The blockchain for social impact project HARA is gaining momentum and building up anticipation as it comes closer to launch. As one of the biggest names in the Indonesian blockchain environment, the company is now also taking leadership in educating the country on the potentials of blockchain technology.
Most recently, HARA announced that Dr Chatib Basri, the former Indonesian Minister of Finance, has joined its ranks as an advisor. This is the first time a former minister has endorsed a blockchain project from Indonesia, and is a clear indicator of the calibre of both the team and the project.
“The HARA blockchain will help farmers in the Indonesian agriculture sector increase their productivity, cut the transaction costs and increase their income. I am honoured to be part of this adventure as an advisor for HARA,” – Dr Chatib Basri, former Indonesian Minister of Finance.
HARA is a global and open blockchain-based data exchange platform that focuses on improving the lives of farmers around the globe. The project is an initiative of the established big data company Dattabot, whose long lasting relationships with the government of Indonesia and other parties are proving useful.
This month, HARA became the first blockchain project to be invited by the Indonesian Central Bank (BI) to discuss blockchain technology in the agriculture sector. The first meeting was a success, and another meeting followed to talk about a potential collaboration between the two parties.
As part of the company’s education initiative, HARA organized an informative event together with Cardano’s Emurgo in which both companies shared how they plan to use blockchain technology to tackle real problems. Later, General Electric Indonesia invited HARA to discuss blockchain and their project in a private educational session.
HARA has also made its presence felt during the Korea Blockchain Week, where CEO Regi Wahyu presented the project at the Blockchain for Good Society event. Furthermore, the company was dubbed “ICO of the Month” by Asian Economy TV.
While the company is making strong headway in getting its name out there, perhaps most of its momentum is due to the recent announcement of its new partnerships and advisors. In the last weeks, the company announced partnerships with BNI, the 4th largest bank in Indonesia, and the African Business Institute (ABI), in preparation for its expansion to Uganda later this year.
Another source of excitement has been the success of HARA’s pilot projects, in which the company was able to penetrate the illusive unbanked population of rural Indonesia. The ongoing collection of data has already reached around 3.000 farmers in 41 remote villages. By 2020, HARA plans to attract 2 million Indonesian farmers by expanding its implementation area across the whole of Indonesia.
Furthermore, preparations are being made to expand to other developing countries on the equator, and HARA has already started negotiations with potential partners in Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Kenya, Uganda, Mexico, and Peru.
HARA’s mission to empower billions of people around the globe appears illustrious at first glance, but taking a closer look it does not seem that their mission is far out of reach. If the results of their pilot projects are any indication, it looks like HARA’s data exchange might be the next big breakthrough in fighting poverty through blockchain technology.