DigiByte is an open-source project, founded by Jared Tate in 2014, when he discovered the flaws in Bitcoin. Rudy Bouwman, CMO of DigiByte.

 By Peter Lee, Blockchain Industry Group, and Rudy Bouwman, CMO of DigiByte.
 DigiByte – https://digibyte.io/
 LinkedIn Profile: Rudy Bouwman

Peter Lee: DigiByte, comparatively speaking, has been around for a relatively long time. What are some quick and important facts you can tell us about DigiByte?

Rudy Bouwman:
1. DigiByte is an open-source project, founded by Jared Tate in 2014, when he discovered the flaws in Bitcoin.
2. Based on the code of Bitcoin and Litecoin the DigiByte protocol was being developed.
3. DigiByte was not an ICO, and there is no company behind it.
4. DigiByte is mined over time, and there was just a 0,25% premine to encourage development, and 0,25% premine give away to the community to encourage adoption.
5. DigiByte is being developed by an unincorporated and truly decentralized foundation, core team and community.
6. We are all non-paid volunteers.
7. Because it’s one of the oldest, longest, most mature blockchain and highly decentralized with 5 PoW mining algorithms, it’s the most secure technology.
8. DigiByte therefore is suitable for CyberSecurity applications. DigiByte already has working products and companies using / building on top of DigiByte technology.
9. Because of it’s incredible speed (40x faster than Bitcoin and 280.000tps in 2035), DigiByte is very manageable as a currency.
10. Moreover DigiByte has mobile Android and iOS wallets available in more than 55 languages.
11. DigiByte is listed on over 80 exchanges with lots of fiat pairs and also integrated on some payment processing solutions, with a great reach of adoption to merchants.

Peter: I understand that there is no company behind DigiByte and you and many others are participating as non-paid volunteers. Just to be accurate and fair though, I believe we can at least say that the individuals who received DigiByte’s premine have benefitted and will continue to benefit from the advancement of DigiByte, correct?

Rudy: There was just a tiny premine of 0,5%.

0,25% has been given away in the beginning of DigiByte to community members to encourage adoption, the other 0,25% was given as incentives to developers.

All people that are participating in the project need to go to exchanges to buy or trade DGB, just like anyone else.

Peter: What is the DigiByte Awareness Team, how did it come about and what is your role in it?

Rudy: Because there is no company behind DigiByte I found the reason of lack of awareness and adoption was because there was no marketing. Therefore, together with some other community members, we have founded the DigiByte Awareness Team back in May 2018 (www.dgbat.org).

The team is working on outreaches, awareness and education to encourage adoption of DigiByte.

In my day-time job I’m a Director of an IT Maintenance company. In my free time, I’m dedicated as a Chief Marketing Officer for the DigiByte team.

Peter: What are some of DigiByte’s products and accomplishments?

Rudy:

DigiByte CyberSecurity Solutions:

DigiByte is bringing free to use cybersecurity solutions to the world by development of open source cybersecurity cryptographic protocol built on top of the DigiByte public blockchain.

For a complete list of resources please see https://www.dgbat.org/resources/

Some examples:

• Digi-ID, an open source free to use cryptographic identity system which could potentially eliminate usernames, passwords and 2FA or even run parallel to them. www.digi-id.io
• DiguSign that allows you to securely store, notarize, validate and secure documents in the DigiByte blockchain. www.digusign.com
• AntumID uses Digi-ID to verify and validate personal data, and make sure that what is shared is GPDR compliant. www.antumid.be
• V-ID uses the DigiByte blockchain to verify and validate documents in the blockchain. www.v-id.org/page/blockchain-powered-validation

DigiByte Cyptocurrency (DGB):

Because of its incredible transaction speed, low fees, and mobile wallets in over 55 languages, DigiByte is very suitable as a currency.

DigiByte can be also stored on many different type of wallets, including hardware wallets and 3rd party storage solutions.

DigiByte is focusing on integration into different Payment Processing Solutions.

Some Examples:

• UTRUST cryptocurrency payment solutions for merchants, with instant transactions, buyer protection & crypto-to-cash settlements. www.utrust.io
• Paytomat, a ready-to-install cryptocurrency payment solutions for merchants into existing systems www.paytomat.io
• DigiByteCafé a simple, mobile point of sale that allows your business to accept in-person DigiByte payments.
• PayByte a multi platform payment gateway, including woocommerce platform.

There are many other solutions, like cards and applications for paying with DigiByte or receiving payments with DigiByte.

For a complete list of payment gateways, please see https://www.dgbat.org/digibyte-payment-processors/

In regards to investing, trading and the exchange of DigiByte cryptocurrency, DigiByte is currently present on well over 80+ exchanges worldwide with hundreds possible fiat pairings. DigiByte is looking for institutional custody solutions and integrity based listings on regulated exchange platforms.

For the complete list of exchanges, please see https://www.dgbat.org/exchanges/

Current Market cap. position is between 30-40.

Peter: How has the adoption been of Digi-ID, DocuSign, AntumID or V-ID? Any big and well known partners in these areas?

Rudy: DiguSign is a 3rd party company and no longer related to DigiByte it’s foundation or community. It’s a product build on top of the DigiByte Blockchain to sign documents. It seems to be mainly used in Asia at this moment. Please check the website for further details.https://www.digusign.com/

The other mentioned projects are still in early stages.

Digi-ID is being used more and more, and even some exchange platforms are looking into it to use it.

AntumID has build a service using the Digi-ID technology. They are now commercializing it and offer support. Big use cases may be expected from there.

Same for V-ID,they use the actual DigiByte blockchain for different customers. Please check https://www.v-id.org/page/v-id-promo for more details.

Very promising is the DigiAssets Protocal that offers private and public issuance of assets and infinitely scaling. That should be ready Q1 2019.

Also very promising for the future is the latest recognition by Block 30 labs. This will bring DigiByte in sights of SMB & Fortune500 clients to integrate digital assets into their enterprises.

Peter: Which cryptocurrency or company do you see as your most direct competitor, why, and, how do you think DigiByte currently stacks up against them?

Rudy: Features of the DigiByte project, – team and – community are rather unique and like no other project.

Being truly decentralized and open source, DigiByte can be, like no other project, realistically classified as meeting Satoshi’s vision.

Peter: DigiByte has been around since 2014, which is a lifetime in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space. When you look out at the new crop of cryptocurrencies and blockchain companies, what do you see? Are the companies and ideas getting better or more innovative? Or, are they mostly jumping on the bandwagon, getting worse?

Rudy: Lots of new projects entering the space need to prove themselves with a working product and/or service.

Many ICO’s are not surviving and disappearing because they are not able to create profitable businesses, or are just a scam…

DigiByte is proven and working since 2014. Development is ongoing, open-source and non-profit.

There could be projects that can meet some features in future like the transaction speed of DigiByte but they still need to prove themselves. Because of the age of DigiByte, working and proven, it is impossible to overtake DigiByte in many developments like length, decentralization and security.

Peter: What’s unique or interesting about DigiByte that our audience may not know?

Rudy: It’s not an ICO, but mined over time, with a fixed supply of 21B in 2035

DigiByte is mined over time, and there was just a 0,25% premine to encourage development, and 0,25% premine give away to the community to encourage adoption.

DigiByte is being developed by an unincorporated and truly decentralized foundation, core team and community. All non-paid volunteers.

No Foundation members or Core-team members hold a large pool of coins, the coins they own are obtained on exchange platforms, just like anyone else.

Peter: How would you describe the most important focus of DigiByte that best describes your project and team?

Rudy: The team is focused on the technology and changing the world by ending fraud, so not focused on money making, but all dedicated and passionate.

The code of ethics and conduct would never be compromised.

Peter: What are your thoughts about DigiByte’s current market capitalization position? What DigiByte product or offering can we expect next?

Rudy: In my opinion it deserves to be a top 5-10 project in regards to market capitalization position. Once it will get the acknowledgement it deserves, it would be no surprise to me to see us getting there.

At this moment the DigiAssets protocol is being finished.

This eco system will allow private and public offerings of tokens on top of the DigiByte blockchain with infinite scaling.

The DigiByte blockchain wil be used more and more because of its outstanding features and possibilities.

Peter: If you could pick anything, what do you think will have a big impact on the world?

Rudy: Blockchain Technology in general is creating that impact, and then for sure no private (centralized) chains, but secure public decentralized chains like DigiByte, could offer CyberSecurity solutions to end fraud, applications for IoT and AI. And of course digital assets like DGB to be used as a currency and help humanity by donations or as a form of payment.