In this episode of Trends with Benefits, Jan Liphardt, founder of OpenMind and Stanford professor, joins to discuss how open-source robotics and crypto governance are shaping machine intelligence. Jan explains why AI shifted focus away from crypto—and why that’s reversing. He reveals that his robots download behavioral guardrails from Ethereum, using blockchain immutability for machine ethics. We explore AI's role in healthcare, privacy tradeoffs, and why crypto rails are built more for machines than humans. With robots helping the elderly and blockchains coordinating machine teams, Jan makes the case for open, verifiable AI infrastructure governed on-chain
What happens when robots start using Ethereum to download their behavior protocols? Jan Liphardt joins the show to talk about why the future of intelligent machines must be transparent, open-source, and crypto-native.
A Stanford professor and founder of OpenMind, Jan explains how Web3 infrastructure is quietly becoming the coordination layer for the coming wave of robotics and AI.
“We’re not building Skynet. That’s the whole point — we use Ethereum to make robot behavior verifiable and immutable.”
– Jan Liphardt
Jan Liphardt is a visionary leader at the intersection of technology, AI, and robotics. As the Founder of OpenMind, he develops multiagent open-source software designed to make robots smarter while ensuring transparency in their decision-making processes.
In his role as an Associate Professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University, Jan leads groundbreaking research funded by prestigious organizations such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Energy (DOE), and National Cancer Institute (NCI).
🔥 What We Covered:
🧠 From Bitcoin to Brainpower
Jan’s “Beyond Bitcoin” class at Stanford dropped from 178 students to 12 as AI took over student interest
But the crypto spring is returning: LLMs + decentralized systems = a new frontier
🤖 When Machines Learn to Think
Machines now write code and even improve themselves
LLMs are being used to draft PhD questions — because they can analyze thousands of papers faster than any grad student
“You now have a technology that’s good at writing code... and it’s based on code. That’s why things are accelerating.”
🌍 Why Crypto Is Made for Machines
Machines lack passports, SSNs, and bank accounts
Crypto is global, mathematical, immutable — it’s a natural fit for AI
Liphardt predicts machines will increasingly transact with one another using crypto rails
“Bitcoin doesn’t care what kind of computer you are.”
📜 Asimov’s Laws on Ethereum
OpenMind stores robot guardrails on-chain using ERC-7777
Robots boot up, ping the blockchain, and load up safety protocols
Ethereum becomes a public, verifiable governance layer for intelligent systems
🧩 Open Source or Bust
Proprietary robot OSes are dangerous
Transparency matters when your chatbot can also walk through walls
OpenMind wants to be the Android of robotics
“The first time you meet a humanoid as tall as you — you want to know exactly what code it's running.”
💬 Deep Cuts & Insights
On hallucinations:
LLMs make things up — but so do humans. Jan argues hallucination might be part of creativity.
On robotic empathy:
Humanoids in memory care facilities are helping people feel heard again. One robot got so much love, staff had to wipe lipstick off its face.
On open systems vs. Skynet:
Without transparency, robots learning from one another could be dangerous. With on-chain behavior and community-sourced code, it’s just intelligent collaboration.
🛠️ What OpenMind is Building
OM1: An open-source modular OS for robots (like Android, but for humanoids)
On-chain Behavior: Ethereum-based behavior guardrails
Machine-to-Machine Protocols: Secure overlay networks for skill sharing, identity, and task coordination
Hackathon Incoming: SF event next week with hundreds of developers using OpenMind’s platform
“These aren’t toys. Robots are colleagues. Partners. Mentors. And they deserve trustworthy code.”
🧪 Final Takeaway:
Blockchains weren’t built for humans — they were built for machines.
In a future full of thinking robots, crypto rails offer a verifiable, immutable, and borderless foundation for AI coordination, behavior, and economics.
🧵 Links & Follow-Ups
OpenMind.org – Contribute, fork, or follow their development.
Follow us on Twitter: @DCNDailyCrypto
Happy HODLing, everyone.
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