Some Quick Reflections on DeAI at ICML 2025: YoY Growth in Presence, Quality of Decentralized AI Contributions It was highly encouraging to see a step up in presence from top DeAI teams – not just as attendees but as core participants presenting novel papers + research From @ritualnet and @exolabs to @PluralisHQ, @gensynai, @PrimeIntellect, @bagelopenai, @akashnet_ and others – the quality of contributions to the field is increasingly outstanding, original, and bringing legitimacy to crypto as a domain where fundamental innovation in AI can credibly take place We’re Still (Very) Early That said, it remains the case that for most of the conventional AI field, ‘decentralization’ isn’t really a relevant part of the conversation Two Obvious Reasons For This: 1) DeAI is largely still in its R&D era – more research than production-grade reality 2) DeAI is preemptive – from training to deployment, the constraints that’ll drive relevance + adoption of the emerging decentralized stack do not (yet) outweigh the practical benefits that the traditional stack offers Early is Okay, BUT: Ideology can’t replace technical or economic parity. To really have an impact, it’s critical that teams look beyond the crypto silo to understand what builders + users are actually optimizing for. Naturally, it'll be (user / product) dependent and vary across a spectrum of reliability, performance, cost, compliance/security, privacy, new economic models and more But the ability to do this effectively will determine whether the decentralized AI stack can be truly transformative across both worlds, or if it remains a performative exercise in launching tokens

An epic lineup as @JoinPond brings together @ElevenLabsDevs, @googlecloud and the @ethereumfndn to drive forward the next generation of AI apps A new class of founders are being empowered with unprecedented tools for creation and distribution to shape the digital future This is a whole new era and we're here for it. 🫡

In a recent conversation with @DannySursock, Vana creator @anna_kazlauskas made it clear: If we want the economics of AI to serve more than just big platforms, users need to reclaim their data. Vana transforms your data into productive capital, something you own and earn from. Watch the whole talk from @SCB10X_OFFICIAL #REDeFiNETOMORROW2025 here ⤵️

Our friends at @privy_io joining forces with @stripe is a milestone moment for the industry The unwavering dedication of this remarkable team to a mission of bringing crypto rails to the world is inspiring - - and a reminder that real world relevance, reliability and proliferation are crucial indicators of progress, much more so than asset prices and liquidity I've long been inspired by the vision of @patrickc and @collision to increase the GDP of the internet Crypto's potential lies in doing the same: Growing digital GDP while ensuring its decentralization (whether in terms of its underlying infrastructural resilience / fault tolerance / censorship resistance, or in its distribution + dissemination) In recent times, crypto has veered from this mission. Projects have focused instead on growing the market cap of the internet with little focus on fundamental value Privy's success is a timely reminder for our industry to refocus on building for global impact - and using the right metrics + north stars to guide us along the way

Looking forward to a fantastic conversation with @anna_kazlauskas on @vana's important work to reimagine the economic rails underpinning model development + monetization In the Age of AI, data is the new oil. Vana empowers individuals to tip the balance of power back in their favor by transforming personal data from a static, third-party asset into a productive, sovereign resource A critical mission that requires navigating a range of challenges - economic, technical, regulatory and more But the payoff ensures the future of AI remains in the hands of users 🫡🔥

We are hosting an AI hackathon with @pika_labs @elevenlabsio @vercel @ragieai @StructifyAI and more! Come join us if you are around! For more details👇

1/ AI's biggest impacts on crypto to date: - Democratizing coding & app creation - Redefining onchain UX - @DannySursock from @archetypevc

Had a blast throughout this convo w/ @Euler__Lagrange @dawufi of @OpacityNetwork (and @Rubicon_pod ) Spicy takes but also thoughtful exploration of the future of crypto, data and AI + the importance of setting and keeping high standards as an industry w/ honest reflection

1/ New episode – How zkTLS Powers Consumer Crypto with @DannySursock + @oddhash from @archetypevc Hosts: @Euler__Lagrange @dawufi We discuss: - Philosophy vs. pragmatism for blockchain ecos - @OpacityNetwork: Web2 data 🤝Web3 apps - Why a Crypto x AI Winter could be a good thing Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 03:09 - Bridging Philosophy and Pragmatism in Crypto 05:58 - Roles of Founders and Talent in Crypto 11:55 - Ethereum vs. Solana: 15:02 - User Experience and Adoption Challenges 17:55 - AI and User-Centric Development 19:47 - Asymmetric Bets in Crypto Investments 22:32 - The Intersection of Crypto and AI 25:37 - Challenges in Crypto AI Development 29:14 - zkTLS and Its Potential in AI 33:21 - Defining Success Metrics for Crypto 40:41 - Closing Thoughts and Future Directions Watch on all platforms below⬇️

Ethereum is for AI.