Unhashed Podcast

Anna Kazlauskas discusses her path from traditional finance to the world of decentralized AI. She describes what it’s like building Vana, a platform that lets people own their data and contribute it to AI models, and explains why tokenomics plays an important role in their setup. Anna also discusses the challenges of starting a Web3 company, including how important it is to hire people who share the same mission. She dives into the AI data shortage and how Vana tackles this with decentralized data ownership and data DAOs. Other key topics include the difference between data DAOs, trusts, and unions, why private data is valuable, and lessons from projects like the Reddit Data DAO. This episode has a lot to offer for anyone interested in the future of AI, data ownership, and building in Web3. Listen to Anna's founder journey with hosts Kenzi Watanabe, Sachi Mihara and Diksha Lyer.

In this conversation, Jay from Sei Labs discusses the parallels between established cities and virtual machines, emphasizing the challenges of displacing dominant systems like the EVM. He shares his journey from traditional finance at Robinhood to now building Sei Network in Web3, highlighting the importance of user feedback and the need for higher throughput in blockchain technology. Jay introduces the concept of parallelization as a solution to current limitations and reflects on the role of memecoins in fostering community movements. We hope you enjoy listening to his Web3 founder journey with hosts Kenzi Watanabe , Sachi Mihara and Diksha Lyer.

Avery Ching shares his outlook on the intersection of crypto and AI, the fundraising process for Aptos Labs, and the key differences between Aptos and other Layer 1s like Solana and Ethereum. He further discusses the use cases for Aptos, the challenges of the Move programming language, and Aptos' future goals.Avery is the CTO and Co-Founder of Aptos Labs. He has spent over a decade building distributed technologies and scaling them to billions of users worldwide. Prior to co-founding Aptos Labs, Avery led the crypto platform team at Meta, focusing on all aspects of blockchain technology, from wallet infrastructure to L1 blockchain development—most notably the Diem blockchain.We hope you enjoy Avery’s conversation with hosts Kenzi Watanabe, Sachi Mihara, and Diksha Lyer, where he talks in-depth about his Web3 X AI journey.

Michael discusses his journey from high school boredom to founding 0G Labs, the first modular AI Chain. Discover how spiritual readings and meditation changed Michael's leadership style helping him achieve success as a founder. He shares the potential of decentralized AI infrastructure and why a community-owned approach is crucial for the future of AI and data. 0G Labs develops a technology blockchain platform. The Company offers an AI blockchain web3 modular platform that delivers advanced tools and applications that connect decentralized networks to unlock data infrastructure storage through machine learning solutions for businesses. We hope you enjoy Michael’s conversation with hosts Kenzi Watanabe, Sachi Mihara, and Diksha Lyer, where he talks in-depth about his Web3 X AI journey.

In this episode, Ron Bodkin explores the intersection of AI and crypto, emphasizing responsibility, governance, and the transformative potential of Web3. He shares his journey from Google to founding Theoric and ChainML, reflecting on the shift from corporate AI leadership to startup innovation. The discussion covers agent collectives, challenges in AI standardization, and metrics for decentralized AI success. Ron also introduces Proof of Contribution and Collaboration as trust-building mechanisms in AI, along with Theoric’s core pillars—interoperability, composability, and decentralized innovation. He delves into token economics, governance, and company culture, concluding with insights on leadership and the future of AI.

Uma Roy delves into her journey in the Web3 space, the motivations behind founding Succinct Labs, and the importance of zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) for the scalability and privacy of crypto projects. She explains the inception and growth of Succinct Labs in San Francisco, emphasizing the team's preference for in-person collaboration. She also discusses the challenges encountered while developing SP1, a ZK virtual machine, and the solutions they devised. We hope you enjoy Uma's conversation with hosts Kenzi Watanabe and Diksha Lyer, where she talks in-depth about her Web3 founder journey.

In this episode of Unhashed Podcast, we speak with Karan Sirdesai, the Co-Founder of Mira Network, a decentralized AI infrastructure platform that's pioneering a new approach to reliable and safe artificial intelligence. Karan shares how Mira tackles the challenge of AI hallucinations, making intelligent systems more trustworthy for critical use cases in finance, healthcare, and beyond.Karan dives into his non-linear founder journey, from hustling in university and working with Balaji Srinivasan, to founding Mira alongside deep AI and crypto experts. You'll hear how the team discovered their "aha" moment through hands-on experimentation with GPU rentals and AI pipelines—and how this led them to a breakthrough solution using multiple models and consensus-based verification.

Join David Minarsch as he explores the concept of autonomy and its impact on human-machine relationships. He shares his journey into the crypto and AI space, including his work with Fetch.ai and the founding of Valory and OLAS. The conversation highlights the rise of autonomous agents, their practical applications, and the challenges within the Web3 AI landscape. David also emphasizes the value of mission-driven teams and the open-source ethos of OLAS, designed to coordinate decentralized autonomous agents effectively.

In this conversation, Nick Emmons, Co-Founder of Allora Labs, delves into the synergies between crypto and AI, exploring the potential for decentralized AI to create a collective intelligence network. Emmons outlines Allora Labs' mission, emphasizing their focus on AI-powered DeFi and innovative financial primitives. He also discusses the ongoing debate between open and closed AI systems and highlights the opportunities available for blockchain developers within the AI space. The discussion wraps up with Emmons sharing the milestones and developments at Allora Labs that excite him the most, underscoring the crucial role of markets in problem-solving. We hope you enjoy Nick’s conversation with hosts Kenzi Watanabe, Sachi Mihara, and Diksha Lyer, where he talks in-depth about his Web3 founder journey.

In this episode, Gabby Dizon, Co-Founder of Yield Guild Games (YGG), shares his journey from PC gamer to Web3 pioneer. He discusses the challenges and future of Web3 gaming, highlighting AI's potential impact and the qualities needed for founders to succeed. Learn about YGG's evolution, their innovative on-chain guilds, and the key to mainstream adoption of Web3 games. Gabby Dizon is a game industry veteran with over 18 years of experience. He co-founded Yield Guild Games, a play-to-earn gaming guild and decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that provides gamers all over the world an opportunity to access the NFT game assets needed to start playing blockchain games and earn crypto-based rewards. He is also a founding board member of the Blockchain Game Alliance. Gabby’s mission is to onboard millions of gamers so they can find opportunities in the digital world. He believes that the future of work is in the open Metaverse. We hope you enjoy Gabby’s conversation with hosts Kenzi Watanabe, Sachi Mihara, and Diksha Lyer, where he talks in-depth about his Web3 founder journey.

Greg Osuri, Founder of Akash Network, dives into the significance of liberty, sovereignty, and freedom in the decentralized web. Explore Greg's journey, the challenges he faced, and the importance of community in Web3. Learn about building a Web3 product, maintaining work-life balance for founders, and the differences between Web2 and Web3. Greg also shares his insights on open-source technology, decentralized AI, and the role of governments in AI decentralization. As cofounder and CEO of Akash Network, Greg has transformed the future of cloud computing. Prior to Akash, Greg founded AngelHack, the world’s largest hackathon organization with over 100,000 developers across 50 cities worldwide. He launched his career at IBM and later designed Kaiser Permanente’s first cloud architecture. We hope you enjoy Greg’s conversation with hosts Kenzi Watanabe, Sachi Mihara, and Diksha Lyer, where he talks in-depth about his Web3 X AI journey.

Ethan Sun discusses his journey into the intersection of Blockchain & AI, and the founding story of MyShell. He explains how MyShell aims to make AI models accessible to non-technical creators and foster a new wave of the creator economy. Ethan also shares insights on transitioning from Web2 to Web3, the role of blockchain in MyShell, and the Chinese perspective on crypto and AI. MyShell is building an AI consumer layer that connects users, creators, and open-source AI researchers. We hope you enjoy Ethan’s conversation with hosts Kenzi Watanabe, Sachi Mihara, and Diksha Lyer, where he talks in-depth about his Web3 X AI journey.

DC Builder, Research Engineer at Worldcoin Foundation, shares the project's approach towards decentralization and its mission to democratize digital identity and finance globally, ensuring fair wealth distribution. He highlights the challenges of the web of trust and biometrics in verifying personhood, shedding light on the Semaphore protocol's innovative use. We also delve into the emerging ZKML space and other crypto-AI projects that are reshaping the landscape. We hope you enjoy DC Builder’s conversation with hosts Kenzi Watanabe, Sachi Mihara, and Diksha Lyer, where he talks in-depth about his Web3 journey.

Richard Ma, Co-founder and CEO of QuantStamp, shares his journey from working in the hedge fund industry to the world of Web3. Detailing the operational mechanics of QuantStamp, he highlights the changing customer base in the Web3 space and what makes Web3 startups successful in the long run.Quantstamp is a global leader in blockchain security, on a mission to secure the future of web3. To date, it has performed more than 500 audits and secured over $200 billion in digital asset risk from hackers. Richard Ma is a former software engineer at Tower Research where he developed software that handled millions of dollars using extreme testing methods. He was inspired to found Quantstamp to improve security auditing after investing in the DAO and experiencing the aftermath firsthand. Richard aims to secure the future of blockchain technology through the Quantstamp protocol and better methods for secure enterprise blockchain deployments. We hope you enjoy Richard’s conversation with hosts Kenzi Watanabe and Diksha Lyer where he talks in-depth about his Web3 founder journey.

David Tse, Co-Founder of BablylonChain, shares the future of scaling the Bitcoin ecosystem with staking, the founding story of BabylonChain, and his journey from academia to now being a Web3 founder. With BabylonChain, bitcoin holders can earn yields from their idle bitcoins in a secure way: no third-party trust, no bitcoin bridging to any other chain. Bitcoin holders simply lock their bitcoins in a self-custodial way to gain the rights to validate PoS chains and earn yields as a return. David Tse is a visionary electrical engineering expert who has made groundbreaking contributions to wireless communication, blockchain technology, and genomics research. He is a celebrated professor at Stanford University and a co-founder of BabylonChain, a blockchain project that is Scaling Bitcoin to secure the decentralized world. In addition, David is an advisor of Bain Capital Crypto, where he provides strategic guidance to the investment firm. We hope you enjoy David’s conversation with hosts Kenzi Watanabe, Sachi Mihara, and Diksha Lyer where he talks in-depth about his Web3 founder journey.

Sergey Gorbunov, co-founder of Axelar, shares the future of interoperability in Web3, the founding story of Axelar, and what drives him as a Web3 founder to keep innovating. Axelar is the programmable Web3 interoperability platform, scaling the next generation of internet applications to billions of users. Sergey is the co-founder of Axelar and an Assistant Professor at the University of Waterloo. He was previously a founding team member at Algorand. He received his Ph.D. from MIT, where he was a Microsoft Ph.D. fellow. His Ph.D. dissertation was on designing cryptographic tools for the cloud using lattice-based cryptography. We hope you enjoy Sergey’s conversation with hosts Kenzi Watanabe, Sachi Mihara, and Diksha Lyer where he talks in-depth about his Web3 founder journey.

Victor Ji, the Co-Founder of Manta Network explains the concept of Zero-Knowledge (ZK) proofs and how Manta is delivering a seamless developer experience for ZK applications. He also shares the milestones and turning points in Manta's journey and the qualities he believes are important for Web3 founders to succeed. Manta Network is building a secure and interoperable future with zero knowledge with a mission to deliver the best developer experience that enables ZK applications. Before his role as the Co-Founder of Manta in 2020, Victor worked as a Research Assistant at Harvard's Belfer Center where he gained expertise in international security, diplomacy, and technology policy. We hope you enjoy Victor's conversation with hosts Kenzi Watanabe, Sachi Mihara, and Diksha Lyer where he talks in-depth about the founding story of Manta Network and his Web3 founder journey.

Sandy Peng, Co-Founder of Scroll, discusses the Layer 2 scaling solutions in Web3, the founding story of Scroll, and how to create a successful Web3 project by focusing on just building. Scroll is a community-first native zkEVM Layer 2 solution, and an open source project working at the forefront of zero-knowledge research. Sandy has rich experience in research, business development, and project strategy. Having worked as both a startup founder and blockchain investor, she has unique insights into the development, compliance, and application of blockchain technology and open-source technology. We hope you enjoy Sandy’s conversation with hosts Kenzi Watanabe, Sachi Mihara, and Diksha Lyer where she talks in-depth about her Web3 founder journey and the early days of building Scroll.

Chris Spadafora, Founder of BadgerDAO, discusses decentralized governance, crypto tribalism, and his mission of bringing Bitcoin to the Defi ecosystem. BadgerDAO is an open-source, decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that enables Bitcoin to be used as collateral across decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. The DAO has its native token, BADGER which allows users to vote on proposals put forward by community members. Voting power is determined by the amount of BADGER owned, and proposals that receive enough votes are implemented on the platform. We hope you enjoy Chris’ conversation with hosts Kenzi Watanabe, Sachi Mihara, and Diksha Lyer where he talks in-depth about the formation of BadgerDAO and his Web3 founder Journey.

Eli Ben-Sasson, co-founder and President of StarkWare, discusses his journey into Web3, building blockchain solutions for scalability, and how StarkWare is working on onboarding the next billion users onto the blockchain. StarkWare develops zero-knowledge proof technology that compresses information to address the blockchain's scalability problem. Before founding StarkWare, Eli was in core academia, earning his Ph.D. under Abel Prize winner Avi Wigderson and completing his postdoc from MIT and Harvard. His research focused on probabilistically checkable proofs (PCPs), and during the 2013 Bitcoin conference, he saw how his technology could address many of blockchain’s issues. Today, StarkWare boasts three major technologies that significantly advance blockchain technology into the future. But Eli believes one of the biggest challenges will be to ensure that blockchain remains decentralized: “Whenever you have a system of great value, some parties will benefit from it, and they will want to increase their hold on it. The whole point of blockchain and Web3 is about resisting that or finding ways to distribute and broaden the influence of various corners of society on it. I don’t know of a good solution today, but it’s the biggest long-term challenge." We hope you enjoy Eli's conversation with hosts Kenzi Watanabe, Sachi Mihara, and Diksha Lyer where he talks in depth about the Stakware story, scaling blockchain with zero knowledge, and his founder journey in Web3.