Episode 238 - Web3 Foundation - Proof of Personhood, Community Currencies, and Empowering NGOs with Polkadot & Kusama

For episode 236, we’re excited to welcome Bill Laboon, VP of Ecosystem at Web3 Foundation, a nonprofit organization supporting the growth of the Polkadot and Kusama ecosystems.

You’ll learn:

• 🌍 How Encointer is transforming community aid in Tanzania, achieving a 240% multiplier effect by blending blockchain with local practices like rotating savings groups
• 🪪 Why Proof of Personhood and decentralized identity are essential infrastructure for scaling impact projects and ensuring aid reaches real people
• 🏥 How the Whiteflag Protocol leverages Polkadot to help NGOs trustlessly share locations in war zones enabling coordination without compromising safety
• 💡 Hard-earned lessons from years of building in Web3, including what the ecosystem still gets wrong when it comes to real-world impact

‍--Key Takeaways--

🌍 Meet people where they are and build with them, not for them: The most successful blockchain-for-good projects don't parachute in with technology and expect adoption. They listen first. They learn from local customs, traditional practices, and existing community structures. Real impact comes from working alongside communities and designing solutions that amplify local wisdom.

🪪 Proof of Personhood is foundational infrastructure for impact and a better internet: In an age of AI-generated content, deepfakes, and fraud, the ability to verify that a real human is behind an action is becoming essential. Proof of Personhood and decentralized identity are critical for scaling aid, ensuring inclusion, and rebuilding trust online. For impact projects, knowing that resources reach real people is the difference between success and failure.

🔍 Stay curious and resist echo chambers: Bill's top advice for anyone building in Web3: be relentlessly curious. Explore other ecosystems instead of pledging allegiance to a single chain. Look to history for lessons that can inform the future. The builders who thrive are the ones who stay open, keep learning, and draw wisdom from everywhere, not just their own corner.

--Full shownotes with links available at--
www.cryptoaltruists.com/blog/crypto-altruists-episode-238-web3-foundation-proof-of-personhood-community-currencies-and-empowering-ngos-with-polkadot-kusama

Thank you to PIPE gDAO for sponsoring the Crypto Altruism podcast!

PIPE gDAO is leveraging blockchain for their University Real World Asset IP Launchpad that helps bring groundbreaking ideas from lab to market.

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--DISCLAIMER--
While we may discuss specific web3 projects or cryptocurrencies on this podcast, do not take any of this as investment advice and make sure to do your own research on potential investment opportunities, or any opportunity, before making an investment. We host a variety of guests on this podcast with the sole purpose of highlighting the social impact use cases of this technology. That being said, Crypto Altruism does not endorse any of these projects, and we recognize that, since this is an emerging sector, some may be operating in regulatory grey areas, and as such, we cannot confirm their legality in the jurisdictions in which they operate, especially as it pertains to decentralized finance protocols. So, before getting involved with any project, it’s important that you do your own research and confirm the legality of the project. More info at cryptoaltruists.com/disclaimer