HashCard - ICO Review & CFO Interview
Many, many ICOs have been launched with a view to releasing a fully-functional crypto-debit card. Tens of millions of dollars have been raised by about a dozen (to my knowledge) ICOs already. I’m also aware of at least another five projects that are currently in various phases of their ICOs (or halted, because they struck problems). To date, while some had initial success, all have hit hurdles and failed to live up to their original project goals.
To be the first project to successfully launch (and subsequently maintain) a fully functional, widely-accepted crypto-card is one of the ‘holy grail’ goals for long-term global cryptocurrency acceptance. The HashCard project team believe they’ve figured out the secret formula to success, and perusal of their White Paper seems to indicate they could be on the right track.
Firstly, let’s review the basics of the project, then we’ll look a little deeper at some of it’s various component parts.
The HashCard Project
The project is made up of the following component parts:
- HashCard DEBIT & ATM CARD
- HashCard MOBILE Wallet App
- HashCard Crypto Exchange, via the App
- HashCard Wallet Internal PAYMENT System
HashCard Debit & ATM Card
HashCard have initial approval for the production and distribution of 3000 crypto-debit cards.
While they aren’t announcing who their card partner is (for reasons of competitive advantage), they have advised that if there’s sufficient demand for their cards, they have the option of an exclusivity arrangement with the card provider (hence the reason for not disclosing the provider’s details).
Highlights:
- Precise interbank rates
- Can be used at 30 million merchants globally (USA presently excluded)
- ATM withdrawal up to $5,000/day
- VIP Customer Support if you hold >15,000 HSHC tokens
- Signature Concierge service if you hold > 50,000 HSHC tokens
- Increased miles bonus if you hold >30,000 HSHC tokens (partner airlines to be announced in Q3 2018)
Card Fees:
- First 3000 cards: Free Card & 0.5% usage fees for life.
- Card Issuance (after first 3000): US$100, to be paid in HSHC tokens
- Annual Card Fee: US$25, to be paid in Tokens, but waived if your annual spending is >$1000 or you hold >10,000 tokens in your wallet for at least 6 months of the year.
- Usage (cards after the first 3000): 1.75% transaction fee; 2% ATM withdrawal fee.
HashCard Mobile Wallet App
Store BTC, ETH and 25+ Altcoins in your wallet, along with fiat currencies, including EUR and USD.
HashCard Crypto Exchange
Will be incorporated into the Mobile Wallet App, and will allow you to convert your crypto into fiat currency (USD) and keep it on your card.
Additionally, if you have USD on your card, you can buy back into crypto without removing your funds from within the HashCard ecosystem.
HashCard Wallet Internal Payment System
P2P HashCard Wallet to HashCard Wallet transactions will be fee free.
The Team
The HashCard Team comprises a diverse and skills-complementing group of 3 core-team members:
Karol Kozlowski, Chief Executive Officer, has a background in banking (Senior Manager Credit Card) and enterprise risk management (Credit Risk Specialist).
Pawel Goch, Chief Financial Officer, has a degree in accounting from the University of Warsaw, and experience that includes 5 years as a senior account with IKEA Europe.
Vasiliy Gulyar brings business development and cryptocurrency knowledge to the core team.
The team is actively engaged in social media channels and members are readily available to answer questions and provide assistance in the HashCard Telegram group (https://t.me/hashcard). Pawel recently took time out of his busy schedule to answer a few interview questions, which have been incorporated into relevant areas of this article.
The team are also making appearances at Crypto-conferences, having recently attended Europe’s premier Crypto/Blockchain Conference, Crypto Summit 2018, in Zurich, Switzerland. Pawel advised me during our interview that the team is also hoping to attend another crypto-conference during the Tokensale. While they’re yet to finalise their choice, an event in the USA is high on their priority list.
The core team is currently supported by 5 advisors.
The combined team appears well-qualified to bring this project to a successful launch.
The White Paper
Apart from the information I’ve provided elsewhere in this article, the vast majority of the White Paper is focussed on the Security Infrastructure they’ve put in place to ensure the security issues are minimised. This includes:
- Cybersecurity and Governance Architectures, and
- Secure Development and Testing Processes
The White Paper also provides:
- Well-documented information on the Payment Processing System that will be utilised whenever a transaction takes place
- Financial projections, and
- A timeline for the project rollout
Token Sale Information
Token Symbol : HSHC
Function : Exchangeable Utility Tokens
Token Sale Start Date : 1 May 2018
Token Sale Close Date : 12 June 2018
Cost per Token : 1 HSHC = US$0.10
Token Type : ETHEREUM-based ERC20
Softcap : $3,000,000 USD
Hardcap : $9,000,000 USD
Maximum Token Supply : 150,000,000
Percentage sold in ICO : 60%
Unsold Tokens : All unsold tokens (remaining from the 60%) will be destroyed
Token Purchase Methods : ETH, BTC, LTC, BCC, DASH, EOS, XML
ICO Review Scores
ICOmarks https://icomarks.com/ico/hashcard/ : 7.3/10
FoxICO https://foxico.io/project/hashcard : 7/10
ICOBench Rating https://icobench.com/ico/hashcard/ratings : 4.7/5
Final thoughts…
Cryptocurrencies are becoming more and more mainstream as time progresses. It wont be long before the total crypto market capitalisation exceeds USD$1 Trillion. Having the ability to spend your crypto will become increasingly important moving into the next decade and beyond.
The HashCard project presents a very attractive package of functional components, seamlessly integrated into a well-planned ecosystem. There are a lot of positives to consider if you’re looking for an all-in-one crypto-card for your wallet or purse.
Project Links
Website: https://hashcard.io
WhitePaper: https://hashcard.io/downloads/WhitePaper-HashCard.pdf
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hashcard
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hashcard/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hashcard.io/
Telegram: https://t.me/hashcard
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/18554010/
Medium: https://medium.com/@sm_46693
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_j6cMYThgDcDlJuRzI-7Lg
I am not a financial analyst. The above information should not be construed as financial advice and is not intended as financial advice. Always do your own research before investing in anything. The price of HSHC tokens may be volatile once listed on any exchange, and purchasing cryptocurrencies can be a high risk activity.
I have purchased enough tokens to be eligible for one of the first 3000 free cards.
If you’re looking for other article reviews by this author, please check out this Telegram channel https://t.me/aussiesloth_ico
Proof of article ownership - ETH address: 0xcE497066921f8aE00d1128d8B9cA105f025DF210
⠀