Crypto likes to claim it’s banking the unbanked, but few have built for people without smartphones or internet. Fedrok is rolling out USSD wallets, tokenized carbon credits, and solar-powered ID-linked payments across parts of Africa, the Pacific, and South Asia. In this Q&A, CEO Philip Blazdell shares the on-the-ground reality of building inclusive infrastructure and why crypto’s future might lie far from the headlines. Crypto likes to claim it’s banking the unbanked, but few have built for people without smartphones or internet. Fedrok is rolling out USSD wallets, tokenized carbon credits, and solar-powered ID-linked payments across parts of Africa, the Pacific, and South Asia. In this Q&A, CEO Philip Blazdell shares the on-the-ground reality of building inclusive infrastructure and why crypto’s future might lie far from the headlines. Fedrok Fedrok 1. Crypto often praises financial inclusion as a goal but what does that actually look like on the ground? What have been the most surprising challenges or breakthroughs in designing infrastructure for people without smartphones or internet access? 1. Crypto often praises financial inclusion as a goal but what does that actually look like on the ground? What have been the most surprising challenges or breakthroughs in designing infrastructure for people without smartphones or internet access? Crypto often champions financial inclusion as a transformative goal but translating that promise into practical, everyday value on the ground is far more complex than it appears. In regions without reliable internet, smartphones, or formal banking infrastructure, true inclusion means designing tools that work around those limitations. Our experience at Fedrok AG has involved developing blockchain infrastructure that’s compatible with SMS, USSD, and low-tech wallets, providing a solution for users in rural or off-grid environments who are digitally invisible to the mainstream financial system. Fedrok AG One of the most surprising challenges we’ve encountered is not technological, but cultural: trust. In many underserved areas, people don’t trust banks, governments, or unfamiliar digital systems, but they do trust local cooperatives, elders, or religious leaders. This means blockchain-based financial tools can’t just be deployed. They must be co-created with community stakeholders and layered onto existing trust networks. We’ve seen success in Uganda and Papua New Guinea by embedding local verification mechanisms and ensuring human interfaces remain central to the process. A second major challenge has been identity. Conventional KYC processes don’t work where birth certificates, national IDs, or addresses don’t exist. Here, decentralized identity systems, combining biometric data with community attestation, offer real promise. But even then, onboarding must be simple, local-language driven, and supported with training hubs or blockchain “ambassadors” who can educate others and troubleshoot in real time. Without this kind of support, even the best-designed Web3 tools can fail to gain traction. Still, there have been powerful breakthroughs. Tokenized incentive systems tied to environmental actions like mangrove planting, composting, or cleanups, have allowed us to reward people in transparent, meaningful ways. These tokens can be redeemed for essential goods, school fees, or reinvested in the local economy. When coupled with satellite verification or mobile-based MRV, this creates a transparent, auditable loop of action and reward. Financial inclusion doesn’t start with technology, it starts with relevance, access, and trust. Blockchain, when built with these in mind, can be a powerful tool for good. 2. Most Web3 products assume users have a certain level of digital literacy, connectivity, or capital. How do you design blockchain systems when none of those assumptions hold? 2. Most Web3 products assume users have a certain level of digital literacy, connectivity, or capital. How do you design blockchain systems when none of those assumptions hold? Designing blockchain systems for communities without digital literacy, stable connectivity, or upfront capital requires flipping many Web3 assumptions. Most platforms today are built for high-speed, high-data environments expecting users to have smartphones, understand wallets, and manage private keys. But in places like Chad, Niger, or Papua New Guinea, the starting point is often a shared feature phone, no internet access, and limited exposure to formal finance. That means the user experience must be reimagined for offline-first, low-data, and sometimes even non-digital interactions. In these contexts, UX becomes less about sleek interfaces and more about simplicity, accessibility, and cultural relevance. We're designing systems that can work via SMS or USSD, with icon-based or voice-guided flows instead of text-heavy apps. Instead of requiring constant connectivity, we use local data caches and sync systems that allow transactions to be recorded and broadcast later. The goal is to make blockchain invisible to the user, they just see the outcome: a fertilizer voucher, a school fee paid, or a token earned for planting trees. Agent networks are critical to this model. We work with trusted local actors, cooperatives, village chiefs, and extension workers, who serve as onboarding guides and human interfaces. These agents speak the local language, verify user identities, and help manage wallets and transactions. This approach is more inclusive and resilient, especially in regions where people trust individuals more than institutions. In Papua New Guinea, we’ve piloted blockchain-based carbon credit tracking with tribal communities by embedding the technology into existing land governance structures and using vernacular education tools. Onboarding is never one-click. It involves community meetings, radio broadcasts, and even theater to explain the value of digital tokens. But it works. In Niger, we’ve seen women’s groups using tokenized rewards for sustainable agriculture, even in places where no banks operate. In Chad, agents are distributing biochar credits via solar-powered kiosks. Web3 inclusion doesn’t happen by simplifying existing systems, it comes from building entirely new ones designed from the ground up for the realities of the last-mile user. 3. Many teams are content to build on Ethereum or Solana. Why did you feel it was necessary to build your own Layer 1 chain — and what tradeoffs or opportunities came with that choice? 3. Many teams are content to build on Ethereum or Solana. Why did you feel it was necessary to build your own Layer 1 chain — and what tradeoffs or opportunities came with that choice? Most teams build on established chains because it’s faster and easier to launch. For us, that wasn’t enough. We weren’t just launching a token, we were building infrastructure for a high-integrity, auditable, and environmentally aligned carbon credit economy. That meant needing control over how consensus works, how transactions are validated, and how on-chain activity reflects real-world environmental outcomes. So we made the deliberate decision to build our own Layer 1 blockchain engineered specifically for ESG compliance, traceability, and decentralized environmental finance. Ethereum and similar chains aren’t designed for low-cost environmental transactions or ESG logic. Gas fees are volatile. Finality isn’t optimized for environmental data. Their consensus mechanisms don’t prioritize sustainability. By building Fedrok’s own Layer 1 with a Proof of Green framework, we can embed environmental validators, satellite-linked verification triggers, and MRV-linked credit issuance directly into the chain’s core protocol, not as an afterthought or third-party oracle. It also gives us long-term flexibility. Whether it’s GDPR compliance, asset reporting under ISO, or jurisdiction-specific integrations, having our own chain lets us move fast without waiting on another ecosystem’s roadmap or bottlenecks. It allows us to serve underrepresented regions, like small island states or landlocked African nations, with the specific tools they need for sovereign environmental asset management. Sure, it takes more time and capital, and comes with the burden of network growth. But the ability to build a purpose-built blockchain that reflects environmental and regulatory reality is worth it. Fedrok isn’t trying to be the fastest chain or the most generalized. We’re building the most credible and transparent digital infrastructure for the climate economy. That requires more than smart contracts. It requires control at the protocol layer. 4. In places where people struggle with intermittent power or fuel, you’ve experimented with enabling blockchain-based payments for solar access and utilities. What have you learned from those pilots? 4. In places where people struggle with intermittent power or fuel, you’ve experimented with enabling blockchain-based payments for solar access and utilities. What have you learned from those pilots? Access to energy in these regions isn’t just about utilities, it’s a financial and social challenge. That’s why we piloted blockchain-based micropayments for solar in off-grid areas of Chad and Niger. These systems allow users to pre-pay for solar energy using tokenized credits, with usage monitored in real time via IoT-linked smart meters. The goal wasn’t just decentralization for its own sake. It was to create a system that is transparent, tamper-proof, and operable without traditional banking or grid infrastructure. One of the biggest insights from these pilots is how behavioral patterns shift when people are given flexible, trust-based access to energy. Users in constrained environments don’t consume energy the same way as urban populations. They top up when they can, often in small amounts, and tend to prioritize high-ROI uses like lighting for night work, refrigeration for food safety, or charging school tablets. By enabling pay-as-you-go on-chain, even via USSD or agents, we bypass exploitative middlemen and unreliable systems. Blockchain doesn’t just automate, it makes every watt traceable. Every payment, every subsidy, every meter is logged. We’ve also seen how this model supports community-level energy planning: when data is shared openly, villages can collectively decide how to scale storage, where to invest in additional panels, or how to rotate usage. Most importantly, these pilots remind us: blockchain only matters when it meets a real need. In this case, it’s about making clean energy fair, reliable, and trusted. 5. You’ve talked about “Proof of Green” as a consensus layer. What does that mean in practice? How does it actually validate blockchain activity? Is it greenwashing-proof — or is there still a trust layer involved? 5. You’ve talked about “Proof of Green” as a consensus layer. What does that mean in practice? How does it actually validate blockchain activity? Is it greenwashing-proof — or is there still a trust layer involved? “Proof of Green” is Fedrok’s answer to a core question in climate-tech blockchain: How do you make sustainability not just a use case, but a core function of the chain itself? Unlike traditional blockchains where validation is driven purely by computational power or stake ownership, Proof of Green introduces environmental impact directly into the consensus mechanism. In practice, this means block rewards are distributed based not only on securing the network but on verifiable contributions to environmental goals, like clean energy use or real-world carbon sequestration. We use a dual-layer validation model. First, miners or validators must meet technical criteria to participate in the network. Second, they earn preferential rewards based on their verified green credentials. That might include proof that their mining rig is solar-powered, that they’re operating in an energy-positive zone, or that they’ve sponsored a mangrove planting project tokenized and recorded on-chain. These credentials are tied to verifiable environmental data such as satellite imagery, IoT sensors, or third-party registry verification, which are cryptographically linked to their validator identity. It’s designed to be greenwashing-resistant. We don’t accept vague claims or self-reported data. Every green input must pass through a chain of digital custody satellite validation, timestamped sensor feeds, and community verification reports before it impacts consensus or reward weight. This audit trail is baked into the protocol and subject to regular, decentralized scrutiny by both on-chain mechanisms and third-party ESG auditors. Abuse isn’t just discouraged it becomes economically irrational. Yes, there's always a trust layer when linking physical and digital systems. But at Fedrok, Proof of Green isn’t a marketing label, it’s protocol logic. It dictates who gets rewarded, how blocks are prioritized, and who the system incentivizes to scale. It aligns network security with climate action. That’s the kind of structural change required if Web3 is going to help solve, not just account, for the climate crisis 6. The T4G project in Papua New Guinea links stablecoins, ID-linked landowner payments, and tokenized mangrove carbon — and you’ve mentioned several governments are now reaching out about similar models. Is this a local experiment, or the beginning of a replicable “blue economy” infrastructure layer? 6. The T4G project in Papua New Guinea links stablecoins, ID-linked landowner payments, and tokenized mangrove carbon — and you’ve mentioned several governments are now reaching out about similar models. Is this a local experiment, or the beginning of a replicable “blue economy” infrastructure layer? The T4G project in Papua New Guinea started as a targeted pilot, but it's quickly becoming a blueprint for what scalable, inclusive blue economy infrastructure can look like. It links ID-verified landowners to blockchain-based carbon credit issuance, using stablecoin payments to ensure direct, traceable compensation for verified mangrove restoration. That combination of environmental transparency, financial inclusion, and sovereignty over natural assets has resonated with other governments facing similar challenges: how to monetize their coastal ecosystems without losing control or trust. What makes it scalable is its modularity. From West Africa to Southeast Asia, countries are looking for integrated MRV-finance-governance systems. Because Fedrok’s Layer 1 blockchain includes environmental data validation at the protocol level, and supports off-chain agent networks and local language interfaces, we can adapt the system to each country’s specific legal, ecological, and community context without reinventing the wheel. That’s critical when scaling across vastly different geographies and governance structures. From the PNG rollout, one of the most important lessons has been the central role of trust and legitimacy. Land ownership in PNG is communal and often undocumented, so we had to build a parallel system for digital identity, community verification, and dispute resolution before we could even begin issuing carbon tokens. We also learned that digital payouts need to be as real and as usable as possible, which is why we integrated stablecoin disbursements that can be redeemed for goods, services, or fiat via local agents. The tech only worked because the human systems around it were thoughtfully built. So while T4G started as a local pilot, it’s no longer just a proof of concept. It’s the first functional layer of a broader, sovereign blue carbon infrastructure. We’re now in early talks with other coastal governments looking to implement similar models for biodiversity payments, marine resource management, and even disaster resilience finance. The beauty of the system isn’t just in the tech, it’s in how it respects community ownership, national sovereignty, and the urgent need for credible, climate-aligned finance. 7. What keeps you up at night — regulation, adoption, or expectations? As Fedrok scales, what are the biggest friction points you see ahead? 7. What keeps you up at night — regulation, adoption, or expectations? As Fedrok scales, what are the biggest friction points you see ahead? What keeps me up isn’t just regulation or adoption, it’s aligning ambition with execution. Fedrok is trying to build something structurally different from Web3-as-usual. It’s a heavy mission to carry. But on the ground, that means juggling politics, policy, logistics, and trust. Regulatory uncertainty is certainly a big friction point. The rules for tokenized environmental assets are still evolving, and inconsistently. As a Swiss company building global infrastructure, we plan for GDPR, SEC exposure, and frameworks in Africa, Asia, the Pacific. We’re building with compliance in mind from day one. But anticipating regulation while remaining agile is like aiming at a moving target. Slower, yes, but more resilient. We also face an expectation gap. On one side, you have communities and governments hoping for immediate impact, tangible results, payments, and recognition. But infrastructure, MRV, and onboarding take time. We’ve chosen integrity over hype, but it means growing responsibly while others race ahead. Where might things break? Honestly in the gaps between systems. Between Web3 ideals and offline realities. Between carbon credit theory and local land rights. Between clean code and messy politics. That’s why we’re investing so heavily in governance, agent networks, and local partnerships. To scale without losing the mission, we have to engineer trust as rigorously as we engineer code. 8. We all know the industry loves jargon. If you could retire one crypto buzzword forever, what would it be — and why? 8. We all know the industry loves jargon. If you could retire one crypto buzzword forever, what would it be — and why? "Impact token." "Impact token." It’s a vague, feel-good phrase, and often meaningless. As an engineer, I don’t deal in hype I deal in systems, proof, and accountability. If I can’t measure it, it doesn’t exist. And too often, “impact tokens” are just marketing wrappers for unverifiable claims, with no serious link to real-world data or consequences. I’m not here to play crypto games. I’m not a crypto bro, I’m a systems engineer building infrastructure where outcomes are verifiable, traceable, and auditable. Whether it’s tokenized carbon, clean energy rewards, or land-based payments, we build in measurement at the protocol level. If we say "impact," it’s tied to satellite data, sensor feeds, or third-party audits. Buzzwords distract from the real work: building trust, proving value, and solving hard problems on the ground. If your impact can’t survive audit or sunlight, it’s just storytelling. Let’s stop selling metaphors. Let’s deliver metrics. This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYO This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYO This author is an independent contributor publishing via our business blogging program. HackerNoon has reviewed the report for quality, but the claims herein belong to the author. #DYO business blogging program business blogging program

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