Web3forGood is a weekly publication that celebrates and critically analyzes how emerging web3 technology could be used to make the world a better place.
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This week, Octant and the Ethereum Foundation invited 30 creators who are telling Ethereum’s story in new ways to join its Epoch 9 cohort. Vitalik published an essay urging everyone to see that Ethereum’s real power may come from the steady, “low-risk” rails of savings, payments, and lending. And though the headlines obsess over the US and Europe, adoption is surging in Nigeria, Argentina, and the Philippines, aka places where crypto is less about speculation and more about survival.
Our take? The future is built not by spectacle, but by persistence. By creators, by communities, by ordinary tools that prove extraordinary over time. From Lagos to Buenos Aires to Manila, and now through the voices of 30 new creators, we’re seeing the same truth: the future of crypto grows when culture, utility, and resilience move together.
WAGMI (we are going to make an impact!)
What’s Inside
📚 What We’re Thinking About
📣 Latest News
🔈 Watch & Listen
🚀 Opportunities & Calls to Act
🎪 Events
📡 On Our Radar
✨ And One More Thing
📚 What We’re Thinking About
🚀 Crypto’s Real Boom: Argentina, Nigeria & the Philippines
While the crypto spotlight lingers on the US and EU, true adoption is accelerating in emerging markets like Argentina, Nigeria, and the Philippines. Here, digital assets aren’t about ETFs or speculation; they’re survival tools. Argentines use stablecoins to fight triple-digit inflation, Nigerians rely on crypto for remittances and cross-border trade, and millions in the Philippines pay merchants directly via mobile wallets. With Sub-Saharan Africa posting the fastest crypto user growth globally and over $685B in annual remittances worldwide, these regions show crypto’s real value: cheaper transfers, preserved wealth, and financial inclusion. The future of mainstream adoption won’t be written on Wall Street but in underserved economies, where crypto already solves everyday problems.
💡 Ethereum’s “Google Search”
This week, Ethereum founder Vitalik dropped an essay arguing that “low-risk DeFi could be Ethereum’s Google Search,” i.e. the future of Ethereum may rest not in flashy speculation, but rather in low-risk DeFi. This includes payments, savings, and fully collateralized lending. These are not the headline-grabbing experiments that defined the last cycle, yet they could quietly become Ethereum’s economic anchor in the same way search sustained Google. The key is that they deliver both systemic stability and real-world value. For someone in an inflation-prone economy, stable on-chain savings can be life-changing. For builders (like those on Celo), these use cases generate sustainable demand that keeps the ecosystem strong without sacrificing its ethos.
The social impact perspective is equally compelling. Low-risk DeFi represents a shift from crypto as a playground for speculation to crypto as global infrastructure for access. What seems mundane, such as saving, paying, or borrowing, is in fact the foundation of financial resilience for millions. If Ethereum can align economic sustainability with genuine social good, the seemingly boring applications may prove to be the most transformative of all.
Plus:
📈 Bitcoin becomes a macroeconomic asset as countries race to ramp up adoption: “The report positioned Bitcoin adoption as a “game-theoretic race” among nations seeking alternatives to traditional reserve assets. Countries view Bitcoin as a complement to gold reserves, providing digital portability advantages over physical assets. The authors argue that Bitcoin offers sanctions-resistant properties and enables direct international payments without dollar intermediation.” (CryptoSlate)
📣 Latest News
Octant and The Ethereum Foundation unveil Epoch 9 Cohort of 30 creators
Stripe and Visa to Power Fold’s New Bitcoin Rewards Credit Card
Global Policy, Regulation, and Adoption News
US, UK Announce Task Force to Cooperate on Crypto Regulation
Digital euro unlikely to launch before 2029, ECB board member says
US Senate schedules hearing on crypto taxation with testimony from Coinbase exec
US Lawmakers Ask SEC to Open 401k Retirement Plans to Crypto
Stablecoin News
China, S.Korea roll out stablecoins; Italy flags issuance risk
Nine European Banks Join Forces to Issue MiCA-Compliant Euro Stablecoin
🔈 Watch & Listen
Crypto Altruists Growing Good - Episode 3 - From Crypto to Community: Telaga Charity’s Mission to Transform Impact in Indonesia
The Blockchain Socialist - Nepal, DAOs and Secret Voting with Aragon CEO Leuts.eth
The Bitcoin Source - CODING THE FUTURE OF BITCOIN FREEDOM w/ Abubakar Nur Khalil
🚀 Opportunities & Calls to Act
Fund: The People-First AI Fund aims to support frontline and mission-focused nonprofits working at the intersection of innovation and public good.
Accelerate: In collaboration with Base and Coinbase Ventures, Y Combinator announced Request for Startups: Fintech 3.0.
Win: The Foresight Institute launched the Existential Hope Meme Prize: a $10,000 award for the best meme that conveys a scientifically grounded, positive vision of the future.
Nominate: The Blockchain 100 is an award recognizing outstanding content creators across 7 categories for their efforts in advocating, sharing, and becoming opinion leaders shaping the blockchain industry’s future—regardless of age, gender, or race. Now, it’s time for you to nominate your favorite creators. You can nominate creators for each category reward.
Donate: Giveth’s Causes QF Round is extended until Oct 2.
Hack: ETHOnline 2025 is an async hackathon event running from October 10-31 that will bring together some of the top minds and experts in Ethereum Ecosystem. We enable teams to make something great in a little over three weeks by providing an abundance of web3 resources like mentors, partners, and software.
Hack: RealFi Hack from Funding the Commons is a global virtual hackathon bringing together builders creating practical solutions to real problems. Happening now!
Visa Support: Going to Argentina for Devcon and need a visa? All Devconnect participants can apply to a special visa program for a smoother application process.
🎪 Events
🆕= New to the roundup this week
Virtual
Can Our Tech Future Embrace Joy, Creativity, and Human Connection? is happening October 9.
The Web We’ve Built from the Internet Archive is happening October 22.
BLI Global Summit on Digital Assets, Blockchain & Technology For Consumers is happening October 23.
IRL
ETHGlobal New Delhi is happening September 26-28 in New Delhi.
BTC in D.C. is happening September 30 - October 1 in DC.
Borderless 4.0 is happening November 1 at University of Nigeria Nsukka. 🆕
Chain for Impact : Nouvelles Pratiques de Générosité is happening October 9 in Paris.
The Aptos Experience is happening October 15-16 in NYC.
Progress Conference 2025 is happening October 16-19 in Berkeley.
Doors Open 2025: Go Behind–the-Scenes at the Physical Internet Archive is happening October 21 in San Francisco.
Zebu Live is happening October 21-22 in London.
The London Blockchain Conference is happening October 22-23 in London.
Responsible Tech Summit: Centering Humanity in our Tech Future is happening October 27 in NYC.
FIL Dev Summit 7 @ DevConnect is happening November 13 in Buenos Aires.
LabWeek Web3 by Protocol Labs is happening November 13-19 in Buenos Aires.
Devconnect 2025 is happening November 17-22 in Buenos Aires.
ETHBoulder is coming in 2026…
Recurring
Monthly Earth Day is a global event that happens on the 22nd every month, not just once a year. Get involved next on October 22.
📡 On Our Radar
Bitsave Protocol is an innovative onchain savings protocol committed to helping individuals and communities build sustainable wealth using blockchain technology.
Ethereum Everywhere is an Ethereum Foundation team, focusing on ecosystem amplification and supporting communities and events worldwide.
The 30 creators chosen for Octant’s Epoch 9 from 450+ applications.
✨ And One More Thing
