Mark Smith
Castle NFT is revolutionizing the NFT ecosystem in two realms: first, we are the first company to create a “quad chain” to offer the biggest secondary NFT marketplace; further, we offer the unique experience combining accessibility and education to lower barriers and help everyone partake in the Web 3 ecosystems.
Tell us about yourself?
I’d love to share insights as to who I am through two dimensions, my professional and personal backgrounds.
At Bloomsburg I earned a BS in marketing, and have been working for over ten years as an entrepreneur in tech–most recently with my first company MyKPI (specializing in healthcare digital marketing).
And for the last year and a half I’ve been CSO at Digitrends, and my experience in these two industries led me to build Castle. My over ten years of experiences in the new tech frontier has led me to accept the invitation to join Forbes’ Technology Council and share NFT industry insights. Personally, my drive is seated in successfully pursuing self-authenticity and–of course–productivity.
I believe to manifest one’s destiny, one must self-construct around high performance habits. A perfect day for me starts at the gym, followed by meditating to find balance and my vision for the day. I’m hardwired to pursue goals, and being centered brings great productivity–and joy.
This is then connected to my passion for striving and building for the greater good: I take a lot of fulfillment in creating connections and solutions for others through technology.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
Follow your passions with mindful drive and meaning, and always invest in yourself and grow. “Be the person you need to be in order to go wherever the horizon needs you to be.”
What problem does your business solve?
Right now in the NFT ecosphere, the barriers to entry are too high for the typical person. You probably have heard of and are curious about purchasing an NFT; however, without hours of complex research you will frustratingly spin your wheels because currently the system is too complicated.
At present, the technology is too new and forbidding for the general population to casually–and successfully–penetrate. Castle is built specifically to solve the learning curve and lower barriers to entry, welcoming all to participate and enjoy the expanding frontier of the NFT universe.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
The inspiration comes from a lifelong enjoyment of all things tech, and paying close attention to the market–and my frustration and failure when I attempted two years ago to buy an NFT.
Immediately it occurred to me that if someone who is both digitally savvy and has a technology background cannot participate in this new and thrilling venture, there needs to be innovation.
According to Coindesk’s recent publication, there is going to be 80 billion market cap in the NFT ecosphere by 2025; the company that bridges the gap and engages the general population into this NFT world will stand to not only be on the forefront of the next technological wave, but also has the potential for monumental compensation.
What is your magic sauce?
I’d like to think I bring two components to the table that contribute to my success. As a leader, it’s important to me that I surround myself with others who are loyal and authentic. This combination creates a powerful fusion of trust and positivity.
Also, I have the good fortune to know how to manifest my vision. I know tech, and I know risk is where the opportunity lies. I study trends before they are trending–and I can see Mark Cuban owns 18 companies on blockchain and is an investor in OpenSea, with equity in other NFT companies. Zuckerberg spent 10 billion last year in creating his metaverse. When tech giants are investing in the oxygen and blood of this new space, then I want to join and be a part of the next frontier–but also I want to try and do it better.
I believe Castle can explode on the marketplace side because we have excellent tech, and in this industry, whomever can adapt fastest takes the lead. Castle has built an IOS/ Android app, as well as a fully integrated website in under five months–and some NFT companies who have been operational for five years are not managing to provide integrated or optimally functioning platforms. It’s not exactly “magic”; that’s powerhouse tech talent fueled by vision.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
NFTs are the future, and Castle can see how to meet the challenges of our ever-evolving cyber universe. Over the next five years, Castle intends to be the ONLY company to fully embrace the NFT ecosystem by continuing through education to connect NFT technology and the general population, bringing expansion and access for all.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
The biggest challenge was creating a QUAD CHAIN –a multichain marketplace in sync with our website and IOS / Android app, all thanks to our powerful tech team that is able to make these incredible industry-defying strides because we have three to four times the manpower as our NFT competitors. Dynamic tech allows our customers to have the fullest NFT experience possible–even better than the larger marketplaces.
How do people get involved/buy into your vision?
Castle just finished our seed-fundraising round in April, 2022. This May, 2022, we are going into our Series A funding round and expecting to fully launch our website and IOS/ Android app. Opportunity favors the bold, so we are always open to interested parties reaching out and asking questions: [email protected]
