Monaize review

This review is based on my understading and persepctives, please make sure to perform your own duedilligence and researcg.

Overview:

• Business Model: Insurance, Payment Solutions, Crowd Lending
• Soft cap 1,000 BTC hard cap 10,000 BTC
• Token Name: MNX
• Token Benefits: Share of signups
• 70% of the tokens will be sold to investors
• Algo: dPoW – (Integrated with Bitcoin mining)
• Komodo will own 5% of Moanize.

Monaize Opportunities

• Tight links between Komodo and Supernet.
• Platform to Launch it services in the UK in 2017 and Germany in 2018.
• iOS and Android apps, for ease of use.
• Founders tokens will be vested for three years.
• The ICO has Anti whale measures this could reduce flipping, which brings more stability to the coin price.
• Komodo uses a dPos alog, which piggybacks on the hash rate of Bitcoin. This makes small blockchains viable and secure.
• The share of revenue/signups is a stronger promise than a share of profits. 
• The Moanize blockchain can separate from the Komodo blockchain since it has its own blockchain, ERC20 tokens do not have this luxury.
• The MNZ token will be traded on the baretdex platform for immediate trading. Other ICOs are dependent on third parties for a trading market of their coin/token.
• By partnering with Komodo, Monaize is not just another ICO. The Komodo development team have proven that they can see through a project and deliver usable blockchain tech. This makes the Monaize roadmap delivery more likely. The Komodo team are also putting at stake their reputation and name, by partnering with this team. It would be logical to assume that Komodo has done their due diligence on the team’s ability to deliver both technically and commercially.
• Monaize is a bridge between FIAT and Crypto. Users will have IBANs for their Moanize accounts. These bridges are getting more difficult to implement because of regulatory hurdles. The few that manage have this edge over other crypto platforms will have an advantage in the market.
• Monaize will have a thorough KYB (Know your business process), with this information Monaize will be able to offer custom products which are more likely to bring in profits.
• Moanize have the opportunity to integrate with other non-crypto services and crypto services like BitBond, PayPie, which provide a credit rating for SMEs and populous which provide invoice financing and Civic for identity management. (The crypto ecosystem is getting stronger!)

• The Komodo approach to atomic swaps between BTC and new tokens is a challenge to the ERC20 model. Asset Chains are independent blockchains, not a token within the Komodo Platform. What this means for Moanize is that future ICOs on the Komodo platform could have access to Monaize services easily. This gives Monaize a stream of incoming clients.

Monaize Concerns

• In the white paper, there are references to “BANKING MEETS BLOCKCHAIN” but there is no mention of a banking license.
• It is unclear to which extent the Monaize users will be exposed to the crypto side of Monaize. I am assuming that there will be some crypto elements and this is the basis for most of my concerns.
• SMEs and freelancers already have a bureaucratic workload to maintain their business inline with regulations. (In fact, it is not unheard of that large companies lobby for more red tape to keep the small players out of their market) The concern is that Moanize will have a crypto element to it which could add a larger accounting expense.
• What if the EU adopts a very negative stance (from the current neutral to negative position) can Moanize switch jurisdictions fast enough to stay alive? What would happen to its existing clients?
• Moanize will be competing with peer to peer lending services; these offer easily 5% with asset-backed loans. Will Moanizes crowd lending model be more attractive then these investments?
• Initially, the markets will be limited to the UK, France and Germany. These markets have an extremely competitive banking landscape. Having said that, peer to peer lending has been very successful in the UK even though banking services are very competitive in the UK and Europe.
• The integration of Monaize with Bitcoin mining, (via dPos) creates deep links with Bitcoin mining. Bitcoin mining depends on the rules and regulations of countries, the cost to mine and the profit to mine. While Bitcoin mining is not going away soon, there are challenges such as the halving of the Bitcoin rewards for miners, Unfriendly Governments towards Bitcoin and Bitcoin forks competing for Bitcoin hashrate.
• Komodo has a decentralized mixer JUMBLR. In simple terms a money laundering machine. This is probably not compliant with banking regulations. Will Moanize clients have direct access to this facility, in a case, it seems that Monaize has strong KYC.
• Is Monaize a security?
• There is no online wallet for Komodo, will it also be the case for Monaize tokens?

Conclusion

Monaize have an uphill to climb; there are crypto, market and regulatory challenges on top of the normal challenges of running a business. As in any business, a lot of things need to be aligned in order for the bottom line to grow. Monaize have the right setup to take a good shot in this particular market segment which is set to expand exponentially in the coming decades.