#488: Roman Cyganov, Founder of Antix, on The Future of Digital Identity, Expressive AI, and Tokenized Identity

Roman Cyganov is the Founder and Co-CEO of Antix, a pioneering AI-powered platform that enables users to mint, create, and deploy hyper-realistic digital humans, powering the new wave of applications for digital identities. With over a decade of experience in creative-technology leadership, Roman brings a strong background in creating creator-led and creative-first tech ventures. Under Roman’s leadership, Antix launched its proprietary AIGE platform, which fuses digital identity with the security and functionality of blockchain technology, as well as raising almost $9 million to date to realise its vision of deploying emotionally intelligent digital twins on a large scale.  In this conversation, we discuss:- The future of digital avatars and expressive AI - Deepfakes vs. real selves: The ethical path forward for avatars  - How tokenised identity could reshape the internet - Ethics and transparency in the digital creator economy - The evolution of digital twins from tools to trusted companions - How AI-powered identity will transform communication and creativity - The new frontier of ownership: protecting your likeness in the age of AI - Building emotional intelligence into the next generation of digital humans AntixX: @antix_inWebsite: antix.inTelegram: t.me/antix_inRoman CyganovX: @cyganovromanLinkedIn: Roman Cyganov---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50FollowApple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicRSS FeedSee All

Jeff Garzik, CEO of Bloq and Hemi Network, is one of the earliest contributors and most respected developers in the Bitcoin industry, as a Bitcoin core developer. He has worked for various companies,  and played critical roles in open-source projects for some of the most well-known platforms in the cryptocurrency ecosystem such as BitPay, mining tech firm Bitfury, and the Linux Foundation.Jeff Garzik worked alongside Satoshi Nakamoto, for years through private emails and online forums until the Bitcoin creator went dark in 2011. Garzik has famously stated that he believed he was dealing with Dave Kleiman.Recently, Jeff started his own blockchain-as-a-service firm, Bloq, which will serve enterprise clients who wish to develop stems on a private, public or confederated blockchain.In this conversation, we discuss:- Jack Dorsey is not Satoshi - Latest on BTC price, trends & outlook  - The post-ATH BTC market signal - Institutional capital flow into Bitcoin DeFi - The Bitcoin programmability imperative - Why institutions are moving into BTC - DeFi ecosystem shift - The convergence of Bitcoin and Ethereum ecosystems - Multi-chain liquidity - Stablecoins and Digital Assets Treasury trends Hemi NetworkX: @hemi_xyzWebsite: hemi.xyzLinkedIn: Hemi LabsJeff GarzikX: @jgarzikLinkedIn: Jeff Garzik---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50FollowApple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicRSS FeedSee All

Andrew Forson has been the President of the DeFi Technologies since April 2025. Mr. Forson was previously the Head of Ventures and Investments at the Hashgraph Group, the commercialization and enablement arm of Hedera. Mr. Forson is also a non-independent director on the board of directors of DeFi Technologies. In this conversation, we discuss:- Volatility leads to opportunity - The convergence of TradFi and crypto  - Stablecoin growth - Valour - 99 ETPs listed across exchanges in Europe and the UK - Canada Stablecorp, backer of the QCAD stablecoin - Collaboration with BTQ Technologies on post-quantum security.- The current state of crypto - Investing in crypto via public markets - Institutions joining crypto DeFi Technologies X: @DeFiTechGlobalWebsite: defi.techLinkedIn: DeFi TechnologiesAndrew Forson X: @ForsonLinkedIn: Andrew Forson, TEP---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50FollowApple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicRSS FeedSee All

Saneel is the Head of Special Projects at the Ritual Foundation, where he broadly runs ecosystem, strategy, and GTM for the Ritual Chain. Prior to this, he was on the Founding Team of Ritual Labs, Alkimiya, and on the Investment teams at Dragonfly and Polychain. He also did ML/AI at large logistics companies before entering crypto. He is also a Partner at Accomplice. In this conversation, we discuss:- Recap of the 10/10 market crash - The current L1 landscape  - L1 consolidation and why most chains won’t survive - AI and crypto - How AI powers on-chain decision-making - Becoming the sovereign execution layer for AI - Bringing options trading to crypto - The importance of having a “bid” - Infernet  Ritual Foundation X: @ritualfndWebsite: ritualfoundation.orgDiscord: discord.gg/ritual-netSaneel Sreeni X: @sanlsrniLinkedIn: Saneel S.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50FollowApple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicRSS FeedSee All

Karia Samaroo is the founder/former CEO and Chairman of WonderFi, which is being acquired by Robinhood for $180M. Karia now heads a startup called xTAO, which is devoted to the decentralized AI network Bittensor. Karia is also a former securities lawyer who used his legal expertise to enter the crypto industry in 2016, working with firms like Galaxy Digital before going on to found WonderFi. In this conversation, we discuss:- Robinhood acquiring WonderFi for $180M - Bittensor subnets  - xTAO  - Bittensor’s AI network model- DATs raising money in the least dilutive way possible - Decentralized AI - The convergence of crypto + AI - Crypto in Canada - Q4 2025 crypto hot takes  xTAOX: @xtaohqWebsite: xtao.coLinkedIn: xTAOKaria SamarooX: @samaroo00 LinkedIn: Karia Samaroo---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50

Nassim Eddequiouaq is co-founder and CEO of Bastion, a pioneer in regulated stablecoin infrastructure and NYDFS-certified provider. Bastion is the stablecoin issuance platform for financial institutions and enterprises. Prior to founding Bastion, Nass was the Chief Information Security Officer at a16z Crypto, and held senior management roles across Security and Infrastructure at Facebook, Anchorage, Docker, and Apple. He received a M.S. in Computer Science from Ecole d’Ingénieurs en Informatique. In this conversation, we discuss:- What happened on the 10/10 crypto crash? - Winners and losers after the crypto crash  - Bridging traditional finance and digital assets through enterprise-ready solutions  - The diverse use cases of stablecoins  - Why stablecoins (especially USD-pegged) are poised for mass enterprise adoption  - The growing interest in branded stablecoins  - Bastion’s NYDFS trust charter  - GENIUS Act and STABLE Act  - Why regulatory clarity is critical  - Privacy for stablecoin users  BastionX: @BastionPlatformWebsite: bastion.comLinkedIn: BastionNassim EddequiouaqX: @nassyweazyLinkedIn: Nassim Eddequiouaq---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50

David Carvalho, Founder, CEO, and Chief Scientist of Naoris Protocol. He is one of the most seasoned voices at the intersection of cybersecurity and blockchain. He is the founder of Naoris Protocol, the world’s first decentralized security solution powered by a post-quantum blockchain and distributed AI, backed by Tim Draper and the Former Chief of Intelligence of NATO.With over 20 years of experience as a Global Chief Information Security Officer and ethical hacker, David has operated at both technical and C-suite levels in multi-billion-dollar organizations across Europe and the UK, including as CISO of London City Airport and Global CISO of OCS Group. He has advised nation-states and critical infrastructure under NATO on cyber-warfare, cyber-terrorism, and cyber-espionage.A blockchain pioneer since 2013, David has also contributed to innovations in PoS/PoW mining and next-gen cybersecurity. His work emphasizes risk mitigation, ethical wealth creation, and value-driven advancements in crypto, automation, and distributed AI.In this conversation, we discuss:- 2028 is when all financial institutions need to be post-quantum resilient - How can we quantum-proof our assets?  - Highest risk sectors = healthcare, national security, electrical grids, telecom  - The SEC’s Post-Quantum Financial Infrastructure Framework  - What percentage of your portfolio should be in quantum-safe investments?  - Post-quantum crypto  - The future of quantum computing  - Next steps for Naoris  - Naoris’ growth  - Decentralized cybersecurity mesh  NaorisX: @NaorisProtocolWebsite: naorisprotocol.comLinkedIn: Naoris ProtocolDavid CarvalhoX: @katanationcyberLinkedIn: David Joao Vieira Carvalho---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50

Will Reeves co-founded Fold in 2019 and has served as Chief Executive Officer of Fold and as a Director since its inception. Over the past eight years, Mr. Reeves has held product leadership positions at Thesis, Inc., A3Ventures, LLC and BYND, leading digital transformation and the development of innovation projects for Google and other Fortune 500 technology companies. Prior to founding Fold, Mr. Reeves was the Head of Payments at Thesis, Inc. from May 2018 to September 2019, where he led the development and strategic direction of the Bitcoin venture studio’s innovative payment and financial technologies. Mr. Reeves also has extensive experience in consumer finance. Prior to joining Thesis, Inc., Mr. Reeves played a key role at A3 Ventures, advancing mobility and commerce through the corporate innovation and investment arm of American Automobile Association. Mr. Reeves holds a B.A. in Rhetoric and Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley. We believe Mr. Reeves is well qualified to serve on the New Fold Board because of his background in product development, consumer finance and bitcoin and his operational and historical expertise gained from serving as Fold’s Chief Executive Officer since August 2019. In this conversation, we discuss:- Why Big Tech Wallets Didn’t Change the Economics of Spending - Fold’s Approach: Redefining the Economics - Bitcoin rewards without "buy-in" - Building a “Bitcoin-first” financial product stack - Challenges of building with Bitcoin - Crypto/Bitcoin maturity & infrastructure improving - Building Bitcoin payments + Bitcoin custody into the app - BTC All-time high - Current outlook on BTC - Bitcoin giftcards FoldX: @fold_appWebsite: foldapp.comLinkedIn: FoldWill ReevesX: @wlrvsLinkedIn: Will Reeves---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50

Hantao Yuan is Co-Founder of Moku, and serves as Moku's marketing growth chief and community strategist. He has been acquiring creators and users for over a decade for game publishers and gaming brands. He has also sold his own esports team through M&A to Overtime sports, and advised 2 other teams through M&A.Moku is backed by a world-class team of AI experts from MIT, IBM, and Johns Hopkins. The company has already built Web3’s largest distribution engine, driving over 8 million daily active users across partner launches and more than $7 billion in cumulative fully diluted value (FDV). With this foundation, Moku is uniquely positioned to expand Grand Arena beyond Web3 and into mainstream fantasy sports and interactive wagering markets. Grand Arena is converging the $27B fantasy sports market, the $40B prediction market, and the $50B+ AI gaming sector.In this conversation, we discuss:- Letting users speculate on gaming- AI content is getting out of control - Speculation + daily fantasy + AI - Betting on live matches - Current state of Web3 Gaming - Bridging Web2 & Web3 audiences - Speculation is the future of entertainment - Why Prediction Markets will work - Hantao selling his own esports to Overtime sports - The history of Moku Moku X: @Moku_HQDiscord: discord.gg/mokuYouTube: @MokuHQHantao YuanX: @HantaoLinkedIn: Hantao Yuan---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50

Sam McIngvale is the Head of Product at OP Labs, a core development team supporting Optimism’s OP Stack. Prior to joining OP Labs, he co-founded wallet infrastructure provider Turnkey and was Head of Product for Coinbase Custody. Sam studied Computer Science at Northwestern University. In this conversation, we discuss:- Optimism’s OP Stack - Moving parts of your business onchain - Fortune 500 companies will run their own blockchains - The growth of Coinbase Custody - Flashblocks - Why exchanges and fintechs are coming to Optimism - L1s vs L2s - Coinbase shareholders vs BASE token … what happens? - Providing infrastructure for stablecoins, payments - What is Superchain Optimism Website: optimism.ioX: @OptimismLinkedIn: Optimism FoundationSam McIngvale X: @sammcingvaleLinkedIn: Sam M.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50