¿Save the world? Big blockchain dreams come back to earth in DC

Murmured among those attending a crowd of 300 at the Blockchain for Social Impact conference in Washington D.C. On June 1, the statement may have summarized the sentiment at the event.

The group gathered at the US Institute of Peace UU It may have spanned from ethereal entrepreneurs to international crypto-development workers, but across that broad spectrum, the sentiment was surprisingly cohesive: people want to see results, results and results.

Sandra Hart, Pacific Cash and Livelihood Advisor at Oxfam, told CoinDesk:

"We need to test the chains of blocks in complex environments. It's about being driven by demand rather than driven by the offer. "

Gone are the days of vibrant talks surrounding the proof-of-concept presentations and lucrative token sales. Here, to stay, it seems that the idea that the best way to obtain results is through the participation of the people or communities to which the product or service is destined to help.

Hart, for example, is working on a blockchain pilot in Vanuatu, one of the most disaster-prone island nations in the world. This program, which will run from September 2018 to February 2019, uses identifiers linked to blockchain to provide credit to up to 1,000 households displaced by a recent volcano.

In general, many of the conference attendees noted the same challenges and opportunities that Hart faces in establishing Oxfam's humanitarian blockchain program. Namely, that blockchain solutions for private rights populations work best when they are created cooperatively with recipients and community leaders to supplement local habits and infrastructure.

Vanessa Grellet, executive director of the startup consortium focused on Ethereum ConsenSys, agreed with Hart's insistence on meeting people where they are.

"I'm the least optimistic about projects that try to change behavior without economy," Grellet told CoinDesk.

The statement spoke of his belief that technologists should avoid preaching about wealth creation and, instead, listen to how people already use products or services.

In the case of Hart, Oxfam is working with the Vanuatu Vanuatu Society for People with Disabilities and Youth Challenge to create a smartphone application that represents fiduciary currencies, as the community is more familiar with mobile devices and cash than credit cards or tokens. .

Hart was one of the many experts at the conference who urged blockchain enthusiasts to build applications together with diverse communities, not for them.

Remember the real world

In summary, Hart presented another argument that saw the discussion at the event, if the tokens are necessary to involve broad fan communities. No matter how elegant the product or service, she finally argues that the tokens might not incentivize people who were not interested.

"It's very common that usability is a question mark, based on the cultural context," he said, adding:

"The beneficiaries or recipients are used to choosing what they buy instead of receiving assistance in kind, which removes the dignity and the choice of the assistance process."

Grellet agreed that two of the main challenges that block block projects are that many do not understand the problem they are trying to solve or work with people who really experience those weaknesses.

To make matters worse, few teams truly prioritize design, a key component of technology creation that people will actually use. On the other hand, some innovative projects do not achieve tangible results because they shoot the moon before gaining traction on the ground.

"There is an incremental change and there is a change in the system," Grellet said. "What you propose is usually a change in the system."

There lies the same problem that activists of all sectors face: bureaucracy is a slow and obstinate beast.

To counter these common pitfalls, Grellet advised blockchain enthusiasts to plan small steps that take advantage of existing users' habits and work to achieve a wider disruption. This approach can curb impulses to evangelize Western habits to cultural contexts where they have no meaning.