Dean
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Decentralized media applications have many advantages, which I have outlined in previous posts. But are these advantages enough to convert the masses and gain a wide audience?

Many different projects in this space are building some really awesome technology, but unfortunately the best technology does not always win out in the end. Many people do not think about censorship, until they or someone they know or follow gets censored. The may know that their privacy is being invaded and many wish things were different, but they often still put it to the back of their mind when making choices as a consumer. Other factors take priority.

Personally, I think that what will determine the success of decentralized media platforms is not so much the technology itself, although this will obviously play a part, but how they are able to reach out to people and what plan they have to drive adoption. In this space, a simple ‘build it and they will come’ approach is not enough.

So with this in mind I decided to take a more in-depth look at how DECENT plans to drive adoption of their platform, ahead of their upcoming crowdsale.

DECENT’s Parternships

One of the key tactics that DECENT has employed which others have not is an aggressive campaign to reach out to other businesses and projects early on, developing partnerships wherever they can.

One area where this has been particularly successful is with publishers like ourselves. By offering personalized support and entering into partnership deals with publishers, DECENT has already ensured that they will have a broad range of content published through their platform from day one. This not only gives consumers a reason to start use their apps from the start, it will also make the platform seem more appealing to other media producers following the launch.

In addition to these media publishers, they have also struck deals with other useful partners including hardware wallet makers and a web hosting firm.

Here is a list of some of the partners for you to take a look at:

  • Bitalo – An ‘integrated trading platform’ which includes a we wallet, exchange, marketplace, mining services and more. This was their first partnership, with Bitalo stepping in provide a trusted platform to the crowdsale.
  • Cryptorials – In case you missed it, here is our announcement on this!
  • Hideez – A private hardware key provider that helps to keep your passwords secure. All apps built by DECENT will be compatible with Hideez for secure access.
  • Forklog – A cryptocurrency magazine popular in Russia, which also has a growing English language version.
  • NewsBTC – A Bitcoin and general cryptocurrency news service probably best known for its in-depth market analysis for traders.
  • WebGlobe – Slovakia’s second biggest web hosting provider
  • CryptoCurrency Magazine – A Japanese site with a wide range of content on everything relating to cryptocurrency.
  • Blockchain News – A small independent news provider.
  • Bitcoin News – A news publishers and aggregator site for blockchain technology topics.
  • BitRush – A Canadian Fintech company investing in blockchain technology.
  • Coiniran – A top Iranian news site
  • 8BTC – A Popular Chinese media service
  • Core Media – A Blockchain news service with connections to the Waves community
  • FreeWallet – A hardware wallet manufacturer which will enable users to safely store their DCT token keys
  • ICOCountdown – A crowdsale countdown site and newsletter service.

Advertising

On 25th August DECENT announced on their blog that they have qualified for Google Ad Grants. This charitable initiative aimed at non-profit organisations will give the network access to by far the biggest advertising network on the internet, and could prove to be a major boon in reaching out to new audiences.

Apps

If enough money is raised in the crowdsale, DECENT will not only build out the core protocol, but will also develop media-specific apps to reach out to specific groups of consumers with software which is easy to use and focused on their needs without unnecessary clutter and complexity. Apps like DECENT-News and DECENT-Music could significantly reduce barriers and make using the network more appealing to people outside of the sometimes insular community of cryptocurrency enthusiasts.

Integrations

As part of the more long-term plan, the DECENT team also aim to integrate the protocol into existing devices and services used by mainstream consumers. A great example of this is DECENT-Stream HW, a plug & play USB device to instantly connect any smart TV to the DECENT network and all of its content, which is ‘Milestone 4’ on the team’s roadmap.