VX Technologies Executive Director of Global Partnerships, Catherine Lephoto, is no stranger to the world of blockchain and digital innovation. In 2022, she sat down with Charles Miller on the sidelines of the BSV Global Blockchain Convention in Dubai to discuss VX Technologies and its blockchain-based solutions on CoinGeek Conversations. This time, Catherine is back to shed light on AlphaDAPP, the flagship product of VX Technologies, which has the potential to be a game-changer not only for Africa but for countries worldwide.
AlphaDAPP, as the name suggests, marks the start of decentralized applications (DAPP). As Catherine explains, AlphaDAPP which operates on the BSV blockchain aims to harness the power of blockchain technology. However, what makes AlphaDAPP truly exciting is that it offers a user-friendly experience. “On the face of it, it does not look like it’s blockchain. It still looks very much like what people are currently accustomed to. So when they interact with the platform, they would not even know that they are actually working on a blockchain platform,” she notes.
Catherine recalls the challenges of explaining the concept of blockchain, especially the process of managing a 12-word seed phrase to access a blockchain account. As she points out, people are accustomed to creating an email account with a simple password that can be easily retrieved if forgotten. AlphaDAPP has addressed this by making blockchain technology accessible to any average person. “When I interact with it, it’s like I’m interacting with any other app on my phone or on my computer. It’s simple,” she says.
Catherine is keen to point out that VX Technologies is committed to upholding data sovereignty, ensuring that users maintain privacy and ownership of their data. “Our company is all about data sovereignty,” she asserts. Unlike traditional centralized platforms where data is often controlled by third parties, AlphaDAPP users have control over their data.
AlphaDAPP has made the whole process user-friendly and familiar. Users can log in using a simple email address, eliminating the need to download wallets or remember complex seed phrases. A blockchain wallet will be assigned to each user, and in the event of a data loss, AlphaDAPP provides an option to retrieve the 12-word seed phrase.
“The idea is the privacy still remains yours, the sovereignty of the data, the ownership is still yours. But now what we have done is we have created the interaction, essentially the bridge to the blockchain in a manner that is familiar, which is using a simple email address to log in,” Catherine explained.
Catherine also discussed AlphaDAPP’s potential impact on education and employment recruitment and the role it can possibly play in these sectors. With academic records stored on AlphaDAPP, graduates can present a QR code during virtual interviews, enabling employers to verify their credentials instantly. This streamlined process eliminates the need for graduates to travel long distances for interviews, especially in remote areas, reducing the financial burden and enhancing the efficiency of the recruitment process. According to Catherine, this approach can significantly address high unemployment rates in countries like South Africa.
Catherine also stressed that records must be issued by a credentialed authority to ensure trustworthiness. “With everything that we do, the record has to be issued by a credentialed authority,” she asserted. Students cannot simply create their own records, as this would risk compromising the integrity of the system. Instead, universities and educational institutions have a critical role to play in the issuance of records, which AlphaDAPP securely records on the blockchain.
Catherine highlighted the importance of the first customer and the value of reference cases in establishing trust and credibility. AlphaDAPP’s recent partnerships with clients in Nigeria and Ghana, who are leveraging the platform for identity verification and record authentication, Catherine believes the company is starting to take off. She says, “I’m quite grateful that the offtake is starting. All the hard work that we have been putting in as a team at VX Technologies over the years and months that have come and gone is starting to pay off.”
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