For episode 204, we’re excited to welcome Will Le and Jessica Gaubert, Co-Founders of Haraka, a groundbreaking blockchain-based community credit protocol revolutionizing microfinance. Haraka leverages social trust and Web3 technology to provide affordable loans to underserved entrepreneurs by turning intangible social capital into measurable, portable, on-chain reputations.

We discuss:

• How Haraka is turning trust into currency, creating a revolutionary lending model where your reputation—not collateral—unlocks financial opportunity.
• Why billions around the world remain underserved by traditional financial systems—and how Haraka is leveraging blockchain and social reputation to close the credit gap.
  How Haraka is making social trust measurable, portable, and scalable, transforming intangible social capital into tangible financial opportunity.
  And how Haraka’s unique combination of stablecoins, group lending, and WhatsApp-driven onboarding is unlocking economic empowerment, especially for women entrepreneurs across Africa.

--Key Takeaways--

🌱 Transforming Social Capital into Financial Opportunity: Group lending has existed for centuries but struggled to scale due to intangible social reputations. Haraka leverages blockchain to make reputation tangible, portable, and interoperable—unlocking financial freedom for underserved communities.

💸 Social Reputation can be a Powerful Tool to Lower Default Rates: Credit systems built on social reputation significantly reduce default risk. Haraka uses blockchain-based attestations to standardize reputation, empowering individuals previously excluded from traditional credit opportunities.

🤝 Meeting Users Where They Are: Tech adoption succeeds when it fits users' existing habits. Haraka integrates familiar platforms like WhatsApp and simplified onboarding processes to seamlessly introduce powerful blockchain financial tools to underserved communities worldwide.

‍

--Full shownotes with links available at--
www.cryptoaltruists.com/blog/episode-204-haraka-from-social-capital-to-financial-freedom-with-crypto-powered-microfinance

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.

--Support us with a Fiat or Crypto contribution--
Learn more at cryptoaltruism.org/supportus

--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 cryptoaltruism.org/disclaimer.

For episode 203, we’re excited to welcome Evin McMullen, Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Privado ID—a decentralized identity platform revolutionizing how we protect, own, and verify our identities online. Evin is a true Web3 pioneer whose journey spans foundational roles at organizations like ConsenSys and Disco.xyz, advising global communities like Boys Club, and contributing to DAOs shaping the future of decentralized governance.

We discuss:

• Why privacy and digital identity are fundamental to shaping a safer, more equitable world—and how blockchain technology unlocks new opportunities for the one billion people who lack access to proof of identity.
• How Privado ID’s groundbreaking Billions Network is redefining proof of personhood, creating secure and accessible interactions between humans and AI without invasive biometric methods.
• And why interoperability across blockchains and traditional platforms is key to building identity solutions that truly empower users, foster trust, and protect communities from online threats.

--Key Takeaways--

🤖 Human or AI? Blockchain Holds the Key: As AI becomes increasingly integrated into our lives, distinguishing between human and AI identities is critical. Privado’s blockchain-based identity solutions ensure trust, verifying individuals and AI agents alike, keeping interactions safe transparent.

🔒 Your Identity is Fragmented and At Risk: Our digital identities are scattered across countless logins and databases, often controlled by centralized actors who risk exposing personal data. Privado tackles this head-on, leveraging blockchain and Zero-Knowledge Proofs to let you prove who you are—without sharing sensitive personal info.

🌐 Unified Identity for Global Inclusion: Over a billion people worldwide lack access to official identity documents. Privado’s unified, mobile-first identity system creates an inclusive “web of trust,” empowering individuals globally to securely prove their identity, protect their biometrics, and unlock essential services and opportunities.

‍

--Full shownotes with links available at--
https://www.cryptoaltruists.com/blog/crypto-altruists-episode-203-privado-id-building-trust-between-humans-and-ai-agents-with-blockchain-powered-decentralized-identity

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.

--Support us with a Fiat or Crypto contribution--
Learn more at cryptoaltruism.org/supportus

--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 cryptoaltruism.org/disclaimer.

For episode 202, we’re excited to welcome Marc Vanlerberghe, Chief Marketing Officer atthe Algorand Foundation. Marc is a visionary leader with some impressive experience in the tech world, having previously led the launch of Android at Google, and is now focused on making blockchain useful, scalable, and impactful at Algorand.

In this episode, Marc shares what makes Algorand's infrastructure unique, and how it’s enabling gamechanging projects like HesabPay for real-time humanitarian payments in Afghanistan, Wholechain for ESG-focused supply chain transparency, and LabTrace for verifying scientific research in the age of AI, among other exciting use cases. He also dives into how YOU can get involved in the Algorand ecosystem, and some of the supports available for builders.

We discuss:

• Why blockchain infrastructure—not just buzzwords—matters for delivering real-world impact at scale.
• How Algorand is powering next-gen use cases in humanitarian aid, scientific integrity, and supply chain transparency.
• And what makes the Algorand ecosystem unique—plus how you can start building, participating, or supporting impact-driven projects on it.

--Key Takeaways--

📱 Hiding the Blockchain, Scaling the Impact: For real-world adoption, user experience must come first. Algorand powers solutions like HesabPay, which enables real-time aid disbursements in Afghanistan via simple SMS—no crypto wallets, no jargon, just impact.

⚖️ Solving the Blockchain Trilemma: A prominent challenge in Web3 is the tradeoff between scalability, decentralization, and security. Algorand was built to overcome this limitation through its unique consensus mechanism and low-cost, sustainable blockchain infrastructure.

🔗 Decentralized Trust for Transparent Systems: Blockchain excels as a trust layer that no one owns and everyone can verify. In supply chains, this means tracking every step from production to consumption—creating accountability that can’t be faked.

--Full shownotes with links available at--
https://www.cryptoaltruists.com/blog/crypto-altruists-episode-202-algorand-blockchain-innovations-for-humanitarian-aid-sustainability-and-scientific-integrity

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.

--Support us with a Fiat or Crypto contribution--
Learn more at cryptoaltruism.org/supportus

--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 cryptoaltruism.org/disclaimer.