On July 6-8 at ETH Barcelona, the crowd was a mix of coders and geeks as well as project founders. The market has blown out all the influencers and moonboys so there wasn’t much money for shills. Its slogan “What happens in Barcelona stays on the blockchain” captured the nerdiness of the event, whose focus was very much on building.
In place of the frothiness that characterizes many crypto conferences, there was an egalitarian ethos: an exploration of how blockchain “can help build a sustainable world full of human potential.” How exactly does this amorphous vision manifest in practice? Is it possible to improve daily lives by using technology created to fix double-spend?
These questions can be answered by looking at what crypto projects were represented at the conference. ESG stands for Environmental, Social, Governance. I was able to mix and mingle with representatives of a variety of projects while at ETH Barcelona. Here’s what I learned.
The Giving Block
The Giving Block (TGB), was one of many great projects I had the privilege of seeing at ETH Barcelona. They are certain that crypto has the potential to change the world. TGB makes crypto donation easy. It’s particularly passionate about NFT fundraising and has authored an entire report on the topic.
Particularly impressed was the way that The Giving Block seemed determined to put its money where their mouth is. CEO Jared Isaacman, parent company Shift4, is matching donations of up to $10M towards its Caring With Crypto campaign. NFT Philanthropy has really taken off thanks to projects like The Giving Block. It funnels more funds towards social causes and is onboarding more individuals and organisations to crypto.
Future of Giving
NFT-focused startups have made up a large portion of socially responsible startup companies that emerged in the crypto industry recently. This is due to NFTs being highly visual and therefore a powerful medium to convey environmental messages. Collaborations between artists or creators of similar values are possible with this mechanism. DoinGud, one of ETH Barcelona’s launch partners, has done more than perhaps any other NFT project to realize this goal.
As the project’s manifesto explains, “We believe that art has always been an incredible tool for influencing change and by using blockchain technology to create transparency, we can make an even stronger impact in the world.” DoinGud is intent on spurring positive social impact, which it achieves through its NFT platform where social causes can register as eligible organizations to whom creators can donate a portion of their proceeds. DoinGud has partnered with over 200 social causes, each of which aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
In the run-up to ETH Barcelona, DoinGud ran an NFT scavenger hunt that gave participants the opportunity to “collect NFTs to create a better world.” The project is doing more than merely paying lip service to social causes: it’s actively onboarding new users to crypto while showcasing the transformative power of NFTs.
Giveth, a socially responsible project was also represented at ETH Barcelona. The event sponsor aims to “decentralize charity” by rewarding donors who contribute to “for-good” projects. It allows cryptocurrency holders to make donations to various charities, including those that are focused on Ukraine and sustainable food. Giveth acts as a charitable Kickstarter. Anyone can create a project to raise funds and give it a go. Verified projects reward donors with “GIVbacks.”
DoinGud’s counterpart, Giveth does more than any other project to help everyday crypto users, and promotes the industry as a global force. As its mission statement explains, Giveth is “building a culture of giving that empowers and rewards those who give – to projects, to society, and to the world. We aim to inspire our community to participate in an ecosystem of collective support, abundance and value-creation.”
Next Wave of Socially Conscious Projects
Signifty is an NFT new project that takes up socially conscious responsibility and runs with it. What’s interesting about its approach is the way it engages celebrities and harnesses their stardust to achieve outcomes. The idea is simple: celebs and influencers create NFTs that anyone can purchase, with proceeds going to causes of the creator’s choosing. Each of the stars represented on Signifty’s platform chooses a “mission” i.e. a charitable cause or fundraiser.
One of the cool things about the concept is the way Signifty gamifies the whole process: the celeb creating the NFT collection is the mission “Hero” while buyers are awarded legendary NFTs for helping to complete Global Missions in conjunction with the Hero. For example, a mission will be completed if an NFT drop sells out. It’s a neat way of mapping donations to outcomes, and showing that funds raised are going directly to the corresponding cause.
If the quality of projects at ETH Barcelona shows, crypto-giving is on its way to a bright future. Platforms such as Giveth, The Giving Block, and Signifty are demonstrating that it’s possible to create a positive social impact while still having fun. In doing so, they’re extending crypto’s utility and showcasing it as a force for good.
Pixabay Image: GLady