Meet Robson — Struggling taxi driver & bartender
In May, we flew into Rio de Janeiro to see first-hand how Brazilians are using Airfox. As our plane landed in the picturesque coastal city, for some reason I couldn’t help but think of the famous book “46750” — the title equal to the number of murders in Rio over just a decade, from 2007 to 2016.
More than 50 million Brazilians live under the poverty line today, with “family incomes of R$387.07 per month” (approximately $5.50 a day). Half of the nation’s young people do not have bank accounts due to exorbitant fees, interest rates, and overly bureaucratic systems. Yet, the beauty of Rio — with its turquoise beaches, lush countryside, and ancient culture — was incredibly hypnotizing. We were impressed by Brazil’s young, tech-savvy workforce energized with entrepreneurial spirit.
We then traveled to Rocinha (South America’s largest favela), where we met Airfox user Robson Carlos. He is struggling, despite working three jobs: motorcycle taxi driver, bartender/waiter, and property manager.
“Airfox is the best financial friend I’ve ever had. It never lets me down,” Robson told us.
Robson explained how Airfox is helping him financially. Receiving payments as a taxi driver can be complicated, especially when he doesn’t have exact change. With Airfox, customers can now pay him directly through our app. Money is instantly added to his account, so he no longer has to carry cash. Instead of physically going to a payment center and waiting hours in long lines, Robson was able to increase his income because he has more time to spend working. Robson also pays utility bills in a matter of seconds using the Airfox app powered by AirTokens, our Ethereum-based ERC-20 digital utility token.
“The money is added to my account right away,” he explained. “Airfox is really quick, something banks are not.”
Blockchain technology is key to changing the status quo, a mission Airfox supports passionately. Our team is working to narrow the wealth gap between rich and poor by bringing financial inclusion to the bottom of the pyramid. We will be sharing more user stories soon.
To hear more stories like Robson’s, please vote for us to present at South by Southwest to discuss how blockchain is empowering individuals in emerging markets. We hope to see you Austin!
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About the author
As Head of Marketing Katie Sedat is focused on building the Airfox brand internationally and growing awareness. She comes to Airfox with over a decade of experience marketing a wide-range of consumer products. Katie is a graduate of Emerson College, and most recently led user acquisition for the mCent app at Jana Mobile, building a user base of over 32 million. She has managed consumer marketing efforts throughout Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
