It’s been a big year for MetaBlox, as the project continues to lay the foundation for Web3 with its decentralized OpenRoaming WiFi Network. In this year-end review we’ll examine the various milestones MetaBlox has achieved in the past 12 months.

Investor Funding

In March, MetaBlox held a private seed funding round that attracted a combined backing of over $2 million. Several preeminent Web3 investment groups such as Syngergis and Collab + Currency lead the funding, while popular firms such as Future Life, CrowdCreate, Slope, and NFT Technologies also participated. With support from such big Web3 names as these, the MetaBlox team is confident that it will succeed at laying the foundation for a more user-oriented internet with its products.

Decentralized WiFi OpenRoaming Deployment

MetaBlox worked towards building a global, decentralized OpenRoaming WiFi Network throughout the year.

This special type of WiFi integrates individual networks so that devices can switch automatically between them. Two or more networks implementing OpenRoaming thus enable seamless, automatic connections whenever a device comes within range of any of these networks’ access points or switches between them.

MetaBlox’s OpenRoaming network is decentralized because all routers providing access to it function as blockchain nodes that work together to verify on-chain web credentials to establish WiFi connections. These special credentials are known as Decentralized Identifiers (of DIDs), and anyone can create one for their device on the MetaBlox app to access the global WiFi OpenRoaming network. Since the decentralized OpenRoaming routers verify on-chain credentials, they are known as MetaBlox Miners.

Download MetaBlox app for Android or iOS to access the global WiFi network!

DID credentials are stored on a blockchain registry rather than by any centralized provider, and they can only be accessed with the users’ private key. This WiFi login process thus eliminates the need for a centralized third-party authenticator, achieving a fully decentralized network deployment model.

This year, hundreds of MetaBlox miners were deployed to expand the decentralized OpenRoaming network. Starting on December 5, these special routers were installed in the Philippines, and more are on their way to Canada and the UAE. Businesses such as cafes, restaurants, retail shops, and venues will be using these routers as access points to WiFi OpenRoaming.

OpenRoaming Privacy Protection

At the same time, MetaBlox’s OpenRoaming network protects users’ privacy because MetaBlox Protocol also implements Decentralized Identity and Verifiable Credentials standards.

These standards ensure privacy protection by concealing users’ personal data when their credentials are recorded and verified on-chain. When connecting to the OpenRoaming network, users can remain anonymous, and choose what, if any, personal information to verify with their credentials.

WBA Partnership

The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) of telcos share MetaBlox’s goal of building a global OpenRoaming network for seamless and continuous WiFi connectivity. MetaBlox became a full member of the alliance in 2022, and is working with its partners in the group to expand the OpenRoaming network, which already has over a million access points worldwide.

MetaBlox is the first Web3 member of the WBA, which previously only consisted of major telecom players.

The WBA’s OpenRoaming network also implemented MetaBlox Protocol in 2022, ensuring automatic and privacy-protected WiFi connections via all its access points.

Wireless Global Congress Demonstration

In October, MetaBlox demonstrated decentralized WiFi OpenRoaming at the WBA’s Wireless Global Congress in Amsterdam. By generating a DID on the MetaBlox app, the presentation team established seamless Open-Roaming between two different networks with separate routers. A device connected to the internet through one router, then automatically switched connections to the other router when it came closer to it.

NFT Launch

The MetaBlox NFT also launched in 2022 to huge success. The collection is utility-based, and brings holders ongoing MetaBlox tokens and other rewards.

For example, the MetaBlox NFT is the first to include a cloud-mining utility. Every holder gets all the MetaBlox tokens issued by a MetaBlox router, which are also crypto miners. The more WiFi connections a router establishes, the more tokens it issues, and the NFT-pegged routers are located in high-traffic areas, optimizing token yields for holders. This utility activated in December, and holders are watching their token credits grow as they await MetaBlox’s TGE in 2023.

NFT NYC Presentation

In June, MetaBlox successfully presented its NFT collection at NFT NYC, and previewed its utilities and the MetaBlox router.

The newly unveiled MetaBlox NFT collection has two versions: the Genesis Series and the SE Genesis Series. The SE version earns holders higher cloud mining and community rewards compared to the standard Genesis series.

OpenSea and Binance Sales

The MetaBlox NFT pre-launched on Binance at the end of August, drawing significant attention from the Web3 community. The collection sold out on the platform after hitting the #1 spot in trading volume. In early September, the collection, including the SE series, officially launched on OpenSea.

Successful NFT Staking Period

Another unique utility of the MetaBlox NFT is staking. In September, a staking pool opened that holders deposited their NFTs into for daily $ROAM token rewards. The pool closed on December 12th, and NFTs were returned to holders’ electronic wallets.

App Release

MetaBlox successfully launched the demo version of its mobile app this year, which lets users create a WiFi OpenRoaming profile that enables the privacy protections and the decentralized access to millions of WiFi locations mentioned above. The app also includes other exciting features that will connect users to Web3, and the MetaBlox team is developing more to add soon.

Partnerships

MetaBlox partnered with other projects in 2022 in order to better carry out its mission of laying the foundation for Web3. Partnerships made this year include those with the following projects.

Harmony: an open blockchain running Ethereum applications

Caldance: an exercise equipment company that uses gamification to let players earn cryptocurrency in their efforts to stay fit.

Memolabs: a decentralized, blockchain-based cloud storage protocol.

Deeper Network: a Web3 ecosystem project offering products such as a decentralized private network (DPN) rather than a VPN.

In Conclusion

2022 has been a very busy year for MetaBlox as it launches products for the deployment of Web3 and the global, decentralized OpenRoaming network. With the coming launch of the MetaBlox token, 2023 will be even bigger, so stay tuned for updates on the project’s social media channels and website!