Handshake is developing a new online platform stored securely on the blockchain to help ensure safe and just working conditions for the some 150 million migrant workers worldwide.

We don't want to make any assumptions about this space ... I definitely don't want to come in with a shiny new technology and say, ‘I'm here to fix everything and save everyone.’

Q: Why did you see a need for creating smart contracts?

A: As a migrant worker, I could sign up for one job and then — either before or when I arrive at the country where I would be working — a lot of times there will be a new contract and different terms, such as different pay or completely different work, or living areas that I didn't expect or agree to in the contract.

Q: And how does Handshake change this dynamic?

A: Our platform lets the agencies and the employers create a standardized contract, which is then stored on the blockchain and signed with uPort identities, which they also create. Because it is in a decentralized server, the workers have access to the contracts; and governments that want to make sure that their citizens are safe also have visibility and access to those contracts.

Read the full interview with Leandra Tejedor on blockchain by Amy Lieberman at Devex International Development