Token Description & Project Background

Decentraland is a virtual world for users to create, use, and monetize content and applications atop Ethereum. 

It is a decentralized, traversable world where users own parcels of digital land. 

MANA is a fungible ERC-20 token used on the platform to buy the one-of-a-kind parcels that come in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). In addition to LAND NFTs, MANA can also be used to make in-world purchases of digital goods and services.

Decentraland was founded by Ari Meilich and Esteban Ordano – it first launched in 2017 but has found significantly more popularity with the emergence of NFTs in 2021. 

Ordano, a blockchain engineer, had previously co-founded Streamium, the first app that implemented technology for scaling blockchain payments. He was also a former software engineer at BitPay where he helped create the Bitcore library, considered a key piece of Bitcoin infrastructure. Meilich and Ordano have since retired from the project but remain involved as consultants.

Risks of MANA

Like an investment in other crypto assets, there are some general risks to investing in MANA. These include: (i) volatility risk and liquidity risk, (ii) short history risk, (iii) demand risk, (iv) forking risk, (v) code defects, (vi) regulatory risk, (vii) electronic trading risk, and (viii) cyber security risk. For additional information of these and other general risks associated with crypto assets and Uphold’s platform, please refer to the Risks Specific to Holding Digital Assets statement.

In addition to these general risks, an investment in MANA is subject to the following specific risks:

• Any potential success associated with MANA is dependent on its rate of adoption by users. Investors should be aware a number of competing blockchain gaming projects have entered the field since 2017.
• Any potential success associated with MANA is dependent on a number of external factors, such as the growth and increased adoption of the metaverse economy, and the continued popularity of NFTs as digital collectibles.

We emphasize that this Crypto Asset Statement is not an exhaustive description or summary of all risks associated with MANA. Investors should conduct their own research and perform their own assessment before trading any crypto asset to determine the appropriate level of risk for their personal circumstances.

The MANA community and Decentraland DAO are not under any legal or regulatory obligation to disclose material information to the public regarding its activities. Holders of MANA have no recourse to the MANA community, Cencentraland DAO,or Uphold if MANA declines in value for any reason.

Changes to applicable law may adversely affect the use, transfer, exchange, or value of any of your crypto assets, and such changes may be sudden and without notice.

Uphold’s Evaluation Process

Prior to listing MANA on the Uphold Platform, Uphold performed due diligence on MANA and determined that MANA is unlikely to be a security or derivative under relevant securities legislation. Uphold’s analysis including reviewing publicly available information on the following: 

• The creation, governance, usage, and design of MANA, including ensuring the source code being open-source, audited and peer reviewed, security, and roadmap for growth in the developer community. 
• The supply, demand, maturity, utility, and liquidity of MANA.
• Marketing materials put forward by the MANA social team including, Twitter, Medium blog, LinkedIn posts, Discord and Telegram channels.
• Material technical risks associated with MANA, including any code defects, security breaches and other threats concerning MANA and its supporting blockchain (such as the susceptibility to hacking and impact of forking), or the practices and protocols that apply to them.
• Legal and regulatory risks associated with MANA, including any pending, potential, or prior civil, regulatory, criminal, or enforcement action relating to the issuance, distribution, or use of MANA. 

General

Uphold has prepared this Crypto Asset Statement based on publicly available information. Although Uphold has taken steps to obtain information from apparently reliable sources, information contained in this Crypto Asset Statement may be inaccurate, incomplete or out-of-date. This overview is a starting point for you to perform your own research prior to investing in a crypto asset.

Uphold users should read the Risks Specific To Holding Digital Assets statement for additional discussion of general risks associated with crypto assets made available through the Uphold platform.  

Canadian residents, please note that Uphold has filed an application for registration in certain Canadian jurisdictions but has not yet obtained registration. Until such time as Uphold obtains registration, Uphold has agreed to abide by the terms of an undertaking available at the following link. Please also review the Uphold Canada – Crypto Risk Statement for additional discussion of general risks associated with the crypto assets made available through Uphold Platform. Please be aware that statutory rights of action for damages or rescission in section 130.1 of the Securities Act (Ontario) and, if applicable, similar statutory rights under securities legislation in the other provinces and territories of Canada do not apply in respect of this Crypto Asset Statement or other disclosures on the Uphold website and Risks Specific To Holding Digital Assets statement. 

Last updated on June 12, 2023.