The Builder Who Turned Barriers into Protocols: The Agbona Igwemoh Story
This is the story of Agbona, the builder who channeled the problems of frontier markets into the Chiss Protocol, a specialized FX settlement network on Avalanche.
Before Chiss Protocol became a Codebase Season 2 winner, its founder Agbona Igwemoh had already faced the hardest part of building in frontier markets; creating trust where infrastructure didn’t exist.
That challenge right there became his spark.
In Web3, it’s easy to get lost in the noise of charts, code, and market cycles. But behind every protocol are builders; real people whose stories, struggles, and visions shape the future of the ecosystem. That’s what Avalanche Team1’s Spotlight series is about: bringing forward the human layer of innovation. By telling these stories, we’re not just celebrating products or milestones; we’re honoring the builders whose curiosity, resilience, and imagination make Avalanche more than just a chain: they make it a community.
From Frontier Markets to Web3 Vision
One of those builders is Agbona, whose journey reflects both the challenges and possibilities of Web3. For him, this space has never been about speculation or hype; it has always been about something deeper.
Growing up in frontier markets, he saw firsthand the struggles of accessing stable financial systems, how individuals and businesses were often excluded, not because of lack of ambition, but because the infrastructure wasn’t built for them.
That lived experience shaped his conviction: money is information, and for too long that information has been locked inside walled gardens. Web3, for him, was not just a new technology: it was a chance to break those walls.
The Sandbox: Building with Finna
His first step was Finna, a project that became his sandbox for discovery. With Finna, Agbona and his team spent countless hours listening to real users across Nigeria, Kenya, and other emerging economies. What they uncovered was powerful: people wanted simple access to stable value, cross-border payments that actually worked, and credit systems they could trust. Yet both traditional finance and early Web3 left these needs unmet.
The Birth of Chiss Protocol
That realization led to Chiss Protocol. For Agbona, Chiss is not just another DeFi product. It is a global financial protocol, built on the belief that emerging markets shouldn’t only participate in global innovation, they should shape it. The scars and lessons from Finna became the foundation for Chiss.
At its core, Chiss functions as a real-time FX settlement network built on the Avalanche blockchain. It enables seamless swaps between USD-pegged stablecoins and localized stablecoins tied to inflationary currencies like the Nigerian Naira (NGN) and Turkish Lira (TRY). By stripping away the friction of Web3, Chiss makes blockchain feel less like an experiment and more like a standard for global trade, remittances, and hedging against local currency volatility.
The Avalanche Turning Point
Every builder has a turning point. For Agbona, that moment was Avalanche’s Codebase. Acceptance into the program wasn’t just validation; it was acceleration. Codebase sharpened his focus on scalability, governance, and liquidity, and gave him access to mentorship and partnerships that expanded his vision beyond frontier markets.
The outcome spoke volumes: Chiss Protocol emerged as one of the winners of Avalanche Codebase Season 2. That recognition was more than a trophy, it was proof that what began as local insights had grown into a blueprint for global financial infrastructure.
Today, building with Avalanche’s support feels like alignment. As Avalanche cements its place as a leading chain for stablecoins and real-world assets, Chiss is building alongside that momentum. With backing from Codebase mentors, ecosystem partners, and investors, Agbona is positioning Chiss to become a standard in global finance.
A Message for Builders
But beyond protocols and milestones, Agbona’s story carries a simple message for other builders: start where you are, with what you have. Don’t wait for perfect conditions. Curiosity, collaboration, and persistence are the building blocks of Web3. Even failures, he believes, are just unfinished drafts of success.
Agbona is helping write the future of finance, one block and one story at a time.
Follow the journey and join the movement at @aAgbona and @ChissProtocol on X.
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