LifestyleDAO is on a mission to connect its members with luxury travel experiences – with the help of blockchain technology.
The Miami startup is behind a new 24/7 luxury concierge service that matches members with high-end restaurant reservations, concert tickets, private jet access, resort stays and other experiences. Founded in 2021, the company has minted 200 non-fungible tokens (NFTS) ready for sale that act as digital membership cards to the LifestyleDAO community. Those tokens offer discounted access to events that are often not available to the general public, co-founder Alexander Baron said.
"Whether it's a last-minute reservation at Carbone or a round of champagne at LIV, if a member puts in a request, we can make that happen," he added. "We're proving that NFTs are more than just digital images of monkeys and apes. There is true utility here."
The service's members include athletes, celebrities, online influencers and business owners. Annual membership to the community costs $5,555, versus an average of $7,500 for other luxury concierge services, the company reports.
Baron and his brother Blake moved to Miami from New York to launch LifestyleDAO, part of a larger migration of founders and investors in the blockchain and Web3 sector. The pair became fascinated by blockchain, cryptocurrency and NFTs during lockdown in 2020, often staying up until all hours of the night comparing notes on the emerging technology.
"When I was in law school and Blake was doing undergrad at Syracuse, we'd FaceTime until 6 a.m. talking about NFTs and different drops," Alexander Baron said.
Soon enough, they knew they wanted to start a business that utilized blockchain technology.
As a decentralized autonomous organization, LifestyleDAO has no central leadership. Instead, the community-led group is governed by members who vote on business decisions, such as locations for in-person events and new brand partnerships. The startup uses smart contracts recorded on the blockchain to stay transparent and avoid fraudulent activity.
LifestyleDAO recently partnered with luxury lifestyle management service Quintessentially and Select Card to bring its concierge service to 44 countries.
The bootstrapped company aims to become the go-to concierge service for Web3, a future version of the internet that advocates say will be powered by blockchain technology. Blake Baron noted that popular NFT communities such as Bored Ape Yacht Club and Crypto Punks have thousands of members who often plan real-life meetup experiences.
"Half of why you join is to connect with other people at real-life events," he added. "Who's booking their flights and restaurant reservations? Who's getting them into the best bars or clubs? We want to play that role for the Web3 community."
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