# ReeFi-DAO Launch Fundraiser By [ReeFi-DAO Launch Fundraiser](https://paragraph.com/@reefi-dao-launch-fundraiser) · 2022-02-08 --- ReeFi-DAO --------- [www.reefi-dao.xyz](https://www.reefi-dao.xyz) [#ReeFi\_Aus](https://twitter.com/reefi_aus) [Rarible - ReeFi-DAO OSC Edition](https://rarible.com/token/0xB66a603f4cFe17e3D27B87a8BfCaD319856518B8:112315796150616225630647524801432021985192457000201926843792131236494625996801) Global coral reef conservation, at the cutting edge of regenerative finance and decentralised community participation. #ReFi + #CoralReef + #DAO = #ReeFi-DAO News!! ------ In the last month we’ve begun to share our mission and vision - a global coral reef regenerative finance community, powered by a deep well of human compassion, blockchain technology, and a strong desire for profitable philanthropy. We’re inspired by the groundswell of support and encouragement we've received. We are now crowdfunding the formal launch of the ReeFi-DAO community. Help us launch the DAO that will disrupt ‘business as usual’ in global coral reef governance and conservation. 500 “ReeFi-DAO OSC” Edition NFTs are being auctioned to fund the launch and build-out the new ReeFi-DAO community.   Become part of the Old School Crew that inverts ‘business as usual’ in the marine conservation space… because it’s just not working the old way. What do we need? ---------------- The early founders have bootstrapped ReeFi-DAO to date, but we require additional capital to formalise ReeFi as a DAO; develop associated Web3/blockchain assets; establish relevant legal structures; and kick off development of the digital twin in our first (OSC) roll-out zone. We’re looking for 100ETH to launch ReeFi-DAO.  Surplus funds will build the Community Treasury, and be applied by the community to accelerate the roll-out process. You will be part of an exclusive OSC foundational group by supporting ReeFi-DAO with the costs of developing systems and launching our proof of concept project. In addition to the contributions of the OSC, we are also looking for people with interest or passion for coral reefs and a desire to lend their skills/knowledge/expertise to future projects. In particular, we’d welcome DAO community development specialists, artists, blockchain experts, Web3 developers, NFT gurus and related thinkers and do’ers. What the HET?? -------------- “We’re not talking NFTs as the world knows them today. Hybrid Eco Tokens should be more than just a ‘collectible’: they should facilitate ‘profitable philanthropy’; and they must evolve as the ecosystem changes, both naturally and through our deeds.” Ecosystems the world over are dynamic.  Seasons and storms, evolution and extraction, climate, chemicals and construction… all competing to create the hybrid of natural and built worlds that we live in.  We might even ‘own’ our little parcels of the built world, but - like the natural ecosystems - each is impacted by others from afar, and our actions in each have a tangible effect on those far away. When NFTs evolved they were easily attached to unique but static art. A year later their smart contracts took on dynamic properties for artwork that changed over time, and stretched to oracles that allowed external forces to modify the artwork you own.  But how do you construct a system of smart contracts to effect a change in someone else’s world - or a real world that belongs to nobody else because it belongs to all?  In the gray between the black and the white, lies the reality that ‘the best of both worlds’ is a hybrid.  Tokens that: * represent real-world ecosystems that you cannot ‘own’, except through tenure in their digital twin.   * derive their value not from just our fancy, but from the natural fluctuations of the ecosystem and our stewardship of it. * are primarily tools of change, not just avatars of perceived value.   * you can add value to, not by personality but by your thoughtful actions in both the real and virtual worlds.   * that give you access to both the governance and financial opportunities in your new community. * That allow you to participate in a global community that generates conservation-directed economic activity that sustains the community, and * turn philanthropy into profitable philanthropy - social or financial, whether realised in your lifetime, or the next. …and this is why we call them Hybrid Eco-Tokens.  Or HET for short. OSC? ---- OSC (Old School Crew) members get to be part of the early foundations of ReeFi-DAO.  In helping us create and establish the DAO, you will also get access to a range of perks and benefits. * Convert OSC tokens to Patch HETs and claim your part of the reef * Bragging rights and a unique ‘OSC’ badge applied to future Patch tokens * Early access to the ReeFi-DAO community, and the ability to help shape its founding principles ### Your butt on the boat! In addition, the top 10 OSC contributors will be awarded an open ticket to join a ReeFi-DAO funded Flying Fish Technology reef survey, including on-boat accommodation, food and drinks (members are responsible for arranging their own travel to and from Queensland, and bookings must be made prior) and the chance to chill with the original OSC from the Great Barrier Reef. [Become part of the OSC today!](https://rarible.com/token/0xB66a603f4cFe17e3D27B87a8BfCaD319856518B8:112315796150616225630647524801432021985192457000201926843792131236494625996801) The Challenge ------------- Coral reefs are iconic at a global level. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is the size of Germany, sits amongst the seven natural wonders of the world, but still only represents 8% of global coral reefs. Human threats, primarily climate change, pose an immediate and catastrophic threat to coral reef ecosystems and the human cultures they support. Global coral reef systems are plagued by the Tragedy of the Commons - no one can own them, billions enjoy them, but those responsible for conserving them simply don't have the resources or mechanisms to protect them. ReeFi-DAO Mission ----------------- _‘Coral reef conservation for the digital age… Community lead #ReFi for global Coral Reefs’_ **Empowered global coral reef conservation community** Growing and empowering a community of  change-agents dedicated to saving reef ecosystems globally. ReeFi-DAO brings together individuals all over the world, giving them the ability to form a personal connection to the reef, tools to empower citizen science and a mechanism to have a voice in decision making that has a direct impact on coral reef health and sustainability. **Outcome focused and transparent project frameworks** ReeFi-DAO has flipped current conservation funding and project deployment models - ensuring that 90%+ of funds raised are directed towards on-ground conservation projects; and that every project undertaken is transparent and accountable from concept through to conclusion. **Effective partnerships** Focused on building partnerships which enable rapid deployment of effective and scientifically backed conservation initiatives. Why? ---- **People Care** The global community loves coral reefs, understands their importance as an indicator of global ecosystem health, recognises that they are under threat, and wants to help. **Business as usual isn’t working** Accountability, transparency and grass-roots participation are worthy goals for many organisations, but far too often the multiple layers of entrenched roles soak up the majority of available funds. Large sums flow into the funnel, relatively few dribble out. The world has become jaded with ‘conventional’ government and conservation efforts that favour policy and lobbying over on-ground action. **Emerging technologies** Blockchain technologies provide new change-enabling mechanisms. As current forms of NFTs evolve and innovative practitioners develop even smarter ‘smart contracts, the full capacity of Web3 will begin to emerge in ways not yet even imagined… until now. New methods of capturing and analysing high volumes of data at rates not previously possible provide a clearer picture of coral reef health and allow this to be effectively monitored over time.  These technologies include mapping tools like LIDAR, vision-based underwater robots like Vertigo3®, and combinations of computer vision and  AI/MLtechniques for ‘facial recognition’ of corals and other reef animals and their mapping into real-world coordinates.  With new user interfaces and engaged communities, machine learning can be rapidly applied to enormous datasets to extract new perspectives on the health of coral reef environments and the animals that live within. **Global connection** \*“How can someone in London or New York practically save a coral reef?” * * * \*\*Technology has now advanced past the threshold that allows remote participants to experience the real world in stunning detail; and to interact with it and effect change within the real world via its digital twin.  As technology such as Flying Fish Technology's Vertigo3® glider build out this digital world, coral reefs can be mapped in intricate detail at unprecedented rates. In the future that this technology enables, the traditional conservation cry of ‘think globally, act locally’ becomes ‘act locally, act globally’. ReeFi-DAO Vision ---------------- **Economic theory identifies the solution to the Tragedy of the Commons as a combination of tenure, regulation and collectivism.** ReeFi-DAO has a vision that aligns perfectly with this theory - an engaged, connected and self-regulating global community with digital tenure of coral reef systems, able to genuinely focus on coral reef conservation and its biggest threat, climate change. **(Digital) Tenure** ReeFi-DAO ‘Patch’ token holders will have digital tenure of their own unique piece (Patch) of coral reef to view, admire, explore and nurture. All ReeFi-DAO ‘Patches’ are defined in real-world geographic coordinates. Each represents a hectare of actual coral reef. All are selected within snorkeling or SCUBA diving depth in the hope that future generations will enjoy the Reef in the same way that previous generations have. Fundamental to ReeFi-DAO governance principles is the need to create a self-perpetuating funding mechanism for on-ground actions. The ability for global citizens to purchase Patch tenure within a “profitable philanthropy” framework enables enhancement of value in real world reef patches and in the Patch tokens that represent them. Each Patch will be populated with a range of data including increasingly detailed physical surveys, robotic imagery and subsea sensors. Token holders will have the exclusive right to commercial applications of data from their Patch, while non-commercial uses are ensured for reef scientists and reef management agencies. Funds raised from Patch sales will contribute to the ReeFi-DAO Treasury to be applied to a range of coral reef conservation projects as determined by the ReeFi-DAO community. ReeFi-DAO will offer Patch owners a wide range of ways to enjoy, share and add value to their Patch and experience it’s evolution over time. Patch owners will have the capacity to direct on-ground conservation efforts within their own Patch, as well as personally engaging in citizen science activities which will not only add value to their own Patch and the Reefi-DAO community as a whole, but to the broader global coral reef ecosystem. **Regulation and collectivism** DAO (Decentralised Autonomous Organisation) structures and technology allow community decisions to be made democratically within a clear regulatory framework.  We recognise that the failure of ‘business as usual’ governance models is really only a failure of centuries-old governance models. We are excited by the opportunity to hybridise governance models that have lasted for millenia with modern DAO approaches in a manner that the current establishment cannot replicate. Every Patch owner gets one vote. This process is explicitly tied to an ‘expert panel’ who provides the community with clear, apolitical, impartial advice required to evaluate reef threats, and possible actions to mitigate those risks. The community can then propose and up-vote or down-vote all initiatives and partnerships. **Transparency and accountability** In ReeFi-DAO, peer review becomes a full-project process utilising blockchain technology to ensure that everything from proposal to conclusions and recommendations, is completely transparent and accountable. **Education** Education, from (sea)grass-roots to academia, is an integral part of creating an effective community of connected and engaged global citizens with a focus on understanding and addressing coral reef threats. ReeFi-DAO holds education as a core value and seeks to incorporate it into all community activities. How is this possible? --------------------- Digital mapping of the earth’s ecosystems is already allowing rudimentary digital twinning, especially at infrastructure and city scales.  Not so in the underwater world, where visibility prevents such surveys. At the moment, the grandest of reef twins works at a 10-metre scale, barely enough for close-quarters navigation, and poor even for habitat mapping.  The FFT Vertigo3® glider - for the first time ever - allows underwater imagery at a sub-centimetre scale, and the opportunity to put ‘flesh’ on the bones of a fine scale mapping product. Shallow coral reefs (down to 30m depth) represent about 15% of the Great Barrier Reef, or 45 million square kilometers. These areas are scattered across 2,000 km of coastline in more than 3,000 individual reef structures. With sophisticated mapping, each hectare of these can be captured in increasingly fine detail.  And as each year’s surveys roll on, these Patches will naturally change over time. In its enormity and beauty, and via the technologies of digital twins and DAO communities, these areas allow a vast community of global reef citizens to own - in a virtual world tenure that maps onto the earth’s surface - appreciate, and nurture the Reef in ways they could never imagine. What’s next? ------------ By June 2022 we will: * Develop DAO infrastructure and onboard its foundational members * Build the Patch Hybrid Eco-Tokens (HET) and core Web3 assets * Commence Proof of Concept project (OSC Reef Survey) In the second half of 2022 we will: * Begin providing monitoring data streams to Reef Managers * Begin accrediting external service providers to meet community needs  * Establish commercial framework for transactions within the community and externally  * Expand Web3 assets and functionality * Roll out improved data visualisation tools * Deliver Phase 1 of Project 1 (GBR survey) * Have the world’s largest and most detailed coral reef dataset --- *Originally published on [ReeFi-DAO Launch Fundraiser](https://paragraph.com/@reefi-dao-launch-fundraiser/reefi-dao-launch-fundraiser)*