Jeremiah Lee and Evan Prodromou: Money, Justice, and the Future of the Social Web

Jun 11

Kristine Michie - PlayFull Podcast - Jeremiah Lee and Evan Prodromou

Jeremiah Lee and Evan Prodromou: Money, Justice, and the Future of the Social Web

In this episode, Kristine talks to Jeremiah Lee and Evan Prodromou of the Interledger Foundation and Social Web Foundation to explore how to shift power away from gatekeeper platforms and toward creators and communities. Diving deep into the intersection of technology, equity, and global access, they emphasize how every small, intentional choice online can add up to big shifts in autonomy. They delve into how “web monetization” creates a middle path between invasive ads and subscription fatigue, why open social networks protect creator-audience relationships, and why distributing digital economic power globally is a radical step toward financial inclusion for everyone.

Key Takeaways:

The modern internet is no longer separate from “real life”; it’s the infrastructure for how people connect, express themselves, and earn a living.
Open standards for social networking can let people choose the platforms that reflect their values while keeping their audiences and relationships intact.
Web monetization proposes a middle path between invasive ads and subscription fatigue, using passive micropayments to support the creators we spend time with.
Financial exclusion and high remittance fees show how today’s digital money networks leave billions behind, especially in lower-income countries.
Small, values-aligned choices like where you host your content, which financial institutions you use, or how you use AI can cumulatively challenge existing power structures and build a more just web.

"The power of the internet came from all of the smaller networks coming together to interconnect with each other, and what we have started as local communities who had agency in their own space now suddenly able to take that thing that connects them locally and connect to other people globally." — Jeremiah Lee

"What matters to them is connecting to the creator, and if your deal with your platform isn't good enough, you can move to another platform and take your audience with you and that's really the goal here." — Evan Prodromou

Episode References:

Web Monetization: webmonetization.org

About The Interledger Foundation:

Interledger Foundation believes payment networks should be interoperable to remove barriers to participating in the global financial ecosystem. Since 2020, the Interledger Foundation has awarded $20 million in over 40 countries, supporting organizations researching and building Open Payments solutions using the Interledger Protocol (ILP). The Interledger network connects financial infrastructure to make payments easier, faster, and less expensive.

About the Social Web Foundation:

The Social Web Foundation works to advance an open, interoperable, and decentralized social web through research, standards development, and community collaboration.

Connect with Jeremiah Lee:

Website: https://interledger.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremiah-x-lee/

Connect with Evan Prodromou:

Website: https://socialwebfoundation.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanprodromou/

Connect with Kristine:

The PlayFull Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-playfull-podcast-with-kristine-michie-bringing-fun/id1676838213?action=write-review

Website: https://www.impactfullinc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impactfull_inc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristine-breese-michie/

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.