Chezka Gonzales is helping crypto land in Manila

Part one:
Part two:

A gold-dusted fish ball paid for in crypto isn’t your typical blockchain outreach – but neither is Chezka Gonzales. The former pilot is using food, humour, and culture to bring web3 to the streets in the Philippines.

Before launching Philippine Blockchain Week or helping national airlines mint NFTs, Gonzales was flying planes for a living. When the pandemic grounded her career, she turned to crypto – a space she knew nothing about, but quickly made her own.

How losing her flight career led to crypto

"I lost my job in the airline industry," she told The Crypto Radio. A friend introduced her to Ethereum, sparking her curiosity. "I learned about crypto, I earned during the pandemic, and I got intrigued by its unique potential."

Gonzales enrolled in NAS Daily's crypto creator master course, where she connected with participants from around the world. "We started planning the event within three months," she recalled, referring to Philippine Blockchain Week – a major conference she helped organize, inspired by similar events abroad. “Our goal is making the Philippines the blockchain capital of Asia,” she said – and that vision has shaped her approach ever since.

Her diverse background as a pilot, nurse, and mother helped her adapt quickly to the demands of the industry. "I'm a doer," she said. "I'm not afraid to try new things, even if I might fail." That mindset helped her quickly gain recognition in an industry often dominated by technologists and insiders.

"I thrive in fast-paced environments and enjoy the volatility and breakneck nature of crypto," she added. For someone used to the urgency of aviation, the pace of crypto felt like familiar terrain – only faster.

Empowering women and bridging web2 with web3

As someone who’s built a career in spaces often dominated by men, Gonzales has become a role model – whether she set out to be or not. "I'm happy to see more women in the Philippines becoming pilots," she said, "and it's rewarding to empower girls in the crypto space." She added, "I aim to be a pioneer in traditionally male-dominated industries, including aviation and crypto."

One example of her ability to connect old and new industries came through her work with Philippine Airlines. "I helped Philippine Airlines create their first NFT, making them the first airline in the Philippines to do so," she said.

"I enjoy mixing the worlds of web2 and web3, making blockchain accessible to traditional companies," she explained. For Gonzales, it’s about more than technology – it’s about building practical bridges between legacy systems and emerging tools.

Tackling crypto adoption in the Philippines

"The Philippines was number one in Metamask downloads in the world in 2021," Gonzales pointed out – a sign of how quickly crypto gained momentum during the pandemic, especially through play-to-earn games like Axie Infinity.

Still, adoption isn’t guaranteed. While the government has shown support for blockchain initiatives, Gonzales believes more needs to be done to make the technology relevant to daily life. "We need more proof of real-world applications," she said.

That’s why education has become a core focus. Through the Blockchain Council of the Philippines, she’s collaborating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology to run workshops and conferences for students. "We’re targeting young people, giving them a glimpse of the potential of blockchain and crypto," she said.

She’s also highlighting how crypto can function in everyday environments. "We're showing real-world applications like agricultural farms where farmers earn crypto," she said. For Gonzales, it's about shifting public perception from speculation to utility.

Why Chezka Gonzales is selling fish balls for crypto

The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission is currently developing a regulatory framework for digital assets. While that introduces some uncertainty, Gonzales sees it as a necessary step toward stability and trust.

To push crypto beyond the usual tech circles, she’s taking a creative approach. In an upcoming PR campaign, the Blockchain Council plans to put a twist on Filipino street food – specifically, the classic fish ball, a deep-fried snack sold by vendors across the country.

"They'll be fish cubes, technically, and we're going to accept crypto payments just because we wanted to," she said with a laugh. "It's not because we're selling it, per se. Imagine these blocks with gold flakes and stuff." Then, smiling at the pun, she added, "We're going to make blocks – because it's blockchain, right?"

The goal is to reach people who might never attend a crypto event or download a wallet app. "We created the most expensive fish ball that accepts crypto payments to make blockchain more accessible to everyday Filipinos," she said.

"We want to target markets that aren't usually tapped by the blockchain industry... By targeting them with just a street food, they wouldn't know that [crypto payment] would be possible. And that's the mass adoption we're looking to achieve."

When asked to summarise her mission, Gonzales didn’t hesitate: "Impact and connections." For her, it’s about bringing companies and thought leaders together in meaningful ways.

The fish ball stunt may be playful – a nod to the word “block” in blockchain – but the intent is serious: to make crypto feel less intimidating, more familiar, and ultimately more useful.

Scaling impact across Southeast Asia

"The Philippines has huge potential as a blockchain hub with our large community of gamers and consumers," she told The Crypto Radio.

Through the Blockchain Council and her own local initiatives, Gonzales is working to integrate crypto into everyday settings — from schools and farms to food stalls and airlines. Her focus remains on making the technology useful, visible, and accessible.

What began as a career shift has become a broader effort to connect blockchain with real communities — one project at a time.

Listen to the whole interview on The Crypto Radio's live player or in My Crypto Journey podcast: Part one and Part two.