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Today, we are excited to welcome Todd Ruoff, CEO of Autonomys Network, for an exclusive interview with The Founder. Todd leads one of the most innovative projects at the intersection of blockchain and artificial intelligence, driving the future of decentralized AI infrastructure. With a newly announced integration between Autonomys Network and FoxWallet, this collaboration is set to simplify access to AI-powered super dApps for over 1 million users, marking a significant milestone for Web3 adoption. Todd will share insights into this development, Autonomys' larger vision, and the opportunities that lie ahead in the AI3.0 revolution.
Q. What initially inspired you to dive into the blockchain and AI industries, and what motivates you to keep pushing innovation forward?
Having spent the majority of my career in TradFi and technology, I was naturally drawn to Web3 as the intersection of the two technologies. When paired with AI, one of the most transformative technologies of our lifetime, we see an unprecedented opportunity to empower individuals with our AI3.0 thesis. We are excited to be building the foundation for decentralized, scalable, storage and compute infrastructure for humans and their AI.
Q. Your career has spanned across both emerging technologies and leadership roles. How do you balance the responsibilities of being a CEO while staying deeply involved in the technical vision of Autonomys?
It all starts with a great team. I’m lucky and honored to be surrounded by some of the brightest minds in our space. Through regular syncs and deep-dives into the technology, we are able to keep everyone on the leadership team focused and informed. The beauty of working with a globally distributed workforce is that somebody is always up and working! Communication is the key, and I feel our leadership team does a great job at disseminating information across the org.
Q. To start, can you explain the core mission of Autonomys Network and what sets it apart from other AI and blockchain projects?
First of all, we’re live having launched phase 1 of our mainnet. Most of the projects we would consider competitors have little more than a whitepaper or testnet. As the foundational layer for humans and their AI, we’ve built what is actually one of the most decentralized and scalable data and compute infrastructures in Web3. Using proofs-of-archival-storage, our novel Dilithium consensus is fueled by the blockchain data itself. Blockchain bloat is a feature that makes the network more secure as it grows. Autonomys offers permanent and verifiable data storage, which when combined with unparalleled speed and compute, offers the most versatile and cost effective solution in the infrastructure space.
Q. The recent integration with FoxWallet is a major step for Autonomys. How will this partnership help address the challenges of poor UX design that often hinder Web3 adoption?
Integrating with FoxWallet will improve Autonomys’ user experience, reducing the complexity that often deters newcomers from Web3. By offering a streamlined interface, a built-in dApp browser, and multi-chain compatibility, FoxWallet enables seamless management of tokens, storage, and AI-driven dApps—all within one platform.
Q. You emphasize the importance of making decentralized AI accessible. Could you elaborate on how the integration with FoxWallet simplifies entry into the Autonomys ecosystem for both developers and end-users?
Developers can quickly access Autonomys’ AI3.0 infrastructure and storage solutions through a clean, mobile-friendly interface, rather than juggling multiple dApps or browser extensions. End-users benefit from a single, intuitive entry point to manage tokens, participate in governance, and explore AI-powered dApps—all without navigating steep learning curves.
Q. The Nova EVM chain is mentioned as a key aspect of this integration, set to launch in Q1 2025. What role does Nova play within Autonomys' ecosystem, and what innovations can developers expect from it?
Nova will be our first EVM domain, which are what we refer to as enshrined rollups from the consensus chain. While the consensus chain is providing permanent, verifiable data storage, our domains architecture allows builders to deploy custom execution environments, similar to layer-2s, that can be tailored to meet specific technical needs. Entire token economies and AI ecosystems can benefit from the speed, storage and compute, while also using cross-domain messaging to move assets between different domains.
Q. In the press release, you highlight the significance of human-centric AI. How does Autonomys ensure that its decentralized AI remains aligned with user needs and ethical considerations?
We prioritize transparency, open-source models, and data sovereignty, ensuring AI serves the broader good of humanity. Users should have complete control over their data and how it's used, versus relying on some centralized authority. Public blockchains provide a level of transparency that does not exist in many closed source AI platforms today. Collaborations with what we consider to be ethical AI researchers allows us to ensure fairness, inclusivity, and safety are present in all layers of the ecosystem.
Q. The partnership with FoxWallet also touches on liquidity for $AI3 and scaling AI adoption. Can you explain how this integration brings value to the broader Web3 and AI3.0 landscape?
FoxWallet currently supports multiple leading blockchains, from Ethereum and BNB Chain to emerging ecosystems, granting Autonomys instant access to a broad, well-established market of digital assets and liquidity. This expanded reach means participants can seamlessly interact with diverse tokens, smart contracts, and dApps through a single entry point.
Q. Autonomys has partnered with innovators like Masa, Compute Labs, and Fluence this year. How do these collaborations strengthen the ecosystem, and what role does interoperability play in your long-term strategy?
Each partner brings unique strengths to Autonomys, such as identity verification, decentralized compute, and scalable P2P networking. Interoperability is central to our vision, and our API and developer SDK toolkits ensure Autonomys can integrate seamlessly with any chain in the broader Web3 ecosystem. There may not be one chain to rule them all, but Autonomys is the one that allows them all to play nicely together.
Q. With FoxWallet having over 1 million users, this integration opens exciting opportunities for scalability. How do you envision Autonomys scaling further to onboard millions more users in the coming years?
With FoxWallet’s million-strong user base as a foundation, Autonomys aims to deliver frictionless user journeys, developer-friendly tools, and compelling incentives to fuel organic growth. By continually refining our infrastructure—offering intuitive SDKs, multilingual support, and actionable insights for AI-driven dApps—we plan to engage broader markets across multiple chains.
Q. Looking at broader industry implications, what do you think are the biggest challenges and opportunities for blockchain and AI convergence in the next 3-5 years?
As with any revolutionary new technology, it takes time to gain the trust necessary to accelerate adoption. With the anticipated proliferation of agentic AI, securing identity and authentication will be paramount to garnering the faith of new entrants to the space. While the uninitiated may view crypto as rife with scams and bad actors, cryptography offers a unique and foolproof foundation for securing trust in a decentralized world. This will pave the way for AI agents, facilitating instant payments with real-time settlements, which is something that is sorely lacking in our current financial infrastructure.
Q. Finally, can you share what’s next for Autonomys? Are there any upcoming milestones or innovations we should keep an eye on in the near future?
We will launch mainnet phase 2 towards the end of Q1 2025, which includes domains and marks our TGE. In the interim, we’ve launched the first real on-chain AI agent on X called @0xargumint. As the name suggests, it may take some contrary viewpoints, but the entire conversation, RAG model interaction, thought process and system memory will be minted permanently on the Autonomys Network. This is more of a proof-of-concept to demonstrate the capabilities of the network as a foundational layer for AI agents, while also having some fun. We hope the community will enjoy it, knowing their interactions are preserved permanently on the network!
Thank you, Todd, for taking the time to speak with The Founder. Your insights into the Autonomys Network and its collaboration with FoxWallet provide a clear picture of how decentralized AI and blockchain are paving the way for the next generation of innovation. We look forward to seeing how Autonomys continues to shape the AI3.0 revolution.
