For episode 251 of the Crypto Altruists podcast, we’re excited to welcome David Machuche and Victor Muhagachi of NEDA Labs, and special Co-Host Jon Ruth of The Solar Foundation.
This is the final episode of our special series exploring the work of The Solar Foundation and their partners in Tanzania. In part one, we heard from Jon Ruth and Coleen Chase about the bigger picture vision behind the Solar Savings Circles model and how solar lanterns are becoming the first asset for many savings groups. In part two, we met with Alinagwe Mwaselela of JUKUMU TZ to explore their Savings Circle pilot and dive into the history and power of community savings circles as a tool for decentralization and coordination. Today, we're going under the hood and exploring the technology layer behind this partnership.
NEDA Labs has developed Washika DAO, a Digital Hub that helps savings groups track their pooled resources, proposals, and commitments. They've also been working on nTZS, a fully compliant local stablecoin designed to support these communities.
But what really stands out about this conversation is how personal it is. Both David and Victor have mothers who are part of savings groups. This isn't abstract work for them. It's rooted in their own families and communities.
We're also going to explore a distinction that I think is really important: the difference between philanthropy and community development. NEDA Labs has been clear that what they're building isn't charity. It's sustainable infrastructure designed to empower communities to lead their own progress.
In today’s episode you’ll discover:
🌍 How NEDA Labs is building digital infrastructure for savings groups in Tanzania, including a Digital Hub called Washika DAO and a fully compliant local stablecoin
🔗 How traditional savings practices are blending with Web3 tools to help communities coordinate, save, and grow together
💡 The personal stories behind the work: how the founders' mothers being part of savings groups shaped their approach to building
🛠️ What it actually takes to build accessible technology for communities that are often overlooked by mainstream Web3 projects
💰 A local stablecoin pegged to the Tanzanian Shilling changes the game for accessibility: Most stablecoins are pegged to the US dollar, which makes sense for global markets but creates friction for local communities. NEDA Labs developed nTZS, a fully compliant stablecoin pegged to the Tanzanian Shilling. This makes it far more accessible for savings groups who think, earn, and spend in their local currency. It also keeps value circulating within the Tanzanian economy rather than extracting it outward, and opens up new possibilities for local markets to connect with global infrastructure on their own terms.
🌱 This isn't charity. It's community development, and the distinction matters: There's a difference between parachuting in with solutions and building alongside communities. NEDA Labs is doing the latter. They're learning from the histories and traditions that already work, listening to what communities actually need, and building tools that enable people to thrive and continue growing their own economies. It's not about saving anyone. It's about creating sustainable infrastructure that empowers communities to lead their own progress.
🤝 Trust is the foundation, and you can't build it from behind a screen: Web3 projects often talk about "going global" from day one, but real financial inclusion requires something different: presence, patience, and trust. NEDA Labs has learned that success starts with listening and learning, connecting with local leaders, and taking things slow. You focus on the benefits first, educate gradually, and let the community guide the pace. And critically, you show up in person. Being physically present in a community builds trust in ways that online engagement simply cannot replicate.
03:35 - To start, can you please introduce yourself and what led you to this work with NEDA Labs?
07:00 - Can you give us an overview of NEDA Labs and the work you're doing with savings groups in Tanzania? What's the vision behind what you're building?
11:05 - You've developed Washika DAO, a Digital Hub that helps savings groups track their pooled resources, proposals, and commitments. Can you walk us through how it works and what it enables for the groups using it?
20:10 - You’ve been building out a local stablecoin called nTZS, and if I understand correctly, is now fully compliant. What inspired the development of this stablecoin, and how do you see it supporting the savings groups and the broader community?
28:45 - You've been clear that this isn't charity but community development done in a more sustainable way. Can you talk about that distinction and why it's important to how you approach building technology for these communities?
35:00 - It can be hard to build trust in communities that have been historically included from tech and financial infrastructure. What strategies have you used to build trust in the local community?
40:55 - What excites you most about where this work is heading? What's next for NEDA Labs?
44:30 - For listeners who want to learn more about NEDA Labs or connect with your work, where should they go?
47:50 - I understand that there is a personal connection here in that your mother(s) are part of savings groups. How has that personal connection shaped your approach to this work?
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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.
