Designing
New Context

Designing
New Context

Crypto Garage Assists PoC to Introduce “Digital Membership for Fans” Using web3 Technology in Shiwa Town

2023.12.13

Crypto Garage, a subsidiary of Digital Garage (DG) that develops blockchain financial services business in the Fintech field, assists the PoC of “Digital Membership for Fans” that fanbase company worked with Shiwa Town, Iwate Prefecture, in October 2023, for promoting collaboration with the Shiwa Town fan community and securing a new funding resource.

Background of the PoC

〜Aiming to create new funding resource and to collaborate with fans to enhance the value of the local community〜
Shiwa Town introduced the “fan-based” concept in FY2020 and is working to build a system to reflect the voices of Shiwa Town fans in community development. Reflecting the feedback from town residents at Shiwa Town’s fan meetings, Shiwa Town has engaged in collaborating activities with fans, such as establishing “Azumanesan Day” and planning the regional event “AZUMANE WEEK.”

To bring more collaborating activities, Crypto Garage, Inc. (HQ: Tokyo; President and CEO: Masahito Okuma; Crypto Garage), which operates a blockchain financial services business in the Fintech field and a technology development services business in the blockchain domain, together with fanbase company Inc. (HQ: Tokyo; President and CEO: Masayasu Tsuda; fanbase company), which provides fan community design and management support, planned a “digital membership for fans” to promote the enthusiasm of Shiwa Town fans further. The two companies aimed to increase Shiwa Town’s value through a system that would encourage fans to continue to participate by designing digital memberships and membership benefits based on fan analysis conducted by the fanbase company.

Overview of the PoC

Date: October 29, 2023
Purpose: Verification of satisfaction with experience of membership privileges and token issuance for members
Details: Host a membership experience event and verify the issuance of tokens using blockchain technology
Content: Making products utilizing rice produced in Shiwa Town, tours of Mt. Azumane

Based on the results of previous fan analysis, fanbase company was responsible for designing promotional benefits and supporting the planning and operation of experiential events. Then, as a system to promote this project and support this PoC, Crypto Garage provided “mahola wallet,” a key management service that implements the management of private keys on the blockchain, and “mahola api,” a blockchain back-end service, to support the project.

Results of the PoC

Enthusiastic Shiwa Town fans were invited to this PoC and the following two points were verified.

1. Motivation to continue the membership experience
Based on the ideas generated at the 2nd Shiwa Town Fan Meeting held in August 2023, events were held to develop products and discover Shiwa Town’s unique natural features. In a post-event survey, all participants responded that their interest in getting involved in Shiwa Town increased, confirming their satisfaction with their membership experience and increased motivation to participate in community development.

2. Token giveaway to members
This PoC provided a system to give/store tokens on membership accounts who demonstrated actions that contribute to the engagement of the community, such as collaboration among members and active participation in events. All participants responded that they particularly liked the function of storing proof of their contributions to community development, confirming that issuing tokens increases satisfaction with collaborating activities.

Comment from Sugawa, Commerce, Industry and Tourism Division of Shiwa Town Hall

Shiwa Town has been moving forward and implemented a “fan-based” approach to community development. Unlike the private companies that provide products and services, the local government has difficulty dealing promoting an abstract concept, such as “community development.” Therefore, it is essential to visualize the existence of fans who “love” the town and build a relationship that grows the community. We hope that the digital membership will further increase the enthusiasm of the fans surrounding Shiwa Town.

Future Developments

To enhance the value of the community, it is important to have fans who deeply understand the community’s attractions and are enthusiastic about the community’s activities. In addition to verifying that the membership experience increases fans’ satisfaction and motivation to engage in activities, this PoC also generated new collaboration project ideas, once again highlighting the potential for collaborating directly with fans. In the future, we will use the knowledge gained from this project to improve the functions of the “digital membership for fans,” to bring more collaborating activities between fans and the community, and secure new funding resource to increase the value of the community.

In the pursuit of a sustainable society, Crypto Garage remains dedicated to advancing the creation and implementation of the ‘architecture’ that will shape the next generation. Through continued collaboration with DG Group assets and partners, we aim to develop and provide sophisticated financial services that leverage blockchain and cryptographic technologies, contributing to the sustainable development of society.

【About “mahola”】
Crypto Garage offers blockchain back-end services through its “mahola” service to remove the various barriers companies and projects face in setting up a web3 business.

“mahola wallet” is a private key management service for easily implementing a custodial NFT wallet function into NFT projects and existing company services. This service enables private key management for project administrators and implementation of wallet functionality in company services.

“mahola api” is a blockchain back-end service that allows customers to build and operate NFT projects and web3 services without having to be aware of the blockchain layer.

In addition to NFT projects, this service can enable the construction of services without the need for blockchain development knowledge when implementing various service developments, such as building NFT marketplaces, implementing token gates, operating smart contracts, and using blockchain data in marketing, as well as simple NFT issuance projects.

Company Profile

Company Name: Crypto Garage, Inc.
Location: Digital Gate Building, 3-5-7 Ebisu-Minami, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Establishment: September 2018
Representative: Masato Okuma, President and CEO
Businesses: A company jointly established by DG and The Tokyo Tanshi Co., Ltd. (HQ: Tokyo; President: Shoji Ushiro) to develop blockchain financial services business in the Fintech field and technology development services business in the blockchain domain.
Register of Cryptoasset Exchange Service Providers, Director-General of Kanto Finance Bureau
No. 00029

Company Name: fanbase company Inc.
Location: 702 TOKYU REIT Ebisu Building, 3-25-11 Higashi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Establishment: May 7, 2019
Representative: Masayasu Tsuda, President and CEO
Capital: 294 million yen (including capital reserve)
Businesses: Project management, analysis and planning support, SaaS provision
A joint venture between Nomura Holdings, Inc., Allied Architects, Inc. and Naoyuki Sato,
launched in May 2019. To spread the concept of “fan base” properly and sincerely, we have set up the mission to “increase the number of ‘Likes!’”.
*fanbase® is a registered trademark or trademark of fanbase company, Inc.

Inquiries regarding this press release

Crypto Garage, Inc.
Contact: https://cryptogarage.co.jp/en/contact/

fanbase company Inc.
mail: info@fanbasecompany.com