Big Idea:

Playbux, a Web3 entertainment platform that offers shop-to-earn experiences, plans to raise $150,000 through a fair community offering (FCO) instead of the usual initial coin offering (ICO). The FCO, facilitated by crypto investing platform Raiser, involves ranking users based on on-chain activity, referrals, educational quizzes, and profile following. Users with higher rankings get the opportunity to invest in the project's token before it is listed on centralized exchanges.

Why It Matters:

FCO is introduced as an alternative to ICOs, which were common but became associated with fraud during the crypto boom of 2017-2018. ICOs lacked reporting requirements and accounting standards, leading to fraudulent activities. The decline of ICOs has paved the way for new fundraising mechanisms, such as airdrops. FCO aims to address the shortcomings of ICOs by aligning with more rigorous listing requirements while providing pre-listing token access to the community.

Key Details:

• Playbux aims to raise $150,000 through its FCO, leveraging Raiser's platform and targeting a late January 2024 launch.
• The FCO introduces a merit-based system, ranking users based on engagement and contribution, promoting a healthier investment environment.
• This shift could lead to safer investment practices in crypto, mitigating risks associated with ICOs.

“Our goal is to effectively support both the community and centralized exchanges, who show belief in the potential success of new projects through initial listings. Our unique platform rewards active community members and so assists exchanges in their strategic decisions,” said Raiser’s Co-founder and CEO Kori Leon.

What's Next:

Playbux will conduct its public FCO for the PBUX token in late January. The platform was part of Binance Labs' incubation program and was added to Visa's Asia Pacific 2023 accelerator program. Its success could prompt similar offerings by other Web3 firms, shifting crypto investments to more community-centered, equitable approaches.

By the Numbers:

• 16 Million: Playbux's user base on the BNB Chain.
• $150,000: Amount being raised by Playbux through its FCO.
• 26,000: Global merchants connected to Playbux's shop-to-earn mechanism.
• 1.3 Million: Monthly active users on Playbux.

Big Idea:

Lykos Therapeutics, formerly known as MAPS Public Benefit Corp., has raised over $100 million to advance a MDMA-based treatment for PTSD.

Why It Matters:

Treating mental health conditions, especially PTSD, persists as a challenge due to inadequate existing treatments. High dropout and low response rates, along with many patients retaining PTSD diagnosis after treatment, highlight the need for new, out-of-the-box therapies.

Key Details:

• The psychedelic drugs market is projected to reach USD $10.75 Billion by 2027, growing from USD 4.75 Billion in 2020.
• Lykos Therapeutics has developed an MDMA-based therapy for PTSD, showing promising results in two late-stage clinical trials.
• This therapy could address the high nonresponse and dropout rates in current PTSD treatments, benefiting an estimated 13 million Americans suffering from the condition.

"Our North star is to fundamentally change how the healthcare system holistically treats people with mental health conditions. We are working to articulate what it means to be a leading public benefit organization in the pharmaceutical space," Lykos Therapeutics, CEO Amy Emerson wrote.

What’s Next:

The future includes FDA approval processes, with a decision expected by mid-February on Lykos' application review. If approved, Lykos must integrate MDMA for therapeutic use, potentially by late 2024.

Dive Deeper: 

The FDA's draft guidance in 2023 on psychedelic drugs and the successful fundraising of companies like COMPASS Pathways demonstrate an increasing openness to these unconventional treatments. The success of Johnson & Johnson’s Spravato, a ketamine-based treatment for depression, is another example and projects $725 million in annual sales.

Big Idea:

Nexus Development Capital has invested $5 million in Standard Biocarbon, a pioneer in biochar production utilizing 100% sustainably sourced wood chips, to advance scalable carbon capture technology and soil improvement, transforming waste and biomass into climate-beneficial material.

Why It Matters:

Biochar's potential in carbon sequestration is on the rise, with the global market value reaching $702 million in 2023. Its effectiveness in trapping carbon dioxide and enhancing soil quality makes it effective in climate solutions. The International Biochar Institute estimates biochar could capture up to 3 billion metric tons of CO2 annually, reducing global emissions by as much as 6%.

Key Details:

• Biochar is a charcoal-like material made from plant residues, such as agricultural waste, transformed at high temperatures into an energy-producing, renewable resource.
• Standard Biocarbon's advanced biochar production facility utilizes biomass, such as wood or crop waste, to create a stable carbon sequestration solution.
• Standard Biocarbon's facility in Maine, backed by Nexus Development's investment, is set to produce 16,000 cubic yards of biochar annually, capturing 3,000 tons of carbon.
• The project enhances carbon capture technology and offers a range of environmental benefits, including soil improvement and hazardous waste remediation.

Joshua Kaufman, CEO of Nexus Development Capital said: “Biochar is one of the most cost-effective and commercially ready approaches for removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Scaling these types of carbon removal facilities is now one of our biggest opportunities. We see Standard Biocarbon as one of the first to bring these in-demand carbon sequestration solutions online to meet the huge appetite across multiple sectors.”

What’s Next:

The facility, starting operations in 2024, aims to boost biochar technology. As biochar production scales, monitoring competing technologies like direct air capture or synthetic methods is vital to adapt to shifts in carbon capture solutions.