PickcioChain

PikcioChain, operated by parent company Pikcio AG, was a blockchain-based platform focused on the secure and transparent exchange of personal data. The company was founded by Didier Collin De Casaubon (CEO), Fabien Bucamp (CTO), Jorick Lartigau (Research), and Cherie Arruda (Plan & Audits). De Casaubon brought entrepreneurial experience from the software industry to the venture. The development work was handled by MatchUpBox, a company also founded by De Casaubon, Bucamp, and Lartigau.

The firm's primary goal was to create a data ecosystem where individuals could control their personal information, decide who to share it with, and receive financial compensation for its use. The business model involved a dual-product approach. For individual users, it offered PikcioMe, a free application that functioned as a personal data bank, including a private search engine, a decentralized chat, and a token wallet. For corporate clients, the company provided PikcioPro, a paid service that utilized smart contracts for buying and selling certified data, primarily targeting sectors like finance for Know Your Customer (KYC) process automation. Revenue was generated from companies paying for these PikcioPro services and for the management of private blockchains tailored to their needs.

PikcioChain's technology was built on the NEO blockchain and utilized a token, initially PKC and later PKX, to facilitate transactions within its ecosystem. The platform was designed to be GDPR compliant and featured multi-layer encryption to secure user data. In March 2018, the company successfully concluded its Initial Coin Offering (ICO), raising approximately $12 million. The project gained significant partnerships with major firms like PwC, EY, Capgemini, and BNP Paribas for services ranging from funding and due diligence to developing KYC solutions. Despite these milestones, Pikcio AG announced it was ceasing operations in February 2020 due to a lack of funds and failure to acquire a sustainable customer base. The company's technology was intended to be transferred to the Aleph.im project to ensure its continued development and use.

Keywords: personal data exchange, blockchain data, data monetization, KYC automation, secure data sharing, decentralized identity, Pikcio AG, PKC token, PKX token, data ecosystem, data certification, smart contracts, NEO blockchain, Didier Collin de Casaubon, peer-to-peer data market, GDPR compliance, data control, personal data wallet, data security, crypto data platform