Consortium Key Exceeds Revenue Forecasts

Consortium Key Exceeds Revenue Forecasts with Aspen’s Subscription Tools

Discover how Consortium Key turned a financial crisis into a tremendous opportunity with Aspen's Subscription Tools, using it to boost their revenue and provide a powerful trading experience for their users.

The Problem: Fading Financial Forecasts

In March of this year, Consortium Key found themselves in a precarious situation. Their Q1 revenue was down 95% compared to the previous quarter, leaving them unable to continue building trading toolkits for their NFT holders. This presented an existential threat to the project as they had to create a sustainable business model without relying on enforced royalties, which would require a time-consuming, costly, and risky contract migration process.

The Solution: Aspen's Subscription Tools to the Rescue

Consortium Key introduced their utility pass in October, 2022. The “Key” provides holders with alert systems, extensive data, and robust bots to help holders execute the most informed, profitable, and fast trades. With a floor price of about 4 ETH at the time of writing, the Key keeps traders plugged into the market's behavior while giving them the tools required to take advantage of the opportunities.

The team minted just over 500 keys at a mint price averaging around 0.4 eth which represented a decent amount of capital to start their project. However, as everyone in the NFT space knows, the tokens a project gets from minting are finite and have a lifespan which is limited to the “burn” of the project (namely, its expenses). The team realized very quickly that their tokens from the mint were dwindling, and with the inception of the optional royalties era, their revenue was falling as well. They needed to make a change or else they were going to be unable to continue the project.

Consortium Key turned to Aspen; working together, our teams crafted a utility strategy that made sense for holders and the team. A portion of the utility was carved off to only be available to those that held a key and had an active subscription via Aspen. Specifically, what the team did was to carve off access to their suite of advanced bots; requiring a subscription to use. 

For 0.069 ETH per month, users gained access to all the bots built by the team, including the ability to auto-purchase coins based on a user's personal preferences and set of criteria. These bots are made available through Consortium Key's Discord, accessible only to subscribers who purchased a subscription via Consortium Key's Storefront on Aspen.

Financial Breakthrough: Unlocking a New Revenue Stream

Within the first month of implementing the subscription program, Consortium Key reached their initial revenue goal. This impressive turnaround not only saved the project from potential difficulties but also enabled them to regain revenues totalling about 60% of cash flow breakeven. By the second month, they had reached cash flow breakeven on subscription revenue alone and were able to begin replenishing their reserves that had dwindled when optional royalties were the harshest. 

This financial success story showcases the power of Aspen's Subscription Tools in helping NFT projects find innovative ways to generate revenue and thrive. Achieving cash flow breakeven is a significant milestone for any project or business, as it means that the majority of the project’s expenses are covered by the revenue generated from their subscriptions. This allows them to have more financial flexibility and stability, making it easier to reinvest in the project’s growth and development. In other words, when a project or business reaches cash flow breakeven, then growth can come from revenue – not from capital – which dilutes existing holders.

In a season where the top collections are losing millions due to royalty non-payments, Consortium Key's success with Aspen's Subscription Tools stands out as a new, viable solution for projects to generate revenue without relying on royalties. This innovative approach to revenue generation demonstrates that there are alternative strategies available to projects facing challenges in the rapidly evolving NFT landscape.

Subscription Models: Not a One-Size-Fits-All Solution

While Consortium Key's success with the subscription model is an inspiring example, it's important to recognize that subscription models may not be the revenue solution for every project. Adopting this approach requires the project to deliver real-world, beneficial utility to their community, which isn't part of every project's model.

For a subscription model to work, it's crucial to provide consistent value that justifies the ongoing cost to users. Projects that lack a strong utility-driven approach or fail to deliver tangible benefits to their community may struggle to gain traction with a subscription-based revenue model. In such cases, alternative revenue solutions might be a better fit.

However, for projects that can provide exceptional value to their users through exclusive tools, data, or experiences, a subscription model like the one offered by Aspen's Subscription Tools can be a powerful way to generate revenue, build loyalty, and foster a vibrant community.

A Winning Formula: Utility = Loyalty

The cultural impact of Consortium Key's success goes beyond just financial gains. The project's ability to adapt and leverage Aspen's Subscription Tools has created a ripple effect throughout their community.

By offering valuable tools, exclusive data, and a supportive Discord environment, Consortium Key has fostered a sense of loyalty and trust among its users. Despite the subscription model being an additional cost to traders, key holders have embraced it due to the immense worth in utility it provides. This has led to a thriving community that is not only profitable but also passionate about the products and services that Consortium Key delivers.

Discover how Aspen's Subscription Tools can help your business exceed financial goals and build a thriving community. Visit AspeNFT.io to learn more.