For episode 239, we’re excited to welcome Rael Kilonzo, Developer Community Lead, and Hadar Rottenberg, Tech Lead at GoodDollar, a protocol designed to deliver digital universal basic income at scale, leveraging blockchain to financially empower people around the world, regardless of where they live or what access they have to traditional financial systems.
Today we’re going to zero-in on the GoodBuilders ecosystem growth program, which is now entering its third season. GoodBuilders is a funding program, backed by $50k in G$ (GoodDollar's token), that is designed to support projects building meaningful integrations with GoodDollar, and it works a bit differently than traditional grants. Rewards are streamed continuously over three months, and a project's share can increase or decrease based on community voting, mentor input, and real progress metrics.
I'm also excited to share that I'll be serving as a mentor for Season 3, so this conversation is personal for me. I've seen firsthand how programs like this can help early-stage builders go from idea to impact, and I'm thrilled to be part of it.
We'll dig into how the program works, what success has looked like in past seasons, and what the team is hoping to see from builders this time around. We’ll also share all the info for those interested in getting involved or applying as a project.
You’ll learn:
💰 How GoodDollar is using blockchain to deliver digital universal basic income to over 100,000 people around the world
🛠️ How the GoodBuilders Program is rethinking impact funding, with rewards streamed continuously and adjusted based on community voting, mentor input, and real growth metrics
🚀 How to join the GoodBuilders program, and what kinds of projects and integrations the team is most excited to see in Season 3
💡 And what it truly means to "unlock human potential" through decentralized technology
💰 UBI is just the beginning. Utility is what makes it work: GoodDollar at its core is a universal basic income protocol, distributing G$ to people around the world. But for UBI to truly empower people, the token needs real utility. It needs to be spendable, usable, and integrated into a thriving ecosystem. That's the purpose of the GoodBuilders Program: to grow the economy around G$ by funding projects that create meaningful use cases and drive real adoption.
🌊 Streaming funding creates real-time accountability and iteration: The GoodBuilders Program takes a unique approach to grants. Instead of lump-sum payments, rewards are streamed continuously over three months through Flowstate, with allocations adjusted based on community voting, mentor input, and growth metrics. This model gives builders real-time feedback on their progress, encourages continuous iteration, and ensures funding flows toward projects that are actually delivering value.
🤝 Funding alone isn't enough. Mentorship and community make the difference: The GoodBuilders Program is designed to balance funding with hands-on mentorship, support, and community connections. This ensures that new builders, not just established teams, can participate and succeed. Whether you're launching your first project or scaling an existing one, the program meets you where you are and helps you grow alongside the ecosystem.
GoodBuilders Program Info and Application
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!
02:55 - To kick things off, I’d love to hear your story. Can you tell me about your journey to Web3, and what it was about GoodDollar specifically that made you want to dedicate your time to this project?
08:45 - For listeners who may not be familiar with GoodDollar, can you give us a high-level introduction? What problem is GoodDollar solving, and how does the protocol work?
11:10 - Let's talk about the GoodBuilders Program. What inspired GoodDollar to launch this initiative, and what gap does it fill in the broader Web3 grants and funding landscape?
15:20 - Season 3 is launching soon with $50,000+ in G$ rewards streamed over three months. Can you walk us through how the program works? What does the journey look like for a project that applies and gets accepted?
18:35 - For builders listening who are curious about applying, what kinds of projects or integrations are you most excited to see this season? What would make an application stand out?
23:20 - Looking back at Seasons 1 and 2, are there any projects or success stories that stand out? What did those builders create, and what impact have they had on the GoodDollar ecosystem?
25:50 - The funding model is very interesting; rewards are streamed continuously, and a project's share can increase or decrease based on community voting, mentor input, and growth metrics. Why did you design it this way, and how does it change builder incentives compared to traditional funding models?
30:15 - Mentorship is a key part of the program, and I'm excited to be a mentor this season! Can you talk about the role mentors play, and why that hands-on support matters for early-stage builders in Web3?
33:30 - Applications are open now and the season kicks off soon. What's the best way for interested builders to apply, and where can listeners go to learn more or connect with the GoodDollar community?
35:20 - The tag line of the GoodDollar website reads: “Unlocking Human Potential with Digital Universal Basic Income. Global inequality is the greatest challenge of our time. GoodDollar uses decentralized technology to financially empower millions around the globe.” What does it mean to Unlock Human Potential, and how do you see technologies like crypto helping us get there?
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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.
