Reflecting on Hashed’s Impact on the Blockchain Ecosystem in 2022
Defining the blockchain ecosystem
A few years ago, blockchain technology was considered unconventional, or sometimes even unfeasible. Now the blockchain industry is slowly but surely gaining acceptance as it is being integrated into a wide range of fields such as finance, art, and gaming. The adoption of blockchain technology in different products and services, along with the creators, investors, and users of decentralized initiatives is advancing the growth of the blockchain ecosystem.
So what exactly is the ‘blockchain ecosystem’? The World Economic Forum (WEF) defines the blockchain ecosystem as “a network of business participants who create and distribute business value related to blockchain through a series of processes and relationships.”
In line with the WEF’s definition, Hashed views the blockchain ecosystem as a digital society comprised of various communities that embrace diverse objectives. Hashed believes that network effects generated by fostering healthy community-building can have a positive impact on all of the decentralized projects.
Since declaring a vision statement in 2018 “To accelerate the global adoption of decentralized projects through impact investing and community building”, Hashed has strived to contribute to the blockchain ecosystem’s growth through four categories of community-building activities:
(1) Co-operating Protocol Camp
(2) Co-hosting Korea Blockchain Week (KBW)
(3) Supporting Portfolio Companies’ Events
(4) Organizing and Supporting Community Meetups
Looking back at 2022, we would like to share our activities to advance the growth of the blockchain ecosystem.
Hashed’s Contribution to the Expansion of Blockchain Ecosystem
(1) Protocol Camp: Nurturing Web3 Builders
“Hashed puts a lot of effort into establishing keystones for the development of the Web 3.0 ecosystem in South Korea. We believe the Protocol Camp becomes the nourishment for the blockchain industry expansion.” — Polygon Labs
Firstly, with Hanwha Life, Hashed co-operates Protocol Camp, the first Web3 builder growth program in South Korea. Beyond creating an environment to build projects, Protocol Camp aims to nurture a Web3 builder community that grows together through various meetups and networking sessions.
At the heart of a thriving ecosystem is a pool of highly talented individuals. At Protocol Camp, we strive to make this a reality by providing an accessible platform for aspiring developers to gain insights about blockchain technology and join the Web3 community. Our goal is to empower exceptional junior builders and lower the barrier to entry for the next generation of talent.
Starting in 2022, Protocol Camp has already completed three successful batches, resulting in 28 promising graduates. It’s worth noting that among these graduates, 24 have gone on to make significant contributions to the industry by pursuing careers in the cryptosphere through employment or entrepreneurship. We’re proud to have played a role in empowering the next generation of leaders in the blockchain ecosystem.
(2) Korea Blockchain Week (KBW)
“Hashed has been unfailingly reliable in the support they have given Everyrealm both in making strategic introductions to potential partners and opportunities as well as providing thoughtful advice throughout tumultuous market conditions.” — EveryRealm
Secondly, Hashed has been co-hosting Korea Blockchain Week (KBW) with Factblock since 2018, as part of our commitment to promoting decentralization and sharing the visions of leading blockchain projects with a wider audience. To achieve this goal, Hashed has organized keynote speeches and discussion sessions at the main conference of KBW every year, inviting entrepreneurs from its portfolio companies and world-class builders to share the philosophy and vision of their projects with the community.
The KBW2022 conference garnered significant attention, marking the first in-person event since the COVID-19 pandemic. Hashed played a pivotal role in organizing the conference, which featured a diverse range of sessions covering decentralized infrastructure, DeFi, metaverse, NFTs, and virtual asset regulations. With over 130 entrepreneurs and subject matter experts invited to speak, the conference drew a total of over 8,000 participants, which nearly doubled the number of attendees compared to 2018. The impressive turnout is a testament to the growing interest in the blockchain ecosystem and the increasing strength of the community as a whole.
(3) Supporting Portfolio Companies’ Events
“Hashed is constantly on the lookout for opportunities meaningful to the dYdX ecosystem growth. The entire team is always on top of things.” — dYdX
Thirdly, Hashed provides a range of support to portfolio companies that aim to tackle real-world issues by leveraging the power of decentralization. These companies are fully aware of the significance of cultivating network effects through community development and are actively participating in the growth of the blockchain ecosystem within their respective domains.
As part of our support to portfolio companies, Hashed collaborates on side events, serves as speakers and judges, and provides venues for meet-ups. Through these efforts, we are committed to making meaningful contributions to the ecosystem.
Throughout 2022, Hashed took part in organizing over 10 side events in various countries including South Korea, the United States, Singapore, Thailand, and India. These events were co-hosted with 15 portfolio companies and attracted approximately 2,300 participants. The aim of these events was to create an open platform for the portfolio companies to freely express their ideas and perspectives on decentralization.
(4) Organizing and Supporting Community Meet-ups
“Hashed has been more than an investor to us. They have shown insightful data and perspective as Web3 experts from San Francisco to Seoul.” — DFNS
Lastly, Hashed is dedicated to promoting the growth of the blockchain ecosystem through supporting community meetups held across various countries. We provide a range of assistance, including sponsorships, venues (such as our Hashed Lounge), and participation as speakers, judges, and mentors in a variety of events. By supporting external entities’ community-building activities, we also aim to encourage collaboration and stimulate growth within the industry.
Hashed aims to lead in-depth conversations and discussions among participants in the events, contributing to the birth of new projects. In addition, by strengthening rapport among participants, Hashed seeks to enhance sustainable community building.
In 2022, we supported a total of 63 community meetups globally. Of these, Hashed participated as speakers in 18 meetups and as judges in 6 hackathons to convey Hashed’s view on blockchain and to engage with various community members.
Decentralized Blockchain Ecosystem
Hashed strongly advocates for the value of decentralization and its role in driving innovation, which is made possible through blockchain technology and the concept of a protocol economy. Hashed was founded in 2018 when the blockchain ecosystem was still in its infancy, and it’s evident that the industry has since undergone substantial expansion, largely due to the involvement of numerous entities.
We are confident that the network effects resulting from the collaboration of different communities in the blockchain ecosystem will foster the emergence of even more prosperous initiatives. Therefore, Hashed is committed to facilitating and supporting community-building initiatives aimed at engaging a broader spectrum of economic players in the development of a diverse blockchain landscape.
Through these initiatives, our ultimate goal is to foster a decentralized blockchain ecosystem where communities and the ecosystem can thrive organically, without requiring intermediaries like Hashed to be involved.
If you are interested in participating in one of our initiatives, please feel free to contact us.
