149: Funding the Commons: A Deep Dive into ReFi, DAOs, and the Future of Regenerative Economics

Podcast Episode 149: Funding the Commons: A Deep Dive into ReFi, DAOs, and the Future of Regenerative Economics

Description:

What if our financial systems were designed to heal the planet instead of extracting from it? This isn't a far-off dream; it's the emergent reality of Regenerative Finance (ReFi) and Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs). In this roundtable discussion, host Joshua Prieto and co-host Noam Rifkind are joined by Stefan Fiedler-Alvarado, a leader in the ReFi space and the Director for the Certificate of Regenerative Entrepreneurship at UCI.

Together, they dive deep into the mechanics and philosophy of this new financial frontier. The conversation unpacks how ReFi is moving beyond the broken models of venture capital and philanthropy, using blockchain technology to create transparent, democratic, and direct funding flows to the frontline communities doing the essential work of regeneration. This is a must-listen for anyone who believes we need to fundamentally rewire our economy to support a thriving, life-affirming future. 

[View the full show notes and description on the Seeds of Tao Website]

Show Notes:

• (7:13) Stefan Fiedler-Alvarado introduces the core idea that modern regenerative practices are a rediscovery of ancient, indigenous wisdom and a deep connection to place.
• (15:10) A critical look at the flaws of traditional funding: how venture capital's "unicorn" model is wasteful and why philanthropic aid can create dependency and neocolonial dynamics.
• (17:30) The Promise of Web3: How blockchain technology and DAOs can disintermediate finance, removing costly middlemen and empowering direct, peer-to-peer capital flows.
• (23:28) Who governs the new system? A discussion on where ReFi protocols come from, blending top-down standards with bottom-up, hyperlocal community validation.
• (33:32) A crucial clarification: Who is ReFi for right now? Stefan makes the case that these funds are for frontline, marginalized communities and common-good projects, not for conventional for-profit businesses.
• (38:40) How it Works: A real-world example of using Gitcoin and Quadratic Funding, a mechanism that algorithmically rewards projects with the most community support.
• (51:30) The Future of Finance: The panel explores what the next 10-20 years could look like, from blended financial models to bioregional funding facilities and the rise of "DMRV (Decentralized Measurement, Reporting, and Verification) as a service."
• (1:01:10) Noam's "Beaver" Analogy: How the ReFi movement acts like beavers in an ecosystem, carefully channeling capital to create widespread vitality and avoid the mission capture seen in traditional philanthropy.
• (1:10:00) From Scarcity to Abundance: Joshua challenges the scarcity mindset that still exists even in the ReFi space and poses the vision of truly funding "the commons."
• (1:15:00) A Call to Action for Listeners: The episode concludes with powerful questions about building organizational capacity, crafting culturally-resonant narratives (like using Dragon Ball Z!), and the role every stakeholder has in building this new economy.

Resource Links:

• Universidad para la Cooperación Internacional (UCI): uci.ac.cr
• ReFi Costa Rica: reficostarica.com
• Gitcoin - The platform for funding public goods: gitcoin.co
• KarmaGap - The impact reporting tool mentioned: karmagap.com
• Celo - The mobile-first blockchain ecosystem: celo.org

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