Atheneum (AEM) is part of the broader DAO movement. A DAO, or Decentralized Autonomous Organization, is a cryptocurrency community with a resilient governance and funding model that puts decision making in the hands of masternode owners and uses a proposal platform to decide on community investment priorities. Community members can make proposals for funding from a treasury replenished with a percentage of each mined block. Masternode holders vote on which proposals to fund and have a strong incentive to select projects which will strengthen the community as they also receive a large percentage of each mined block.
DASH is the original and largest DAO-based cryptocurrency and was envisioned as a broad-based currency for general use. Other cryptocurrency communities, all forks or forks of forks from DASH, are expanding the universe of DAOs with their own personalities and priorities. Examples include Pivx with a focus on technical improvements for speed and privacy; Phore which will add decentralized applications, and Pac, which gives a percentage of every block to charity.
How is the AEM coin and community different and why does it matter? ATHENEUM is the world’s first DALO, or Decentralized Autonomous Learning Organization. We will put the power of the DAO model to work to help solve a massive problem in our ever-changing and increasingly complex tech economy. We will build alternative pathways to competence, outside the traditional education marketplaces, for the jobs of the future, from crypto and machine learning to autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence.
Online platforms such as Youtube, Udemy, Coursera, Everfi and Lynda offer hours and hours of valuable education. Other blockchain projects have already staked out claims to becoming the crypto equivalents of these titans. Live EDU had a pre-blockchain based library of tech content and Bitdegree is using substantial ICO resources to develop an initial catalog of high quality courses.
How can AEM compete with, or perhaps complement, these existing offerings? The answer lies in the DALO model. The nimble responsiveness of this cooperative structure will allow it to respond to real-time needs of the community and of learners. Our masternode holders will act as a board of trustees for a new kind of educational ecosystem. They will vote on proposals to strengthen the DALO by investing in the development of the learning platform and tools; recruiting and rewarding innovative educators and content creators; and most importantly, satisfying the diverse educational needs of our learners.
Let’s explore this use case from a variety of perspectives and consider how AEM will bring increasing value to each over time. An exciting difference about participating in the Atheneum community is that many will wear more than one hat. A developer can also teach or learn. An employer might decide to become a masternode holder to generate revenue for scholarships. And so on.
Masternode Holders…will earn AEM from each block and vote on learning platform improvements, course offerings, partnerships, promotions, exchange listings and more via the proposal platform.
Content Creators…will earn AEM from the treasury and course fees to share valuable project-based learning with students. The range of offerings will grow over time, and the most effective educators will be rewarded with repeat contracts.
Students…will be allowed to enjoy a limited number of courses for free to experience the AEM platform. Then they will pay for course content using AEM. Some will earn AEM-based scholarships from employers who may use AEM content for recruiting, development or continuing education.
Developers…will earn AEM from the treasury to build out the core functionality of the learning platform and tools. As a demonstration of Atheneum’s co-op model, developers will also engage students so they can have a hand in building the platform itself.
Employers...will attract, retain, and strengthen their talent pool by offering AEM scholarships and rewards to students that complete courses that are suited to their industries.
AEM Coin Holders…will see the value of their investment grow as the DALO community becomes increasingly active and engaged. Unlike pure play currency projects where holders have to hope and believe that their coin will someday be accepted like fiat in coffee shops and car dealerships everywhere, AEM has a viable pathway to deep utility and a chance to disrupt an industry that is not keeping up with the pace of change in society.
All participants in the Atheneum community will be able to contribute to its success while reaping personal financial and educational benefits.