Block Dojo Philippines’ Kristoffer Briones: Rebuilding blockchain’s reputation through utility

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Experts have long talked about blockchain’s unique features and its ability to transform global industries, but in the public’s eye, what only matters is whether the technology can be of use in their daily activities.

Block Dojo Philippines Managing Director Kristoffer Briones sat with CoinGeek Backstage
on the sidelines of the Philippine Blockchain Week (PBW) 2023 to talk about the latest incubator program in the country and its advocacy to help fledgling businesses align with the national government’s digital transformation initiative.

Speaking with CoinGeek’s Claire Celdran, Briones said blockchain has outstanding features, but they were overshadowed by the setbacks it faced tied to cryptocurrency and non-fungible token (NFT)—assets minted on the ledger—scams that made global headlines in recent years.

“The public has a little bit of baggage around the technology,” he noted. “What kind of happened in history is that people start to kind of doubt whether this is actually a useful thing or not.”

Sharing a controversial remark, Briones said not many people truly care about what blockchain is.

“What I mean by that is it’s not about the technology; it’s about whether it’s useful,” he explained, likening the technology to artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools, like ChatGPT, in terms of its value in the public’s everyday lives.

Because of the complexities surrounding blockchain, Block Dojo Philippines aims to highlight the utility of the technology instead of focusing on its technicalities in developing solutions and helping the country to adopt the emerging tech.

“So, we are looking for companies, people who have ideas on how to make blockchain so useful that you don’t even need to know that it’s blockchain.”

Before venturing into the Philippines, Block Dojo focused its efforts on empowering startups through blockchain tech in the United Kingdom, incubating 41 firms since January 2022.

The 12-week incubator program kicked off in the Philippines on January 8, focusing on helping cohorts develop actual blockchain solutions.

“We divided it into three parts. The first one is just making sure that you nailed the right problem. [The] second part is building solutions, and the third one is going to investors, making your execution ready,” Briones elaborated.

While startups rely on investments to ensure the survival of their businesses, Briones said it is also vital that they have a deep understanding of the market and what kind of solutions would cater to the community, which Block Dojo Philippines seeks to provide through a series of training.

Cohorts will not only hear from experts in the BSV blockchain and nChain but will also get to learn from the program’s international partners and utilize cutting-edge technologies in developing their solutions.

While the Philippines has seen countless initiatives organized to support the local startup ecosystem, Briones said what sets Block Dojo Philippines apart is its community.

“What separates Block Dojo from other programs out there is that most programs are just co-working spaces; they just give you a desk, and that’s it. For us, we work hard together,” Briones said, noting that they do not forget to have fun and relax while getting their work done.

While the first batch of cohorts has already begun training and mentoring, Block Dojo Philippines continues looking for startups eager to build their businesses with blockchain technology.

“If you have an idea, please just come talk to us. So, if you just need someone to support you for three months, we’re going to give you funding, and we’re going to give you the mentoring and all of the support,” said Briones. “We got you covered.”

Startups interested in joining the program may visit the Block Dojo website and submit their application.

Watch: Block Dojo Philippines aims to launch 30 ventures in 2024