Max Semenchuk: Digital Democracy, War & Resilience

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Nov 7, 2025

In a captivating discussion, Max Semenchuk, Program Director of the Web3 Institute in Ukraine and a former software entrepreneur, emphasizes the essential role of digital innovation amid war. He shares how Ukraine has risen to the top of the UN's e-participation index, transforming its system with groundbreaking platforms like Diia and Prozorro. Max recounts his journey from tech to civic engagement, detailing how the COVID crisis sparked necessary government integrations of Web3. His insights reveal how digital tools can foster resilience and a brighter future for a nation in turmoil.

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ANECDOTE

From DAO Volunteer To Government Advisor

Max applied DAO principles to coordinate COVID-era volunteering and hospital support in Ukraine.
That experience led him to join the Ministry of Digital Transformation as an advisor and help form the Web3 Institute.

INSIGHT

Digital Strategy Born From Existential Pressure

War and population decline forced Ukraine to prioritize digital systems to preserve democracy and economic viability.
Web3 and digital tools aim to make Ukraine attractive for youth to stay or for diaspora to return.

INSIGHT

Why Ukraine Leapfrogged In E-Participation

Necessity, technical talent, and political leadership drove rapid digital adoption in Ukraine.
Platforms like Diia, ProZorro and Dream combined transparency, identity and reconstruction coordination at scale.

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Join new host and Executive Director Jess Scully for a critical conversation on digital resilience, democracy, and reconstruction with Max Semenchuk, Program Director of the Web3 Institute in Ukraine.

In this episode, Max explains why, even in the midst of full-scale war, digital innovation has become a critical priority for the Ukrainian government. He provides context on the immense challenges facing the nation, including population decline from 52 million to 37 million and the pressures of war on democracy. The core mission, he argues, is not just to survive, but to "build a country desirable for the young to stay or for others to return," using Web3 to contribute to better coordination and new institutions.

Max shares his personal journey from software entrepreneur to civic technologist, catalyzed by the 2016 DAO experiment and accelerated by applying DAO principles during the COVID-19 crisis. This eventually led him to advise Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation on crypto regulation and Web3 strategy.

The conversation explores Ukraine's remarkable digital transformation: rising from 57th to 1st place globally in the UN's e-participation index between 2022 and 2024. Max discusses groundbreaking platforms like Diia (digital ID), Prozorro (transparent public procurement) and Dream (reconstruction project coordination), showing how decentralized infrastructure strengthens democratic resilience even under extreme conditions.

Max also discusses the challenges of translating "radical" Web3 ideas to government officials who often confuse the technology with cryptocurrency, and how the Web3 Institute is bridging that gap through education, practical experience and building "minimum viable consortia" that bring together business, academia and government.

Tune in to learn how decentralized digital infrastructure is supporting Ukraine's resilience and to hear about the upcoming IEEE Ukrainian DLT Forum: Rebuidl, where RadicalxChange is co-hosting a virtual event on "The Future of Digital Democracy: Learning from Ukraine."

Feedback or ideas for future episodes? Email us at info@radicalxchange.org.

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