Pylons

Pylons develops an interoperable blockchain platform focused on the Cosmos ecosystem, providing middleware solutions for programmable digital assets and experiences. Founded in 2019 by CEO Michael Sofaer, the company is headquartered in New York. Sofaer's background includes roles as Director of NFTs at Tendermint and a history in the cryptocurrency space dating back to 2013 with a venture to produce Bitcoin gift cards.

The company operates as a sovereign layer-1 blockchain built with the Cosmos SDK, designed to facilitate the creation and trade of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). The platform targets developers, artists, and brands, aiming to simplify the process of building Web3 applications. Pylons offers a suite of tools including an SDK, a mobile wallet application, and a minter to support the development of decentralized applications with freemium models, a common business strategy on the internet. A significant feature of the platform is the integration of traditional payment systems like Stripe, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, allowing users to purchase digital assets directly with fiat currency via credit cards without first needing to acquire cryptocurrency or complete KYC (Know Your Customer) procedures.

Pylons' business model is structured around commissions rather than transaction-based gas fees. The native token, Bedrock ($ROCK), is used to provide economic incentives for validators and builders on the chain, receiving a percentage of all payment transactions. This model is intended to lower the entry barrier for mainstream users, particularly in sectors like on-chain gaming, by mirroring the seamless experience of mobile gaming. The platform also functions as an interchain fiat gateway, enabling users on other Cosmos chains, such as Stargaze, to list their NFTs for sale in USD. In August 2022, Pylons completed a major upgrade to Cosmos SDK v46, which introduced support for in-app purchasing of digital goods. The company actively supports its ecosystem through a grant program, offering up to 50,000 $ROCK to founders building applications on its platform.

Keywords: Pylons, Cosmos ecosystem, NFT engine, middleware solutions, programmable digital property, sovereign chain, Michael Sofaer, Tendermint, Cosmos SDK, Web3 building, blockchain development tools, freemium dapps, in-app purchasing, fiat onramp, interchain fiat gateway, Bedrock token, $ROCK, mobile wallet, NFT minting, blockchain-native experiences, digital asset marketplace, layer-1 blockchain, decentralized applications, NFT infrastructure, Stripe integration, Apple Pay integration, Google Pay integration