Workshop - 15th April 2025 - Remote

Data Points

• Session recording

• Miro board

• Transcript

Key Learnings

🌍 Macro Trends & Context (2030)

• Quantum computing expected to rapidly advance — critical threat and opportunity.

• AI-driven societal change:

  • Major workforce displacement expected → urgent need for new economic opportunities.

  • Transition period will be turbulent before AI creates net value.

• Increased demand for self-sovereign data and identity → privacy and data control vital.

• Decrease in trust in existing governance structures and between countries → opening space for blockchain-based trust systems.

• Cultural norms and implicit institutions will remain slow to change, despite rapid tech shifts.

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🌱 Opportunities for Blockchain / Cardano

• Incentive systems: develop more granular systems for incentivizing work, contributions, and decentralized value creation.

• Localised economies:

  • Support peer-to-peer (P2P) commerce to help displaced workers and create new global income streams.

  • Enable community-based loyalty programs and point systems that can scale globally.

• Transparent voting & elections:

  • Huge opportunity for blockchain to enable transparent, trusted elections — strong citizen demand, but political resistance likely.

• Education & upskilling:

  • Support mass education efforts to help people reskill for AI-driven and blockchain-driven economies.

  • Blockchain can provide verifiable credentials for new skill pathways.

• Gaming:

  • Early successful adoption in blockchain-based games where users are unaware they are using blockchain — valuable model for broader adoption.

  • Potential for asset ownership and cross-game economies.

• Supply chain & authenticity tracking:

  • Strong fit for blockchain in tracking provenance and ensuring verifiable authenticity of goods.

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⚠ Barriers to Mass Adoption

• Poor UX → blockchain apps still too difficult to use for mainstream audiences.

• Onboarding to Web3 → entry points are unclear and fragmented.

• Government resistance:

  • Governments and large companies will actively resist blockchain systems that reduce their power.

  • Expect regulatory pushback, especially as blockchain starts touching money and governance.

• Trust building is essential:

  • Public trust in blockchain is fragile — must overcome history of scams and poor projects.

  • Cardano should differentiate as a trustworthy, sustainable, long-term player.

• Too many blockchain options:

  • Users are overwhelmed by choices → Cardano must position as a clear, reliable, reputable option.

• Legal & compliance hurdles:

  • In regions like Nigeria, legal blockers and unclear compliance standards hinder adoption.

• L1 scalability still a blocker for future transaction volumes.

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🏛 Governance & Ecosystem Insights

• Reputation systems & sybil resistance:

  • Current reputation systems not sufficient to prevent plutocracy or centralization by large stakers.

  • Need more nuanced governance tooling to balance power and incentivize participation.

• L2 + L1 balance:

  • Layer 2 solutions are essential to achieving product-market fit and transaction volume growth.

  • L1 must be prepared to scale in parallel and support growing L2 ecosystems.

  • Clear need for a roadmap to decide what belongs on L1 vs L2.

• Cardano should focus its messaging:

  • Cardano L1 should be promoted as enterprise-grade infrastructure — secure, reliable, immutable.

  • Consumers don't need to know they're using blockchain — good abstraction improves UX.

  • Builders and developers should be a key target audience.

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🗳 Community & Cultural Signals

• Participants appreciate collaborative, small-group discussions — they foster deeper insights.

• Recognition that governance transparency is a double-edged sword — politicians and institutions may resist open systems.

• A key goal is to make Cardano governance accessible and trusted, with a focus on long-term institutional engagement.

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Summary Narrative

• AI and quantum computing will reshape economies and governance in the next 5–10 years → blockchain has a vital role to play in providing trust, transparency, and new economic pathways.

• Cardano should focus on:

  • Local and global P2P commerce,

  • Transparent voting,

  • Supply chain tracking,

  • Gaming adoption,

  • Identity & data self-sovereignty,

  • and education for an AI-driven future.

• Mass adoption barriers must be addressed urgently:

  • UX, onboarding, legal clarity, trust building, and scalability.

• Cardano’s messaging must evolve to focus on its enterprise-grade trustworthiness and ecosystem value — not just L1 branding.