In a reminder of the seemingly limitless flexibility of the crowdfunding model, a new site is being launched which will be focused upon the leaking of information – in exchange for payment. “PayPub” will allow individuals to post a teaser of the information which they possess, and to slap a price tag on the unveiling of further information. Users then submit bitcoins in a bid to unlock the additional material. The onus is on the leakers and funders to maintain their confidentiality throughout the process. Programs like CoinJar and Dark Wallet are two potential methods of doing this.
PayPub has been co-created by Amir Taaki – of Open Bazaar and Dark Wallet fame. In an interview with Wired, Taaki commented:
“I’ve wanted for a while to make a marketplace where people can leak information and others can pay for those leaks. Leakers are taking a risk, and they should be rewarded.”
The site will combine three disruptive, tech-based features – a WikiLeaks-style site, with a crowdfunding element, financed by a digital currency. PayPub is of interest to AltFi specifically for that crowdfunding element – but also because it chimes with the theme of decentralization that the alternative finance sector as a whole champions. PayPub could change the way that sensitive information is distributed.
You can read more about PayPub here.
