What if blockchain could redefine philanthropy by making giving as simple as a few taps on your phone? Discover how Philcoin is pioneering a movement to bridge technology and charity in our latest interview with Jerry Lopez, the CEO and founder of Philcoin, a groundbreaking blockchain-based ecosystem dedicated to empowering global philanthropy.
With a background in scaling organizations across over 50 countries and years of experience in the blockchain sector, Jerry Lopez brings a unique perspective on how technology can serve humanity.
Jerry, can you share your journey into blockchain space and what motivated you to found Philcoin?
Honestly, there are a few key reasons why I was drawn to the blockchain space. As we all know, it’s such a high-growth, transformative space, and I wanted to be part of an industry where I could make a real impact and leave a legacy for my children and future generations.
Also, I’ve always been passionate about solving real-world problems, and blockchain offers unique solutions to issues like transparency, security, and decentralization. Not to mention, it can bridge the gap between philanthropy and technology, especially on a peer-to-peer, grassroots level. It allows us to address these challenges in a way that wasn’t possible before.
I saw Philcoin as a way to bring together the innovation, transparency, and security of blockchain with the human side of philanthropy. Philanthropy is a way we can all contribute to solving world and community issues, but there are challenges in this area such as efficiency, traceability, trust, reach, and accessibility that blockchain can help solve.
I didn’t want to create “another cryptocurrency”, I wanted to create a movement. The only way to achieve this is to create products and solutions that fit naturally into people’s lives and tap into their psychological needs. This is what Philcoin aims to be, a social-impact project that allows everyone to make a difference, every day.
The blockchain industry has seen rapid evolution. How do you see the role of blockchain in addressing global issues like financial inclusion and access to education?
Blockchain has incredible potential to address global issues, especially when it comes to financial inclusion and access to education. The sad reality is that billions of people around the world don’t have access to traditional banking services. Blockchain enables direct transactions and helps make financial services more available and affordable.
On the topic of education, blockchain can also play a part in making it more affordable and accessible. Students could access learning materials, interact with educators, and even get verified credentials through blockchain-based systems. This is especially beneficial in undeveloped or developing regions where access to education and employment are so challenging.
With the rising trend of Web3, what are your thoughts on how decentralized platforms can drive social change?
This is the area of decentralization I am particularly passionate about because it has the potential to drive profound social change. One of the most powerful impacts of Web3 is its potential for financial and social inclusion. And, not to repeat myself too much from the previous point, it allows anyone with internet access to participate in a financial ecosystem without needing a traditional bank account or credit score. This can make a massive difference in developing regions, where access to financial services is often limited.
Another important aspect is that it gives power and control back to the individual when it comes to your own digital assets – your own money, your own data, your own documents, creative assets, education materials, etc.
When you have more empowered individuals, there’s a tremendous opportunity for communities and regions to operate more independently and become self-sufficient.
Philcoin has a unique model that integrates philanthropy with blockchain. Can you explain how this approach works and what sets it apart from other blockchain projects?
Philcoin’s approach stands out because giving is central to its functionality. In traditional philanthropic models, there are often a lot of middlemen, which can add overhead costs and reduce transparency. By using blockchain technology, we aim to streamline charitable giving by making it peer-to-peer, efficient, and transparent.
While many blockchain projects place emphasis on technology, Philcoin is one of those rare projects that recognizes technology and humans cannot exist without each other. As humans, we need technology to better understand the world, streamline operations, collect data etc. Similarly, technology is an empty vessel without the empathy and emotional intelligence of people. You need both technology and people to drive social change.
User adoption is a key challenge in blockchain. How does Philcoin ensure accessibility and engagement, especially in underserved regions?
First, simplifying the user experience is essential. In many underserved areas, people might not be familiar with blockchain or digital finance, so we’ve made it as intuitive as possible with a clear, user-friendly interface and platform accessibility.
To encourage adoption, we’re using rewards-based models. For example, users can earn rewards from referrals or for using the app and achieving certain milestones. There are also various staking pools for users to choose from to give them additional growth on their tokens. This approach drives engagement and gives users something tangible, making it feel worthwhile to explore the platform. True to our philanthropic mission, our rewards follow a give-to-get principle where users are encouraged to donate to a cause before enjoying their accrued earnings.
We’ve also partnered with community-based organizations and brand ambassadors. Working with trusted local organizations and community leaders helps us gain credibility and understand local needs. Our ambassadors act as on-the-ground support to help build a trusted, active community around the platform.
There are still significant challenges in using blockchain, such as trust issues, scalability, and regulatory hurdles. How does Philcoin address these challenges?
Trust is a major factor in adoption, especially with a technology like blockchain. We’re focused on making every aspect of our platform transparent, from transaction processes to how funds are managed. Our smart contracts keep us accountable and give users peace of mind.
Scalability is another issue, and it’s one we’re always challenged by. We originally launched on the BNB chain but this limited our operations and the fees were high. Now we’re moving over to Polygon to facilitate greater scalability, something our developers are particularly excited about! More than that, it allows users to transact at a lower cost, a win-win!
Regulations are always changing within this space which is why we are partnered with top law firms in our two main hubs: the US and UAE. Having these legal partners means we are always up to date on the regulatory requirements within the space and we are able to ensure we remain compliant.
As a leader in the blockchain space, how do you inspire your team and the broader community to align with Philcoin’s mission of creating social good?
Honestly, communication is key. Regular meetings, updates, and check-ins, are essential for maintaining motivation and momentum. Philcoin’s team is globally based, so we face time barriers and sometimes language barriers too. We manage to overcome these because we all share common morals and ethics, and we all have our own personal goals to leave the world a little better than we found it. This sense of doing good resonates from inside the organization to the outside. After all, the people in our team are community members and leaders themselves.
How do you envision blockchain technology reshaping philanthropy over the next decade? What trends and innovations do you think people should be aware of?
I think there’s a common misconception that philanthropic organizations are slow adopters of technology when the opposite is in fact true. There are numerous ways in which technology is shaping philanthropy, and this adoption is only expected to grow.
I believe blockchain is going to provide a greater lens into the state of the world and the social efforts needed to create a real impact. Blockchain will be increasingly used within developing regions to address inequality, financial inclusion, educational gaps, and limited access to government-issued documents. We’ll see blockchain provide relief to those affected by natural disasters, geopolitical unrest, wars, famines, and more.
What can users and investors expect from Philcoin in the next few years? Are there any upcoming milestones or projects you’re particularly excited about?
We are working on many exciting products and features, which are scheduled to be launched within a few months. One of the biggest products will be PHILSocial, a blockchain-powered social media app where users can create causes, donate, upload content, chat, listen to music, and more. All the media you enjoy consuming now while flicking through different apps, will all be in one super social app and you’ll be rewarded for using it!
The app will launch in phases to keep users engaged and interested. We have tons of great features to look forward to, from music to movies, games, education programs, NFTs, a user-friendly wallet, and more. It’s going to be a jam-packed, mega-social app that’s going to change the way we connect and give back.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.