SINGAPORE, April 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — HTX Ventures, the global investment arm of the cryptocurrency exchange HTX, has officially announced a strategic investment in Merkle 3s Capital, an innovative hybrid Global Web3 Fund based in Hong Kong, dedicated to the research and development of blockchain technologies. This investment highlights HTX Ventures’ commitment to fostering innovation and supporting scalable Web3 technology development globally.

Merkle 3s Capital stands at the forefront of identifying and capitalizing on the next wave of market consensus, with a strategy that includes diverse investments in projects across both primary and secondary markets. With over a decade of industry experience and a portfolio that includes more than 100 investments across various blockchain ecosystems, Merkle 3s Capital has established itself as a key player in the Web3 space. The firm supports significant projects like Core, TON and Solana, leveraging its robust connections with leading crypto exchanges and top universities to advance technological innovation and global impact.

Edward, Managing Partner at HTX Ventures, emphasized the strategic value of the investment, stating, “We are pleased to welcome Merkle 3s Capital as one of our strategic partners through this investment. HTX Ventures is committed to our mission to support promising companies such as Merkle 3s Capital and develop the next generation of technological innovations. We continue to expand and diversify our Fund of Funds portfolio, while solidifying our position as a strong global investment leader.”

Sarah, Founding Partner at Merkle 3s Capital, said, “Merkle 3s Capital aims to empower top-notch technologists and entrepreneurs to build high-impact Web 3 and digital economy projects around the world. To achieve that, we lean on our network of strategic partners with resources including the best academic institutions, exchanges and communities. The investment from HTX Ventures will allow Merkle 3s Capital to continuously strengthen our resource pool and accelerate the growth of our portfolio projects.”

About HTX Ventures

HTX Ventures, the global investment division of HTX, integrates investment, incubation, and research to identify the best and brightest teams worldwide. With a decade-long history as an industry pioneer, HTX Ventures excels at identifying cutting-edge technologies and emerging business models within the sector. To foster growth within the blockchain ecosystem, we provide comprehensive support to projects, including financing, resources, and strategic advice.

HTX Ventures currently backs over 200 projects spanning multiple blockchain sectors, with select high-quality initiatives already trading on the HTX exchange. Furthermore, as one of the most active Fund of Funds (FOF) investors, HTX Ventures collaboratively forges the blockchain ecosystem alongside premier global blockchain funds, including Dragonfly, Bankless Ventures, Animoca, Shima, and IVC. Visit us here.

Contact Details
Michael Wang
[email protected]

Company Website
https://www.htx.com/en-us/ventures

About Merkle 3s Capital

Merkle 3s Capital is a Hong Kong-based venture capital firm specializing in hybrid crypto funds. Our expertise and experience in the industry span over 10 years, with a previous portfolio of more than  100 investments across the blockchain ecosystems. We pride ourselves on our team of experienced partners dedicated to leading the industry toward worldwide impact. Visit us here. 

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Modern brands stake on influencer marketing, with 76% of users making a purchase after seeing a product on social media.The cryptocurrency industry is no exception to this trend. However, promoting crypto products through influencer marketing can be particularly challenging. Crypto influencers pose a significant risk to a brand’s reputation and ROI due to rampant scams. Approximately 80% of channels provide fake statistics, including followers counts and engagement metrics. Additionally, this niche is characterized by high CPMs, which can increase the risk of financial loss for brands.

In this article Nadia Bubennnikova, Head of agency Famesters, will explore the most important things to look for in crypto channels to find the perfect match for influencer marketing collaborations.

1. Comments 

There are several levels related to this point.

LEVEL 1

Analyze approximately 10 of the channel’s latest videos, looking through the comments to ensure they are not purchased from dubious sources. For example, such comments as “Yes sir, great video!”; “Thanks!”; “Love you man!”; “Quality content”, and others most certainly are bot-generated and should be avoided.

Just to compare: 

LEVEL 2

Don’t rush to conclude that you’ve discovered the perfect crypto channel just because you’ve come across some logical comments that align with the video’s topic. This may seem controversial, but it’s important to dive deeper. When you encounter a channel with logical comments, ensure that they are unique and not duplicated under the description box. Some creators are smarter than just buying comments from the first link that Google shows you when you search “buy YouTube comments”. They generate topics, provide multiple examples, or upload lists of examples, all produced by AI. You can either manually review the comments or use a script to parse all the YouTube comments into an Excel file. Then, add a formula to highlight any duplicates.

LEVEL 3

It is also a must to check the names of the profiles that leave the comments: most of the bot-generated comments are easy to track: they will all have the usernames made of random symbols and numbers, random first and last name combinations, “Habibi”, etc. No profile pictures on all comments is also a red flag.

LEVEL 4

Another important factor to consider when assessing comment authenticity is the posting date. If all the comments were posted on the same day, it’s likely that the traffic was purchased.

2. Average views number per video

This is indeed one of the key metrics to consider when selecting an influencer for collaboration, regardless of the product type. What specific factors should we focus on?

First & foremost: the views dynamics on the channel. The most desirable type of YouTube channel in terms of views is one that maintains stable viewership across all of its videos. This stability serves as proof of an active and loyal audience genuinely interested in the creator’s content, unlike channels where views vary significantly from one video to another.

Many unauthentic crypto channels not only buy YouTube comments but also invest in increasing video views to create the impression of stability. So, what exactly should we look at in terms of views? Firstly, calculate the average number of views based on the ten latest videos. Then, compare this figure to the views of the most recent videos posted within the past week. If you notice that these new videos have nearly the same number of views as those posted a month or two ago, it’s a clear red flag. Typically, a YouTube channel experiences lower views on new videos, with the number increasing organically each day as the audience engages with the content. If you see a video posted just three days ago already garnering 30k views, matching the total views of older videos, it’s a sign of fraudulent traffic purchased to create the illusion of view stability.

3. Influencer’s channel statistics

The primary statistics of interest are region and demographic split, and sometimes the device types of the viewers.

LEVEL 1

When reviewing the shared statistics, the first step is to request a video screencast instead of a simple screenshot. This is because it takes more time to organically edit a video than a screenshot, making it harder to manipulate the statistics. If the creator refuses, step two (if only screenshots are provided) is to download them and check the file’s properties on your computer. Look for details such as whether it was created with Adobe Photoshop or the color profile, typically Adobe RGB, to determine if the screenshot has been edited.

LEVEL 2

After confirming the authenticity of the stats screenshot, it’s crucial to analyze the data. For instance, if you’re examining a channel conducted in Spanish with all videos filmed in the same language, it would raise concerns to find a significant audience from countries like India or Turkey. This discrepancy, where the audience doesn’t align with regions known for speaking the language, is a red flag.

If we’re considering an English-language crypto channel, it typically suggests an international audience, as English’s global use for quality educational content on niche topics like crypto. However, certain considerations apply. For instance, if an English-speaking channel shows a significant percentage of Polish viewers (15% to 30%) without any mention of the Polish language, it could indicate fake followers and views. However, if the channel’s creator is Polish, occasionally posts videos in Polish alongside English, and receives Polish comments, it’s important not to rush to conclusions.

Example of statistics

Wrapping up

These are the main factors to consider when selecting an influencer to promote your crypto product. Once you’ve launched the campaign, there are also some markers to show which creators did bring the authentic traffic and which used some tools to create the illusion of an active and engaged audience. While this may seem obvious, it’s still worth mentioning. After the video is posted, allow 5-7 days for it to accumulate a basic number of views, then check performance metrics such as views, clicks, click-through rate (CTR), signups, and conversion rate (CR) from clicks to signups.

If you overlooked some red flags when selecting crypto channels for your launch, you might find the following outcomes: channels with high views numbers and high CTRs, demonstrating the real interest of the audience, yet with remarkably low conversion rates. In the worst-case scenario, you might witness thousands of clicks resulting in zero to just a few signups. While this might suggest technical issues in other industries, in crypto campaigns it indicates that the creator engaged in the campaign not only bought fake views and comments but also link clicks. And this happens more often than you may realize.

Summing up, choosing the right crypto creator to promote your product is indeed a tricky job that requires a lot of resources to be put into the search process. 

Author

Nadia Bubennikova, Head of agency at Famesters

JERICHO, N.Y., April 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Global consulting firm J.S. Held, proudly celebrating 50 transformative years, announces the promotion of 93 distinguished experts across multiple practices and geographies. These well-deserved senior expert promotions span the firm’s areas of expertise and exemplify our core values and commitment to delivering unrivaled expertise, unparalleled client service, and to be catalysts for change in our industry.

Technical and scientific experts are trusted advisors to organizations facing high-stakes situations requiring specialized expertise. Experts in construction; environmental, health, and safety (EHS); engineering; accident reconstruction; equipment, materials analysis & lab testing; and property & infrastructure damage, provide a comprehensive suite of services that enable clients to navigate complex, contentious, and often catastrophic situations across the globe.

J.S. Held experts deliver financial expertise across all assets and value at risk – uncovering the truth behind the numbers in financial disputes, bringing clarity to tangible and intangible asset valuation, and providing effective strategies to turn around troubled companies. Forensic accountants and economists are recognized industry leaders in financial investigations, quantifying economic damages, valuing businesses and their assets, and delivering expert witness testimony & litigation support in financial disputes. Corporate Finance experts provide turnaround & restructuring services, data analysis, compliance & regulatory consulting, financial reporting, interim management (c-suite level), receivership, and transaction advisory expertise.

J.S. Held’s risk and advisory experts have been engaged in some of the largest, most complex mandates across the world to advise in matters involving intellectual property, corporate investigations & monitorships, regulatory compliance, political risk, business intelligence, cyber security, fraud, corruption, and vast amounts of data. Multidisciplinary experts specialize in minimizing risk, navigating regulatory compliance, providing expert services in commercial disputes, and realizing business value. 

With a strong belief that client service and employee engagement are synonymous, J.S. Held remains committed to providing a first-class work environment and cultivating a sense of community among its team. “In 2023, we launched J.S. Held Academy for continued team member development in support of our experts,” said Jonathon Held, Chief Executive Officer. “I am proud of our people who continue to demonstrate incredible drive and deliver integrated solutions to complex situations worldwide.”

Marjan Panah, the firm’s new Chief People Officer, added, “At J.S. Held, we recognize the importance of diversity of thought and experience in delivering the best solutions for our clients. These promotions reflect our commitment to fostering a culture that values and rewards expertise, collaboration, and innovation.”

J.S. Held remains dedicated to providing unparalleled expertise to clients facing high-stakes events demanding urgent attention, staunch integrity, clear-cut analysis, and an understanding of tangible and intangible assets.

Learn more about the dedicated and entrepreneurial experts who help transform J.S. Held, explore our story, and celebrate this momentous milestone, our 50 & Forward celebration, with us at jsheld.com.

About J.S. Held

J.S. Held is a global consulting firm providing technical, scientific, financial, and strategic expertise across all assets and value at risk. Our professionals serve as trusted advisors to organizations facing high-stakes matters demanding urgent attention, staunch integrity, proven experience, clear-cut analysis, and an understanding of both tangible and intangible assets. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of services, products, and data that enable clients to navigate complex, contentious, and often catastrophic situations.

More than 1,500 professionals serve organizations across six continents, including 81% of the Global 200 Law Firms, 70% of the Forbes Top 20 Insurance Companies (85% of the NAIC Top 50 Property & Casualty Insurers), and 65% of the Fortune 100 Companies.

J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not certified public accounting firm(s) and do not provide audit, attest, or any other public accounting services. J.S. Held, its affiliates and subsidiaries are not law firms and do not provide legal advice. Securities offered through PM Securities, LLC, d/b/a Phoenix IB, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC or Ocean Tomo Investment Group, LLC, a part of J.S. Held, member FINRA/ SIPC. All rights reserved.

Media Contact

Kristi L. Stathis, J.S. Held, +1 786 833 4864, [email protected], JSHeld.com

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