For episode 198, we’re excited to welcome Eric Alsop, Chief Technology Officer at Pesabase—a blockchain-based remittance platform making it faster, cheaper, and more secure to send money to South Sudan, with over $8.5 million transacted to date.
From mobile agents to full-service banks, and from smart contracts to stablecoins, Pesabase is a masterclass on accessible UX & meeting users where they are—without compromising on security or speed.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
💸 Remittances Are Broken: In many parts of the world, sending money home comes with painful costs—averaging around 10% and sometimes reaching as high as 30%—and delays that can stretch for days. This burden is especially heavy in places like South Sudan, which has the lowest GDP in Africa and limited financial infrastructure.
🤝 Web3 That Works Without Saying 'Web3': Users shouldn't have to know they’re using blockchain. By blending familiar tools like mobile agents and local banks with crypto, they’ve created a seamless user experience that meets people where they are.
⚙️ Smart Contracts + Stablecoins = Instant, Low-Cost Transfers: Pesabase has harnessed the power of crypto rails to make cross-border transactions nearly instant and far more affordable. Their smart contract system automates every step—from fiat conversion to stablecoin transfer to local currency withdrawal—creating an efficient end-to-end flow.
PIPE gDAO is leveraging blockchain for their University Real World Asset IP Launchpad that helps bring groundbreaking ideas from lab to market. By joining the Pipe Associate Network (aka PAN), associates can create a profile highlighting their skills, be notified of opportunities, and then contribute fractional work to pre-IPO companies in return for equity and tokens.
Check out their Linktree for links to all of their socials so you can get involved and join this growing community!
02:05 - To kick things off, I’d love to learn more about your background and journey to blockchain and remittances. What led you to focus on building blockchain-based financial solutions for Africa, and was there a defining moment that shaped your mission?
05:05 - To lay the groundwork for the conversation, can you please outline the challenges and barriers that exist with traditional remittance platforms?
08:10 - Can you give an intro to the mission of Pesabase, and how you are addressing these challenges? Why is blockchain an important piece of the puzzle?
12:15 - Pesabase has been operating for 8 years and has facilitated millions in transactions. Can you tell me about the early days—what challenges did you face in launching a blockchain-powered remittance platform, and how did you overcome them?
15:20 - Walk me through the technology behind the platform – the use of smart contracts, stablecoins, and crypto rails - and how the remittance gets from point A to point B.
18:45 - Tell me more about the role of mobile agents and how it helps create a seamless user experience.
22:30 - It seems like you’ve solved the puzzle of onboarding users, and on ramping/off ramping fiat – tell me more about your approach.
25:10 - Tell me about the reward tokens and how it incentivizes users to participate in the network.
28:15 - Tell me more about the future of Pesabase and what you have in the works.
31:45 - Tell me more about the numbers and the impact that you have had so far.
33:45 - Real-world assets (RWA) tokenization is a growing trend in Web3. Do you see opportunities for Pesabase to tokenize assets beyond stablecoins, such as land, commodities, or financial products?
38:20 - What are some of the challenges that we need to overcome to really see mass adoption of Web3, especially for those that are unbanked?
42:20 - What’s the best way for listeners to learn more about Pesabase?
44:50 - Africa is emerging as a major hub for blockchain and crypto adoption. What do you think makes Africa uniquely positioned for this wave of innovation?
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While we may discuss specific web3 projects or cryptocurrencies on this podcast, please do not take any of this as investment advice, and please make sure to do your own research on potential investment opportunities, or any opportunity. We host a variety of guests on this podcast with the sole purpose of highlighting the social impact use cases of this technology. That being said, Crypto Altruism does not endorse any of these projects, and we recognize that, since this is an emerging sector, some may be operating in regulatory grey areas, and as such, we cannot confirm their legality in the jurisdictions in which they operate, especially as it pertains to decentralized finance protocols. So, before getting involved with any project, it’s important that you do your own research and confirm the legality of the project. More available HERE.
