Episode description

In this episode of the Applied Blockchain Podcast, ⁠Adi Ben-Ari⁠ speaks with ⁠Pedro López-Belmonte⁠, former Head of Technology Innovation at Richemont (parent company of Cartier, Montblanc, and IWC), about blockchain’s real-world applications in the luxury and retail sectors.

Pedro shares deep insights from nearly a decade at the forefront of blockchain, Web3, and emerging technologies - including how digital product passports, NFTs, and privacy-preserving loyalty are reshaping customer engagement and combating counterfeits.

They discuss:

• Blockchain’s role in transparency and IP protection
• Digital product passports for proof of ownership & authenticity
• The challenge of linking physical and digital assets
• Why many loyalty NFT projects fall short — and how to fix them
• Case studies from IWC, Porsche, eBay, and Vestiaire Collective
• Community-based loyalty, secondary markets & real value delivery

Resources Mentioned

• Bitcoin White Paper: ⁠⁠bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf⁠⁠
• Purple Cow by Seth Godin
• Vitalik Buterin’s blog: ⁠⁠vitalik.ca⁠⁠
• POAP: ⁠⁠poap.xyz⁠⁠
• Animoca Brands: ⁠⁠animocabrands.com⁠⁠
• Richemont on choosing a public blockchain: ⁠⁠ledgerinsights.com/cartier-owner-richemont-why-it-chose-a-public-blockchain⁠⁠
• Music shout-outs: Frank Zappa & Brian Eno 🎵