’s the numbers for Envion, at the time of writing (late November 2017)
- Facebook – 30,005 followers
- LinkedIn – 161 followers
- Twitter – 2,742 followers
- Telegram – 7,110 followers
- Medium – 654 followers
- Instagram – 8,339 followers
The numbers speak for themselves. Envion’s presence on Social Media is extremely robust, which gives a sense of trust and reliability on the company. These numbers are a far cry from other ICOs, which struggle to gather a couple of hundred followers on Twitter, for instance.
As a side note, Envion’s presence in Instagram is somewhat peculiar, but welcome. No other ICO I’ve seen featured an Instagram account.
Overall, Envion offers a very solid and trustworthy image.
Website quality & layout
Envion’s website is top class. It is colourful, well laid out, and presents all the information in a neat and intuitive manner. And it is secure, of course, as one would expect from a site dealing with cryptocurrencies.
Another plus is that the website is available in several languages. This is of huge significance, as the site’s reach is thus expanded tenfold. Again, another touch of class and due diligence in an overall hugely classy proposition.
The entire site exudes quality, money has been spent on it. The only slight annoyance I found is that a ‘Get access to the Pre-sale’ dialog window kept popping up, perhaps more often than it should. It is a simple affair to just close it, but the window does keep popping up, all the same, obscuring the view and urging you to join the Envion cause.
Whitepaper
https://twitter.com/envion_org/status/931862257532915712
A well laid out, informative, comprehensive Whitepaper is a must for any ICO, if they are to be taken seriously. Documentation is sometimes treated as an afterthought, leaving many companies open to some criticism.
In Envion’s case, the Whitepaper is good. Given the overall quality offered elsewhere, it is no surprise that the Whitepaper follows the same trend. The information is complete, well presented, technically sound, and written in perfect English. This may seem like an axiom, but many Whitepapers out there just don’t cut it in terms of language.
Envion’s certainly gets a thumbs up as one of the best Whitepapers I’ve seen, in ICO terms at least. Someone spent a lot of time writing and researching this piece of media.
Conclusion
Envion’s value proposition exudes quality and potential, and the company has gone to great lengths to show that they mean business.
Every element in their offering, from their website to the Whitepaper, to the overall look and feel, is first in class.
The concept of providing a decentralized cryptomining infrastructure, while not new, is certainly a major asset in this case. The future of the cryptocurrency mining business depends on energy, and that energy has to come from somewhere, and be paid for. A decentralization of the energy provision is a step in the right direction, as it skirts around the issue of taxation, local governance, and other hindrances that currently mar the energy market.
Whether investors believe in Envion and put their money in it is another matter. We will follow Envion’s progress closely, as the potential for growth is certainly there.
Check out Envion’s Whitepaper for more information.
