VeChain (VEN)
VeChain's goal is to build "a trust-free and distributed business ecosystem to enable transparent information flow, efficient collaboration, and high speed value transferring." In simpler terms, think of transportation logistics and product analytics. For example, VeChain helps track products as they move through distribution channels from manufacturers to retail locations.
Mining/Staking
The VEN token appears to be intended as a form of currency but the exact structure is vague. In addition, to add to the confusion, there is another related coin called Thor which may act as a form of gass for the network. It appears as though this project will using a staking-based rewards system once the mainnet is fully functional, and that masternodes will become a part of this system. That's all that we've been able to figure out so far.
Development Team
The main website says that VeChain's development team consists of over fifty members. We can't find any information to confirm this.
Criticisms, Caveats, and Competitors
The company is based in Singapore, so there are some challenges with proper translation of information into English. The project currently has a Development Paper (which is hard to read) rather than a properly written and professionally edited white paper. The mainnet is not yet live. There are a lot of basic questions for which answers don't seem clear (exact use case for tokens, team members, etc.).
Additional Resources
The project's main website: https://www.vechain.com/#/
Link to Wikipedia Page: N/A
Link to Reddit Community: https://www.reddit.com/r/Vechain
Link to Twitter account: https://twitter.com/vechainofficial
Link to Team information: N/A
Link to data on Live Coin Watch: https://www.livecoinwatch.com/price/VeChain-VEN
Development Paper: https://cdn.vechain.com/vechain_ico_ideas_of_development_en.pdf