Blockchain’s Future is Real
And Today, I Saw It
Today was one of those rare days that reminded me why I’m involved in this space. I spent it at the Blockchain for Good Alliance (BGA), where I had the chance to judge innovative projects and moderate a panel on a topic that gets at the heart of why we’re here: using protocol-level innovations to fund public goods. I walked in expecting to see some clever projects and meet driven people, but what I found was something more—a community actively reimagining how decentralized technology can solve real-world problems.
In some sense, I think blockchain is finally starting to find its place. For years, people have talked about “blockchain for good” as this vague promise, a kind of idealistic future vision that always seemed just out of reach. Today, I saw the groundwork for that promise taking shape. From grassroots projects building sustainable systems for underserved communities to platforms creating more transparent funding methods, the ideas here were focused on impact rather than hype. And maybe, just maybe, that’s where blockchain has always been headed.
The day started with project judging. This is where I first began to understand the scale of what’s happening. The projects weren’t just blockchain companies trying to shoehorn “good” into their mission statements; these were genuine attempts to address pressing issues. I saw solutions tackling environmental sustainability, education access, healthcare transparency, and economic inclusion. Each project had a specific problem in its sights, and the teams behind them were deeply committed to solving these problems.
One of the projects that stood out was a platform that tracks used cooking oil for biofuel production. At first glance, it sounds niche, but when you think about the implications, it’s huge. Used cooking oil is often disposed of improperly or resold illegally. By creating a transparent, decentralized ledger to track its collection and processing, this platform ensures that the oil is properly recycled into biofuel, reducing waste and lowering emissions. It’s not just about making a “greener” process; it’s about creating accountability and aligning economic incentives with environmental goals. That’s the kind of thing we need more of—not blockchain for blockchain’s sake, but blockchain for a specific, measurable impact.
Another project was focused on decentralized education through a tap-to-earn model. This one reminded me of how powerful it can be to empower people at the individual level. The idea was to create a platform where learners could earn tokens by engaging with educational content, essentially gamifying the learning process. It’s a twist on the classic incentivization model, but the real impact here isn’t in the technology itself; it’s in how the model brings education to people who otherwise might not have access to it. In some communities, just having access to this type of learning resource can be life-changing. And by rewarding learners directly, the platform reinforces that the pursuit of knowledge is valuable.
After judging, we moved into the panel discussion. Our topic—protocol-level innovations for public goods funding—was a natural extension of what we’d been seeing in the projects. Ethereum, as a protocol, has created a sandbox for this type of experimentation, enabling models like quadratic funding and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) that allow for more democratic and transparent allocation of resources. But one thing that became clear during the discussion is that we’re still very much in the experimental phase. Protocol-level solutions have immense potential, but they also face significant challenges when it comes to real-world application.
Take Gitcoin, for example. The platform has pioneered quadratic funding, a method that allows smaller donations to have a proportionally larger impact. This model can empower communities to support projects that reflect their needs and values, effectively decentralizing the funding process. But even with all its successes, Gitcoin’s model still struggles with issues of sustainability and scale. How do you ensure that the funding doesn’t just dry up once the initial excitement fades? How do you maintain a steady stream of support, especially when projects are focused on public goods rather than profit?
One of the panelists brought up an interesting point about DAOs. Decentralized governance structures are incredibly powerful because they allow communities to have a direct say in project decisions. But the flip side is that DAOs can also be slow, cumbersome, and prone to gridlock. How do you balance the need for decentralized input with the practical need to make decisions and move forward? This tension between ideals and pragmatism is something I see coming up again and again in the blockchain space. We want to create systems that are fair, democratic, and transparent, but we also need these systems to function effectively.
As the day wound down, I found myself thinking about the larger implications of what I’d seen. It feels like we’re at a tipping point, where blockchain is beginning to evolve from a speculative technology into a tool for meaningful change. But to get there, we need to keep our focus on solving real problems, not just building tech for the sake of tech. Today was a reminder that this space isn’t just about decentralization or tokenomics or smart contracts—it’s about what those things can enable.
There’s a lesson here, I think, for anyone involved in technology. It’s easy to get caught up in the possibilities of what we’re building. Blockchain, AI, IoT—all of these technologies are incredibly powerful, but they only matter if they’re put to use in ways that make a tangible difference. In the end, it’s not enough to have innovative solutions. We need impactful ones. And to get there, we have to start by asking: What problem are we solving? Who does it benefit? And how do we ensure that it’s sustainable?
I left the event feeling hopeful. There’s still a lot of work to be done, and many of the projects I saw today are just getting started. But the commitment, the focus on real-world impact, and the willingness to experiment with new models are exactly what we need. Blockchain has the potential to be transformative, but it will only reach that potential if we keep our eyes on the goal: building systems that are equitable, transparent, and, above all, useful.
If today taught me anything, it’s that the future of blockchain isn’t in speculation or hype. It’s in projects like the ones I saw today—projects that use technology to solve real problems, in ways that are accessible and sustainable. That’s the future I want to see, and I’m grateful to have been a part of it.