They’re a necessary evil: website ads that help content providers monetize their work. Without ads most websites would simply disappear. What if this could be avoided. What if there would be another way to enjoy the Web without having to be exposed to ads. Indeed, there is a new business model to monetize the Web. It’s a startup called Coil, and you can be one of the first to get this revolution going that could change the way Web content is provided and enjoyed.

You have an own website? Or have you ever given up on a website because your browser slowed to a crawl rendering ads? Have you not been able to read a news article because of a paywall? Increasingly, the Internet has become a series of such dead ends and it’s only getting worse. This could change, thanks to Coil.

Coil is the brainchild of Stefan Thomas, former CTO of Silicon Valley startup Ripple that aims to change the way we send money around the world. Today’s global money transaction infrastructure hasn’t evolved for decades. Ripple’s about to change that, which is another topic, and entrepreneur Stefan founded Coil in May 2018, determined to use his background and experience to revolutionize the monetization of the Web.

In a nutshell: new technology based on blockchain allows for money to be sent with the same speed and ease as information. Coil builds on an open standard called Web Monetization. In the not too distant future we’ll be able to send money around the world the same way we send an email or a photo: by the click of a button – instant, cheap, secure. It’s the Internet of Value.

Now all Coil does is it pays a website for the time a user spends on the site. Coil pays per time. Whether you’re a blogger, YouTuber or regular content creator, via Coil you can now accept streaming payments in digital assets like the cryptocurrencies XRP, BTC or ETH.

All it takes is creating a Coil account here and follow the instructions on the page. Insert the code in the header of your webpage and you’re all set. A ticker at the bottom left of your site will display earnings in real time.

If you are a user, feel free to signup for Coil as well. Subscription is five dollars a month for now and you will support Coil-monetized websites you spend time on. Download Coil extension for Chrome or Firefox browsers and you’re ready to rock.

THEME, for instance, is Coil-enabled as well. Over time we hope to be able to take down the ads and provide completely ad-free content. So be a good sport! With an active subscription Coil pays a donation to websites you visit. The more time you spend on a website, the more Coil donates. Your feel-good Coil subscription helps support genuine content and will keep the Web the way it was supposed to be: an information, not an ads platform.