Raised $150k to bring blockchain to SMBs

Rodolfo and Paula Vigliano are the founders of Pala Blockchain, a company dedicated to building Web3 products with a focus on a segment often overlooked by the industry: small and medium-sized businesses.

For 11 years, Rodolfo and Paula lived in Miami. Both born and educated in Argentina, they are passionate about blockchain technology, which drove them to return to their home country to start their own company in the field. This vision materialized in April 2022 with the launch of Pala Blockchain, a company focused on developing Web3 products for underserved SMEs.

“Our goal is to bring blockchain technology into everyday use. We’re not so focused on creating tokens, cryptocurrencies, or building DeFi systems, as was the trend during blockchain’s first wave. Instead, we aim to focus on practical, everyday applications,” Rodolfo Vigliano.

To achieve this, the couple raised $150,000 in investments. Using these funds and their technical expertise—they both build the products they later market—they began offering blockchain solutions to ventures and projects of all kinds.

“Our key differentiator is that our clients can use crypto assets to acquire physical goods, whether it’s a concert ticket or a bottle of wine. We focus on these kinds of solutions and applications,” adds Rodolfo. Paula further emphasizes that blockchain as a technology can be likened to the transformative impact of the internet on daily life. “This is why we focus on usability. The first wave of blockchain was heavily driven by financial speculation. We strive to create accessible products for SMEs that they can quickly monetize, particularly in a country like Argentina, where SMEs can’t afford to invest in something they can’t immediately use or profit from,” reflects Paula Vigliano, who serves as CMO.

What type of companies can use the solutions you create?

Rodolfo Vigliano: From a small grocer to a company managing boutique wineries—like one we currently work with. This latter case is a great example because they’ll have a Web3 marketplace enabling them to accept cryptocurrencies. We’re bringing down to earth applications that are not speculative but instead serve as tools to open new markets.

This is crucial because it’s a growing market—there are more digital wallets and increasing acceptance of crypto assets. While I wouldn’t call it exponential growth, it’s strong and underserved. Many people with crypto assets have nowhere to spend them and are limited to converting them into local currency via exchanges. We’ve already developed several products that we adapt to our clients’ needs, whether it’s for wineries, event ticketing, or concerts.

“We provide the infrastructure to convert physical assets into digital ones and make them marketable.” – Paula Vigliano.

Each business can tokenize what they want, upload it to the store, and allow people to connect their wallets to purchase with crypto assets. These are affordable, customizable solutions for businesses, from online integrations to Web3 stores. They’re so accessible that I’d say half of Argentina’s SMEs could acquire them. They’re also very easy to use.

What is your business model?

Rodolfo Vigliano: We have different models and adapt accordingly. For highly transactional businesses where clients can’t afford upfront development costs, we charge a low fee to kickstart the project and reduce barriers to entry. Then, we implement creator royalties, taking a percentage of the sales made. Other more commercial projects operate differently—we tailor our approach to each case.

We invite you to read the full article by Agustín Jamele.

https://www.forbesargentina.com/negocios/levantaron-us-150-mil-llevar-blockchain-pymes-argentinas-aumentar-adopcion-crypto-pais-n38173

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