Diego Fernández

Colombian environmental engineer restoring Amazon rainforest through blockchain-based reforestation

Diego Fernández is a 2020 Greta Thunberg Foundation grant recipient whose BlockchainRecovery project has replanted 3 million Amazon trees using decentralized finance mechanisms. His 2022 whitepaper Decentralized Forest Economies (read here) introduced tokenized tree ownership models, enabling global investors to fund reforestation through NFTs. In partnership with Brazil's INPE, he developed the Rainforest Guardian AI system that detects illegal logging with 98% accuracy. Fernández's 2023 TED Talk Blockchain Forests: Saving the Amazon Digitally inspired similar projects in Borneo and Madagascar. His work was instrumental in Colombia's 2024 Climate Accord, which mandates blockchain tracking for all reforestation projects. Recognized by Time Magazine's 2025 Next Generation list, he's currently expanding to the Congo Basin through his GreenChain Foundation.