According to a 2018 survey of 100 blockchain startups, only 14.5% of the positions were held by women.
Although these metrics have been improving over the years, reaching 25% in 2021 at Consensys, for example, there is still a significant gender gap to close. Interestingly, a survey conducted by Grayscale with investors at the end of 2019 showed that 43% of bitcoin-interested investors were women.
Women do have an interest in blockchain and Web3, contrary to what many might think. However, there is a need to create new spaces where women can venture and create value beyond the technology itself.
? Even though only 13% of Web3 startups have a female founder and women represent only 27% of the workforce in major Web3 startups, these women are as determined as ever to shape our digital future. (Coindesk, March 2023)
Value Creation with Purpose
The creation of value is a very generic concept, but it makes sense when we talk about actions that lead to solving specific day-to-day problems for thousands and millions of people. Their lives change completely from that moment, and it becomes inevitable to adopt that new tool to bring that impact to more places. The created value becomes a purpose.
What footprints have influential women left in the Web3 ecosystem, creating value with purpose using blockchain technology?
The Power of Blockchain in Modern Banking
Blockchain technology is revolutionizing traditional banking. This innovation is not just about technology; it’s a concept that ensures the management of data transparently, securely, and reliably. Trust in this technology is built over time, and it’s essential to test it in controlled environments to validate its promises.
The collaboration of interdisciplinary teams is a fundamental pillar in the successful implementation of blockchain. It requires the contribution of technical and non-technical experts committed to the project’s vision.
Blockchain and Banco Davivienda: Leading the Financial Revolution
Banco Davivienda, through Yésika Padilla Yánez, has led the revolution in the financial sector by adopting blockchain. This innovation has allowed transactions without the need for a banking core and has saved millions in fees and commissions. Banco Davivienda is a pioneer in Latin America by issuing the first regulated security token with blockchain technology, opening a regulatory path in Colombia and setting a precedent in the financial industry.
Blockchain Beyond Finance
Banco Davivienda didn’t stop in the financial sector; it has also applied blockchain in other sectors. During the pandemic, the bank contributed to the development of a COVID-19 vaccination card in Colombia, issuing nearly 19 million immutable cards.
In the agricultural sector, it created a blockchain-based e-wallet using smart contracts to efficiently, transparently, and responsibly manage and track incentives, subsidies, and inputs.
Optimizing Supply Chain and Foreign Trade with Blockchain
How can blockchain increase transparency and efficiency in the supply chain? Blockchain is redefining international trade, from customs management to product tracking. Its adoption offers significant benefits. The technology ensures transparency and traceability, simplifying audits and increasing security and reliability throughout the system. Furthermore, it allows process optimization, cost reduction, and more efficient resource management, resulting in a more agile and competitive supply chain.
The DAWIPO Case: Key Benefits
In a traditional supply chain operation, too many stakeholders are involved, and information is divided among all of them. As a result, companies lose control of their operation and become inefficient trying to stay on track.
DAWIPO, founded and led by Angélica Duque, solves all these problems using blockchain by providing:
- Data Ownership: Clients become owners of their data, independent of their providers’ systems that only provide partial information.
- Data Transparency: Data will always be secure, encrypted, immutable, and accessible to all stakeholders.
- Relevant Information: Blockchain allows tracking orders and shipments with alerts and notifications for timely decision-making and maximizing operation.
Fostering Innovation with Communities and Education
Communities and education are fundamental pillars for creating value with purpose with blockchain. Both allow:
- Professional training for key players in creating value and products using blockchain and Web3 technology.
- Building trust relationships where a social fabric is built that magnifies the impact and fosters the massive adoption of generated solutions.
- Building collaborative and professional relationships that favor job development and purpose-driven entrepreneurship.
WeDAO Latam: Empowering Women in Technology with Web3 and Blockchain
The goal of the WeDAO Latam collective is to use technologies such as blockchain and Web3 to change the current participation statistics of women leaders and founders in Web3 projects.
The community, co-founded and led by Karina Ortegón, has more than 100 women co-founders from various countries in Latin America and Latinas in Spain and the United States. They hold weekly virtual co-creation sessions with the purpose of decentralizing empowerment and reducing the technological gender gap in Latin America. Additionally, they developed a process of individual contributions by the founders through a contribution score.
Platzi invites you to a special event to learn and evolve with the adoption of Blockchain and Web3!
In the Platzi Blockchain and Web3 School, you can develop your full potential and learn from scratch:
- How to create value with purpose, and
- How to develop innovative products that impact various industries and societies.
You can develop your professional career without losing focus on users and their needs, sustainable and scalable business models, and understanding legal requirements to achieve it.
Platzi, powered by Platzi Women, invites you to be part of an unmissable in-person event with these women leaders who leave a mark on Blockchain and Web3, sharing their experiences and knowledge.