As the documentary shows, not only was the initiative successful in cleaning up the beach, it welcomed many unbanked members of the local community into the global cryptocurrency financial system, effectively leapfrogging an economy that had so far not found a way to include them.

“Employing digital payouts to combat ocean pollution may be one of the most striking examples of how this new world of money can be put to the best of uses. In the world’s most disenfranchised communities, people often lack formal bank accounts but are often the source and victims of seemingly unsurmountable plastic waste challenges,” explains the BBC.

“The model we utilized for the Bounty for Basura can easily be used to disburse CSR funds by working directly with individuals and communities on the ground and enabling them to potentially build up an income from participating in social and environmental impact work. For example: compensating people participating in cleanups after hurricanes, which is a highly relevant issue at the moment,” explains Simona Pop of Bounties Network. “Individuals and communities can setup their own bounties and crowdsource the bounty pot—which is what we did with the Manila Bay Cleanup Bounty. People from around the world contributed directly to the bounty, and the funds were only directed to payouts.”

The learnings from the Bounty for Basura initiative have been incorporated into the creation of cryptocurrency-incentivized communities all over the world, particularly in regards to the development of Ethereum, education initiatives, and a partnership with UNICEF Innovation.

“One of the main things we realized while exploring the use of bounties across verticals is that anyone can participate in and be a part of the communities we are creating,” explains Simona Pop. “By creating different bespoke networks around distinct events for almost two years, we have gained a deep understanding of how incentives and engagements stimulate individual action for communal benefit.”

“We are at a tipping point in the evolution of communities,” Pop continues. “A point where we have the technologies to create spaces and tools for a variety of communities to develop and thrive through. The work we’ve been doing so far has already given us key insights into the makeup of crypto community DNA, patterns of behavior and relationship dynamics. The build has only just begun.”