The game "Tekkon" that sparked a street defense battle with Fix and Earn

X to Earn introduces a new term - Fix and Earn. Tekkon is a Web3 application similar to "Pokémon GO" that allows users to report damaged infrastructure such as maintenance holes or utility poles by using the app under authorization to help repair the local community. Users can earn tokens by publishing and viewing infrastructure data.

Using Blockchain Technology to Solve Infrastructure Problems

With a background in physics, Takashi Kato founded Fracta in the United States in 2015. Fracta is a software that uses AI machine learning to analyze the deterioration of water pipes and sells it to many water utility companies. Despite having the technology, sales did not meet expectations. He realized at that time:

I saw many inefficiencies in the infrastructure sector. Monopolies such as water and gas utilities are the main reasons.

Then, the rise of blockchain technology formed a blueprint in Kato's mind. By utilizing blockchain's distributed ledger technology and introducing an incentive structure called cryptocurrency, he created the Tekkon App, allowing users to sell collected data to utility companies to help them address potential problems that could lead to higher maintenance costs.

One of its partners in Japan is Tohoku Electric Power Company, which provides services to Northeast Japan and is also negotiating collaborations with other utility companies. Currently, Tekkon has collected over 3.23 million inspection points and over 540,000 utility poles in Japan.

Fix and Earn Street Defense

Recently, BBC News also produced a video about Tekkon. The video describes Tekkon as a game similar to "Pokémon GO." It has become a trend in Asian countries including Japan and the Philippines – players can find damaged infrastructure through it and earn money by taking photos and uploading them.

According to a previousreport by Bloomberg, a group of "infrastructure hunters" in the Philippines organizes Tekkon gatherings.

21-year-old university student Isaiah Demdam mentioned that the Philippines, being frequently hit by typhoons, faces severe issues like damaged wells or clogged sewers. Memories of childhood floods motivate him to help local authorities improve infrastructure. According to previous reports by Bloomberg, Tekkon has over 128,000 active users, with 90,000 coming from the Philippines. Users upload around 30,000 photos daily.

The foundation to which Tekkon belongs, Whole Earth Foundation, has also launched its token called Whole Earth Coin (WEC), which is listed on cryptocurrency exchanges like BitMart and MEXC. It can be exchanged for fiat currency and can also be converted into cash on Line Pay in Japan.

Demdam mentioned that he is studying at a university in the Philippines where tuition fees are high, and he has earned up to $100 a day from Tekkon, which is crucial for them.

Is the Token Incentive Model Viable for Driving Industries?

Previously, models like Helium and DIMO that utilize tokens to drive industry progress have been introduced. Billionaire investor and founder of Pershing Square Capital, Bill Ackman, initially a crypto skeptic, stated that after researching interesting crypto projects, he began to believe that crypto technology could create unique businesses that other technologies cannot achieve. By issuing tokens to create strong leverage, it incentivizes the participation of enterprises and individuals, allowing plans to grow rapidly and giving tokens their intrinsic value.

For Tekkon, which uses a similar incentive model, the biggest challenge may lie in whether it can negotiate cooperation models with large public enterprises, persuading them to reinvest the saved manpower costs back to Tekkon's users in another form.