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Civil

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uuid00031ls

Namestring
Civil
Legal namestring
The Civil Media Company
Websiteurl
civil.co
Company typeenum
Private
Founded yearint
2016
Descriptiontext

Civil (legally The Civil Media Company) was a blockchain-based media platform founded in 2016 in Brooklyn, NY, by CEO Matthew Iles. The company aimed to decentralize how news is vetted, how journalism is funded, and how society stays informed, operating as a community-driven platform for independent newsrooms and award-winning journalists. Its core products included the Civil Registry (an open-source registry for tracking and verifying content provenance and licensing), Civil Tokens (a cryptocurrency for journalism funding and platform governance), and decentralized identity solutions for trackable content licensing and transparent ad decisioning in media and advertising.

The platform's business model relied on token-based economics rather than traditional subscription or advertising revenue, targeting the journalism and media vertical. Civil operated with a community-led go-to-market motion, attracting independent newsrooms globally through its open-source blockchain infrastructure. The company was venture-backed, with ConsenSys serving as both lead investor in its $5M 2017 funding round and ultimate acquirer in 2020.

In 2020, Civil's team and technology were absorbed by ConsenSys to build identity and provenance tracking solutions on Ethereum, effectively ending Civil as an independent entity. The Civil Foundation entered hibernation with no active development or management, while the Civil Registry, Civil tokens, and open-source assets remain operational but unmaintained. Newsrooms on the platform continued to operate independently.

Short descriptiontext

Civil was a blockchain-based media platform founded in 2016 that enabled decentralized journalism funding and content verification via its Civil Registry and Civil Tokens. It served independent newsrooms globally and was acquired by ConsenSys in 2020, with its foundation now in hibernation.

Operating statusenum
Acquired
Ownership categoryenum
Headcount rangeband
11–50
akta.pro rankint
HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
HQ citystring
Brooklyn
HQ countrystring
United States
HQ regionstring
North America
Markets served

Serves global market

Keyword5 values
blockchain journalism platform, decentralized media platform, content provenance tracking, decentralized identity solutions, journalism funding tokens
Industry4 codes
1Identity, Credentials & Permissioning for Enterprises (DID/VC, access control, attestations)
CodeFSAPAIAGPrimaryYes
2Identity Verification & Proofing (IDV, KYC, Biometrics)
CodeHDADAAAFPrimaryNo
3KYC/KYB Identity Verification & Onboarding
CodeFSADALAAPrimaryNo
4Royalties, Rights & Revenue Management (on-chain royalties, splits, licensing, enforcement)
CodeFSAPAFACPrimaryNo
NAICS code3 codes
  • Software Publishers5132
  • Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers51621
  • Broadcasting and Content Providers516
SIC code1 code
  • Finance Services6199
Product category
Blockchain Media Platform
Social media profiles1 record
GTM motion1 record

Each record includes

Type, Description, Source

Revenue model1 record
1Token-based platform
TypeSubscription Recurring
Description

Civil operated a blockchain-based platform with Civil tokens used for journalism funding and platform governance. Revenue was generated through token economics rather than traditional subscription models.

civil.co
Marketing channels1 record

Each record includes

Title, Type, Stage, Description, Source

Distribution channels1 record

Each record includes

Title, Type, Scope, Target buyer, Description, Source

Cost components5 values
Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
GTM typeB2B
B2B
Offering typeSoftware
Software
Core offering1 text field

Civil operated a blockchain-based media platform for trustworthy journalism, providing decentralized news vetting, blockchain-based journalism funding via Civil Tokens, and an open-source Civil Registry for content provenance and licensing. The platform also developed decentralized identity solutions for media and advertising, including trackable content licensing and transparent ad decisioning built on Ethereum.

Differentiator
Functional benefit
Problem solved
Product overview1 text field

Civil was a blockchain-based media platform for trustworthy journalism owned and operated by the public. The platform consisted of the Civil Registry (open-source registry for news operations), Civil Tokens (cryptocurrency for funding journalism), and decentralized identity solutions for media and advertising. The platform aimed to decentralize how news is vetted, how journalism is funded, and how information is consumed. The team and technology were acquired by ConsenSys in 2020 to continue developing identity solutions on Ethereum. Newsrooms operated independently on the platform, and the Civil Registry, Civil tokens, and other work remain open-source but no longer under active development.

Product and service3 records
1Civil Registry
CategoryContent Provenance & Licensing Infrastructure
Description

Open-source registry for journalism and media operations on the Civil platform, maintaining transparency and provenance of news content through blockchain-based tracking and verification of content licensing.

2Civil Tokens
CategoryCryptocurrency / Journalism Funding
Description

Cryptocurrency token system used to fund and support journalism operations within the Civil ecosystem, enabling decentralized funding of newsrooms and platform governance.

3Decentralized Identity Solutions
CategoryDecentralized Identity
Description

Identity solutions developed for media and advertising use cases, including trackable content licensing and transparent ad decisioning, built on Ethereum blockchain technology.

Scale indicator1 record

Each record includes

Type, Value, Description, Source

Partnership1 partner
1ConsenSys
Strategic tierFlagshipTypeStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnounced on2020-01-01
Description

Civil team and technology joined ConsenSys to build identity solutions on Ethereum. This strategic merger came after Civil pivoted to developing products related to decentralized identity in media and advertising, attracting enterprise interest for trackable content licensing and transparent ad decisioning. The Civil team will continue developing cutting-edge technology as part of ConsenSys's identity and provenance tracking solutions.

Recent move5 records

Each record includes

Date, Type, Title, Description, Source

Expansion highlight4 records

Each record includes

Type, Description

Market position
Strengths3 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Competitive moat4 records

Each record includes

Type, Details

Key risks6 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Key highlights6 records

Each record includes

Headline, Details, Source

Customer concentration

Classification, Details

Named customers2 records

Each record includes

Name, Industry, Type, Use case, Source, UUID

Segment1 record

Each record includes

Title, Type, Primary, Description, Pain point addressed, Use case, Source

Ideal customer profile1 record

Each record includes

Profile, Firmographic size, Sales motion, Sales cycle length, Buying structure, Purchase trigger, Buyer persona, Geography, Industry vertical, Primary use case, Description, Pain points, Evidence proof points, Target buyer

Technology focused
Yes
API detail
Has APIbool
No

Docs URL, Description

AI maturity
App detail

Has app

Feature4 records

Each record includes

Title, Differentiator, Description, Source

Core technology
Revenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Number of profiles
No data
No data
Funding overview

Funding stage, Last funding date, Total funding USD

Funding rounds1 record

Each record includes

Round, Amount USD, Date, Pre money valuation, Total investors, Investors, News

Investors1 record

Each record includes

Name, Type, Date of entry, Rounds participated, Website

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Each record includes

Name, Acquisition type, Announced date, Completed date, Status, Website, News

Investment

Each record includes

Name, Round, Announced date, Lead investor, Website, News

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Civil

Blockchain Media Platformcivil.co

Civil was a blockchain-based media platform founded in 2016 that enabled decentralized journalism funding and content verification via its Civil Registry and Civil Tokens. It served independent newsrooms globally and was acquired by ConsenSys in 2020, with its foundation now in hibernation.

What Civil does

Civil (legally The Civil Media Company) was a blockchain-based media platform founded in 2016 in Brooklyn, NY, by CEO Matthew Iles. The company aimed to decentralize how news is vetted, how journalism is funded, and how society stays informed, operating as a community-driven platform for independent newsrooms and award-winning journalists. Its core products included the Civil Registry (an open-source registry for tracking and verifying content provenance and licensing), Civil Tokens (a cryptocurrency for journalism funding and platform governance), and decentralized identity solutions for trackable content licensing and transparent ad decisioning in media and advertising.

The platform's business model relied on token-based economics rather than traditional subscription or advertising revenue, targeting the journalism and media vertical. Civil operated with a community-led go-to-market motion, attracting independent newsrooms globally through its open-source blockchain infrastructure. The company was venture-backed, with ConsenSys serving as both lead investor in its $5M 2017 funding round and ultimate acquirer in 2020.

In 2020, Civil's team and technology were absorbed by ConsenSys to build identity and provenance tracking solutions on Ethereum, effectively ending Civil as an independent entity. The Civil Foundation entered hibernation with no active development or management, while the Civil Registry, Civil tokens, and open-source assets remain operational but unmaintained. Newsrooms on the platform continued to operate independently.

Civil firmographics

Firmographics
Name
Civil
Legal name
The Civil Media Company
Website
https://civil.co
Company type
Private
Founded year
2016
Operating status
Acquired
Headcount range
11–50 employees
Short description
Civil was a blockchain-based media platform founded in 2016 that enabled decentralized journalism funding and content verification via its Civil Registry and Civil Tokens. It served independent newsrooms globally and was acquired by ConsenSys in 2020, with its foundation now in hibernation.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Civil industry classification

Industry
Product category
Blockchain Media Platform
NAICS
Software Publishers (5132), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)
SIC
Finance Services (6199)
akta.pro primary industry
Identity, Credentials & Permissioning for Enterprises (DID/VC, access control, attestations) (FSAPAIAG)
akta.pro secondary industries
Identity Verification & Proofing (IDV, KYC, Biometrics) (HDADAAAF), KYC/KYB Identity Verification & Onboarding (FSADALAA), Royalties, Rights & Revenue Management (on-chain royalties, splits, licensing, enforcement) (FSAPAFAC)

Keywords

  • Blockchain journalism platform
  • Decentralized media platform
  • Content provenance tracking
  • Decentralized identity solutions
  • Journalism funding tokens

Where Civil is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city
Brooklyn
HQ country
United States
HQ region
North America

Markets served

Civil business model

Business model
GTM type
B2B
Offering type
Software
Cost components
Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

  1. Token-based platform: Civil operated a blockchain-based platform with Civil tokens used for journalism funding and platform governance. Revenue was generated through token economics rather than traditional subscription models.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Civil product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Civil operated a blockchain-based media platform for trustworthy journalism, providing decentralized news vetting, blockchain-based journalism funding via Civil Tokens, and an open-source Civil Registry for content provenance and licensing. The platform also developed decentralized identity solutions for media and advertising, including trackable content licensing and transparent ad decisioning built on Ethereum.

Product overview

Civil was a blockchain-based media platform for trustworthy journalism owned and operated by the public. The platform consisted of the Civil Registry (open-source registry for news operations), Civil Tokens (cryptocurrency for funding journalism), and decentralized identity solutions for media and advertising. The platform aimed to decentralize how news is vetted, how journalism is funded, and how information is consumed. The team and technology were acquired by ConsenSys in 2020 to continue developing identity solutions on Ethereum. Newsrooms operated independently on the platform, and the Civil Registry, Civil tokens, and other work remain open-source but no longer under active development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

  • Civil Registry Open-source registry for journalism and media operations on the Civil platform, maintaining transparency and provenance of news content through blockchain-based tracking and verification of content licensing.
  • Civil Tokens Cryptocurrency token system used to fund and support journalism operations within the Civil ecosystem, enabling decentralized funding of newsrooms and platform governance.
  • Decentralized Identity Solutions Identity solutions developed for media and advertising use cases, including trackable content licensing and transparent ad decisioning, built on Ethereum blockchain technology.

Companies that use Civil

Customer profile

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Civil technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API
No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Civil partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

  • ConsenSysflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Civil team and technology joined ConsenSys to build identity solutions on Ethereum. This strategic merger came after Civil pivoted to developing products related to decentralized identity in media and advertising, attracting enterprise interest for trackable content licensing and transparent ad decisioning. The Civil team will continue developing cutting-edge technology as part of ConsenSys's identity and provenance tracking solutions.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Civil competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Market position

Strengths3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Civil social profiles

Digital presence

Civil financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Civil leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Civil funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Civil M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Civil

What does Civil do?

Civil operated a blockchain-based media platform for trustworthy journalism, providing decentralized news vetting, blockchain-based journalism funding via Civil Tokens, and an open-source Civil Registry for content provenance and licensing. The platform also developed decentralized identity solutions for media and advertising, including trackable content licensing and transparent ad decisioning built on Ethereum.

Is Civil a public or private company?

Civil is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.

When was Civil founded?

Civil was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is Civil based?

Civil is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.

How does Civil make money?

One revenue line is on record: token-based platform.

Does Civil have an API?

No public API is recorded for Civil.

What industry is Civil in?

Civil's product category is Blockchain Media Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAPAIAG, Identity, Credentials & Permissioning for Enterprises (DID/VC, access control, attestations), with a secondary code of HDADAAAF, Identity Verification & Proofing (IDV, KYC, Biometrics). Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 6199.

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Live signals
PR NewswireCreators of WordPress.com Team with Google, Lenfest, Civil, and Knight to Develop a Next-Generation Publishing Platform for Digital News StartupsAutomattic, parent company of WordPress.com, has partnered with Google, The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, ConsenSys/Civil, and The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to develop Newspack, a cloud-based publishing and revenue-generating platform for local digital news publishers. The consortium has secured $2.4 million in first-year funding, with Google contributing $1.2 million through its Google News Initiative and other partners contributing the remainder. The platform aims to address technology and business complexity challenges for small publishers, launching a proof-of-concept with up to 12 news sites by mid-2019 and expanding to support 60 sites by early 2020.TechCrunchProof of use: A new crowdfunding threshold for passionate usersThis opinion piece argues that the U.S. accredited investor threshold of $200,000 annual income or $1 million net worth, unchanged since 1982, is outdated and should be replaced with a 'proof of use' standard that allows active platform users to invest based on their contributions of time and talent rather than wealth alone. The author contends that companies like Airbnb and Uber have already lobbied the SEC for regulatory changes allowing them to distribute equity to users and drivers without hitting shareholder reporting limits. As a case study, the article examines the Civil journalism project's failed ICO attempt, arguing it would have succeeded had it demonstrated user traction before seeking a $24 million raise in two weeks.TechCrunchBlockchain media startup Civil is issuing full refunds to all buyers of its cryptocurrencyCivil (The Civil Media Company), a blockchain journalism startup, has failed to meet its initial coin offering target, raising only $1,435,491 from 1,012 buyers against a goal of $8 million to $24 million. The company will issue full refunds to all CVL token buyers by October 29 and is planning a new, simpler token sale, with ConsenSys committing to purchase $3.5 million worth of new tokens. Despite the setback, Civil will continue developing its blockchain publishing tools including a WordPress plugin, a community governance application called The Civil Registry, and developer tools.MoguldomErika Alexander's Color Farm Uses Blockchain To Create Diverse ContentColor Farm Media, founded by Erika Alexander and Ben Arnon, is partnering with blockchain journalism platform Civil to launch 'The Blackness,' a newsroom dedicated to investigative reporting from marginalized communities. Additionally, the company is executing its 'Keep It Colorful' initiative, a crowdfunding and educational tour aimed at funding digital series pilots from creators of color across six US cities.Fast CompanyErika Alexander is using the blockchain to make journalism more inclusiveCivil, a blockchain-based journalism platform, is launching a new site called The Blackness in partnership with Color Farm Media to publish long-form multimedia stories focusing on underrepresented communities of color. The venture utilizes Civil's ledger technology to ensure story archives are protected from external interference and aims to build a distributed network of journalists through partnerships with organizations like the National Association for Black Journalists. This initiative seeks to provide diverse voices and narratives that are often marginalized in mainstream media.TechCrunchCivil, the blockchain journalism startup, has partnered with one of the oldest names in mediaCivil, a two-year-old blockchain journalism startup, has partnered with the 172-year-old Associated Press to help the wire service track its content and ensure proper licensing using blockchain-enabled technology. In exchange, the AP has granted newsrooms in Civil's network licenses to use its content, and the AP will receive Civil's CVL cryptocurrency ahead of the September 18 ICO. Civil, which has raised $5 million from ConsenSys, plans to eventually make the licensing tool available to all newsrooms in its ecosystem while also learning the ropes of the licensing business from the AP.TechCrunchBlockchain media project Civil turns to Asia with fund to kickstart 100 new media venturesCivil, a blockchain-based journalism organization, has set up a $1 million fund in partnership with Singapore-based Splice to seed 100 new media projects across Asia over the next three years. The fund will make pre-seed micro-investments to help entrepreneurs reach prototype stage, covering areas from publishers and podcasts to automation and adtech. Civil, which has raised $5 million in financing from ConsenSys, is preparing for an ICO targeting approximately $32 million to launch its network globally.PR NewswireCivil Announces $5 Million In Funding From ConsenSysCivil announced a $5 million funding package from ConsenSys, comprising $2.5 million in capital and $2.5 million in services, to support its decentralized journalism platform. The initiative aims to establish a self-sustaining marketplace where readers directly sponsor journalists using CVL tokens, with an initial focus on launching the 'First Fleet' of independent newsrooms. The platform is scheduled to launch simultaneously with its token sale in early 2018.