{"id":"pedro-gomes","title":"Pedro Gomes","content":"**Pedro Gomes** is the founder and CEO of WalletConnect, a protocol that facilitates secure connections between [cryptocurrency wallets](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency-wallet) and [decentralized applications (dApps)](https://iq.wiki/wiki/decentralized-application). His work centers on promoting open standards to enhance interoperability, decentralization, and user experience across the [Web3](https://iq.wiki/wiki/web3) ecosystem. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-OzqkMRyMQTZrZoJY) [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-xWYFLbfyD3b9mpNR)​\n\n## Education\n\nFrom 2012 to 2014, Gomes attended the University of Bath, where he earned a Higher National Certificate in Physics with a 2.1 grade. To build on his technical skills, he later completed a Front End Web Development program at Udacity in 2016. This program focused on JavaScript and responsive web design, strengthening his foundation in core web development principles. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-xWYFLbfyD3b9mpNR)​\n\n## Career\n\nGomes began his professional career outside of tech, working as a freelance photographer for the Bath University Students' Union from September 2012 to June 2013 and as a photography editor for Bathimpact.co.uk until June 2014. He transitioned into technology by working as a freelance web developer from December 2014 to November 2016. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-m8Afi9BlaApgjMiu)​\n\nIn November 2016, Gomes joined [Loot](https://iq.wiki/wiki/loot) Financial Services Ltd. as a frontend web developer, where he developed client-side applications with React/Redux and migrated the company's website from WordPress to Ghost CMS. His entry into the blockchain space began in August 2017 when he joined Balance.io in London as a full-stack engineer. During his time there, which lasted until May 2018, he developed [Ethereum](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum) web interfaces and created the open standard for what would become WalletConnect. From June 2018 to November 2019, he served as a director on the WalletConnect Association board, contributing to the protocol's early development. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-m8Afi9BlaApgjMiu) [\\[4\\]](#cite-id-iGXPnw8jk0QJR3cz)​\n\nBetween November 2019 and September 2020, Gomes worked as a full-stack engineer at Connext Inc., where he focused on cryptocurrency wallet integrations and designed architecture for state channel payments. He then founded WalletConnect Labs in Estonia in September 2020, working on software for decentralized identity and digital wallet authentication until May 2021. Afterward, Gomes founded Reown, serving as its CEO from May 2021 to January 2024 and then as president until August 2024. During his leadership at Reown, he also spearheaded the development of WalletConnect Cloud. In September 2024, he took on the role of founder and director of WalletConnect, where he continues to focus on [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) standards, ecosystem development, and wallet infrastructure. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-m8Afi9BlaApgjMiu)​\n\n## WalletConnect\n\nGomes began working on WalletConnect in 2017 after encountering usability limitations in early Ethereum wallets that struggled to connect with mobile applications. He founded WalletConnect in 2018 and led its transition from an informal open standard into a formally governed protocol, overseeing its evolution into a multi-chain connectivity layer for wallets and [decentralized applications](https://iq.wiki/wiki/decentralized-application). Gomes guided major technical milestones, including the release of WalletConnect 2.0 in 2021, which expanded support beyond [Ethereum](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum), introduced a redesigned permission system, and shifted the protocol toward decentralized relay infrastructure. He continued to direct subsequent updates addressing ecosystem fragmentation, including communication features and tools intended to simplify wallet interactions. In 2024, he announced the establishment of the WalletConnect Foundation to coordinate governance, community participation, and long-term protocol development. Under his leadership, WalletConnect’s usage expanded significantly, with the protocol facilitating hundreds of millions of connections and serving tens of millions of users by 2025. [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-m8Afi9BlaApgjMiu) [\\[4\\]](#cite-id-iGXPnw8jk0QJR3cz) \n\n![](https://ipfs.everipedia.org/ipfs/QmNxUu1rtpoLweiBvHsmLRK1jDYJdyzj8SL79jxhpN6feG)\n\n## Interviews\n\n### WalletConnect\n\nIn a June 2025 interview with Seed Club, Gomes discussed his journey as the founder of WalletConnect and the platform’s development since 2018, noting it has facilitated over 300 million connections across wallets and applications. He described WalletConnect as a universal standard for connecting apps and wallets, comparable to Bluetooth for wallets, enabling interoperability across multiple platforms and chains. Gomes explained how the platform evolved to address challenges from different wallet types, including desktop, mobile, and institutional wallets, and emphasized the importance of community engagement and collaboration in addressing common user experience issues across the crypto ecosystem. He highlighted emerging challenges as wallets become increasingly embedded in apps, including fragmentation and the need for a “universal account” to integrate various wallet types. Gomes also discussed balancing security with convenience while WalletConnect develops toward a unified experience for embedded, mobile, and custodial wallets. He reflected on his transition from hands-on development to leading the WalletConnect Foundation, focusing on ecosystem collaboration and promoting industry-wide standards, and concluded by emphasizing ongoing development and cooperation in the cryptographic space. [\\[6\\]](#cite-id-0qxxwZ5hIV85KtoQ) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=7vt87tVszbM)\n\n### Replacing Passports\n\nIn an April 2025 interview on the *When Shift Happens* podcast, Gomes, founder of WalletConnect, discussed the importance of wallet interoperability to prevent monopolies in the [crypto](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) ecosystem, noting that the platform serves over 45 million users as a secure protocol for connecting to [decentralized applications](https://iq.wiki/wiki/decentralized-application). He reflected on the geopolitical impact of events such as the Ukraine war, emphasizing the risks of centralized power and the need for decentralization. Gomes explored the evolving role of legal identity in financial systems, suggesting that [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain)-based solutions could increasingly replace traditional identifiers such as passports. He described WalletConnect’s mission to unify wallets and maintain a decentralized financial system, while also highlighting challenges in decentralized technology, including the risk of monopolization when stakeholders are unwilling to share innovations. Gomes discussed the expansion of WalletConnect beyond decentralized apps to integrate with ATMs and other everyday services, and emphasized the importance of founders focusing on product development rather than financial speculation. [\\[7\\]](#cite-id-5nfiZY5ZLg12gmcc) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=jsR85Y2zEyg)\n\n## Presentations\n\n### WalletConnect Keynote\n\nAt the 2024 Madeira Blockchain Conference, Gomes discussed the origins and development of WalletConnect, noting that he founded the platform in 2018 to connect mobile wallets to [decentralized applications](https://iq.wiki/wiki/decentralized-application) via QR codes, addressing the limitations of early [Ethereum](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum) wallets, which were primarily desktop-based. He outlined the evolution of WalletConnect from early, informal iterations to a standard integrated into major wallets like [Trust Wallet](https://iq.wiki/wiki/trust-wallet) and [MetaMask](https://iq.wiki/wiki/metamask). Gomes highlighted the launch of WalletConnect 2.0 in 2020, which expanded multi-chain support and marked the transition to a formal operation with a dedicated team and funding. He emphasized the platform’s focus on improving user experience and wallet interoperability, noting that WalletConnect functions as a network rather than a wallet itself. Gomes also described the formation of the WalletConnect Foundation to support community collaboration and initiatives, such as a token launch and the WalletConnect Certified program, which incentivizes wallets that adhere to quality standards. He concluded with the foundation’s roadmap, including [staking](https://iq.wiki/wiki/staking), user profile customization, decentralized governance, and plans for further decentralization through [NFTs](https://iq.wiki/wiki/non-fungible-token-nft) and smart sessions. [\\[5\\]](#cite-id-syfqub76p5otktnI) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=3JPezQRNgaU)\n\n### WalletConnect v2.0\n\nAt [EthCC](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum-community-conference-ethcc) in July 2021, Gomes presented WalletConnect, describing it as an open protocol for connecting wallets to applications, with a focus on mobile use. He explained its operational mechanism as a secure remote signing protocol that enables end-to-end encrypted connections, allowing users to interact with apps by scanning QR codes. Gomes highlighted the platform’s integration with mobile browsers and various wallets, noting its rapid adoption with around 40,000 weekly downloads. He discussed the evolution toward WalletConnect 2.0, which added multi-chain support beyond [Ethereum](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum), including networks like [Cosmos](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cosmos), while enhancing user accessibility and wallet diversity. Key improvements included decoupled session pairing, an advanced permission system, and the transition to a decentralized relay infrastructure to increase uptime and speed, alongside the introduction of WalletConnect Cloud for developer integration. Gomes also outlined plans for native client support on iOS and Android, emphasized ongoing improvements to user experience, and encouraged community participation in expanding the WalletConnect ecosystem. [\\[8\\]](#cite-id-4P9staoEoyVm73OE) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=8cBIw7lFNnU)\n\n### Web3 Interoperability\n\nAt the [Avalanche](https://iq.wiki/wiki/avalanche) Summit in June 2023, Gomes discussed challenges in [Web3](https://iq.wiki/wiki/web3) interoperability, highlighting the fragmentation of wallets and [decentralized applications (dApps)](https://iq.wiki/wiki/decentralized-application) across different platforms and [blockchains](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain). He explained that varying functionalities across desktop and mobile systems, combined with the proliferation of multiple chains, complicate seamless connections between wallets and [dApps](https://iq.wiki/wiki/decentralized-application). Gomes described the WalletConnect protocol as a solution that facilitates secure, decentralized interactions, originally launched in 2018 for [Ethereum](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum) and later expanded to support multiple chains, with features such as deep linking and transaction signing. He detailed WalletConnect V2’s enhancements, including multi-chain communication, push notifications, and wallet-to-wallet chat, as well as the development of a [Web3](https://iq.wiki/wiki/web3) inbox to streamline wallet communication. Gomes emphasized that these innovations aim to simplify the user experience and make [Web3](https://iq.wiki/wiki/web3) more accessible, reducing the complexity of wallet management through improved account and key abstractions. [\\[9\\]](#cite-id-KSozQZgwjdnWF7Zc) \n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=tnfhWY1HnS8)","summary":"Pedro Gomes is the founder and CEO of WalletConnect, a protocol for secure connections between crypto wallets and dApps. 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