Whenever I explore technology that's new to me, whether it be learning how decentralized apps work or what an open source tool does, it's seeing the technology in action that helps me understand whether or not it can impact me and my every day life. This is why every month at TBD, what better way to learn about our technology in action than from innovators using TBD's technologies today.
With October blazing through, we're greeted by pumpkin spices, the aroma of fall leaves drifting in the rain, and of course, the much-anticipated Hacktoberfest. Whether you're a seasoned contributor or new to open source, there's something for everyone.
"Our current credit system says, 'Saddle yourself, so we can give you more to saddle.'" Eric Lapin, President of FormFree, stated during a recent TBD live stream. His comment sheds light on a fundamental paradox of the U.S. credit system: it often requires you to accumulate debt as a prerequisite for obtaining loans, leading to more debt. This systemic issue is underscored by recent data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, which reveals that 1 in 5 applicants for mortgages, car loans, or other types of loans were rejected — the highest rate in five years. This trend disproportionately impacts Black and Latino applicants. Guided by their slogan, 'Democratizing lending for all people without bias,' FormFree developed a platform built with Web5 and AI to address these issues.
"What can you actually build with Web5?" This is one of the most common questions I've heard as I enter my two-month mark at TBD. It's one thing to discuss the theoretical aspects of Web5, with its focus on decentralization and user empowerment, but it's another to see tangible, innovative applications come to life. This is why builders, visionaries, and project maintainers at TBD are excited to showcase Netonomy, a Web5 project built by Anthony DeMattos.
Today we unveil something special - our very own Recognition Program! ✨
I wanted to learn more about how Web5 (and SSI in general) works and the benefits it could offer. To do this I created a simple project to create and store DIDs, and use them to read and write to a DWN using a protocol.
As stewards of an open source ecosystem, we welcome innovation from the community. To encourage new ideas from folks around the world, today we launch the TBD Open Source Incubation Program.
At TBD, we believe in a decentralized future that returns ownership and control over your finances, data, and identity. Decentralized Identity is critical to our mission. It’s what puts people in control of their own data. It is the most private, secure, and user-centric way to facilitate information exchange and verification online.