Introduction

Social media has proven over the years to be one of the best agents of socialization. The world is constantly becoming a global village, and the role that social media plays in this transformation is paramount. We have seen the likes of Web2 platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, and X (formerly Twitter) providing a platform for interaction, knowledge exchange, and connection to its users.

All of these are great features, but one major drawback of these platforms is that users become the product, and they aren't rewarded for the time and resources they invest in the app. Only a few do, and even then, not all users are considered.

In an exclusive interview with Louis Akaatenger, the founder of Maringo, a Web3 social media platform that aims to provide a space for exploration, socialization, and earning, we discussed in detail what Maringo is, the plan to reward its users, and the potential to revolutionize the traditional social media system. Let's delve in!

What is Maringo?

Maringo is a multipurpose super application built on blockchain that enables its users to socialize, connect, engage in digital commerce, and earn rewards, all within one platform.

When asked about what Maringo entails, Akaatenger said,

"We're into delivering an easy-to-use application that focuses on the African market to consolidate the fragmented experience users face when navigating all these different apps. This means one app for finance, all the separate social media apps, and one app for commerce. By combining all these aspects under one roof, we can alleviate the need for fragmented experiences. This, in turn, promotes a new era of financial empowerment through financial inclusion and improves social connectivity across the continent"

Maringo is not like any other social media app; here, users are given access to create value, build their audience, and actively get rewarded for participating on the platform through the use of tokenomics, gamification, and blockchain technology.

Louis Akaatenger, when questioned about his motivation for creating Maringo, stated,

"We felt the need for a Pan-Africa social network one day, curating a very relevant experience to users within the diaspora. We wanted to provide them not just a platform with the means to connect but to connect in very unique, different, and interesting ways - innovative ways. We also wanted to provide users the avenue to leverage this app to generate wealth and unlock new financial possibilities"

Features on Maringo

The initial phase of the app was launched in June 2023, featuring basic social media functionalities where users can follow each other, send messages, and make posts. Other web3 features, such as wallets, are still in development and remain in the pipeline.

Here are the features of the Maringo app

1. Messaging: Just like any social media platform, users can connect, interact, and build communities on Maringo. Also, users can connect and share fun moments through video and voice chat.

2. Explore: With Maringo, users can post content such as pictures, thoughts, and articles on their pages, and they can also explore other users' content.

3. E-commerce: On Maringo users can create, sell, and trade their digital collectibles and subscriber-only content in the form of NFTs on the marketplace

4. Digital Wallet: Maringo has an in-built wallet that allows users and creators to pay and be paid when they sell their digital collectibles

5. Rewards: Users on the Maringo app tend to earn XPs the more they interact on the app. This is achieved through a gamification process, where users can earn more XPs at different levels on the app. These XPs can be converted into the Maringo token, which can then be rewarded as fiat.

When inquired about the features to anticipate in Maringo, Akaatenger replied,

"Hopefully, by the end of this month (October), we should be releasing version 2.0 of our beta stage. This version now includes a bit more features; we've refined a lot of the early features that we pushed out. We've reworked them, the UI works a lot smoother, we did a lot of flow refinement, so the app functions quicker and smoother. We've actually built it now to consider scalability, so that as we are anticipating more and more users to start to join, we don't start to experience that slight decrement in performance. So these are some of the things to expect. We have some exciting features coming up, which is the Maringo moment, and we will be bringing gamification."

Conclusion

The Maringo app not only offers a platform for users to connect, as is common with most Web2 social media platforms, but it also provides a means of financial empowerment to its users, while simultaneously increasing the rate of blockchain adoption in Africa. It's safe to call it a 'super app.' As we embrace the potential of Maringo and its innovative features, we are not only witnessing a shift in the social media space but also a transformation in how we perceive and engage with social media. The future of wealth generation, connectivity, and blockchain adoption in Africa looks promising, thanks to Maringo.