How To Democratize Blockchain And The Metaverse: A Meta Talkz with Andreiko “Drako” Kerdemelidis

Andreiko Kerdemelidis is the CTO/Director of Strategy and Co-Founder of Kuva (http://www.kuvacash.com), a blockchain-based decentralized finance (DeFi) platform that allows users to transfer multiple forms of currency in real-time globally, for free. A multiple patent holder, with patents and inventions spanning synthetic haptics, peer-to-peer communications, and head-mounted virtual reality displays, Andreiko uses technology to bring people together for work, play and living, starting with developing, exploring, and designing for experiential outcomes. He brings deep experience in cryptocurrency network design and architecture, as well as applied blockchain implementation, together with over 20 years of business development across multiple diverse domains.

What was your journey like to get where you are?

When I was quite young my parents and my grandfather in New Zealand really encouraged me to understand how the technology around us, and in the world, worked. I was passionate about physics; in my early teens, I built a robot arm, various lasers, ways to transmit power over short distances, and things of that sort. The human factors in tech design led me to create many businesses and inventions. From a software-less keylogger that could be used by anybody to monitor their pc, through to a business that helps mobile carriers understand the experience their users have on their network, and of course through to Kuva.com – a user-satisfaction-led blockchain network that is designed from the ground up to be useful and easy to use for everyone.

In a simpler phrase, what is your company exactly doing?

Kuva is a blockchain network protocol that aims to remedy the loss of buying power globally. It began out of a growing need in Sub-Saharan Africa, where soft currencies mean loss of buying power for citizens. The Kuva Network connects users and service providers with peer-to-peer payments, lets users send and receive funds with one another in multiple on-chain currencies (Stablecoins like our version of USD called USDk, and BTC) using their phone number, and also provides the incentives and a scalable network revenue model for stakeholders to provision the network itself. In particular, to provide this infrastructure and cost model in alignment with maximizing user satisfaction. This aspect is a core part of the protocol that we are developing.

What about Metaverse are you most excited for in the future?

The Metaverse and Web3.0 tech around it is just like the Internet, a tool to enable the extension of the human mind. It is a substrate for further endless creativity and shared experiences. Of course, I am interested in the commercial possibilities. But, the way I think about super-platform concepts like the Metaverse is that if wonderful things are created in them that people can enjoy, then the commerce within it will happen naturally. Between blockchain or decentralized value systems, and metaverse, there is an incredible sweet spot. I aim to build something awesome that can live in this space.

Why should we be paying attention to the Metaverse?

Anything that extends people the space to use their incredible mind and creative human spirit to build things within it, deserves people’s attention. It is an evolution of the Internet, which is another such space. One way or another, all of us will be paying attention to the Metaverse in the near future.