Ton Patron is the General Manager at Surge Pay, a web3 digital wallet enabling traditional & decentralized transactions. FinTech expert with diverse experience.
What were you doing before Web3?
I’m a traditional finance professional. I worked with one of the biggest asset management companies and the the No. 1 insurance company in the Philippines. I was in Business development before moving into Digital Marketing and eventually Fintech solutions. I helped launched the Philippines first micro investment fund, in the insurance space I headed a team of professionals who launched the first retail insurance product in an e-commerce paltform. I also co-founded a start-up focused on B2B payment solutions with a certification from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as an operator of payment system.
How did you get into Web3?
I chanced upon Bitcoin over Sunday lunch back in 2016. I studied it and eventually led me to a deeper understanding and appreciation of blockchain technology – it was a natural progression from my Fintech background.
What was your first crypto or NFT project?
I’m working on two right now and I consider these as my firsts just because they came at the same time. One is SurgeCoin and the other one is related to asset backed tokens for real estate. These are pretty exciting for me considering I played a big part in writing the white paper for these projects.
How would you explain what you do to someone outside of Web3?
To put it simply, I help people who want to use technology and the internet as a means to establish ownership, create value, and transfer value.
Which creator or thought leader do you enjoy learning from?
There’s a handful but recently my thought process is influenced by Gary Vaynerchuk, Changpeng Zhao, Vitalik Buterin, Ray Dalio, and Elon Musk. I’m Christian so I also balance the persepective of these influencers from what I learn in the Bible.
What is the biggest highlight of your career so far?
Moving from the comfort of employment and a high paying job to co-founding a start-up. Being where I am now allows me work with builders and individuals from varying fields of expertise. It allows me to grow faster in terms of knowledge base.
What tech or crypto trend are you watching this year?
STO, Asset Backed Tokens, gaming tokens as it applies to web2 and web3 gaming ecosystems, and projects that are created to solve real world problems. Gone are the days when you have a solution looking for problems.
What advice would you give someone starting out in Web3?
Be humble so you can learn, involve yourself with projects that will get your hands dirty – write a lite paper if you must – and be open to working with a diverse group of people.
If you could do a TED talk on any topic, what would it be?
I’ve always been curious about the impact of social media and technology to our wellbeing. If i have time to research or enough information my TED talk will be entitled Social Media, Technology and our mental health: How social media and technology affects our mental and emotional well-being.
What is the one thing you would bring if you were stuck on a deserted Island?
My practical side I will go for water or a swiss army knife, but my creative side will go for a good book.
POW stands for “Proof of Work.” It is a new feature article series in The Mega Maxi to highlight the savviest builders in the Web3 space.
