GM, 

At Mercy Corps Ventures, we’ve spent the past 8+ years investing and co-designing real world web3 use cases through our Crypto For Good initiative. To date, we’ve invested in and partnered with 30 protocols and startups to reach over 3,000,000 users. This newsletter focuses on our insights, reflections and optimism about the future of crypto for the underserved in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and other emerging markets. 

Feel free to share this newsletter with anyone else who might enjoy some real-world crypto news. And as always, we’d love to hear from you — reach out and let us know what you’re up to.

🧭 The State of Crypto For Good  

🌀 Pilot Launch: Reducing climate vulnerability through insurance-embedded MSME loans 

📄 GSMA’s Blockchain in Agriculture report 

💸 Impact Staking 

⭐ Stuff we enjoyed

This year’s Crypto For Good Fund generated 220+ applications from 50+ countries around the world. We will be sharing announcements about the selected partners soon (including one in the next section of this newsletter).  

In the meantime, please enjoy some insights from Crypto For Good Fund IV, highlighting the priority areas, geographies and use cases for builders in emerging markets.

What we’ve learned after reviewing 800+ Web3 use cases:

Find the full report here to get a deep dive on which countries are most popular, which chains have the most use cases, and which use cases are most top-of-mind at the moment. 

Emerging from Crypto For Good Fund IV, in partnership with BlockBima, Fortune Credit, Shamba Network, and Risk Shield, we have launched a new pilot to test the use of blockchain-powered parametric credit insurance embedded within microloans to protect MSMEs against climate shocks.

The solution applies several innovative approaches to deliver an impactful offering: data-driven triggers, a parametric design, severity tiers, blockchain execution, and direct balance reduction. By tying loans to an automated climate cover, we aim to turn microfinance into a true adaptation tool. With success, we’ll plan to support the scaling of this model across other African markets.

We’re proud to see several pilots from our Crypto For Good portfolio featured in GSMA - Mobile for Development's new Blockchain in Agriculture report. Our goal in funding these efforts is to showcase how blockchain can unlock meaningful impact in emerging markets through innovative, real-world use cases. 

Building tech for smallholders and low-income users is challenging. Layering blockchain primitives on top only makes it harder. It requires not just technical innovation but a deep understanding of local contexts, trust dynamics, and the realities of last-mile delivery. When it works, though, the impact can be transformative. Some of the standout use cases in the report include blockchain-powered parametric crop insurance and anticipatory cash transfer system for drought-affected farmers. 

In May’s newsletter, we announced our partnership with Lido Impact Staking to enable ETH holders to support impact-driven initiatives while continuing to earn yield on their assets. Unlike traditional philanthropy, this model allows donors to give without depleting their principal assets, making it an efficient, zero-cost way to fund impact-driven blockchain projects. 

Now, we’re incredibly grateful to share that our longtime supporters at the GSR Foundation are supporting our Crypto For Good Fund as an Institutional Impact Staker. To learn more about the partnership, read here.  

A few pieces of content that we liked (or made us think) lately. Hope you enjoy!  

1. AI x crypto crossovers | a16z crypto  

2. Launching Lava & Stablecoins in Africa | Yoseph Ayele

3. The Future of Commerce | Stripe

4. The missing piece for stablecoin adoption: Privacy | Aleo 

Scott 

GM, 

At Mercy Corps Ventures, we’ve spent the past 8+ years investing and co-designing real world web3 use cases through our Crypto For Good initiative. To date, we’ve invested in and partnered with 30 protocols and startups to reach over 3,000,000 users. This newsletter focuses on our insights, reflections and optimism about the future of crypto for the underserved in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and other emerging markets. 

Feel free to share this newsletter with anyone else who might enjoy some real-world crypto news. And as always, we’d love to hear from you — reach out and let us know what you’re up to.

🧭 The State of Crypto For Good  

🌀 Pilot Launch: Reducing climate vulnerability through insurance-embedded MSME loans 

📄 GSMA’s Blockchain in Agriculture report 

💸 Impact Staking 

⭐ Stuff we enjoyed

This year’s Crypto For Good Fund generated 220+ applications from 50+ countries around the world. We will be sharing announcements about the selected partners soon (including one in the next section of this newsletter).  

In the meantime, please enjoy some insights from Crypto For Good Fund IV, highlighting the priority areas, geographies and use cases for builders in emerging markets.

What we’ve learned after reviewing 800+ Web3 use cases:

Find the full report here to get a deep dive on which countries are most popular, which chains have the most use cases, and which use cases are most top-of-mind at the moment. 

Emerging from Crypto For Good Fund IV, in partnership with BlockBima, Fortune Credit, Shamba Network, and Risk Shield, we have launched a new pilot to test the use of blockchain-powered parametric credit insurance embedded within microloans to protect MSMEs against climate shocks.

The solution applies several innovative approaches to deliver an impactful offering: data-driven triggers, a parametric design, severity tiers, blockchain execution, and direct balance reduction. By tying loans to an automated climate cover, we aim to turn microfinance into a true adaptation tool. With success, we’ll plan to support the scaling of this model across other African markets.

We’re proud to see several pilots from our Crypto For Good portfolio featured in GSMA - Mobile for Development's new Blockchain in Agriculture report. Our goal in funding these efforts is to showcase how blockchain can unlock meaningful impact in emerging markets through innovative, real-world use cases. 

Building tech for smallholders and low-income users is challenging. Layering blockchain primitives on top only makes it harder. It requires not just technical innovation but a deep understanding of local contexts, trust dynamics, and the realities of last-mile delivery. When it works, though, the impact can be transformative. Some of the standout use cases in the report include blockchain-powered parametric crop insurance and anticipatory cash transfer system for drought-affected farmers. 

In May’s newsletter, we announced our partnership with Lido Impact Staking to enable ETH holders to support impact-driven initiatives while continuing to earn yield on their assets. Unlike traditional philanthropy, this model allows donors to give without depleting their principal assets, making it an efficient, zero-cost way to fund impact-driven blockchain projects. 

Now, we’re incredibly grateful to share that our longtime supporters at the GSR Foundation are supporting our Crypto For Good Fund as an Institutional Impact Staker. To learn more about the partnership, read here.  

A few pieces of content that we liked (or made us think) lately. Hope you enjoy!  

1. AI x crypto crossovers | a16z crypto  

2. Launching Lava & Stablecoins in Africa | Yoseph Ayele

3. The Future of Commerce | Stripe

4. The missing piece for stablecoin adoption: Privacy | Aleo 

Scott