Portugal Local Node - Regional Evaluation

General
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In line with the Local Nodes framework, this post acts as a regional evaluation submission for the potential launch of a Scroll local node in Portugal. Upon approval, a follow-up proposal will be submitted detailing the planned initiatives and scope of the local node.

Portugal has emerged as a leading destination for web3 innovation, with a thriving ecosystem, a favorable regulatory environment, a vibrant community of developers, entrepreneurs, and digital nomads. The country’s web3 landscape is characterized by its welcoming regulatory framework, growing adoption of blockchain technologies, and strong support for decentralized applications and decentralized finance. As one of Europe’s most crypto-friendly regions, Portugal has become an ideal base for blockchain startups and established web3 companies looking to scale in Southern Europe. With Lisbon and Porto leading the way, Portugal is positioning itself as a global center for web3 adoption, innovation, and growth.

1. web3 Adoption

Portugal is now a prominent hub for crypto and blockchain adoption in Europe, driven by a combination of factors that make it an attractive destination for web3 entrepreneurs, developers, and investors. One of the key elements is the active and dynamic web2/3 startup ecosystem, particularly in Lisbon and Porto. These cities have seen a surge in innovative blockchain companies, many of which are exploring DeFi, L2 solutions, and ZK technologies, which are becoming central to the country’s web3 growth.

Portugal also plays host to several significant blockchain events. These events not only bring attention to the country but also provide invaluable opportunities for networking, learning, and collaboration among developers, entrepreneurs, and investors in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. These events serve as a testament to Portugal’s growing prominence as a center for blockchain innovation and its role in shaping the future of web3 technologies.

The country has become an increasingly attractive destination for web3 talent due to its high quality of life, pleasant climate, and affordable cost of living. These factors have drawn numerous web3 founders, developers, and entrepreneurs to settle in cities like Lisbon and Porto, creating a vibrant and engaged community that continues to expand and enrich the local ecosystem. The combination of favorable living conditions, a thriving tech scene, and an open regulatory environment has positioned Portugal as a key player in the European web3 and blockchain landscape.

Furthermore, some of Portugal’s key educational institutions have integrated Blockchain, web3, smart contract and/or general cryptocurrency courses and programs into their curriculum, and have fully embraced the industry and its value.

Metrics:

  • Portugal ranks #3 in the top EU countries for crypto adoption (Chainalysis Global Crypto Adoption Index // XTB)
  • 6.5% of the Portuguese population holds or has used cryptocurrencies, which is higher than the European average (Statista)
  • Portugal ranks as the 6th country on Quality of Life Index (Idealista)
  • Multiple top-ranking portuguese higher education universities have implemented blockchain or web3 oriented modules and courses, including all of the top 4 ranked universities in Portugal (Tecnico Lisboa, FEP, CBS, NOVA IMS, University Ranking)

2. Regulatory Landscape

Portugal has maintained a relatively crypto-friendly regulatory environment, which has played a significant role in its rise as a hub for blockchain and web3 innovation. In the past, the country implemented policies that included tax exemptions on crypto gains for individuals, making it an attractive location for crypto investors and entrepreneurs. These tax-friendly measures allowed individuals to engage with cryptocurrencies without the burden of heavy taxation, further encouraging the adoption of digital assets.

Currently, Portugal is aligning with the framework set by the European Union’s MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) regulation, ensuring that it stays in sync with the EU’s stance on cryptocurrency and blockchain. This alignment provides a clear regulatory roadmap for web3 projects and crypto businesses, helping to foster a stable and predictable environment for innovation.

There are no major legal barriers to the formation and operation of web3 projects or DAOs in Portugal, further supporting the development of decentralized technologies. The legal framework allows for the growth of blockchain startups and projects, enabling them to operate freely and without excessive regulatory hurdles.

As part of the European Union, Portugal benefits from regulatory stability and the confidence of international advocates, which are critical for attracting foreign investment and talent. The combination of favorable regulations, minimal barriers to entry for web3 projects, and alignment with European standards has solidified Portugal’s position as one of the most crypto-friendly countries in Europe.

3. Adoption Challenges

As mentioned, Portugal has emerged as a key hub for crypto and blockchain adoption but there are still some adoption challenges that need to be addressed. One of the primary hurdles is the lower levels of public education on blockchain technologies, particularly outside of urban areas like Lisbon and Porto. Although these cities have strong tech ecosystems, and multiple higher education institutions have already introduced blockchain related content into their curriculum, many regions of the country are still lagging in terms of blockchain awareness and education. This gap in knowledge can limit the broader adoption of web3 technologies and create barriers for individuals and businesses that could benefit from decentralized solutions.

Another challenge lies in regulatory changes, particularly concerning crypto taxation updates that were introduced in 2023. These new policies have caused some uncertainty within the crypto and blockchain sectors, as businesses and individuals adjust to the updated tax framework. While Portugal has historically been seen as a crypto-friendly country, any changes to the tax code can create confusion and lead to concerns about potential future shifts in the regulatory environment.

There remains a conservative stance within the banking sector when it comes to working with crypto-related businesses. Despite the growing popularity of digital assets, many traditional banks in Portugal remain cautious about fully embracing cryptocurrency transactions or offering services tailored to blockchain-based businesses. This hesitancy can create challenges for web3 startups and entrepreneurs, particularly in areas like payment processing and fundraising.

Overall, while Portugal’s crypto and blockchain ecosystem is flourishing, overcoming these adoption challenges will be crucial to ensuring continued growth and widespread integration of web3 technologies across the country.

4. Centralized Exchanges

In Portugal, there is active usage of major crypto platforms such as Binance (offers support to Scroll), Coinbase, Kraken, and Bitstamp, making it easier for Portuguese users to access and interact with blockchain assets. While there is no native Portuguese centralized exchange, the high accessibility to global exchanges ensures that individuals in Portugal can easily engage with the broader crypto market, including Scroll.

Everyone in Portugal has access to all the necessary tools — such as wallets, exchanges, and bridges — that enable smooth onboarding and interaction with the Scroll ecosystem. These tools make it straightforward for users to manage their assets, participate in the network, and leverage the benefits of Scroll’s solutions without encountering significant barriers.

5. Local Ecosystem

Portugal hosts an expanding web3 ecosystem with:

6. Crypto-Friendly Businesses

  • Portugal features crypto-accepting co-working spaces, cafés, and event venues
  • Companies like DeHouse and WorkIN offer web3-friendly co-working and innovation hubs in both Porto and Lisbon
  • A new members-only club in Porto — rumored to embrace crypto as part of its community and payment culture — is also in the works, hinting at the continued mainstreaming of blockchain
  • Strong digital nomad presence contributes to crypto awareness
  • Adoption is less prominent in rural areas, presenting a growth opportunity

7. Existing Communities

  • Active groups
    • ETH Lisbon
    • Lisbon DAO
    • Crypto Café Portugal
    • Porto Crypto
  • Event scene
    • Crypto Mondays
    • web3 Wednesdays
    • ReFi Portugal
    • Weekly Events in both Lisbon and Porto
  • Online presence
    • Local web3 Twitter and Telegram groups are highly engaged

8. Leadership

Proposed Regional Lead: Paulo Gouveia

Currently the Head of Growth at Quill Finance, a DeFi protocol that is home to $USDQ, the native stablecoin of Scroll. My expertise spans across marketing, people management, and web3 development, giving me a well-rounded skill set to drive growth and lead initiatives within the expanding web3 ecosystem.

Beyond my professional role, I am deeply involved in the web3 community in Portugal, having contributed to Porto web3 meetups and have been actively engaged in “Scroll Portugal” events, working to foster collaboration and innovation within the local blockchain community.

This initiative is heavily supported by Subvisual, a Portuguese web3 hub known for its expertise in community building, governance, and technical education. Their support helps me scale web3 initiatives and engage more effectively with both local and international web3 communities.

Additionally, I’ve built a strong local network of developers, designers, and educators, which has been instrumental in connecting key players in the web3 space. This network, combined with my professional experience and passion for the space, positions me to help lead the growth of web3 in Portugal and drive forward the adoption of Scroll in our region.

9. Events & Hackathons

10. Proposed Initiatives

To build a strong and lasting foundation for Scroll in Portugal, I plan to focus on structured, product-focused workshops designed to help local developers and founders prepare for and succeed in Scroll Open. These workshops/meetups will go beyond introductory sessions, offering deep technical guidance and mentorship tailored to Scroll’s stack, particularly zero-knowledge tooling, smart contract deployment, and L2 infrastructure integration.

Our goal is to identify and support high-potential developers and product teams, providing them with the training, resources, and feedback they need to build on Scroll with confidence. By focusing on Scroll Open as a clear outcome, we will guide participants through the steps of ideation, prototyping, and submission — ensuring that Portuguese builders not only participate, but thrive in the program.

In tandem with these workshops, we’ll also foster connections between local developers and early-stage founders. Portugal’s ecosystem already includes promising projects like Quill Finance, which is natively built for Scroll. This gives us a strong narrative and a use case for Portugal as a launchpad for Scroll-native protocols. We plan to use this as a foundation to support the emergence of additional Portugal-based Scroll projects.

To sustain engagement beyond Scroll Open, we intend to set up a local support structure — a group of experienced developers, designers, and growth mentors who can assist teams with technical feedback, user testing, and go-to-market strategy. This structure will create a feedback loop between Scroll core initiatives and the grassroots activity happening in Portugal, enabling both to grow in sync.

This approach — focused on quality over quantity — ensures that efforts are aligned with Scroll’s long-term ecosystem goals, and that Portugal becomes known as a source of high-quality, Scroll-native builders in Europe.

11. Support Needed

  • Access to Scroll branding and dev onboarding kits
  • Access to Scroll merchandising
  • Small “grant” for event organization and educational materials
  • Promotion through Scroll’s official channels to boost visibility
  • Collaboration from existing Local Nodes

12. Why Portugal?

Portugal offers a unique combination of regulatory clarity, community momentum, international connectivity, and exceptional quality of life — all of which have made it one of the most compelling web3 hubs in Europe. The country’s tech-forward cities like Lisbon and Porto have become magnets for developers, founders, and investors, drawn by a vibrant innovation culture and favorable living conditions that support long-term creative work.

At the heart of Portugal’s web3 landscape is a growing focus on Layer 2 and zero-knowledge technologies, with a community that is not only highly engaged but increasingly aligned with the vision Scroll represents. Portugal’s position in the European Union also ensures regulatory stability, while its historical and linguistic ties to Lusophone markets (including Brazil and parts of Africa) give it additional strategic reach.

One of the most significant assets Portugal brings to the Scroll ecosystem is Quill Finance, a protocol natively aligned with Scroll and based locally. As a DeFi platform designed to support Scroll’s native stablecoin, Quill is already building directly into Scroll’s Layer 2 architecture. Its presence here is more than symbolic — it provides a living, breathing example of what the Scroll ecosystem can look like when rooted in local infrastructure. By anchoring our efforts in a region that already has a successful Scroll-native project, we set a strong precedent for other builders to follow.

This makes Portugal not only a suitable location, but an ideal candidate for Scroll’s first European regional node — a launchpad for deeper European adoption. From here, we can incubate and scale new projects, deepen ties with builders across the continent, and position Scroll as a core player in the next wave of ZK-powered innovation.

My vision is to establish Portugal as a leader in zero-knowledge technology and governance participation within the Scroll ecosystem, while building the community-driven infrastructure needed to sustain that leadership over the long term. With Quill Finance as a flagship project and a growing network of builders and educators, Portugal is ready to take the lead in Scroll’s European expansion.

2 Likes
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Similar comment we have made elsewhere, this duplication of builder support programs locally, without vertical focus is, as per our research, counterproductive.

See a similar comment we made to other local nodes:

If Scroll ends up trying to replicate many builder support programs locally, without vertical focus, the risk of many of these programs failing (due to local node teams being spread too thin, lack so specialised incubation/venture building expertise, etc) is too high.
An approach where the local nodes focus on funneling local talent and builders are instead supported by specialised programs that can be in good measure global and vertically focused can likely lead Scroll to outperform other ecosystems and not repeat past mistakes.

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Hello Danielo,

Many thanks for reading our proposal and for your comments!

I fully agree that “replicating” full-scale incubation pipelines at the local level, even worse if it’s done without vertical focus or follow-through, can lead to poor ROI. Our intent is not to duplicate Scroll’s core builder support programs, but to act as a pre-incubation layer: lightweight, cost-effective system that identifies and nurtures local talent, de-risks early ideas and then plugs promising teams into Scroll’s global vertical programs.

Rather than trying to incubate full ventures locally, our support structure is designed to filter, validate and upskill. We aim to ensure that only the most aligned, technically-ready teams are funneled into Scroll’s more specialized global programs — increasing their success rate and reducing the burden on core Scroll teams.

Our more detailed proposal, if this regional evaluation is accepted, will enlighten on how we plan that all the local builder support activity is done in coordination with Scroll’s core verticals, aligned themes (Payments, ZK identity, DeFi Infra) and share it’s KPI’s, making sure they reach Scroll vertical pipelines with early traction and user feedback.

I see our proposed structure less as an incubator but kind of a validation sandbox. We aim to provide enough local guidance and feedback to help teams avoid false starts, prove early product-market fit and gain confidence before stepping into more resource-intensive global support programs such as Scroll Open.

One of our ideas mentioned on “11. Support Needed”, is collaboration with other Local Nodes. A sync between the Local Nodes and Scroll core vertical teams will insure that local activities directly serve global innovation priorities, will avoid duplication and optimise resources.

We do not aim to be a “mini Scroll” but to feed Scroll high-quality, prepared builders and at the same time avoid the low-signal/high-noise dynamic that often comes from low quality/structured hackatons.

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Thanks for the clarification. I still disagree with this

It’s great to offer training for devs, that’s different from startup programs. Some devs might want to be entrepreneurs but that’s likely a minority. So training devs increases a valuable talent pool.
It’s great to talk about scroll and attract entrepreneurs, but trying to filter/mentor them shouldn’t be done in a generalist, non-specialised way. There is no chance you can effectively help founders assess and validate ideas across health tech, collab tech, defi, gaming, depi, bio tech, etc etc etc. at the same time.

If anything, the biggest opportunities for doing builder support better is at the pre-idea (problem definition) and idea-validation stages. Leaving that in the hands of local programs without vertical specialisation and without the right skill miz is a poor configuration and doesn’t allow Scroll to differentiate itself vs other ecosystems.

I can fully support you running Growth initiatives, building local community, etc. but de-risking and early validation is a specialised skillset, with high variability across verticals. It’s very different to derisk a game to a b2b tool (collab tech), vs a defi protocol. And unless you have serial entrepreneurs or validation experts in your team for that, best to let specialised programs do it than trying to do it poorly locally.

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Thanks for this.

I really appreciate and understand your feedback and totally agree with the core premise: “effective idea validation and venture de-risking requires vertical expertise and deep pattern recognition that can’t be generalized across wildly different categories”.

Our intention is not to replace or compete with specialized, high-leverage builder support programs — quite the opposite. What we’re proposing is a lightweight, local talent and signal amplification layer, focused on two key outcomes:

  1. Training and surfacing technically capable builders. As you noted this is different from startups and very much needed
  2. Helping those interested in founding or building products get founder-curious ready, not by trying to validate their ideas ourselves across verticals but by preparing them to enter the right global or specialized pipeline with early traction, context and sharper questions.

We’re not claiming to have the skillset to validate a game vs. a DeFi protocol vs. a B2B tool — that’s exactly why we’re suggesting our role should be to prepare local builders and teams to plug into Scroll’s vertical programs, not to try and replace them locally. The last thing we want is to create fragmented, unfocused initiatives that drain resources and produce low ROI.

Instead, we see our role as signal scouts, helping Scroll avoid the all-too-common problem of unqualified or misaligned teams entering global builder tracks. If we can improve the pre-pipeline quality, that helps the entire system operate better.

We’re 100% aligned on the importance of specialization and we welcome the chance to design a clear handoff or intake process into these vertical programs from our local node. That way, Scroll gets the best of both worlds, local activation and community building with high-quality global builder support.

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Greta thanks for clarifying. I’m glad we’re aligned. An area where I would suggest putting some work to develop this proposal (and all local nodes!) is the CRM aspect of this. How can we inventory talent? how do we collect and manage their data (with GDPR/consent principles in place)? And then how can we manage amplification (i.e. promoting Scroll initiatives to local communities)?

These are multi-stakeholder questions (the answer needs to be agreed across local nodes, delegates, foundation, labs) so we can create an effective ecosystem. So I understand is not your sole responsibility but I can’t vote in favour of local community proposals with a clean conscience unless we have a solution for these critical questions.

Through the facilitation fo the Builder Support Framework we plan to do, we’ll try to raise this point and aim to contribute, but this is a task currently beyond our scope and as mentioned, multi stakeholder. So I’m hoping we can each advance it by providing ideas and raising more awareness about the importance of the handovers, information flow, and data management.

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It’s a great point and actually couldn’t agree more that CRM and data stewardship are foundational to the sustainability of local nodes. As we speak, we’re beginning to sketch out lightweight systems for talent mapping and informed consent flows but as you rightly pointed out, true interoperability requires shared standards.

I’m fully on board with using the Builder Support Framework to surface these questions, pending more information. Maybe we could even co-design a minimal viable CRM protocol to pilot across a couple of nodes, visiting again our point 11 in our evaliation, regarding collaboration between nodes? That might help seed broader consensus.