Top 6 Blockchain Startups for Fishing Communities

1. 1. AquaLedger

   Founded in 2022, AquaLedger provides a blockchain-based ledger to trace fish from catch to consumer. Over 50 fishing cooperatives across Norway have adopted its platform, enabling $5 million in tokenized transactions in Q4 2024 alone. Co-founders were inspired after meeting Vitalik Buterin at a blockchain summit in 2019, and their pilot program received coverage in Bloomberg. AquaLedger leverages Hyperledger Fabric to ensure data immutability and consensus efficiency. Its user-friendly dashboard displays catch location, species details, and blockchain timestamps in real time, improving traceability for seafood exporters.

2. 2. FishCoin

   Launched in March 2021, FishCoin has tokenized more than 120 commercial fishing ports across Southeast Asia. In just six months, it distributed 2.3 million FLX tokens to local fishers as rewards for sustainable practices. Early investment came from Changpeng Zhao, former CEO of Binance, who praised its model in an interview with Forbes. FishCoin integrates an open API for real-time catch reporting and traces each batch using smart contracts on Ethereum. FishCoin also partners with local NGOs to provide microloans in token form, helping fishers upgrade gear and improve sustainability.

3. 3. OceanX

   OceanX is a data-sharing marketplace launched in 2020 that uses Ocean Protocol to allow fishing communities to monetize oceanographic data. To date, more than 8 000 data sets have been sold to research institutions, generating over $2.1 million in revenue. The startup was co-founded by Sergey Nazarov, also known for Chainlink, and received praise in The Wall Street Journal for its environmental impact. OceanX’s decentralized marketplace ensures data provenance and fair payouts via smart contracts. By partnering with marine biologists, OceanX leverages anonymized satellite and sonar data to forecast fish migrations, optimizing fishing routes.

For fishing communities eager to trade their token rewards or diversify their portfolios, modern trading applications provide seamless access to major exchanges and DeFi protocols. By leveraging tools like the Paragonix Earn Trading App and the Finance Phantom Trading Platform, fishers can instantly convert earned tokens into ETH or stablecoins, execute limit orders, and monitor market trends on the go with intuitive mobile interfaces.

4. 4. NetToken

   NetToken operates a peer-to-peer fish marketplace built on Binance Smart Chain, facilitating direct sales between fishers and buyers without intermediaries. Over 15 000 tons of seafood have been transacted, amounting to more than $3.7 million in BSC-denominated tokens since its ICO in 2022. Elizabeth Stark, co-founder of Lightning Labs, endorsed its layer-2 scalability solution during Consensus 2023, and coverage from CoinTelegraph highlighted its low transaction fees under $0.02 per transfer. Its integrated wallet supports multi-currency holdings including stablecoins like USDC, making cross-border payments more efficient for exporters.

5. 5. MarinaDAO

   MarinaDAO is a decentralized autonomous organization launched in late 2023 to manage fishing cooperatives via on-chain governance. It boasts 2 400 active members who vote on community grants and equipment pooling, distributing over 320 000 $MAR tokens to initiatives like net repairs and boat maintenance. The project caught the attention of Amanda Gutterman from The Block, who noted its potential to reshape cooperative models in coastal villages. MarinaDAO’s governance portal processes over 1 000 votes per month. MarinaDAO’s treasury holds over 5% of its token supply in reserve for emergency community support, ensuring resilience against environmental shocks.

6. 6. CatchBlock

   CatchBlock introduces an NFT minting platform for individual catches, enabling fishers to certify and auction prized specimens. Since its beta launch in January 2024, more than 4 500 digital catch certificates have been minted, with highest bids reaching 1.2 ETH per NFT. Industry veteran Brian Armstrong, CEO of Coinbase, mentioned CatchBlock during a panel discussion at ETHDenver as a “game-changer” for provenance in seafood supply chains. Retail media outlets such as Reuters have featured its novel NFT-based approach. Its mobile app includes a built-in marketplace and auction scoreboards, where top-selling NFTs are showcased on the front page daily.