There are numerous paths to get involved with blockchain technology in the market. One of these ways is stablecoins, cryptocurrencies whose value is linked to an existing currency. This connection lowers the volatility of the asset, which can be a barrier for people who are concerned about the inherent risk.
In the the fireside chat, “Stablecoins — What Product-Market Fit Looks Like,” James Healy, VEDA co-director and adjunct professor of finance and business economics, and Brandon Allen, application security engineer at Paxos, discussed the role stablecoins may yet play in widening the cryptocurrency tent.
According to Allen, part of that growth may derive from the incoming administration’s loosening of crypto regulations, enabling new opportunities for those in the community.
“This is a great time to be in crypto, to be learning more about crypto, to be learning more about the industry,” Allen explained. “This is the moment where things are going to really start to change.”
USC’s support of cutting-edge technology and entrepreneurial efforts was evident in the next panel, “The USC Student Founder Experience.” Amelia Daly, VEDA’s executive-in-residence and head of partnerships at Solana Foundation, moderated the discussion with three student and alumni founders: Jai Bhavnani, co-founder of Royco, Luca Cordova Stuart, co-founder of Noise, and Dana DeGenius PhD ’24, co-founder of DAIN.
Stuart, a current USC Marshall student, highlighted the wide range of resources available to student founders within VEDA. In a constantly shifting industry, his advisors in the Trojan Network, such as Eric Chung, guide his decisions and motivate him to adapt to new environments.
Bhavani offered a similar perspective. According to the founder, his company Royco — which catalyzes “on-chain” transactions and negotiations — still benefits from the Trojan Network. Specifically, the venture capital space has aided the launch and growth of his crypto business.
The final discussion, “Permissionless Intelligence,” examined the intersection of AI and blockchain. Chung moderated the panel that featured two USC Viterbi School of Engineering professors, Bhaskar Krishnamachari and Sean Ren, and DeGenius’ DAIN co-founder, Ryan Trat.
For the panelists, the futures of AI and blockchain are equally uncertain, but communities like the one formed at VEDA can help create a roadmap.
“I always say this at blockchain events: [the crypto industry] is like flying an airplane while it’s still being built,” Krishnamachari said. “It’s always risky and exciting.”
Trat, whose company DAIN works to integrate AI across multiple platforms and systems, believes the advent of artificial general intelligence (AGI) will change the face of many industries. AGI refers to a theoretical model of AI that can think and learn like a human, effectively surpassing human cognitive abilities.
Though the technology isn’t there yet, the prospect of AGI chills some people. Trat, however, believes the crypto market will be ready for the transformation.
“If AGI does come and you do have intelligent autonomous systems that are able to function on a higher level than humans, I think that we’re in a good spot,” Trat said. “You have to be building for what could be done tomorrow, what could be done in two years, what could be done in 10 years. But I think that crypto in general is in a good spot for when that does happen.”
While it may be difficult for some experts to predict what the world will look like in five years, the faculty and students in VEDA believe that blockchain will be a major part of that future — a future that’s already begun.
“The surface area for opportunities is vast. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a researcher or a teacher, now is the time for you to dive in,” Chung said.
VEDA will continue to lead the discourse at their annual Blockchain Conference on March 11, 2025.
