Exploring the AI Rainforest

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of decentralized trading with Denis, founder of two innovative platforms reshaping Web3 finance. We explore how Upscale is revolutionizing the prop trading model by bringing it on-chain and making it accessible through Telegram and web platforms, while StormTrade continues to dominate as the leading perpetual DEX on the TON blockchain with over $4.6 bil...

Episode Summary In this episode, we dive deep into the world of decentralized AI with Oleg Golev, Technical Product Manager at Sentient. We explore how Sentient is building open infrastructure for community-driven AGI, challenging the centralized approach of companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. Key Topics Discussed The Mission: Decentralizing AI Development Why AI development shouldn'...

In this episode, we sit down with David Phelps, co-founder of JokeRace, to discuss his unique approach to solving community engagement problems in Web3. David shares insights from his previous company Forum, which revolutionized tutoring through technology, and how those lessons informed his work in the crypto space. Episode Highlights: DAO Failures & Solutions : David explains why traditional...

In this episode, Derek sits down with Nikhil Raghuvira, co-founder and CEO of Predicate, to explore how policy infrastructure is being built for blockchain applications. Coming from a background in public policy at institutions like the Atlantic Council and the Celo Foundation, Nikhil brings a unique perspective on encoding values into code. Predicate is developing a framework that allows develope...

In this episode of "Exploring the AI Rainforest," host Derek speaks with Saushank, founder of PitchPilot, an AI-driven platform helping founders refine their investor pitches. Saushank shares his journey discovering AI tools years before ChatGPT's public release and explains how he sees AI and blockchain technologies converging. He discusses how PitchPilot uses smart contracts to create agent pers...

In the latest episode of " Exploring the AI Rainforest ," host Derek E. Silva interviews Himanshu Udupi, a sophomore at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Himanshu is making significant contributions to Zeru's zScore research, working on merging on-chain and off-chain reputation systems into a portable value metric. His fresh perspectives on the intersection of AI and blockchai...

In this episode of Exploring the AI Rainforest, host Derek E. Silva speaks with Parag Paul, CTO at Rig AI and advisor to Zeru. Parag shares fascinating insights from his background in computational intelligence and swarm algorithms, exploring how AI is reshaping our economy across blue-collar, white-collar, and creative sectors. The conversation covers innovative blockchain-based reputation system...

In this episode of Exploring the AI Rainforest, we sit down with Dr. Piet Martens, a distinguished solar physicist and AI researcher, to explore the arc of his remarkable career — from space weather forecasting to cutting-edge financial reputation systems. Dr. Martens shares what inspired his early fascination with space during the Apollo era, his time at NASA and the Netherlands Institute for Spa...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is booming and spreading into every industry; manufacturing, transportation, logistics, finance, and of course cryptocurrency. The crypto + AI narrative has been surging but is also resilient. It’s become clear to many that AI can help build new tools, but also help us use those same tools better. At Zeru, we are creating a series of talks on the intersection of financ...