Unit ➇

Established in 2010, we are an emerging technologies venture and development studio focusing on future positive projects in Europe and sub-Saharan Africa. As Unit8 we collaborate with clients such as Ethereum, Tezos, NEAR, Celo, Algorand, and Cosmos. Blockchain-agnostic, we back projects that make a difference.Contact us

Projects we’ve backed:

Dacade

Bitlipa

Symplifi

UTU

NeueUX

Lab3

Even

Dacade Bitlipa Symplifi UTU NeueUX Lab3 Even

Peer-to-Peer learning platform.

A decentralized app allowing you to transact privately and for free across the globe.

Transforming credit in emerging markets by providing borderless access to finance.

UTU is a trust infrastructure for the internet.

Tackling common design problems in a decentralized industry.

A web3 music exchange community.

A decentralized protocol for artists, fans, and economic experiments.

Knowledge & Expertise

Strategy & Scaling Teams
Smart Contract Development
Product Development
Product Design (UI/UX)
Governance

Collaborate with us
About us
We are hiring

We are passionate about creating digital experiences. We solve complex challenges, think long-term, and consider our curiosity a starting point. Our goal is a positive and sustainable change for all stakeholders. We believe in an exchange at eye level, in learning from each other. Our collaboration is driven by self-determination, personal responsibility, and continuous development.

Schedule a call

Following the legacy of the original spirit of the internet, Blockchain has appeared as a tool for cooperation. We believe in its revolutionary potential to change the way cooperation is managed, drifting away from centralized authorities and allowing more power to a wider public. To build a future in which organizational structures are horizontal, decentralized, and governed by their users. With our work, we aim to create a positive impact, looking for sustainable fairness rather than short-term profit.

Learn more

We are looking for a reliable, proactive Senior Frontend Developer that wants to work with an international team on web3 solutions.

The Senior Frontend developer will contribute across the technology stack, covering end-to-end hybrid and native web application development, including DevOps tooling.

If you are interested in collaborating with us and fit the description, please send us a quick hello to

web3jobs@apeunit.com

Blog

24 Jul 2024

A conversation between terra0 and Unit ⑧

We spoke with the art collective terra0, composed of Paul Seidler and Paul Kolling, about the future of the collective.

terra0 decentralisation ecology ownership personhood DAOs

24 Jul 2024

Generative Art Summit Review

The first edition of The Generative Art Summit was hosted by Akademie der Künste in Berlin from July 3rd to July 6th, 2024. Journalist Susanne Päch coordinated the Summit in honor of Herbert W. Franke. I attended the conference on July 3rd, and want to share my experience with you.

AI Act Generative Art Generative Art Summit Akademie der Künste Review Art Meets Science

3 Jun 2024

How to design the best Assessments in the Era of AI?

How is technology reshaping assessment methods and learning processes? This article looks at the intersection of education and artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on the implications of AI in education, from concerns about cheating to the potential for personalized learning experiences.

education edTech assessments AI Act process-based assessment PBA

29 Dec 2023

EU AI Act 2023

EU AI Act EU lawmakers recently have come to an agreement, after years of debate, on AI policy. The bill aims to mitigate risks in the areas of health care, education, border surveillance, and public services. [1 [https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/12/11/1084942/five-things-you-need-to-know-about-the-eus-new-ai-act/?truid=&utm_source=the_download&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=the_download.unpaid.engagement&utm_term=Active%20Qualified&utm_content=12-12-2023&mc_cid=64cabf2431&mc_eid=f71e2b19

Blockchain regulations Ethereum European Union AI Act

11 Dec 2023

AI & Education

Introduction When chat GPT was released to the public in November 2022, worries grew about the risks this technology entails, especially its potential for cheating at work and at school. One year later, after countless cancellation attempts by institutional networks, it has become clear that these tools are here to stay, and, instead of blanket resistance, it makes more sense to accept that the education system needs to adapt to using AI systems as a means of helping improve students’ performan

education edTech adoption PBA motivation Blockchain

9 Nov 2023

The State of the Art of AI Regulations

What is AI and how can it be regulated? We still can't answer these questions, but we summarise in our article the current state of affairs of the regulation attempts and positions around the world.

Blockchain regulations Ethereum Unit 8 Projects US Government decentralisation

4 Oct 2023

Web3 Digital Cooperatives in the Music Ecosystem

What is the future of music DAOs in the bear market?

DAOs cooperatives onchain music future of music

25 Jan 2023

Fair Tools for Music in the Blockchain Ecosystem

In recent years, the recognition of blockchain’s potential to improve accessibility and fairness in the production and distribution of digital art has increased exponentially but which tools are out there in order to create a more sustainable creative ecosystem and why do they / don't they work?

Blockchain DAOs Unit 8 Projects music

9 Nov 2022

NFT Metadata standards could make decentralized (social) media networks relevant

NFT metadata standards could create a decentralized content layer that can unite efforts of decentralized alternatives to current centralized social media networks.

web3 NFTs social media

21 Apr 2022

Launch of the Africa DeFi Alliance DAO

Founding members Ape Unit, BitLipa, Mamlaka, SympliFi, and UTU, alongside Founding Off-Takers MarketForce, MaraMoja, and Orbit Products Africa, have come together to launch the Africa DeFi Alliance.

Blockchain DAOs Decentralization Unit 8 Projects

13 Oct 2021

What’s Wrong with Ethereum?

A few weeks ago, we sat down with our resident expert, Sascha Hanse, to discuss Ethereum, proof of stake, and Eth2 in context to help everyone on our team have a better understanding of the upcoming changes to the blockchain. Over the coming weeks, we'll be writing short pieces about different topics related to Ethereum. We hope it will be a helpful resource for anyone wanting a broad understanding of the discussion people are having every day. This is the second article in this series — find th

Decentralization Blockchain Ethereum Unit 8 Projects

28 Sep 2021

What is Ethereum, and Why is it Special?

With the long-anticipated upgrade to Ethereum hanging overhead and now the first phase of Eth2 already running, Ethereum is being discussed everywhere. Unfortunately, the dialog around Eth2 upgrades isn't the easiest to understand for people new to the world of blockchain. So, a few weeks ago, we sat down with our resident expert, Sascha Hanse, to discuss Ethereum, proof of stake, and Eth2 in context to help everyone on our team have a better understanding of the upcoming changes. Over the comin

Decentralization Ethereum Unit 8 Projects

27 Aug 2021

Art Auction Afghanistan

It is hard to find the right words to talk about what is currently happening in Afghanistan. Two weeks ago, we started thinking about ways to help. We came across many people that we relate to, who were asking too: how can we use what we do to have the most significant positive impact? Our friend and artist Micki Rosi approached us. The idea: an art auction to collect funds and send them to aid organizations directly. Working with c

News Blockchain NFTs Unit 8 Projects

5 Jul 2021

Climate Action and the True Cost of Everything

or: Why we do not need vacations, but a place to live. This year has been full of incredible advancements and equally astonishing setbacks on a path toward a more climate-just future. In a time where national elections are coming up, some of the old narratives around sustainability are re-emerging more clearly than ever before. One topic that I find fascinating in this discussion: the fair distribution of the cost to protect our living habitat. I believe there is a cost for everything, at least

News Climate Action

24 Jun 2021

Announcing the Celo Development 101 Course from Dacade

The Celo Foundation has awarded a grant to Dacade our peer-to-peer education platform that makes active social learning affordable and scalable, to grow Celo’s developer community through peer-to-peer challenges and developer education. Dacade has launched Celo Development 101, a free, online course specifically for developers who are interested in creating dApps for Celo, an open-source blockchain ecosystem focused on making decentralized financial (DeFi) systems and too

News Decentralization Unit 8 Projects Dacade

31 May 2021

Brasserie Colette

Brasserie Colette is a French brasserie concept restaurant developed specifically for DPF The French cuisine displays the culinary signature of the restaurant's creator, Tim Raue. Sweet, sour, and spicy flavor combinations make a visit to Brasserie Colette a unique taste experience. In addition to the gastronomical highlights, it features a stylish interior designed by renowned architects Esther Bruzkus [https://esterbruzkus.c

News Design Tertianum Premium Group

10 May 2021

Taking Climate Action

> We are the first generation to feel the effect of climate change and the last generation who can do something about it. -Barack Obama Each day, we move closer to the collapse of the environment, the ecosystems that allow us to thrive, with our collective consumptive actions. The science shows that in countries like the US, where 69% of the population believes in global warming [https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/americans-underestimate-how-many-others-in-the-u-s-think-global-w

News Climate Action

27 Apr 2021

Climate Action: A Story of Personal Tipping Points

With Earth Day fading into the scrolls of our social media feeds, I want to continue the discussion of climate action that cycles through public focus. For as long as I can recall, environmental action has been part of my reality. As a child of the late eighties and early nineties, growing up in Berlin, there was always a spotlight on (and not a lot of action toward) nuclear power, recycling, sustainable consumption, upcycling, regional and seasonal food, and so on. More than thirty years late

News Climate Action

6 Apr 2021

NeueUX Launch — Tackling Common Design Problems in a Decentralized Industry

When you text your friends, do you really understand how WhatsApp or Telegram works? Probably not, because text messaging has been built to be simple, useful, and quick for everyone to pick up. You are never faced with the complex infrastructure which lies behind those apps, just a polished, easy-to-use interface. But what about decentralized apps (dApps)? Do you think about the underlying technology, or do you just see the interface? The answer isn't so clear in this case, but it isn’t your fa

News Decentralization Unit 8 Projects NeueUX

15 Mar 2021

Ape Unit is Stewarding the Interchain Foundation UX Working Group

The Interchain Foundation (ICF) is the operational unit that builds and promotes the Cosmos Network an Internet of Blockchains. Its mission is to research, develop, and promote open, decentralized network technologies that provide greater sovereignty, security, and sustainability to the world's communities. High-quality developer experiences (DX) and user experiences (UX) are essential for open, network technologies to be truly accessible to e

News Decentralization Unit 8 Projects

22 Feb 2021

NFTs: A Brief Introduction

NFTs — or “non-fungible tokens” — are unique digital markers representing a digital asset's ownership. Sounds complicated, right? Think of an NFT as the deed to a house: ...

Decentralization NFTs

12 Feb 2021

Dacade is Partnering with Celo

Dacade has received a grant from the Celo Foundation (@CeloOrg) to grow Celo's developer community through peer-to-peer challenges and education.

News Decentralization Unit 8 Projects Dacade

21 Jan 2021

We’re “Drop-ing” Eventivize: CTM 2021

Remember when you watched your child take their first steps — how proud you were? Neither can I because I’m only 24 years old and don’t have children yet. However, I can imagine what that feels like because our project, Eventivize, has taken three big steps! We’ve deployed the Eventivize Drop App at three separate events since October: Massv Halloween Weekend, Azimuth Voyage in mid-December, and Zero Point One’s New Years Celebration. Currently, we're deploying our Drop App [https://www.ctm-fe

News Decentralization Unit 8 Projects Eventivize

4 Nov 2020

Ape Unit Letters — Sharing Our Network With You

As we have grown and changed over the past years, Ape Unit has become something resembling a network much more than a binary company. Our business is based on a simple thought...

News

21 Oct 2020

Co3 Project — An Exercise in Futurism

Co3 is combining Blockchain and Augmented Reality to anticipate the convergence between spatial computing and the token economy.

Decentralization Unit 8 Projects Co3 Project

14 Aug 2020

Eventivize — Empowering Artists

We’ve been teasing you with the idea of Eventivize over the past few weeks, diving into the Venezuelan rave scene, finding our inspiration from the virtual concert at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and discussing the problems that we see in the music industry. Finally, we want to share the details of this project with you — in return, we want your feedback, thoughts, critiques, and hopefully support! Ape Unit is incredibly proud to be partners with both CTM

Decentralization Unit 8 Projects Eventivize

30 Jul 2020