Meet one of our selected startups in the Algorand Miami Accelerator 2021: GARD
It is time to discover another participating company in the “Algorand Miami Accelerator 2021” program, a great milestone for the blockchain world. Today, we introduce the GARD protocol. GARD is an algorithmic stable token that is backed by Algorand governance positions and a tool that will help unlock Algorand’s DeFi potential by freeing up billions of Algos worth of liquidity.
GARD and the solutions it offers
Currently, there exists no store of value that is truly decentralized. GARD is an algorithmic stable token that not only solves the problems created by tokens like TerraLuna and MakerDao, but it also improves upon USDC’s centralization issues. GARD is backed up by a collateralized debt position that will pay its borrowers interest to the tune of 16-20% a year instead of charging them. This interest rate is guaranteed thanks to the rewards generated from Algorand’s governance. Truly decentralized money is a requisite to unlock the true potential of DeFi and unleash both creativity and financial independence on the Algorand network.
GARD is the logical solution for anyone seeking to get the most value out of their capital. While there may be other current/future projects on both Algorand’s blockchain and beyond, none allow the same value proposition that GARD does. Whether users want to invest money while accumulating rewards through their CDP position in Algorand, or are in search of real decentralized money, they will quickly find value in GARD.
About their market and clients
GARD brings unique features to the market by providing innovative and attractive solutions in combination with the benefits of the Algorand network. This way, the company intends to act as another layer of key infrastructure for Algorand’s budding DeFi ecosystem and pave the way for more innovative projects that may be built with GARD.
GARD has great potential in the development of DeFi by also allowing users to maximize their capital. Some of GARD’s key contributions to the ecosystem include:
- GARD will create a line of credit for all current Governance participants to leverage by issuing them a stabletoken at net-zero fees.
- GARD will increase network transactions and traffic over time by providing other Algorand DApps with a stable, decentralized store of value.
- GARD will create even more demand for Algos, as Governance participants are able to stake more of their stack and lock up more Algos for extended periods of time without a want for them. Demand for more GARD to be minted will prompt new users to participate in Governance and mint GARD.
The GARD team is composed of: Rylie Rueda (Founder & CEO), David McCabe (Technical Lead & Co-Founder), Ryan Soscia (COO), and Eliana Troper (Software Engineer)
Rylie, the CEO, is an experienced leader driven by passion. She has been involved in the crypto world since 2017, and strongly believes in blockchain using ‘proof of stake’ protocols, specifically Algorand, and how these types of networks will provide important solutions for people in the near future. Rylie’s previous experiences in startups and finance have taught her how to ignore external noise and maintain a clear vision, while her athletic background has provided her with the unique ability to build and unify the teams that she is a part of.
David is an experienced quantitative systems developer with a love for coding. In his previous roles, he’s worked with large-scale data processing. David has been involved with crypto since 2019. His academic background is in Computer Science, Math, and Finance. These experiences enabled him to easily transition to building innovative dApps on Algorand, including several oracles that broadcast off-chain pricing data onto the network for everyone to use.
Ryan Soscia is the COO at GARD and has nearly a decade of experience raising money for, building, and scaling high-tech venture backed entities. Ryan has been involved in deploying mobile applications for MGM Resorts International and all of their properties in Las Vegas, hospital groups like New York Presbyterian and NYU Langone, and scores of chain restaurants. Ryan is a serial entrepreneur who is passionate about building technology for social good and is keenly interested in cryptography, blockchain, and bleeding-edge technologies that function to create more equitable civilizations.
Eliana Troper is a computer scientist and software engineer based in Washington DC. Her areas of expertise include cryptography, cybersecurity, internetworking, censorship circumvention, distributed systems (including blockchains) and machine learning. She performed research as a part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) project Resilient Anonymous Communication for Everyone (RACE). In addition to GARD, she still works on a team composed of Georgetown University, The Naval Research Laboratory, and the Tor Project, including members such as Paul Syverson and Roger Dingledine. She has several publications pending at top cybersecurity conferences such as Privacy Enhancing Technologies Symposium (PETS) related to behavioral modeling using machine learning, censorship circumvention, and deep learning.
Links of interest
If you want to learn more about GARD, please visit the links below:
- https://www.algogard.com
- https://twitter.com/algogard
- https://www.linkedin.com/company/algogard
- https://www.reddit.com/r/AlgoGARD/
Would you like to contact the selected companies or learn more about the program?
