Mudas Capital isn’t simply the perfect example of innovation meeting opportunity in the Web 3.0 sphere, it’s also a project defined by a broader purpose. The founders’ vision is to propel forward a successful model of regenerative economics, one in which the distribution of opportunities in a technological revolution is democratic and happens in concert with the work of the newly formed Fundação Mudas (FM). FM applies a similarly innovative formula to fight climate change, protect biodiversity, and boost the wellness of our living planet.
Environmental activism is deeply rooted in the Mudas founding team, among whom are creators of Edge Network which focuses on sustainable, distributed computing solutions (and is host of Mudas.com), as well as board directors of major international conservation organizations.
Fundação Mudas is a non-profit entity registered in the Brazilian state of Bahia and financed through the donation of 10% of Mudas Capital DAO’s revenues. The foundation’s tightly focused mission is forest conservation and reclamation in three geographical regions, the Amazon and Atlantic rainforests and the Cerrado.
Why should forests be our inspiration and mission (our Mataverse derives from ‘mata’ — Portuguese for forest — while mudas is Portuguese for seedling)? The answer is simple: it’s because saving the forests is mission critical to saving ourselves. To saving all life on earth. And we believe we can make a long-term impact.
We learn as children that forests are the world’s lungs, in essence breathing in carbon dioxide and exhaling oxygen while we as humans breathe oxygen and exhale carbon. The perfectly symbiotic relationship between forests and people is a fundamental value held sacred in ancient religions and maintained today at the core of many native societies’ belief systems, particularly in the southern hemisphere. These societies are, unsurprisingly, some of the world’s great forest defenders.
The role of forests in the health of the planet can’t be overstated. Forests’ impact in controlling climate goes far beyond simple carbon capture to slow global warming, but also to cycles of precipitation and drought prevention, even working as a rainwater-delivery system for aquifers through plants’ root systems. Forests of course also provide the habitat to millions of species, while playing an essential role in prevention of soil erosion. Forests also act as the source for countless medicines contributing to the betterment of humanity.
Governing all FM activities and investments is the awareness that many of the increasingly common tree planting campaigns that companies and individuals promote around the world — even if well-intentioned — are executed superficially. They can even serve to distract from the broader and more complex mission of addressing the challenge of guaranteeing long-term forest flourishment. After all, what good is planting trees without a strategy and resources to protect forest growth in the future? What good is planting while ignoring the fact that a far greater number of mature trees are being cut down annually (about 15 billion trees are felled per year according to the journal Nature)?
Deforestation — especially the accelerating use of fire to clear land — results in an immediate and devastating carbon release and creates a scenario in which even well-financed and planned reforestation efforts require a minimum of 2–3 decades to regain comparable levels of carbon capture. The important work of preventing deforestation on any meaningful scale (especially on public or native-American held lands) is a challenge FM is taking on by supporting existing conservation organizations who’re already engaged in the most successful work coordinating community partners and public authorities with realistic economic scenarios that make protecting standing forests viable.
FM’s intention to finance forest protection is a top-line action simply because preventing trees from falling is the most urgent and impactful path. But this doesn’t mean investing in restoration of previously degraded landscapes isn’t a priority, especially because exciting opportunities exist in which these efforts have potential to become self-financing, a perfect example of regenerative economics at work.
FM is advancing partnerships with innovative timber operators developing hybrid commercial / conservation projects which introduce for-profit timber activity on previously deforested lands. All this while committing to science-based reforestation on 50% of acreage, including within this planning the infrastructure to guarantee permanent rewilding.
On top of these cutting edge conservation works FM is exploring an added layer to connect DAO members to Brazil where the Mudas story originates. With abundant hospitality sector expertise already in the Mudas Capital DAO founder group, we have plans to introduce remote work / study spots to host DAO members interested in seeing the conservation projects they’re participating in first-hand. This will grant them the opportunity to interact with neighboring communities who benefit from the FM, thus completing a circle of endeavor which connects investment / enterprise with environmental good / education. These are the kind of foundational values that Mudas Capital can build upon for decades to come.
