Pepo

Pepo was a social media application that pivoted to focus on the cryptocurrency community, allowing users to share short videos and reward creators with tokens. Founded in 2016 by serial entrepreneur Jason Goldberg, along with Sunil Khedar and Francesco Pacella, the company initially launched as a broader social conversation platform for people to connect around shared interests. By 2019, Pepo had repositioned itself as the first crypto-powered app approved by Apple, featuring in-app purchases and cash-out options for its integrated tokens.

The venture was started by Goldberg, a well-known figure in the tech industry with a history of founding companies like Fab.com, Hem, and Jobster. His experience with the complexities of tokenizing the Pepo app led to the creation of Simple Token (OST), a layer-2 development platform on Ethereum designed to help other consumer apps integrate blockchain micro-transactions. Pepo itself was built using this OST technology. The company secured $2.75 million in seed funding from investors including Tencent, Greycroft, and Correlation Ventures.

The platform enabled users to create and share short videos, similar in feel to a mix of TikTok and LinkedIn, where "likes" would translate into peer-to-peer token transactions from the viewer to the creator. This model aimed to provide a direct way for the crypto community—including developers, analysts, and enthusiasts—to connect, collaborate, and show appreciation for content. The app later introduced "Communities" to allow users with shared passions to form dedicated groups. The business appears to have ceased operations, as the domain pepo.com is now for sale.

Keywords: Jason Goldberg, social video app, crypto community, Simple Token, OST, peer-to-peer transactions, creator monetization, blockchain social media, Fab.com founder, Ethereum layer-2, decentralized application, token rewards, video sharing platform, crypto enthusiast network, in-app crypto purchases