Latest news with #MattLuongo
Business Insider
02-07-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Bitcoin Venture Studio Thesis* Acquires Lolli Rewards Platform to Kick Off BTC Ecosystem Expansion
New York, New York, July 2nd, 2025, Chainwire Bitcoin Venture Studio Thesis* Acquires Lolli Rewards Platform to Kick Off BTC Ecosystem Expansion Known as one of the longest standing and most accessible crypto rewards platforms, Lolli will now join the Thesis* ecosystem alongside Fold, tBTC, and Mezo to establish a circular Bitcoin economy Thesis*, the venture studio behind Bitcoin-native successes such as Fold, Mezo, and tBTC, today announced its acquisition of Lolli, the leading Bitcoin rewards platform. This acquisition represents a strategic move to accelerate mainstream Bitcoin adoption by significantly enhancing consumer experiences through expanded rewards, faster payouts, and innovative partnerships. Matt Luongo, co-founder of Fold and CEO of Thesis, will lead Lolli into its next phase of growth. Under Luongo's leadership, Fold became the first publicly traded Bitcoin financial services company, pioneering Bitcoin rewards for everyday transactions. With this acquisition, Luongo brings that same proven vision and operational excellence to Lolli. "Having competed alongside Lolli for years, I've admired their ability to onboard users through accessible and engaging experiences," said Matt Luongo. "At Thesis, we believe Bitcoin's real growth is driven by everyday interactions—shopping, gaming, spending—not just investment portfolios. Together, we're creating the easiest and most rewarding entry point for millions to join the Bitcoin economy." What's Next for Lolli? With Luongo at the helm, the immediate roadmap for Lolli is centered on significant, user-focused improvements: An Upgraded Arcade & Daily Stack: Two of Lolli's most popular features will see a major evolution with more games, new quests, and bigger daily rewards. Preparing for Global Expansion: The mission to make bitcoin accessible to everyone doesn't stop at the U.S. border. We are actively developing our strategy for international expansion to bring Lolli to new countries and regions. A New Partnership with Fold: The two companies are already collaborating on entirely new ways for users to earn, including an expanded gift card marketplace that will bring more brands and opportunities to users globally. Simplified, Instant Payouts: Addressing one of the most requested features from the community, Lolli will roll out a new system later this year to deliver instant reward payouts and more options for redeeming earnings. Strengthening Collaboration with the Thesis* Portfolio The driving force behind this acquisition is to expand the Bitcoin consumer experience, seeking to address the long-standing fragmentation between using Bitcoin and earning on it. By uniting Lolli's rewards with the capabilities of Fold and the broader Thesis ecosystem, Luongo and his experienced team aim to close the loop between earning and using Bitcoin. Users will soon benefit from shared innovations, including expanded offerings through a new "Lolli Market," featuring more brands, higher cashback rates, and global accessibility. This integration will provide seamless opportunities to earn and spend Bitcoin in everyday life. "We are excited to join forces with Thesis to power the next phase of bitcoin adoption through rewards with Lolli," said Alex Adelman, Founder and former CEO of Lolli. "We've always aimed to make Bitcoin easy, fun, and rewarding for everyone. With Thesis' deep infrastructure expertise and shared vision, we can significantly enhance our platform and accelerate global adoption." Streamlining for Growth To deliver these ambitious enhancements, Thesis will undertake essential infrastructure upgrades, including migrating Lolli to a more robust, scalable system. Since its inception in 2018, Lolli has rewarded over 600,000 users with more than $20 million in Bitcoin through everyday shopping, gaming, and online activities. Thesis' acquisition solidifies a powerful alliance committed to expanding practical, accessible, and rewarding Bitcoin experiences worldwide. About Lolli: Lolli was founded in 2018 as the first bitcoin rewards application allowing users to earn bitcoin and cashback when they shop at 50,000+ top stores and play 1,000+ mobile games. Lolli was created with the goal of making it easy to earn, own, and share bitcoin with as many people as possible. About Thesis: Thesis is a venture studio dedicated to building on Bitcoin. Since 2014, Thesis has been committed to empowering individuals and communities through the creation of market-leading products including Fold, Mezo, tBTC, and more. Thesis is driven by innovation and a belief in a sovereign digital future. Contact Thesis*
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bitcoin Platform Mezo Debuts Mainnet to Build Circular BTC Economy
Blockchain venture studio Thesis, which is backed by Pantera Capital and Hack VC, has debuted its Bitcoin layer-2 network Mezo's mainnet. Mezo is built to be Bitcoin finance platform that enables its users to unlock practical utility in BTC and thus become their own bank, according to an emailed announcement shared with CoinDesk. The project debuted its testnet last year following a $21 million fundraising round led by Pantera. Users can use their BTC as collateral to mint and spend Mezo's native stablecoin MUSD, this creating a circular economy powered by BTC. An ongoing barrier to wider bitcoin adoption is the reticence users have to sell or spend it, which may be out of concern for losing value tied up in their holdings. This, amongst many other reasons, can explain why bitcoin has yet to fully prove itself as a form of money beyond being a store of value. "Holders haven't had many options to actually use their bitcoin without giving it up," CEO of Thesis, Matt Luongo, said. "With [Mezo}, I can park my BTC, access a credit line and live my life. This is what being your own bank was always meant to look like. It finally lets HODLers have their cake and eat it too." Mezo has teamed up with numerous crypto platforms that provide use cases such as e-commerce store Bitrefill, which offers gifts cards for MUSD, and BTC finance app Fold (FLD), which offers a cashback debit card and provides bitcoin rewards.
