Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing has changed how businesses measure success. Traditionally, ESG has been associated with environmental concerns, such as reducing carbon footprints, transitioning to clean energy, and promoting sustainability. But ESG isn’t just about the planet, it also takes into account the ‘S’ of social factors like financial inclusion, equitable access to opportunities, and ethical hiring practices.
While 79% of professional investors now prioritize social factors in their ESG assessments, a big jump from just 48% in 2019, many blockchain projects remain narrowly focused on the environmental aspect of ESG.
There is more to this disconnect than a simple oversight. It’s a lost chance to address urgent global issues. With 1.7 billion adults still excluded from basic financial services, and women making up 56% of the unbanked population, blockchain holds enormous promise for bringing about social change. The challenge now is turning blockchain’s potential into real financial solutions where traditional systems have failed.
The Missing Piece: Social Inclusion & Financial Access
How can we expect economic equity when over 1.7 billion adults, nearly 25% of the global population, lack access to basic financial services? Beyond banking access, millions of skilled professionals encounter obstacles to workforce participation, especially after career breaks or during industry transitions.
One blockchain company recognizing this gap is Swiss-registered Fedrok AG. While their Proof of Green consensus mechanism and carbon credit initiatives address environmental concerns, their approach to workforce development and economic empowerment shows how blockchain companies can integrate the ‘S’ in ESG into their core business strategies.
“Sustainability isn’t just about reducing carbon emissions—it’s about creating economic systems that work for everyone,” explains Philip Blazdell, CEO of Fedrok AG. “A truly sustainable blockchain ecosystem must be inclusive, not just in environmental practices but in creating economic opportunities for underrepresented groups.”
Why Blockchain Is a Game Changer for Financial Inclusion
Blockchain technology offers unique solutions to longstanding barriers in traditional finance:
Borderless Transactions: With blockchain, geographic boundaries dissolve. Individuals from developing economies can participate in global financial networks without traditional banking infrastructure, opening doors for the unbanked worldwide.
Decentralized Access: DeFi (Decentralized Finance) platforms enable financial services without intermediaries, reducing costs and eliminating gatekeepers that have historically excluded marginalized communities.
Transparency and Trust: In regions where corruption undermines financial systems, blockchain’s immutable ledger brings unprecedented transparency, building trust in economic transactions. In Kenya, blockchain is already being used to verify land ownership, reducing fraud and corruption in financial transactions.
Lower Barriers to Entry: Microtransactions and fractional ownership models enabled by blockchain allow participation with minimal capital, democratizing access to investment opportunities.
What makes blockchain particularly powerful for inclusion isn’t just these technical capabilities, but how they combine to create new economic models. When paired with thoughtful implementation, blockchain can evolve from a speculative technology into a genuine tool for economic empowerment.
Fedrok AG: Creating Real Economic Opportunities Through Blockchain
Founded with a mission to address environmental sustainability through its innovative Proof of Green consensus mechanism, Fedrok AG demonstrates how blockchain companies can simultaneously advance social impact goals through their business practices.
The company’s approach to workforce development illustrates this dual commitment. Rather than limiting recruitment to traditional tech backgrounds, Fedrok actively partners with organizations that help professionals transition into blockchain careers.
One example of Fedrok’s impact is its partnership with Headswap SA’s ‘Bring Women Back to Work‘ program, which helps women reenter the workforce with structured training and mentorship.
Manisha’s Story: From Career Break to Blockchain
Manisha Dagudu’s journey is an example. With a background in Design Thinking, a Bachelor’s in Architecture, and a business administration certificate from the University of St. Gallen, Manisha wanted to reenter the professional world after relocating to Switzerland.
Through Headswap’s “Bring Women Back to Work” program, which Fedrok supports as a client, Manisha received specialized training in Salesforce and declarative development. The program provided her with structured learning, mentorship, and hands-on project experience.
Manisha shared on LinkedIn how the program gave her the confidence to re-enter the workforce: ‘Your dedication has empowered so many women, including myself, to enhance our skills and re-enter the workforce with renewed purpose.
What makes this story particularly relevant to blockchain’s social impact is the transferability of skills across the tech sector. When companies like Fedrok invest in programs that develop technical abilities and digital literacy, they open doors for professionals from diverse backgrounds to step into emerging fields like blockchain.
After completing her training, Manisha is now transitioning to a full-time role at Fedrok, bringing her unique perspective and newly developed skills to the blockchain sector, a field that has historically struggled with diversity and inclusion.
Beyond Individual Success: Building Systemic Change
Fedrok is expanding its impact by developing partnerships that provide blockchain education in underserved regions. They are actively developing partnerships with Pan-African training institutions to provide blockchain education and certifications in regions where such opportunities are scarce.
Their platform design also reflects this inclusive approach. By making carbon credits accessible to everyone, Fedrok allows businesses of all sizes to participate in sustainable finance, instead of limiting such opportunities to well-resourced corporations.
Fedrok further shows its commitment to financial literacy through sponsorship of events like “Master Your Money: Insight to Action.” This International Women’s Day Finance Forum, organized by Bossladies Zürich in cooperation with Action for Women, empowers women with financial literacy, investment strategies, and insights into sustainable finance.
During this event, on the 24 of March, Philip Blazdell will participate in a roundtable discussion titled “Breaking Barriers: Women Leading Innovation in Technology and the Evolution of Microtransactions.” Directly addressing how blockchain can create more inclusive financial systems.
The Future: Building More Inclusive Economies Through Blockchain
Fedrok’s approach provides a template for how blockchain companies can integrate social impact into their business models, but this is just the beginning. To make blockchain truly inclusive, companies must actively design for accessibility, invest in diverse talent, and measure their impact.
Workforce Development: Like Fedrok, companies can partner with training programs that help underrepresented groups develop blockchain skills, creating diverse talent pipelines for the industry.
Product Design for Inclusion: Blockchain applications should be designed with accessibility in mind, which makes sure that user interfaces and experiences don’t create additional barriers to adoption.
Community Engagement: Companies should actively engage with underserved communities to understand their financial needs and develop solutions that address real-world challenges.
Policy Advocacy: The blockchain industry can advocate for regulatory frameworks that protect consumers while encouraging innovation that promotes financial inclusion.
Measurable Impact: Companies should establish clear metrics to track and report on their social impact, ensuring accountability and continuous improvement.
A Call to Action: From Environmental to Social Innovation
Blockchain is at a turning point. Companies that include social impact in sustainability efforts will open their full potential. Those concentrated only on environmental metrics risk missing the bigger picture.
Fedrok AG shows this well-rounded strategy by acknowledging how environmental and social impact reinforce each other. Their model demonstrates that a blockchain ecosystem empowering a diverse range of participants creates more resilient, innovative, and eventually sustainable solutions.
The way forward requires blockchain companies to design for inclusion from the start, partner with organizations that reach underrepresented communities, and measure their social impact with the same rigor they apply to environmental metrics.
Just as Manisha’s story shows, when blockchain companies commit to both environmental and social sustainability, they not only create technology but also create opportunities. And in a world where many talented professionals encounter obstacles to economic participation, that opportunity has never been more important. The future of blockchain isn’t just green, it must also be inclusive. The time to act is now.
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