For episode one of our new mini-series, Trailblazers of Octant, we welcome James Kiernan and Benjamin Siegel of Octant. We explore Octant’s vision for building a self-sustaining Web3 public goods funding ecosystem, their innovative experiments in decentralized governance and engagement, and what makes Octant’s model so unique and impactful, along with some spicy takes and fun stories.

In episode 179 we welcome Jennifer Senhaji, Head of Growth at Chronicle, to discuss the importance of Oracles in Web3’s future. We discuss how Chronicle is advancing the data infrastructure needed for decentralization, some of the social impact use cases oracles have supported, Chronicle’s partnership with MakerDAO securing $20B, and Jenn’s vision for the future of oracles in a decentralized world.

For the fifth and final episode of Impact on Optimism, we welcome LauNaMu of Metrics Garden, the one-stop hub for Impact Evaluation in Web3. We explore challenges of impact evaluation in Web3, how Metrics Garden uses Ethereum Attestation Service to make onchain impact visible, LauNaMu’s role as a Badgeholder in Optimism’s RetroPGF, and how Metrics Garden is helping badgeholders evaluate impact.

In episode 178, we’re excited to welcome Dr. Friederike Ernst, Co-Founder of Gnosis, to dive into how Gnosis has evolved from its early days to where it is now. We’ll explore how Gnosis is building practical Web3 solutions, the challenges of making these tools accessible to all, Gnosis’ governance approach, and what the future holds for decentralized applications in real-world use cases.

In episode 177, we’re excited to welcome Kennedy Ng’an’ga of Shamba Network, Benson Njuguna of Fortune Credit, and Wladimir Weinbender of DIVA Donate. We explore their collbarative pilot, in partnership with Mercy Corps Ventures, that deployed blockchain-based anticipatory cash transfers to pastoralists in Kenya, using smart contracts triggered by environmental data brought onchain by an Oracle.

DePIN, or Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks, leverage blockchain and decentralization to support the maintenance and implementation of physical networks. In this infographic, we break down some of the key benefits of DePIN in comparison to traditional networks, prominent use cases, and the projects leading the way in the DePIN revolution!

Latin America has quickly become a hub of innovation for Web3 Impact projects, with numerous projects emerging with a focus on regenerative finance, education, and financial inclusion. In this podcast starter pack we’ve bundled together nine episodes highlighting incredible projects building in Latin America!

In episode 176, we’re excited to welcome Kitty Horlick, Director of RariLabs, the organization advancing the privacy first ZK protocol Rarimo. We explore how zero-knowledge proofs can enhance privacy and protect data, Rarimo’s Freedom Tool that empowers citizens living under oppressive regimes, their Proof of Humanity Aggregator that defends against Sybil attacks, and the future of ZK tools.

In episode 175, we’re excited to welcome Michael Kelly, CPO at Open Forest Protocol, an organization on a mission to create high integrity verifiable carbon credits. We discuss the methodology behind OFP’s carbon credits, the role of blockchain in addressing challenges in environmental asset markets, how OFP actively involves local and Indigenous communities in climate projects, and much more.

For episode 174, we have a special episode in store. On September 25^th, we hosted a twitter space where we dove into key themes from the Exploring the Octant Ecosystem article series, spoke with the Octant team about some of the exciting things in the works, announced the winners of the GLM giveaway, and heard stories of Web3 public goods builders from Treegens, KFMEDIA℠, Earth Coin, & ReFi Tulum.

Crypto Altruism highlights from September 2024 - Celebrating one year of MiniPay, piloting real-world impact with Mercy Corps Ventures, Atlantis, and Empowa, exploring Octant's approach to governance and community engagement, and a brief introduction on Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN).

In episode 173, we welcome Batsirai Muguti & Wayne Anthony Daniels of Pipe gDAO, a DAO community leveraging blockchain to build a University RWA IP Launchpad to bring innovations from lab to market. We explore what the European Paradox is, how they are addressing it by creating a decentralized ecosystem that tokenizes IP, and why Web3 primitives are essential in bringing it to life.

MiniPay’s focus on real-world solutions has made it one of the few blockchain-based applications to gain sustainable traction. By addressing everyday financial challenges, it has found a way to connect with real users—something still rare in the Web3 space. In this article, we explore what exactly made MiniPay’s first year successful, and what can other projects learn from its approach.

In episode 172, the 2nd part of a 2-part series, we welcome back Njeri Muhia & Abeera Akhtar from Mercy Corps Ventures, Greg Schneider & Marie-Odile Zanders from Empowa, and Irthu Suresh from Atlantis. We continue exploring their pilot projects using Web3 to build climate resilience, the role of blockchain, how to effectively measure impact, the next steps for scaling the projects, and more.

For episode 4 of Impact on Optimism, we welcome Juan Carlos Bell, Project Lead at Gravity DAO, a DAO offering alternative dispute resolution and community building for Web3 projects. We dive into the challenges DAOs face with conflict, the services they offer to help projects foster trust, their experience with Optimism’s RetroPGF, and how Web3 can advance conflict management as a public good.

In the third article of our Exploring Octant series, we look at what it means to engage purposefully and intentionally in Octant’s governance. We discuss best practices for participating in decentralized communities, the many ways you can get involved in the Octant community, and how to participate as a voter in an Octant Epoch.