Blake Johnson Discusses Philanthropy

Note: This article was originally published on Forbes on Feb 20, 2019.

The idea of giving back is nothing new, but with the additional resources that cryptocurrency has to offer it certainly becomes an incentive.

From tracing exactly where your money is going (and seeing who spends it) to making sure that the welfare of those involved is protected.

That’s why more entrepreneurs than ever before are looking at ways to give back. Like Los Angeles entrepreneur Blake B Johnson, one such businessperson who believes in the power of philanthropy. In his career so far he has launched and sold a variety of businesses for a combined total of $115 million, but most importantly Johnson understands the impact a benefactor can make on nonprofit organizations and communities.

And his companies themselves are often oriented around helping small businesses get off the ground. Blake says: “When people have access to both education and capital that they need to pursue their dreams, they can change the world. Entrepreneurship may seek profit, but it’s crucial for every entrepreneur to ask themselves an essential question: what is that money for, and is there a positive purpose behind it?”

Johnson’s current business, Currency Capital, was created with these types of issues in mind, it helps global businesses to establish themselves in unfamiliar marketplaces such as Asia– to spread the entrepreneurship. Although, for a lot of people the decision comes down to what they’re passionate about. The million dollar question is– how do you become passionate about something? For Johnson that began with his time in the Boy Scouts. Here he learned the importance of education and mentorship however, he also noticed that there were many people, especially young children, who did not have access to such things.

Today, Johnson is now a financial contributor to numerous organizations and sits on boards for causes such as the International Justice Mission, Big Brothers and Big Sisters, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles (Johnson is part of the museum’s Acquisition and Collections Committee), MD Anderson Houston cancer research institute, Sisters of Sojourn, and more.

While charities about children and art are popular, we can’t forget the impact that animals have on us. And in particular the way we treat them. With the arrival of blockchain we can now keep an eye on them much more keenly, even building communities around their welfare and giving them a vote as to what charities, organizations and initiatives should receive their attention.

Step forward Veggiecoin, brain child of open source technology developers Oscar Chambers and Barney Chambers (and twin brothers!) who wanted to open up the technology behind mining to a charitable cause. Now anyone that mines a Veggiecoin raises money for the charity fund automatically as half will go to them and the other to the fund. Oscar explains: “We have developed tools so that anyone can mine Veggiecoins regardless of their technical expertise. By mining Veggiecoin the miner is raising money for the charity fund automatically. This means the donor doesn't have to donate any ‘real’ money at all - they can simply leave their computer running and this directly contributes real value to the charity fund. Simultaneously they gain Veggiecoins for themselves.”

The company are going to continue developing a suite of technologies for integrating Veggiecoin into modern technology. They hope that with the widespread adoption of of the system, the community will raise a great deal of money for animals who need it. Barney says, “All of this is made possible by maintaining transparency on the public ledger. The more positive effect the coin has on the lives of animals, the more interest it will generate in the public space.”

But what about the practicalities of running a business not just as brothers, but also as twins? They tell me, “Generally, we agree on most things and share a common vision, so working with someone like that has been super helpful. Both of us worked on the code together - often pair programming so every decision has had to be unanimous before it was implemented. We both share the same passion for what cryptocurrency can do for animals, so we are committed to providing the perfect cryptocurrency for the job.”

Charities that have benefited so far include the Australian Animal Rescue, which supports abandoned and injured animals and also Battersea Dogs & Cats Home.

With the advancements of blockchain and cryptocurrency, it’s not surprising that major charitable investors such as Blake Johnson may turn to organizations such as Veggiecoin in the future to distribute wealth in a transparent and timely manner.