At ETH Barcelona on July 6-8, there was the usual mix of geeks, coders, hardcore ethereans, and project founders. With market conditions having flushed out the moonboys and influencers, however, there was a distinct absence of shillers. Its slogan “What happens in Barcelona stays on the blockchain” captured the nerdiness of the event, whose focus was very much on building. In place of the frothiness that characterizes many crypto conferences, there was an egalitarian ethos: an exploration of how blockchain “can help build a sustainable world full of human potential.” How exactly does this amorphous vision manifest in practice? And can a technology invented to solve the double spend problem really improve the everyday lives of planetary citizens? Answering those questions calls for taking a closer look at the crypto projects represented at the conference that fall into the ESG bracket: Environmental, Social, and Governance. While mixing and mingling at ETH Barcelona, I met representatives from a number of these projects. Here’s what I learned. The Giving Block One of the projects I had the pleasure of meeting at ETH Barcelona was The Giving Block (TGB). These guys are convinced that crypto can change the world for the better. TGB makes it easy for organizations to accept crypto donations and for individuals to donate with crypto. It’s particularly passionate about NFT fundraising and has authored an entire report on the topic. ...
