Three years ago, Jeffrey Manner and his team embarked on a journey to revolutionize the WiFi industry by integrating Web3 technology to address real-world challenges. In this interview, he shares the story of Roam’s journey, and the future plans for Roam.
Core Values and Project Vision
From the very beginning, our ultimate goal is to make WiFi access as seamless as possible, utilizing decentralized solutions to empower individuals. The success of Roam lies in offering real-world services that everyone can use. I’m particularly motivated by the fact that Roam is being embraced not only by crypto enthusiasts but also by non-crypto users. Once users are in, they can experience Web3’s potential through Roam’s multi-chain wallet, presenting unique opportunities that many are encountering for the first time.
Team and Partnerships
We started with a core team of five and have now grown to a team of 50 people. Our headquarters in Canada oversees the international operations, which extend to China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Korea, Nigeria, and other regions. Our team’s expertise in Web3 technologies, AI, and product design plays a key role in the success of the Roam project.
Over the years, we’ve built strong partnerships in both the telecom industry and the Web3 space. We are now collaborating with key industry players such as the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) and Samsung, as well as Web3 partners including Solana. On the manufacturing side, we have teamed up with Xiaomi to develop and produce high-quality hardware products.
Roam’s Journey
Starting in the fall of 2021, Roam has been through many ups and downs to become what it is today. Roam was created with the idea of addressing real-world challenges in the WiFi industry. One of our first significant steps was the first successful fundraising in 2022. Also in that year, we became a partner with the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA). This collaboration opened the door to integrating decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and verifiable credentials (VC) for OpenRoaming, which is an important step in creating secure, seamless connections for users worldwide.
The next turning point for us came when we introduced community WiFi nodes as a key growth mechanism. This led to a wave of organic growth as the narrative surrounding DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network) took off, and with it, more users joined our platform. To date, our network has 600,000 WiFi hotspots in 180+ countries, a significant achievement made possible by the support of over 600,000 app users.
To align with the rapid pace of our project development, in 2024, we decided to rebrand as “Roam”. The name is chosen for its simplicity and accessibility, and embodies MetaBlox Labs’ mission of providing connectivity without boundaries: “Roam the World, Connect the People”. As part of this strategic transition, Roam Network has migrated all on-chain transactions to the Solana Mainnet, including Check-In, DIDs (Decentralized Identifiers), and VCs (Verifiable Credentials).
Besides our software development efforts, Roam stands out as one of the few Web3 projects that manufactures its hardware, including the Roam Rainier MAX60 and Roam Baker MAX30. These devices play a crucial role in building our ecosystem and serve as powerful tools for user engagement. By deploying these products, users not only benefit from high-speed performance but can also mine Roam Points, which will soon be convertible into $ROAM tokens.
Future Plans
In the short term, we’re focusing on our token generation event (TGE), getting $ROAM listed on well-known exchanges, and announcing key partnerships. We’re also in the midst of a new investment round, which we expect to finalize by Q4, 2024. Alongside that, we’re working to expand the network by distributing more hardware and deploying additional miners to expand our network.
In the long term, we aim to unify 600 million WiFi hotspots into the Roam network and onboard as many users as possible into the project. We’re also working on establishing a decentralized governance structure, ensuring the project can eventually operate autonomously. This governance transition is a priority, and we’re actively planning how this structure will take shape. Our team is actively exploring new features and services to enhance user experience. Stay tuned for many exciting updates and innovations coming your way.
