Entrepreneur, philanthropist and pastor Jerry Lopez has helped philanthropic organizations in additional than 50 nations and positively impacted the lives of 1000’s of individuals. At the moment serving as CEO and Founding father of Philcoin, he’s harnessing the ability of blockchain to rework digital giving.
In an unique interview with Coin Version, Jerry discusses the specifics of constructing a blockchain-based philanthropic undertaking ecosystem, explains the inherent idea of Give-to-Earn, and explores how distributed ledger expertise will help underprivileged communities.
Q: Are you able to inform us about your pastoral expertise and why you grew to become interested by blockchain expertise?
As a pastor, I labored as a frontrunner, mentor and advisor to people and households, seeing their wants and challenges. When in 2015 Once I was first launched to the blockchain area, I spotted that this expertise has nice potential to alter the way in which we give and earn. I noticed how, from a ministry perspective, blockchain might present instruments to assist create wealth whereas empowering others as an alternative of being on the receiving finish on a regular basis.
After years of deep examine of blockchain and the way it represents humanity, I spotted the necessity for a philanthropy token: the primary of its variety. This was when Philcoin was born.
Q: What impressed you to start out Philcoin and what was your course of for constructing the ecosystem?
Philcoin was created to alter the way in which we give. Beginning with this imaginative and prescient, we set out on a mission to create a platform the place giving is woven into its very material. The thought was to create an area the place folks might perform their regular actions equivalent to finding out, incomes, chatting, socializing and listening to music whereas giving again to different members of the group.
I needed to achieve essentially the most distant corners of the world, which meant our app needed to be simply accessible, run on low bandwidth, and supply an amazing but easy consumer expertise.
A undertaking like this requires not solely a succesful staff, but in addition a staff with the identical purpose to make a constructive influence on the world. I am grateful to have discovered the correct staff to assist deliver this imaginative and prescient to life: these constructing this ecosystem, these promoting it, and people constructing the group.
Q: Inform us extra about PhilApp. What does it supply and the way does it work?
PHILApp is a decentralized tremendous app with many merchandise and options obtainable from App Retailer or Google Play. Customers can earn by studying, speaking, connecting, referring, enjoying, listening to music, donating cash, creating an account and pockets, and having fun with many advantages.
Q: What internet companies can be found by PhilApp and what can customers be taught there?
PHILApp has numerous merchandise and options. Developing PHILSocial is a social app the place customers will be capable of put up media, create their very own causes, earn and hearken to podcasts and music. PHILS stream is the place to stream your favourite podcasts or radio, filling your ears with all issues blockchain, crypto, and Web3.
By way of PHILChat, The primary messaging system, our customers can join with folks everywhere in the world, no matter their web connection high quality. Enabled PHILEducation, accredited platform, they will get free mushy expertise coaching and extra; additionally they will watch PHILCast for skilled business insights and extra.
We even have incomes alternatives: a referral program that rewards every profitable and verified referral in NFT, and a cost mechanism that enables customers to earn 15% APY on their tokens, preserve half and return the opposite.
Q: Are you able to clarify the idea of Give-to-Earn and the way it advantages underprivileged communities?
To present is to earn is built-in into each product and have of PHILApp. The idea is easy: to unlock rewards, it’s important to give. You earn whenever you use our merchandise, and that earnings is yours whenever you give again to a reason for your selection.
Our app has tons of nonprofits that folks can donate cash to. Alternatively, folks can create their very own causes on PHILSocial to assist households, people and communities instantly, with out an middleman. Right here we’re the pioneers of peer-to-peer philanthropy.
Q: How does Philcoin promote accessible studying and communication in underprivileged communities?
Breaking the cycle of poverty usually begins with opening up entry to schooling. The biggest Philcoin communities are positioned in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Latin America. These communities have confronted many challenges, particularly with regards to accessible schooling.
Our instructional applications are distinctive in that they deal with emotional intelligence and mushy expertise growth to assist folks develop financially, mentally, socially and emotionally. These programs are accredited within the US, with internationally acknowledged certifications. So, in the long term, it’s not solely a possibility to review, but in addition to get a job.
Q: What function do you see blockchain expertise enjoying in philanthropy and international wealth redistribution?
We have seen mass adoption of blockchain expertise in lots of conventional sectors, however the philanthropic sector continues to be gradual to undertake it. I’ve seen from my very own expertise how troublesome it may be to present again to these in want by conventional means. Blockchain gives large alternatives for invention the place giving may be sooner, cheaper, extra clear and traceable.
Q: How does Philcoin measure success and what are your long-term targets for the ecosystem?
Philcoin continues to be in its infancy, however we’re scaling sooner than anticipated. Our success is measured by the variety of lively customers and the adoption fee: at present we have now greater than 250,000 customers in our ecosystem, which already exceeded our expectations within the first yr.
This traction will solely enhance as we launch extra game-changing merchandise and options. Success can be decided not solely by the customers, but in addition by how a lot we have now been capable of give again as a group. After we see extra folks in our group thriving—financially, socially, or by schooling—that is once we know our imaginative and prescient is changing into a actuality.
Q: How can people and organizations get entangled with Philcoin to assist its mission?
We welcome all new customers and organizations to the ecosystem. We all know our imaginative and prescient is bold and never simple to attain alone, however with the correct folks and partnerships we will obtain far more than we ever might on our personal.
