Discord | Twitter | Instagram | By Nihar Neelakanti CEO, Ecosapiens

At Ecosapiens, we're on a mission to make it easy, financially attractive, and culturally rewarding for anyone to make a positive impact on the planet. That's why we created the Ecosapien carbon-backed NFT, the first digital collectible that offsets an entire year's worth of carbon emissions with just one click. By purchasing this digital art piece, you can finance reforestation projects and showcase your real-world impact.

But what happens after you mint the digital collectible? Is the positive impact limited to that one-time event, or can users continue to sequester carbon? We encourage ongoing carbon removal with Impact-2-Earn™, an incentive system that motivates users to continue to drive positive impact while benefiting the environment (we call this "earning").

For our first implementation of Impact-2-Earn™, we are focusing on incentivizing people to sequester additional carbon that can be used to upgrade and improve their Ecosapien after the initial mint (we call each of these upgrades "carbon infusions"). By doing so, we hope to create a system that not only rewards users for their positive impact on the planet, but also encourages them to continue making an ongoing difference.

After obtaining their initial Level 1 Ecosapien, which captures and offset 16 tons of carbon emissions, holders will have the opportunity to evolve their Ecosapien by infusing an additional 2 tons of carbon per level. As they progress, new distinct traits will be added to the Ecosapien, visually representing the user's continued positive impact on the environment. A fully advanced Ecosapien that reaches the maximum level of 7 will offset a total of 28 tons of carbon, equivalent to two years of the average American's carbon footprint.

Beyond the Impact-2-Earn™ alpha #1

Beyond the initial Impact-2-Earn™ alpha #1, we are exploring new ways to incentivize users to continue driving impact. When adding additional features, we are considering both the methods for creating positive and measurable impact (IMPACT) and sustainable rewards that would motivate users to continue driving impact (EARN).

IMPACT levers:

• Recognize and initiate climate-positive behavior

  1. Through social signaling (less fidelity)

  2. At the transaction level (higher fidelity)

• Generate repeated carbon sequestration

  1. High-quality carbon credits

EARN levers:

• Airdrops / tokens

• NFT rarity / beauty

• Community benefits

• Early access to future drops

• Merchant / ecommerce discounts

Here are a few product ideas and value propositions we are currently workshopping:

1. Collect-em-All: We have twelve characters in the Ecosapien universe today. Over time, we can offer community members early access opportunities to sequester and mint the next collectible in the series (e.g., the Mutant Apes implementation after the Bored Apes launch).

2. Carbon-as-a-Currency: Imagine if carbon were used as a form of currency within our ecosystem. As you continue to accumulate carbon (like money in a bank balance), you could use it to shop for unique airdrops, carbon packs, or other metaverse items within the Ecoverse.

3. Carbon applied to DAO governance: Similar to carbon-as-a-currency, imagine that the more carbon you sequestered, the more voting power you'd earn within the community. For example, if there were a climate treasury attached, your vote on how the treasury should be deployed could have more weight depending on how much carbon you owned. This would be a way to showcase your value to a climate DAO through the carbon you’ve captured.

4. EcoPoints: Earn EcoPoints for making climate-positive purchases anywhere on the web using our Honey-like Chrome plugin. Then, retrieve those points in your Ecosapien account and use them to get unique airdrops that further demonstrate your impact, such as a suite of badges.

As we continue to grow and evolve the Impact-2-Earn™ model, our goal is to create meaningful and rewarding ways for users to drive positive impact for the planet. From earning EcoPoints for making climate-positive-purchases to using carbon as a form of currency within our ecosystem, there will be many opportunities to make a difference. And we’re not limited to these ideas: we are constantly brainstorming and testing new ways to motivate and recognize individuals who are making a positive impact. Join us in our journey by getting involved with Ecosapiens and help us create a more sustainable future for all!

Disclaimer: like all living organisms, this thesis paper, vision, and roadmap will continue to evolve. What is documented here in this white paper is not a guarantee of what will ensue at the time of drop. Ownership of the NFT does not intend to guarantee access to future products or services. All opinions discussed in this white paper are subject to change without notice. Nothing written here is intended, nor is it, financial advice. You must make an independent decision as to whether or not our thesis and vision are attractive to you. Terms and conditions subject to change.

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