The crypto bubble may have burst, but innovation in fintech, Web3, and the blockchain has far from fizzled out. The solutions that companies both big and small are building will transform commerce across the world, from the way bus riders choose their routes in Seattle, to how soybean farmers finance their crops in Brazil.
NavanFor making a slicker corporate credit cardNavan‘s corporate credit card offers employees frictionless spending while providing companies with real-time visibility and control of expenses. Three years after the smart card’s creation, a new upgrade, Navan Connect, now brings Navan’s AI-powered financial analysis to employees’ own credit cards, whether Visa, Mastercard, or from other banks, making the onboarding process more seamless than ever. It’s an entire office network of checks and balances in the palm of your hand.
RideAmigosFor paving the path to sustainable cities with blockchain technologyRideAmigos developed the Pave Commute app to help commuters curb traffic and greenhouse gas emissions, and now it’s putting it on the blockchain, where users can anonymously share a wealth of data on where they travel and how much carbon they save—information that is then sent to public and private stakeholders in exchange for incentives and rewards. The app has been used by Toyota, LA Metro, and the City of Seattle, and RideAmigos is a partner in a National Science Foundation–funded pilot program for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Unstoppable DomainsFor building Web3’s digital passportsUnstoppable Domains is building a service that can provide a Web3 digital identity to every person in the form of a simple domain address (like: connie.crypto). It can be used as a verified profile, an account code for more than 180 digital wallets and crypto exchanges, and a single login credential for 500-plus apps, games, and metaverses in existence. The domain name itself is a blockchain-based asset, meaning users can “own” their own digital identity—and 3.4 million people signed up to do just that. Unstoppable’s partners include Blockchain.com, Bitcoin.com, Polygon, and OKX.
VisaFor helping farmers cultivate cryptocurrencyVisa created a blockchain platform focused on helping farmers (and other “small and medium enterprises”) get better access to global capital markets—including a wider range of investors—and convert between global currencies using crypto, especially at times when they may struggle with traditional systems. The prototype can turn financing contracts into NFTs, is secured with facial recognition technology, and has already achieved a proof of concept in a case study with the digital Brazilian real. Visa is exploring its applications at central banks across the world.
The companies behind these technologies are among the honorees in Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech awards for 2023. See a full list of all the winners across all categories and read more about the methodology behind the selection process.
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