
Pedal to Profit: How Cyclists are Riding into the Web3 Revolution

Liu Wenjing
Cyclists are just beginning to tap into such an exciting new frontier in Web3. By completing challenges to earn crypto, riders can make their trips more rewarding while supporting their healthy lifestyle. This new approach is known as Move-to-Earn (M2E). It allows riders to rack up digital tokens simply for going about their daily business—from riding to work, to enjoying recreational rides on the weekend, to logging serious training miles. The intersection of cycling and blockchain technology isn’t a completely new concept. It changes the game in a big way in terms of how athletes can earn from their hard work and better engage with their fans and communities.
The M2E model provides a powerful incentive for cyclists to help cover the high costs of their hobby. We know that it can become exceedingly costly to cycle. You’re going to have to spend money on the best bikes, gear, specialty nutrition, and training equipment. In addition, earning crypto while riding provides a tangible real-world return on investment. This dynamic is creating a more accessible and sustainable sport for fun-seekers of all stripes.
The cycling community has always been a strong, interconnected network, evidenced by the proliferation of local clubs and global platforms like Zwift and Rapha. Web3 technology can help deepen these connections even more, using decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) to organize cyclists. These DAOs can pool resources, support promising young riders, and invest in local cycling initiatives, all while giving token-holding members a direct say in how funds are allocated.
GPS technology and blockchain technology work together to allow secure verification of a cyclist’s ride data. This process generates key information like distance, elevation, and time. This verifiable, objective data is the basis for providing financial rewards to cyclists. They earn crypto tokens and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) when they finish certain rides or become active after a period of inactivity. These NFTs are one-of-a-kind, non-fungible, and a reflection of a cyclist’s achievements and progression on the platform.
Platforms such as StepN have already proven the M2E model works within the walking and running communities. Onboarding health and fitness users These platforms motivate users to keep moving by rewarding them with crypto for exercising. Taking this approach to cycling creates exciting new opportunities to incentivize fitness-focused commuters and recreation riders alike to get rewarded for loggin’ those miles.
The intersection of Web3 and cycling goes deeper than just the monetary rewards. It builds community pride and investment in solving the problem. Eligible cyclists can use their earned digital tokens towards cycling-related expenses. Unlike other crowdfunding platforms, they can invest in local initiatives or participate in the governance of cycling DAOs. This leads to a virtuous cycle, where increased participation in the sport helps to directly bolster and ensure its growth and sustainability.
As immediate future, earning crypto to bike wouldn’t be an unrealistic notion. Cyclists can rack up as much as 50 tokens a month just by riding regularly. This is not enough money to change their lives, but it can go a long way in relieving the financial burden of the bike-related expenses. It motivates them to be more active, too! The world of Web3 is just too fast-moving and changing. This growth will only increase earning potential for cyclists, making it an even more alluring opportunity.
The global impact M2E platforms could have on the cycling community would be huge. Not only do these platforms incentivize compelling movement, but they empower athletes to monetize their movement. This way, more people are motivated to try cycling, leading to better health impacts and a more balanced transportation network overall. The open and collaborative nature of Web3 ensures that everyone reaps the rewards in a more equitable manner. This gives cyclists of every background the opportunity to come out and thrive.
The added convenience of being able to buy crypto using platforms like Google Pay makes adopting Web3 even easier for bike riders. This easy blend of familiar payments with the crypto universe is a significant welcome mat for beginners. From there, it’s simple for them to participate and begin accruing rewards for their transit trips! As more cyclists get on board with Web3, the general cycling industry has the potential to start a revolution.
The intersection between cycling and Web3 technology is a massive opportunity for the fitness industry as a whole. By leveraging blockchain, crypto, and NFTs, cyclists can spur exciting new revenue streams. Through this technology, it gives them an opportunity to connect with their communities in a deeper way and increase the expansion of the sport. With numerous projects already putting cyclists front and center, the ways cyclists can benefit as the Web3 ecosystem grows are nearly endless.
By combining GPS and blockchain technology, ride data becomes indisputable and verifiable. This helps build both the trust and transparency that is vital to the success of any M2E model. This new system of points better recognizes the effort cyclists put in to earn rewards. It protects against fraud and manipulation, maintaining integrity and public confidence. Leveraging NFTs to highlight user achievements and positive contributions makes the platform’s integrity skyrocket. By implementing this system, we will begin to reward cyclists for the effort they’ve put in and commitment they’ve shown.
Cycling DAOs have the potential to be a powerful mechanism to support the continued development of the next generation of cycling talent. Together, these DAOs are pooling their resources to fund trainers, equipment, and travel stipends. They inspire young riders just discovering their talents to develop them to the fullest. Because DAOs work in a decentralized way, they can make funding decisions democratically. This model incentivizes token-holding constituents to actively engage with members in order to influence the allocation of resources.
The personal and successful establishment of M2E models in the walking and running communities should provide a roadmap for similar cycling platforms to follow. By learning from the successes and challenges of these early adopters, cycling platforms can optimize their systems to provide a rewarding and sustainable experience for cyclists. The M2E movement is growing by leaps and bounds. That will open the door for more diverse participants — increasing growth and innovation, further boosting the economy.
The blockchain revolution hasn’t fully merged with the cycling world just yet. Regulatory uncertainty, security risk and the overall environmental footprint of blockchain technology remain key issues that must be resolved. The possible payoff of this convergence is too great to miss. Together, we can make the federal bureaucracy pay attention to our communities’ needs! By working in unison, the cycling community has the opportunity to use Web3 to create an inclusive and mutually beneficial environment for all.
Leveraging emerging Web3 technology can promote increased transparency and accountability across all facets of the cycling industry. Consumers can know, with confidence, that bikes, gear, and all other cycling-related products and services are authentic and ethically produced. This assurance stems from being able to follow their provenance on the blockchain. This kind of information not only can tackle counterfeiting, it can encourage sustainable practices in a heavily polluting industry.
Cyclists can now earn unique, verifiable NFTs for completing rides or achieving milestones. This groundbreaking news further deepens the sports commitment to environmental protection! These NFTs could be used as digital trophies, bragging rights that a cyclist could earn for their performance on—or contributions to—the platform. Furthermore, they can be traded or sold on NFT marketplaces, creating a secondary market where cyclists earn more money.
Cyclists can redeem the tokens they earn from activity to offset the costs of biking, including equipment, nutrition, and training support. Together, this forms a closed-loop ecosystem that results in mutual benefit for all parties. This incentivizes cyclists to stay in motion and involved with the platform. It provides them an easier one-stop shop for tracking all of their two-wheeled expenses.
The long-term potential of M2E platforms, cycling included, to profoundly impact the world, is huge. These platforms gamify exercise and make it possible for amateur athletes to turn their workouts into revenue. In turn, they can help promote health equity, catalyze a more sustainable transportation system, and create a more equitable distribution of resources. As the M2E movement expands, it can lead to a new paradigm within the fitness industry and far beyond.