As we enter 2025, the intersection of cooperative principles with emerging Web3 technologies presents exciting possibilities. Blockchain, decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), and smart contracts could provide powerful tools to enhance transparency, democratic decision-making, and equitable resource distribution within local communities trying to address climate change, inequality and economic challenges.

By combining the strength of traditional community savings groups with the efficiency of blockchain technology, the WashikaDAO protocol is creating a future where local savings groups can grow their funds, easily and transparently make proposals and decisions, and enable rural African communities to achieve greater well-being and prosperity.

At The Solar Foundation, we are excited to start a new partnership with Change Code to pilot a web3-native Solar Impact Bond to sustainably fund solar-powered business initiatives in Tanzania and beyond.

A key component of our new Solar Savings Circles initiative is the traditional women's savings groups sometimes called merry-go-rounds or table banking. Learn more about these local informal community savings groups, common across many African countries.

At The Solar Foundation, we agree with Mercy Corps Ventures that web3 has the potential to address the interwoven, global challenges we face such as climate change, financial exclusion and gender inequality. We closely follow their work to learn as much as possible from their innovative pilots and well-written and thoroughly researched case studies and reports. Here are some insights we gained from one of their recent reports on the potential of DeFi lending for underserved communities.

At the Solar Foundation, we are inspired by the work of Alex Honnold and the Honnold Foundation.

Get inspired and learn about recent developments in blockchain-enabled solar