Shogo Ishida started NODO in 2023 to solve problems inherent in the African blockchain ecosystem. Their ambition was to build a product that works with several ecosystem stakeholders to drive all-around value for builders, investors, and users of web3 products.

In 2022, when NODO was still an idea in their minds, Africa’s blockchain ecosystem received an unprecedented influx of blockchain capital, but the market’s immaturity was defined by a lack of substantive data, barring some institutionalised investors and decision makers from making inroads into the continent.

In a recent conversation on DeFi in Africa, Mia Mai from Asia-focused Hashkey Capital puts her experience this way: “We understand the opportunities in DeFi and payments, but often lack the guided access to understand the market properly; we hardly get to know so much about the nuances of the ecosystem in Africa.”

NODO has plugged this ecosystem gap, leveraging its deep market penetration to build the continent’s largest database of blockchain companies. Over 1,125 ‘Makers’ have been onboarded on NODO. Makers are entities that list blockchain products and build engaging communities around them. NODO, in return, can launch product campaigns for these startups, exponentially driving their visibility within a pro-blockchain community of over a hundred thousand people.

NODO Wrapped: The Product Community Startup For Blockchain In Africa

Source: NODO

NODO’s vibrant community drove engagement on the platform to new highs month after month. The platform boasts over 340,000 upvotes (similar to likes) on articles posted on the feed and about 40,000 quiz completions. Alongside articles, quizzes and surveys were some of NODO’s most explored features.