The world's first blockchain-powered smart speaker is here

If you are looking for a smart speaker presently, the available options are pretty much limited - four brands to be specific. It’s not that the products are available in limited variety, but the services they offer often bind you to an ecosystem, without the guarantee of complete privacy. Therefore, there’s a need for a smart speaker that’s open-source in a true sense, offering unlimited services without compromising on somebody’s privacy. Thankfully, Musicoin Project and ROCKI have come together with a combined solution — the world's first blockchain-powered smart speaker - Volareo.

Unlike the smart speakers from Amazon, Samsung, Google or Apple that are bound to their respective ecosystems, the Volareo speaker relies on blockchain technology. Blockchain technology is essentially a modern-day iteration of the ledger system, where the data is decentralised and shared equally to all the members of the network. Every member has access to all information, even when a change is made only to one of the client’s data. Data privacy is of the utmost level as every member is only identified by a code number, with the identity of an individual hidden from the network. Transaction on this network usually happens via cryptocurrency.

It is this secure blockchain technology that Volareo uses to provide an open-source smart speaker experience to its users. The Volareo relies on Musicoin’s blockchain network and ensures a lifetime of free music, similar to any other smart speaker. However, unlike any other smart speaker ecosystem, Volareo lets users acknowledge a music artist’s efforts by tipping (paying) him/her with Musicoin cryptocurrency, and anonymously.

Out-of-the-box, Volareo will be assigned with a unique wallet address and will be pre-loaded with $10 worth of Musicoins. Musicoin is currently issuing $0.10 per play on the speaker. If the user likes a song and wants to tip the artist for his/her efforts, all that needs to be done is to simply 'clap' or 'tap' a button on Volareo’s mobile app to donate a specific amount of Musicoin. The company says that artists may acknowledge that by delivering exclusive content, which is a bonus for audiophiles.

Compared to the present day smart speaker scenario, Volareo will bring a host of advanced services that will benefit everyone who’s a part of the network — fair pay for artists, free music for listeners and utmost levels of data security with the blockchain-based network. The Volareo will be launched on the crowdfunding platform as a project on August 15 and will go on sale soon. This new technology speaker should provide a fair and healthy competition to existing array of ecosystem-locked smart speakers.

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