Our vision

Making Puerto Rico a leader in blockchain innovation.

The Puerto Rico Blockchain Trade Association (the Association) was established to build an inclusive crypto community and propel Puerto Rico to the forefront of blockchain innovation. Be you a day trader or just cryptocurious, native or newly arrived, start-up or established corporation, this association is for you.

We envision Puerto Rico as the destination for technology entrepreneurship and blockchain initiatives. Puerto Rico has demonstrated its commitment to spurring economic development, attracting new talent and business, and positioning the island as a leader in the cryptocurrency space by implementing Act 60. We want to build on that progress with local blockchain legislation and free public education.

Community. Education. Advocacy. 

Community. Education. Advocacy. 

Community. Education. Advocacy. 

Community. Education. Advocacy. 

Community. Education. Advocacy. 

Community. Education. Advocacy. 

Meet The Team

Our team is composed of technology oriented individuals who are moved by the crypto scene in Puerto Rico and are committed to share their experiences and knowledge with others.

Executive Director & Co-Founder

Keiko Yoshino

Keiko is focused on building an inclusive community and advancing blockchain friendly laws in Puerto Rico. She is an experienced public policy attorney and lobbyist from Washington, D.C. where she previously served as Legislative Director to both a City Council member and the Deputy Mayor of Planning and Economic Development.

Keiko has extensive experience navigating controversial issues, building coalitions, and working with state and local government to achieve favorable outcomes.

Director of CryptoCurious

Shirley McPhaul-Castro

Shirley is the Director of Crypto Curious, the Puerto Rico Blockchain Trade Association’s Education and Community outreach program. Shirley is a medievalist with a deep passion for the humanities, cybernetics and interactive media. She holds two Master Degrees in comparative studies, one in cultural semiotics and a second one in narrative and communications. Her research in these topics is focused on reception, popular culture and interactive design, fictional worlds and gender theory.

Shirley has been part of the crypto space since 2020, her theoretical background and experience in academic research have allowed her a privileged vantage point and a deep understanding of some of the most complex concepts in this field, such as NFTs and the Metaverse. Through CryptoCurious, Shirley advocates for the average person to participate in building Web 3.0 by making the understanding necessary to get started free and easy to access.

Co-Founder and Advisor

Giovanni Mendez

Giovanni serves as legal counsel and tax policy advisor to the Association. With over a decade of experience in tax law and corporate restructuring, Giovanni is the leading authority on Act 20/22/60 and cryptocurrency in Puerto Rico. Admitted to the Puerto Rico and United States Tax Court, Giovanni has advised clients at both the state and federal levels. His clients include Fortune 500 companies, tech, pharma, telecoms, e-commerce, private equity investors, and high net-worth individuals.
Software Engineer, AI Artist, & Educator

Pedro Cruz

Pedro Cruz is a Software Engineer with over 10 years of experience. He brings software projects to life with clients ranging from small startups, to large Fortune 500 companies. He specializes in Artificial Intelligence, AR/VR, and Blockchain applications.

Pedro is also a dedicated educator, teaching people how to code through workshops, bootcamps, and hackathons. He serves on the board of non-profit organizations, including Link Puerto Rico, the first blockchain developer education community in Puerto Rico, and Social Key, an organization providing access to VR headsets to underrepresented communities.

Director of L60 Education

Gustavo Diaz Skoff

Gustavo Diaz Skoff is the founder of BĀSED, a magazine and digital platform showcasing entrepreneurial communities through storytelling and economic data collection. Previously, Gustavo led co-living spaces, last-mile intelligence efforts across Puerto Rico, and grassroots economic development organizations.
Discover our

Initiatives

to champion Web3 adoption in Puerto Rico.

Crypto Curious

Our education and community outreach initiative to make the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate blockchain technology, crypto-assets and Web 3.0 accessible to Puerto Ricans.

Learn more

Blockchain Week

We bring an opportunity to meet governmental agencies, mingle and network with local executives and companies that have already made the move into crypto.

Act 60 Tax Incentives

Act 60 (or L60) is comprised of 73 tax incentives, learn at about them all in this "Rice and Beans" summary.

InnovAcción

We ensure that every person in Puerto Rico is prepared for the future with lessons in emerging technologies such as web3, artificial intelligence, and metaverse.

Meet

Our Partners

Join the crypto community

Make a donation and/or become a member to stay up to date with the latest crypto news in Puerto Rico.