Elspeth Taylor

Elspeth Taylor

Elspeth is a freelance contributor for Decrypt. Previously the Consumer Attitudes and Technology Editor at trend forecasting service Stylus.com, her work focuses on social equity, fintech innovations and the intersection of gender and technology. She has featured in such publications as i-D and Wired.

Social Network Rep is Taking GalaChain Beyond Gaming

Gala Games’ newly inaugurated proprietary blockchain GalaChain has ambitions beyond the gaming space—with the launch of social media platform Rep showcasing the potential of the decentralized protocol. “People look at us as a metaverse or gaming project primarily,” Gala’s President of Blockchain Jason Brink told Decrypt. “But the reality is that all of the gaming content is the ‘window dressing’ for what's going on behind the scenes—which is the creation of a massive decentralized protocol that...

Tokocrypto's T-Hub Heralds The Rise of In-Person Crypto Communities

As the strictest COVID-19 border lockdowns begin to ease, a glimmer of hope is appearing on the horizon for the return of worldwide travel and a renaissance of in-person events. People are certainly growing more comfortable with the idea of socializing in-person; a survey by Morning Consult has found that 58% of US adults are now happy to meet in real life (IRL), reaching pre-Omicron levels and up from 25% in January 2021. This shift impacts the working world, too; some 96% of global business t...

Flexible Workers Are Driving A Shift Towards Crypto Payroll Providers

The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a revolution in the workplace. Many businesses are permanently shifting to remote working, and seizing the opportunities presented by a decentralized working model. For companies, that means a smaller cost footprint, and a more global pool of talent to draw upon. For workers, the pandemic has accelerated existing trends such as the move towards digital nomadism, the rise of side hustles and the rapid growth of the virtual economy. With the easing of restrictions...

The Next Wave of NFTs is Starting With Community First

From the art world to gaming to sports, the hype around non-fungible tokens (NFTs) has exploded in 2021. But as the technology matures, NFT developers are exploring their potential to build communities through trustworthiness, longer-term benefits, and opportunities for education and collaboration. First came the boom, as multimillion-dollar artwork sales grabbed headlines around the world, and holders of early NFTs became overnight millionaires. Predictably, they were soon followed by a wave of...

Untamed Isles Is Taking A ‘Game First, Crypto Second’ Approach To NFT Gaming

In 2020, New Zealand-based Phat Loot Studios set up shop with a mission to expand the nation's game development industry. In its inaugural game Untamed Isles, a fresh take on classic massively multiplayer roleplaying games (MMORPGs), players explore an expansive world that changes with every login, on a quest to encounter, tame, breed, train, and battle monsters known as Tames. Like other MMORPGs, Untamed Isles features an in-game economy or trading system, where players swap items, collectible...

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Stories by Elspeth Taylor

Social Network Rep is Taking GalaChain Beyond Gaming

Tokocrypto's T-Hub Heralds The Rise of In-Person Crypto Communities

Flexible Workers Are Driving A Shift Towards Crypto Payroll Providers

The Next Wave of NFTs is Starting With Community First

Untamed Isles Is Taking A ‘Game First, Crypto Second’ Approach To NFT Gaming