We ask buyers from the blockchain and cryptocurrency sector for their thoughts on the industry… and throw in some random zingers to keep them on their toes!
this week, our 6 questions go here Alex Wilson is the co-founder of The Giving Block – a crypto donation solution that provides an ecosystem for nonprofits and charities to fund bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
Alex is the co-founder of Shift4 Company, The Giving Block. Giving Block is a leading crypto philanthropy platform that makes it easy for nonprofits to accept cryptocurrencies and fundraise and empowers donors to give crypto to the causes they love. Alex oversees the development of The Giving Block in several areas, including technological innovation, crypto and financial partnerships, and institutional donations.
Alex has a background in management consulting, where he worked with Fortune 500 companies to develop strategies for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, blockchain and cryptocurrencies. As he went down the cryptocurrency rabbit hole, he and co-founder Pat Duffy found that nonprofits needed to tap into the growing crypto donor demographic.
Alex graduated from Wake Forest University School of Business with a bachelor’s degree in business and enterprise management specializing in international business.
1 — What has been the toughest challenge you have faced in our industry so far?
The biggest challenge is educating the people with whom we talk about the benefits of the industry. I believe cryptocurrency is one of the greatest forces of good on the planet, but there are many people with whom we hold a misconception about crypto – from its impact on the environment to the quasi anonymity behind it.
2 – When you tell people that you are in the blockchain industry, how do they react?
I’ve found that most people are really receptive to what we’re doing at The Giving Block. Too often, people hear that you work in crypto, and they have a preconceived idea of what it looks like. Then I tell them what we do and we’ve raised over $100 million in cryptocurrency for nonprofits, and their reaction is soft. I think our use case is more tangible to people than many others, which makes it much easier to understand and relate to than it is.
3 – Have you ever bought a non-fungible token? What was that – and if not, what do you think will be your first?
Yes, but only those who benefit the charity. First I bought from Nifty Gateway as part of a COVID relief campaign called COVID Heroes.
4 – Which two superpowers would you most like to have, and how would you combine them for good or bad?
If I had to choose two superpowers, they would probably be teleportation and flight—that way I could spend more face-to-face time with the nonprofits we work with without having to wait in TSA lines.
5 – Tell us about a hidden talent – and give us a link to prove it!
I’m bilingual – I grew up speaking both English and German alike.
6 – What quality do you lack, and wish you had? If you had, how would you use it?
I always wished I could speak a third language. I think speaking fluent Spanish would be a really helpful talent.