A TOKEN OF TRUST

TRUST UNDERPINS COMMERCE, AND VADIM FEDOTOV IS LOOKING TO BRING MORE OF BOTH TO AFFILIATE MARKETING. HE TELLS THE BLOCK’S IVAN BORG HOW.

HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR WAY TO AETOKEN? WHAT WAS YOUR BACKGROUND LEADING UP TO IT?

VF: Interestingly, it was my longstanding career in affiliate marketing, and issues that limited my company’s ability to scale that led to the first draft of the AEToken Whitepaper. I have been in the online gaming industry for over 11 years, both on the operator and the affiliate side. My initial entry through SEO for Highlight Media was followed by senior management positions at various other operators. Three years ago, I started my own affiliate venture as a digital marketing agency to service B2B partners with marketing solutions. My past experience enabled me to see both sides of industry issues, and led to the genesis of AEToken.

Last December, while studying the blockchain and ICO explosion, it hit me that blockchain technology was an elegant solution that can truly address quite a few of the ‘hiccups’ that were preventing our industry from expanding its business models and attaining its true potential. I wanted to come up with a solution for my own substantial business issues that would allow me to expand more safely and quickly. That’s how AEToken was born.

IS AFFILIATE MARKETING CURRENTLY SUFFERING FROM A TRUST GAP? HOW DO YOU PROPOSE TO ADDRESS IT?

VF: Absolutely! Much of this deficit stems from the fraud committed in the early days of online casinos. Publishers avoid taking large numbers of new customers from an advertiser on day one, even if they can easily handle the traffic. On the flipside, advertisers are also reluctant to send a large amount of leads to a new partner, wary of not getting paid and risking the advanced capital needed to generate those leads.

AEToken addresses these issues from multiple angles. It’s facile to say that smart contracts will make sure that deals are secure and that blockchain will keep everything transparent.

While it’s true that AEToken’s solution implements these strategies, we have developed a unique mediation tool, which will be the third prong and the backbone of our platform, designed to infuse trust back into the industry. Shaving and cross-selling will always be at the mercy of the publishers, anybody who tells you otherwise is being disingenuous. While we may not be able to eliminate it entirely, we will certainly be able to reduce it greatly.

AFFILIATE FRAUD IS OBVIOUSLY A SERIOUS ISSUE. ARE THERE LESS ‘DELIBERATE’ PROBLEMS THAT AFFILIATES DEAL WITH IN THEIR BUSINESS? DOES AETOKEN HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS?

VF: Fraud as mentioned is a given, however there are plenty of other issues that affiliates deal with, like excessive transaction fees, high currency exchange rates and prolonged fund turnover and payout times. A lot of affiliates are given incentives to use payment processors. This eats into the affiliates’ profit margin and prevents them from having the additional capital to expand their business.

The AET utility token solves these issues. When implemented in the affiliate industry it will provide a more stable pricing environment, with the flexibility to be exchanged for these cryptocurrencies at the desire of the AET token holder. The payments and transfers will cost a fraction of what they do now and limits will not be placed. We will also provide an AEToken mobile optimised wallet with an app to enable token holders to switch their AETs for any form of fiat or cryptocurrency.

WHAT INCENTIVE DOES AETOKEN OFFER ON THE PUBLISHING SIDE OF THE EQUATION?

VF: We are not here to tip the scale in favour of the publisher or the affiliate, but to provide a level playing field for both sides. We want to enable everyone to conduct business safely, confidently, profitably, and to jointly grow the multi-billion dollar affiliate market exponentially.

The same transactional fee issues mentioned above are also felt by the publisher side while paying out commissions. Our mediation and smart contract features will enable a publisher to take 1000 leads from a walk-in affiliate and feel comfortable with that deal, knowing full well that their funds will only get released if the conditions of the deal are met.

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MILESTONES ON YOUR HORIZON, AS THINGS STAND?

VF: We are in our private sale right now. The next major milestone will be the public ICO, as I will be utilising my affiliate marketing company’s multiple channels to gather a minimum of 5000 ICO investors. Stemming from the financial world, if a public company has 5000 investors, it then has a natural and daily liquidity to support a diverse shareholder base. This will be important for both affiliates and publishers transacting with AEToken to have faith in its liquidity and stability. AEToken provides the industry with the tools necessary for it to explode.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BIGGEST STRENGTH AS A TEAM?

VF: Our team – I will say this proudly, is unlike any I have seen in this space before. Our team is our greatest strength. I have gathered a very unique blend of individuals that are at the top of their respective fields. We have the best of the best, and there’s an awesome balance of skills.

Gene Hoffman’s profile speaks for itself. There really isn’t much more needed to be said about our CTO. His technical skills in the delivery the implementation of our software is truly world class. Jason Fernandes, our COO brings a mixture of tech, blockchain, innovation and public presentation to the table. Our advisors are also top-notch. From Eman Pulis to Marcus Segal, Dr. Evan Luthra, Walter Komarek and Michael Caselli – their acumen speaks for itself.

It is the blend of all our talents that make AEToken special. I am very lucky to have assembled such a team.