Unhashed Podcast

Anna Kazlauskas | CEO and Co-Founder of Vana : Solving AI's Data Dilemma

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.

Jay Jog | Co-Founder of Sei Labs : The EVM's Dominance And Its Limitations

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 | CTO and Co-Founder of Aptos Labs : Decoding the Aptos Ecosystem

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 Heinrich | Founder of 0G Labs : Building The First Modular AI Chain

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.

CEO and Co-Founder of Theoriq: Understanding Agent Collectives in AI

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.