At Montreal's airport, Denita Gladeau and Ethan Clark were waiting in a terminal for a flight to Vancouver when the topic of blockchain technology came up. The two, both founders of consultancies, questioned how its tamper-proof data sharing was being used for Indigenous communities. The only example they could find was the now-ceased Mazacoin, created by the Lakota Nation, more than nine years before the day of that conversation.

Knowing that blockchain's potential went far beyond digital currencies, the entrepreneurs envisioned a platform where its features and tools would promote financial sovereignty, self-governance, and data ownership. According to their research, Indigenous communities in Canada face a $500 billion infrastructure gap, and 50 percent of individuals are unbanked or underbanked. Additionally, over 80 percent of Indigenous organizations report data sovereignty concerns, and only 0.02 percent of venture capital funding goes to Indigenous entrepreneurs. That conversation continued after they landed in Vancouver, and within that month, it became the foundation for Nationsfirst Technologies.

“As a storyteller, I saw the vision right away and I knew that we could do this,” Gladeau recounts to the Vancouver Tech Journal. “We envision a world where Indigenous nations are interconnected through the realm of blockchain. If we can build those relationships by connecting with our partnerships, we could create a vast network of self-determined communities [...] The future that we see for Nationsfirst is really just about empowering Indigenous communities to fully reclaim their sovereignty in a rapidly evolving digital world, [...] where we don't just adapt to the technology, but we're also leading the way in hopes of shaping a new era where we can really thrive.”

Founded in November 2023, Nationsfirst plans to launch on the Apple Store and Google Play in mid-2025. Gladeau and Clark self-funded the platform until September 2024, when they brought on investor and strategic advisor Jaskanwar Singh, CEO of Dubai-based blockchain consultancy Audace Labs, whom they met through their COO, Brown Eagle. There are now six core members and 12 developers.

How Nationsfirst works

Nationsfirst leverages a variety of blockchain components to serve its users. Its platform includes a foundational layer (layer zero), that enables the creation of smaller networks (subnets) representing different nations. It also incorporates a decentralized governance structure (DAOs) that allows members to participate in decision-making through voting systems, with agreements automatically executed through smart contracts.

The tech runs on digital tokens, which serve multiple purposes: they can identify one’s nation, dialect, village, and clan, as well as represent assets, cultural artifacts, resources, and even offer shares of a company or project. Additionally, Nationsfirst offers digital wallets that give users full control over their funds, allowing them to hold currencies beyond its own Tálə Coin, as well as cash cards.

The platform also features a digital asset exchange that enables users to buy, sell, or swap assets globally. Tools are also available to help members create, fund, and manage governance and tokens, with the option to automate auditing and reporting.

“There are these traditional systems that exist based on the [customs of the] different [nations, villages, and clans],” highlights Clark. “So when we look at the technology, it can be used by an organization or business to optimize resource management and manage their memberships — [...] very practical uses on a day-to-day basis. There is also a higher mission of being able to lead, for example, in an energy project or any initiative working within an Indigenous community’s land and territories. [...] There’s huge potential for a much larger cause.”

Focus on education

When designing the platform, Nationsfirst drew on the experiences of its team and members of their communities. Making it user-friendly and the language accessible for those new to blockchain or not familiar with technology was critical, especially for elders. The long-term goal for the company is to make the platform so easy to use that it will feel as simple as logging into Facebook, as it won’t require a c-phrase: a string of words that helps a person recover a lost blockchain wallet.

“You’re not going to get mass adoption by building something people don't recognize,” emphasizes Clark. “That's so prevalent in the Web3 space [...] The solutions work very well internally, but from the outside, it's just weird, cult-like, and in a different language.”

As part of Nationsfirst’s educational efforts, the company has been developing Web3 courses and workshops in partnership with Audice Labs. The programs will cover topics such as blockchain, decentralized finance, and AI, while exploring use cases specific to the challenges and opportunities facing Indigenous communities. They will be available both in person and online, and will be offered free of charge to Indigenous youth.

“There are so many ways that you can really utilize blockchain,” says Gladeau. “We're creating content so that Indigenous people can get more excited about this conversation and the future, [and know] there are, in fact, alternatives they can use.”

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