For episode 244 of the Crypto Altruists podcast, we’re excited to welcome back Jaydeep Korde, CEO of Launchnodes and Founder of Lido Impact Staking.
When we last spoke, Lido Impact Staking was a bold new idea: what if you could donate a portion of your staking rewards to fund verified social impact projects, all while keeping your principal intact? It was a powerful counter-narrative to traditional philanthropy, which can often be viewed as a zero-sum game.
Since then, the platform has grown significantly. The Social Impact Marketplace has expanded with new partners. Stablecoins have been added alongside ETH staking, offering more stability and predictability for both contributors and nonprofits. And a new Dashboard feature is bringing even greater transparency to how funds flow and the impact they create.
In today’s discussion you’ll learn:
🔄 How impact staking is redefining philanthropy by letting contributors support causes while earning rewards and without giving up their principal
💰 How Lido Impact Staking is building a Social Impact Marketplace that connects stakers with verified nonprofits like GiveDirectly, UNICEF, UNHCR, and more
🌱 Why the shift from zero-sum donations to a positive-sum model, where both the contributor and the cause benefit, could transform how we fund social good
📊 How radical transparency through real-time dashboards is building trust and accountability in crypto philanthropy
🚨 Nonprofits are facing a perfect storm, and new funding models are urgently needed: A combination of factors is creating one of the most challenging environments nonprofits have ever faced: declining individual donations, an aging traditional donor base, reduced household savings, cuts to international aid, and mounting geopolitical challenges. Organizations are stretched thin and struggling to sustain their work. This reality has created an urgent need to explore alternative funding models that can provide more sustainable, long-term support.
🔄 From zero-sum to positive-sum: a new paradigm for giving: Traditional philanthropy often feels like a zero-sum exchange: you give money away, and it's gone. Impact staking flips this model entirely. Contributors can support causes they care about without sacrificing their principal, earning rewards while directing a portion to verified nonprofits. It's a positive-sum approach where both the giver and the cause benefit. This shift in framing isn't just financially attractive; it's changing how people think about generosity itself.
📊 Transparency builds trust, and trust unlocks more giving: People want to understand the impact of their giving, not just where funds go, but what they actually accomplish. Lido Impact Staking's built-in dashboard provides a simple, real-time mechanism for tracking contributions and seeing verified impact data. This kind of radical transparency helps build the trust that's often missing in traditional philanthropy, giving contributors confidence that their support is making a real difference and encouraging deeper, sustained engagement.
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!
03:10 - It's been almost a year since we last spoke, and a lot has changed. For listeners who may have missed our first conversation, can you give us a quick refresher on Lido Impact Staking and Launchnodes?
07:25 - When we spoke last June, the Social Impact Marketplace was still in its early days. How has it evolved since then? What new partners have come on board, and what kind of traction are you seeing?
14:45 - One of the big developments since we last spoke is the addition of stablecoins to the platform. How has the community responded to this move?
19:10 - Transparency has always been central to your mission. Can you tell us about the Dashboard feature and how it is helping users track their contributions and see the real-world impact of their funds?
23:45 - Can you walk us through how this looks from the point of view of the staker? What does the user experience look like?
29:40 - One thing I find compelling about Impact Staking is the shift away from traditional donations, which can feel zero-sum, toward a positive-sum model where both the contributor and the cause benefit. Can you talk about why this framing matters, and how it's resonating with users?
34:45 - You recently launched a podcast in partnership with GSR Foundation, which is exciting. What inspired this, and what are you hoping to explore through that platform?
39:10 - For listeners who want to get involved, whether as individual stakers, institutions, or nonprofits interested in joining the marketplace, where should they go to learn more, and what's the best way to start?
40:50 - For listeners who are sitting on staked ETH or stablecoins and haven't yet considered directing rewards to impact, what would you say to them? Why now?
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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.
