My First Topic/ A little about me, Platohedro and Platonautas

[rubeola]

Hello Astar Community — Greetings from Medellín, Colombia!

Hi, I’m Alexander, a cultural manager, hacker, artist and community weaver based in Medellín, Colombia.

I’m the Cofounder and Codirector of Platohedro, a creative platform that connects grassroots communities with emerging technologies like Web3, blockchain, and open-source tools. Over the past years, I’ve helped design and coordinate educational programs, podcasts, and community labs that make these technologies accessible and meaningful for underserved communities — especially youth, women, and artists.

I believe in the power of decentralized tech not just to disrupt, but to heal, empower, and connect people across borders and realities.

What is Platohedro?

Platohedro is a creative, experimental, and transformative platform that’s been operating in Medellín for over 20 years. We support community-driven processes that blend art, critical thinking, and open-source technologies to advance human and social development.

Every year, we directly engage with over 500 people — including children, youth, mothers, and artists — and indirectly reach more than 4,000 individuals through three core programs:

• Dformación
  A free, creative community school focused on collaborative learning and social transformation.
• Art & Thought
  A space for artistic residencies, experimentation, cultural criticism, and interdisciplinary exchange.
• Web3 Wasi
  A lab for community-centered learning and appropriation of blockchain and decentralized technologies.

What is Web3 Wasi?

Web3 Wasi is Platohedro’s technology and decentralized learning program — a space for community-centered exploration of blockchain, crypto, and peer-to-peer tools. Over the past four years, this program has evolved from a grassroots study group called Cypher Plato

Since its inception, Web3 Wasi has remained chain-agnostic and open to experimentation. We’ve hosted dozens of meetups, workshops, hackatons, and community gatherings to explore projects and protocols such as:

Bitcoin (BTC)
Ethereum (ETH)
Polkadot (DOT)
NEAR Protocol
Solana
Avalanche
Fuel Network
Chainlink, among others.

Learning by Doing: Hackathons & Labs

We’ve organized three community hackathons at the Platohedro house in Medellín, partnering with Fuel, Avalanche, and Ethereum to prototype ideas and introduce participants to decentralized development in an open, inclusive environment.

Through these events, we’ve nurtured a local network of learners, developers, artists, and curious minds eager to understand how blockchain can serve collective creation and resilience.

Community Engagement & Regional Collaboration

Web3 Wasi is deeply embedded in Colombian and Latin American Web3 ecosystems. We’ve built bridges with diverse communities, contributing to collaborative spaces and forming part of decentralized collectives such as:

• Daoriwas – A Latin American squad focused on decentralized governance and digital identity.
• Nym – We host some gateways and mix nodes to promote privacy infrastructure and digital rights.
• El Rincón de la privacidad/ The Privacy Corner – A bi-weekly YouTube livestream co-produced with WBN, offering 25+ episodes of discussions around privacy, digital sovereignty, and crypto tools.
• Nouns Amigos - SubDAO in LATAM of NOUNS
• PizzaDAO - Latam Collaborations
• ETH Colombia - We are part of ETH Medellin
• Frutero Club We collaborate with them

Cypher Radio: Our Voice in the Network

Together with La Esquina Radio, we produce Cypher Radio — a weekly live broadcast focused on Web3 culture, community, and critical thinking. With more than 80 episodes, it airs every Friday at 3 PM (Colombian time) on Medellín’s FM and online for the global community.

Cypher Radio invites artists, builders, and thinkers to share their journeys and reflect on how decentralized technologies can amplify creative agency and social imagination.

Cypher Radio

Introducing Platonautas – A Bridge Between Crypto and Real-World Impact

Platonautas was born during the ETH Cinco de Mayo 2025 Hackathon in Mexico City, where our team proudly won first place in collaboration with Astar and Soneium. But in truth, Platonautas has been in the making for years — shaped by dozens of conversations, experiments, and dreams emerging from our work at Web3 Wasi

From study groups and local hackathons to deep reflections on the value of crypto for social good, Platonautas emerges as the natural next step: a project built with and for communities, blending technology, culture, and care.

So… What is Platonautas?

Platonautas is a dApp that transforms crypto staking into community-powered education.

It allows anyone to stake crypto assets while directing 80% of the rewards to support children and youth in achieving educational and social milestones. The remaining 20% goes back to the staker, creating a win-win cycle of yield and impact.

Young participants complete missions related to learning, creativity, or Web3 onboarding (tracked via Talent Protocol), and earn points they can redeem for real-world needs — like school supplies, recreation, cultural experiences, or tech tools.
All redemptions are validated by trusted local organizations, ensuring accountability and transparency.

Platonautas welcomes a new generation into Web3 — not just to earn, but to co-create a future grounded in community, purpose, and real impact.

More Than a Tool — A Movement in the Making

What makes Platonautas unique is not just its tech. It’s the ecosystem behind it:
A community of educators, hackers, artists, and dreamers building new models of solidarity and sustainability — from the grassroots, for the future.

We’re just getting started.

With a working MVP on mainnet, a growing network of 200+ potential youth beneficiaries, and strong local ties through Platohedro, we’re now opening the doors for collaboration, testing, and expansion.

Curious to See It in Action?

• Watch the Project here
• Watch the Reel

Links of interest

• Web3Wasi Website

[Matt]

Truly inspiring work, Alexander! Platonautas is a beautiful example of how Web3 can empower real communities. Love the blend of tech, culture, and care.

Quick question, how can people outside Colombia get involved or support the mission of Platonautas and Web3 Wasi?

[rubeola]

Thank you so much for your kind words and support! It truly means a lot to us. At Platonautas and Web3 Wasi, we’re deeply committed to weaving technology, culture, and care into meaningful experiences for our communities—and we believe this is just the beginning.

There are many ways folks outside Colombia can get involved or support:

• Join our mission through staking: We’re exploring “impact staking” as a way to sustain our work. If you’re interested, we’d love to connect and walk you through how to get involved.
• Share and amplify: Help us spread the word about Platonautas—every share, shoutout, or intro helps more than you can imagine.
• Give us feedback: We’re learning in public and value all insights, questions, or ideas to make this stronger and more impactful.
• Support onboarding efforts: We’re actively looking for support to continue our educational sessions and community activations in Web3.

We’re wide open to collaborations, feedback, and any kind of support that aligns with this vision of community-driven Web3. Let’s build together!

[Juminstock]

I’m glad to see you’ve joined the community along with your introduction, Alex! Here are my thoughts:

Alex and Platohedro have an amazing mission that directly impacts people, from supporting education in vulnerable communities to providing spaces for ideation and creation, such as the Platohedro house itself. This makes them key contributors in driving potential adoption within the communities they engage with, as financial and educational solutions can have a major impact there.

On the other hand, Alex and his team developed Platonautas, which, from a tech perspective, uses the ASTR token for all transactions and integrates Kyo Finance, Startale Cloud Service, and Account Abstraction into its infrastructure. If we add to this the goal of Platonautas, supporting Platohedro’s internal processes through financing models that use the ASTR token within the platform, it makes them an incredibly strong product for our ecosystem.

Welcome strongly to the Astar Collective ecosystem, Alex!

[rubeola]

Thank you so much for your kind words and warm welcome. We’re truly glad to hear that the work of Platohedro and Platonautas resonates with the spirit of the Astar ecosystem.

We also firmly believe that Astar can help us grow and strengthen our capacities, especially in our work with communities. Right now, we’re preparing everything to launch the pilot phase, specifically with the communities connected to Platohedro, and we know we’ll need the support, collaboration, and knowledge of everyone in this community.

We’re excited for what’s ahead and deeply grateful to be part of this collective!

[you425]

Hello, thank you for the introduction!

In the past, Astar has donated developer rewards from dApp Staking, but doing this as an independent project is quite unique. I think it’s a great idea!

• I tried interacting with Platonautas, but are contract interactions currently not functioning?
• I understand that each point reflects on-chain activity, but how is the evaluation conducted? It seems like points are being awarded even for activities not directly related to Platonautas, which is a bit concerning.

[rubeola]

Hi! Thanks a lot for your thoughtful message and for taking the time to explore Platonautas.

That contract was part of a hackathon and served as a proof of concept — it’s currently inactive.

Platonautas is not a platform that hosts its own activities. It’s a reward mechanism designed to encourage ongoing Web3 learning, especially among teenagers in Medellín.

After a recent team meeting, we’ve decided to adjust the app to focus more directly on Astar’s dApp Staking. We’re also exploring alternative protocols to Talent Protocol for tracking participant progress, to better align with our goals.

We’re just getting started, but excited about the potential of this model to grow and support more youth in meaningful ways.

[you425]

I understand, thank you for your reply!
I look forward to the official release.

[pitcoin777]

It’s truly moving to see blockchain being used to bring real-world benefits — especially by creating opportunities for communities to take a step forward.
Please stay strong and committed on this journey!

I’m curious to learn more about your goals from a business perspective:
What are your main objectives when using crypto and blockchain in your project?

[rubeola]

Thank you so much for your kind words and for your interest in our work — it really means a lot!

Our main focus is to build Platonautas as a public good, something that can serve communities over the long term. Right now, we’re planting the seeds by building a solid base and exploring how blockchain can empower local participation and learning.

In the future, once a strong community forms around the app, we envision NGOs — as well as everyday users — being able to offer services or products within a shared marketplace, creating a kind of circular economy.

It’s still a dream in progress, but one we believe in deeply.

[dianahr]

Hi! I’m Diana, part of Platonauta’s team!

We are very excited about the project, as it will help many children and young people. Additionally, the staker will be supporting the mission while also receiving a percentage in return.
We are currently exploring the best option to track the progress of the quests.

We will keep you updated with our progress, and if you have any questions, we’ll be happy to answer them.
Thank you for your support!