ISSUE 10

SEPTEMBER, WEEK 3

The Resistance’s Hidden Power: Consumables

From the ingenious mind of Dr. Suss comes an array of products for Ghosts in the Resistance. Featuring technology both arcane and nouveau, traditional and experimental, these stimuli are designed to help you conquer any and all situations, giving you what you need to finish on top.

Consumables are our first take at what it can look like to apply off-chain elements to on-chain owned items. They allow us to reward our long-term holders first while gamifying the process with a randomized (RNG) aspect. Consumables are tiered, with multipliers capped per tier. The expiry date for each item ranges from 1-3 months, while the duration of each multiplier lasts from 1-5 days. Only one consumable can be used per activation to prevent overcomplicating the multiplier effect, which can and will affect the economy of $PXN in the long run.

Depending on how long you’ve held onto your Ghost NFT, you will now see your airdropped consumables in the “Rewards” tab of the PxN app. !R10T, JPEG Juice, and M00NSH0T all have multipliers on your $PXN tokens, and their boosts range from 5-25%. While some holders might choose to apply their b00sts now, getting a headstart in $PXN tokens, others might choose to keep them whilst waiting for the ability to level up their Ghosts and earn more base $PXN tokens to multiply.

How could you earn these consumables?

Consumables can currently be earned through participation in events hosted by our team, PxN streams, or even in town halls and AMAs. The Events calendar will display upcoming events, so check in if you’re looking for a b00st.

What’s the future of consumables?

This is only the first look at what consumables could be, as we explore the myriad of possibilities that go beyond modifying your $PXN token generation.

How to claim your consumable?

Holders would be able to apply these multipliers and put these consumables into play simply by clicking on “Apply Reward.” It would activate the multiplier for the stated amount of time, and the consumable would be removed from your inventory once depleted. When these consumables’ duration runs out, the multiplier returns to 0.

Consumables are a fun, smaller part of the PxN app experience, but an integral one, as they allow for experimentation, gamification, but most importantly, enable us to engage with our holders and reward them for their contributions to the community.

THE CONSUMABLES

!R10T, 10 ml

Multiplier: 5-15%

Missing your targets? Not getting the gains you expect? Don’t stand for it - !R10T. The best single-use, L.F.Growth-serum on the market! Turn yourself into a lean, mean, indestructible machine, with our laboratory-grown protein! When you want RESULTS, you !R10T!

Benefits: increased strength, stamina, endurance, energy, pain tolerance, enhanced muscle growth, hyper-focus.

Possible side-effects include but are not limited to: joint pain, vision problems, uncontrollable rage, hair growth, rapid aging, skin discolouration, decreased brain function, constipation, bestial appearence, howling, tooth-lengthening.

JPEG JUICE, 250 ml

Multiplier: 16-20%

‘The drink they tried to ban’ - an industrial blend of our home-grown herbs and spices, smooth drinking with a smack of lime. Some say it hits juuuice right. JPEG Juice - cuz life’s bad enough.

Benefits: increased confidence, awareness, energy levels, accelerated thinking.

Possible side-effects include but are not limited to: increased blood pressure, anxiety, forgetfulness, decreased libido, sensitivity to sunlight, intrusive thoughts, insomnia, traitorous tendencies, dehydration, indigestion.

M00N SH0T, 50 ml

Multiplier: 21-25%

‘For the man who has nothing, but wants everything..
an inexplicable concoction, a magical blend - a portal to another realm.
Reach for the stars, and hope you land…it’s a long way back down to earth.
M00N SH0T - because one shot is all you need…

Benefits: vitality, sense of invincibility, heightened sensitivity to stimuli, unlimited confidence.

Possible side-effects include but are not limited to: lysis, hair-loss, nausea, depression, unstoppable crying, paranoia, extreme-libido, body-odour.

Community Updates

Happenings in the Community:

Mental Health Mondays with Wonderhands and Rodney, touching on burnout
Market Matters with DaddyGainz, touching on the ETH merge and relevant data

Twitch stream with Baerinz to engage with the community
Community Think Tank to gather ideas from our Ghosts

GHOST FEATURE OF THE WEEK

Would you like to have your Ghost featured? Write a short backstory for your Ghost and we will feature them if selected. Tag us in the Discord with your Ghost ID and backstory today!

/// GHOST CHRONICLES

We were advised to keep a can of JPEG juice whenever we head out for missions. Some of the guys were skeptical about it while others were chugging down a can during the brief. It sounded more like a drug if you asked me. We were instructed to pour it onto our wounds too in case we got injured, sounds like too much utility for an energy drink.

Been a month since I've penned down my experiences. I felt it would be good to log moments that I've experienced in the Resistance. It could eventually be my autobiography.

Last month was a series of unfortunate events. The people we call Phantoms started disappearing. I've lost count of how many have been reported MIA, but from the looks of it, the Resistance has been trying to compensate for the loss of manpower.

They’ve accelerated our training and handed out some form of juice. I've got my first carton of it but have not tried any. It was said to make our training more endurable and quicken our recovery rate. The ingredients look fine, like any other energy drink ever produced. The warnings on the packaging caught my eye though. Why would they even have warnings on an energy drink?

They called it JPEG juice. The packaging read:
‘The drink they tried to ban’ - an industrial blend of our home-grown herbs and spices, smooth drinking with a smack of lime. Some say it hits juuuice right. JPEG Juice - cuz life’s bad enough. (Side effects include increased blood pressure, anxiety, forgetfulness, decreased libido, sensitivity to sunlight, intrusive thoughts, insomnia, traitorous tendencies, dehydration, indigestion)

They also had these two other vials given out to medics and special operatives. One was shaped like an auto-injector, and the other looked like a test tube with purple liquid. I wonder what they do. Word has it that it made people invincible, but the side effects were gnarly. They were to be used, as I quote my commander, as a “last resort“.

These b00sters were concocted by the 'bartender' of the Resistance, Dr. Suss. There were rumors that he was shot in the head during his first mission but miraculously survived and something woke up within him that led him down this path, the quest to prevent deaths.

DaddyGainz's Market Matters

Welcome back to Market Matters with DaddyGainz, it is the long-awaited week of the ETH merge. If you’re reading this, the ETH merge has already taken place. What a wild and hectic ride we’ve had this week. Amongst the chaos, let’s take a step back and focus on the macroeconomics of the market. Without further ado, ikuzo!

Aside from the merge narrative, the majority of investors have been anxiously awaiting the US inflation data, aka the Consumer Price Index (CPI). As we’ve seen in recent press conferences from the FED chair Powel, they have no intention of slowing down their aggressive policy to combat inflation. This inflation data will further speculation from investors, if lower than expected numbers were shown, the potential for signs of quantitative easing may have found their way into future policy sooner than the FED has been leading on.

On the other hand, higher than expected inflation data, which was reported higher than expected, has signaled the likelihood of a less favorable interest rate hike and thus bringing the markets down substantially as investors price in more quantitative tightening and higher interest rates. The current policies of quantitative tightening with increased interest rates and intentional slowing of the economy are in place to combat the over-elevated inflation numbers.

The markets react favorably when there is a potential policy pivot in the foreseeable future. Seeing lower than expected numbers on reports such as the CPI indicates that the economy could be heading in a direction more desired by the markets but unfortunately, this was not the case.

During the Tuesday reading of CPI, the markets were met with an unexpected reading that was higher than predicted by economists. The expectation of an 8.1% reading was met with a reported 8.3% reading, 0.2% higher than anticipated which sent many markets plunging downward. With this reading, the markets are now pricing in the high probability of yet another historically big interest rate hike from the FED, almost assured to be another 75bps hike but now with around a 20% chance of seeing a 100bps hike which would spell even more trouble for the markets.

With the markets pricing in this future high rate hike, we saw a historical move down in traditional markets as well as big moves in the crypto markets with coins such as ETH dropping over 10% or close to $200 per coin in the hours after the CPI reading. With the recent reduction in oil prices, many experts expected inflation to fall to the 8.1% mark, but with many other commodities still inflated, they were the culprits in the higher CPI reading.

Taking a quick look at Core CPI, which excludes energy prices, we witnessed a report that was also 0.2% higher than expected. It is now more apparent that a FED pivot from their hawkish tightening of monetary policy to a more dovish stance is not foreseeable in the near future. Moving forward, the markets will be volatile leading up to the next FOMC interest rate meeting which is set to take place next Wednesday, the 21st of September.

Leading up to the next rate hike, more notable data being released would be the US Producer Price Index (PPI) which is a leading indicator of consumer inflation tracking changes in the price of finished goods and services, a New York Manufacturing Index which monitors economic health from data collected from 200 manufactures in New York, Retail Sales data which highlights consumer spending trends, and the Consumer Sentiment data which is a leading indicator of economic activity in consumer spending highlighting consumers financial confidence in the current economy.

All of these statistics will not only have some temporary impact on the state of markets but will also be utilized by the FED in their forecast for their next data-driven rate hike. There is quite a bit happening all at once for the crypto markets as they are so heavily tied to traditional markets which react heavily to changes in the macroeconomic environment.

On Wednesday the PPI report showed some signs of improvement with wholesale producer prices falling by 0.1% although not having a substantial impact on the markets. The following day on Thursday the markets were met with a rather unexpected Retail Sales report which revealed a 0.3% increase showing consumer's willingness to pay for retail items and spending habits aren't slowing, likely due to the bolstered employment rates. This increase in consumer Retail data is adding to the fire increasing the chances of seeing one of the aforementioned high interest rate hikes.

In addition to all the current and upcoming data, the crypto markets were faced with the ETH merge which was a success, potential US crackdowns and policy, and the Cardano (ADA) Vasil fork. Although these are very exciting times for the future of this space, we remain in a state of overall economic uncertainty which could remain true for longer than some investors are hoping for.

GAINZ’s TWO CENTS

Expect the current high volatility in the crypto markets to continue for the majority of September so remain diligent with your investing, minimize risk where you can, and always take proper precautions to keep yourself informed on all things market related. Remember to remain safe during and after the ETH merge by avoiding any phishing emails, suspicious links, requests to connect to a new “compatible” ETH chain or anything that seems out of the ordinary - as always if you have questions or concerns feel free to pop on by and have a community discussion in the PxN Discord Alpha channel.

As usual, NFA, DYOR, stay safe, love y’all, and see you next time!

World Wild Web3

Starbuck's Major Inroad Into web3

The recently announced Starbucks Odyssey is a significant step forward for a real-life behemoth company into web3. One of the first to integrate digital collectible stamps in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), the new and improved loyalty program will provide members and partners (employees) in the United States with unique and immersive coffee experiences made possible by verifiable ownership on the blockchain.

According to Brandy Brewer, Starbucks executive vice president, and chief marketing officer, “By integrating into the Starbucks Rewards ecosystem and grounding the experience in coffee, connection, and community, we are entering the Web3 space differently than any other brand, while deepening our members’ connection to Starbucks."

This is just one of the many upcoming entries into web3 by giant real-life companies as the tech continues to revolutionize our digital experiences. For now, let’s take a sip of some gourmet Starbucks coffee while we wait for the rest of the world to join us in the web3sphere.

Notable Stories From The web3sphere

Doodles, an NFT brand, recently raised $54 million at a $704 million valuation in a funding round led by Seven Seven Six, with participation from 10T Holdings, Acrew Capital, and FTX Ventures. It plans to use the capital infusion to grow the project’s intellectual property in various media industries that will raise the project’s awareness in the public eye. So the next time you think of NFTs, it truly can become more than just a cartoon picture.
According to a recent report from DappRadar, a data acquisition and analysis firm, metaverse and gaming projects have brought in investments to the tune of nearly $750,000,000 since August! We’re still early in the race for mass user onboarding and acquisition into web3, so don’t discount these projects just yet. NFA. DYOR.

When we think of NFTs, we usually refer to digital art. NFTs are beyond that. A growing opportunity is in the music space as web3 tech ushers in new possibilities for musicians to protect their IP rights, get in front of their fans and curate new forms of experiences.
A recent South China Morning Post article highlighted how shopping center owners and retailers could leverage web3 to market and connect with their customers. It touched on the importance of community building and fostering a sense of belonging as key to engaging Gen Z and Millennial consumers. web3 is here to stay, and getting on the bandwagon early positions businesses for future success.

Community Highlight

This week on our Community Highlight, we’ve invited the founder of FVDGANG, JPEG_Yakuza, for a quick chat.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time, I enjoy reading non-fiction. Sadly, ever since getting involved in web3, I’ve been so absorbed with this odd mix of work and procrastination. I’ve been meaning to get back to it soon.

What's the story behind your monicker?

No particular story. Derivatives are hot in this space, and I know there’s an artist called JPEGMAFIA, so I figured JPEG Yakuza would be pretty nifty. Ironically, it fits with the overall theme of the FUDGVNG.

How did FUDGVNG start?

During PxN’s hype, I noticed many fake giveaways, and occasionally a few malicious links were being posted. The Discord was too hectic, and I felt there was a dissonance between what people were saying about a project (particularly their commitment to the brand) as well as their actions outside to really support the brand.

I started warning each fake giveaway participant, trying to get them to report, unfollow and block the fake accounts. I managed to get a small number of accounts suspended, and the news got around to Yuri. Eventually, she provided me with Nano Phase II whitelists (WL) to give away, which supported me in growing my platform and subsequently put to test the concept of the FUDGVNG.

The FUDGVNG is fundamentally a community-powered service that incentivizes members through a meritocratic system to report fake pages and stand a chance to win WL spots (arguably one of the best WL/member ratios of any free community)