In this episode, we sat down with Gladstone Arantes Jr, Senior Advisor at Brazil’s National Development Bank (BNDES) and the driving force behind the Brazil Blockchain Network (RBB). From his upbringing in the suburbs of Rio to his vision for “trustless trust,” Gladstone shares how personal experiences, cultural insights, and even the unspoken rules of a mosh pit shaped his approach to transparent, accountable governance. The conversation explores why trustless systems may be the most radical idea in modern governance, how blockchain can rebuild social capital in trust-scarce environments, the idea of “crypto enlightenment” in democracy’s future, and the potential of blockchain and AI in areas like climate action and carbon markets. It’s a grounded look at building trust where it’s needed most—the heart of the state.

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Resources 

https://github.com/gladsjr