My brother @joseamenac and I have been working on this for what feels like a lifetime. The truth is, we had no idea how difficult it would be—but the challenge was too enticing, too powerful, to ever consider throwing in the towel.
We are incredibly close to having the MVP ready. I can almost taste it. And because we all need something to light a fire in our bellies, this feels like the right time to start showing it.
What is the problem?
It’s a known fact that the biggest transportation company in the world owns no cars. Uber—the always controversial, never-too-ethical behemoth—changed ride-sharing forever. The cat is out of the bag.
But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing freedom-loving people can do.
My brother keeps using this word: disruptive. It might sound like a thirst for chaos, but it’s not. It’s about breaking monopolies, restoring power to everyday people, and moving toward a more decentralized world.
The way we see it, all transactions should be voluntary. Nothing should stand between two people who agree to make a deal.
Yes—even the government.
So why Hive Taxi?
The best way to describe this project is as a Trojan horse.
We’re building something universally useful—something people need regardless of culture or location—but running it on a parallel economy altogether.
Since we, as app makers, take no commissions from payments (they are entirely peer-to-peer), it raises an interesting question: what exactly is there to regulate?
To expand on that—what would they shut down?
The blockchain?
Hive Taxi uses a minimal, optimized backend that simply coordinates the “handshake” between driver and passenger. As much as possible happens client-side, while a permanent record lives on the Hive blockchain itself. Pulling the plug isn’t just difficult—it’s conceptually unclear.
When it’s ready, then what?
We’ll likely start by reaching out to small taxi companies—the kind that still rely on a dispatcher answering a phone.
This tool could help them track their units and audit their operations in ways they’ve never been able to before.
Technology like this can be divisive—disruptive, even—but in my view, it benefits the world, not just the people building it.
How would it benefit Hive?
Beyond the obvious utility, it creates demand.
Imagine this: drivers with larger Hive accounts review passengers and upvote them. Those passengers effectively receive discounts on rides. At the same time, passengers with strong reputations become more desirable to drivers.
Reputation starts to matter in a very real, economic way.
An active Hive Taxi user would be incentivized to hold or acquire tokens—especially HBD—to reduce transportation costs. That dynamic alone could drive compounding demand for Hive’s native assets.
We’ll be opening the code shortly, just as we’ve done with all our previous projects. A system like this deserves scrutiny.
I wish I could give you an exact launch date for the MVP—but experience tells me it’s not “two weeks away,” no matter how much my fingers want to type it.
— MenO
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▶️ 3Speak
that's cool. who need uber or grab?? :)
Very interesting...I like the idea of cutting out the "middle man." But the whole background check thing provides a safety factor for Uber, with a cost I'm sure... And people might happily pay extra for that safety factor. I'm not a fan of Uber so I do commend you for trying!
we do have layers of security... for one, although anyone could download the driver app, it would be up to the community managers who run taxi hubs (probably established companies) to vet them.
It sounds like a fantasy, but if you can make it work....wow :)
all the best
#hive #posh
Definitely an interesting project !
My instant thought on the regulation angle was that (at least here in the UK), taxi services are very highly regulated despite all Uber's lobbying. Generally, a taxi will need a license from the local authority and very specific insurance that provides third party cover for passengers, as well as a vehicle meeting local and national standards (and a more stringent MOT safety test). In many cases, local authorities also set the fares that can be charged.
So offering Hive Taxi as a software solution for existing taxi companies would be a good option, but it would be competing with the existing control and booking software they use (which is in some cases pretty advanced, including sending SMS messages to customers with arrival ETA's, driver details etc).
I think the key thing at least initially would be to stay away from the financial and compliance side of things. But the UK isn't really a core Hive place, and regulations might be more relaxed in other countries. Probably are, actually, here in the UK we are probably the most over-regulated country in the world !
All the best. Hive Taxis sounds like a good project idea.
Let's disrupt. Let's kick in the ass of uber, lyft, ola
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What is Uber, they are not allowed where I live in the UK!
Sounds an interesting project and good luck with it and pitching it to suitable companies.
This is excellently a perfect idea. It will announce Hive all around the world. Many people because of it will be onboarded into Hive. This is extremely a gorgeous idea, get them real, I like it!