Shashank Sripada is the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Gaia, a decentralized artificial intelligence (AI) company. He has a background in institutional finance and has held leadership roles in several technology ventures. ^{[1] [2]}

Education

Shashank Sripada attended The George Washington University from 2009 to 2011. He later enrolled at The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where he earned a Master's degree in Management between 2013 and 2014. During his time at LSE, Sripada was actively involved in managing the university's investment funds, serving as the Chief Investment Officer for its US Fund and Emerging Markets Equity Funds, and as a co-manager for its flagship fund. ^{[1] [3] [12]}

Career

Sripada began his career with roles as an intern at TravelWifi Spain in 2012 and as an analyst at Monitor Deloitte in 2013. Following his graduate studies, he worked as an associate at Oak Investment Management Group from 2014 to 2015. His career in institutional finance included managing over $7 billion in assets and serving as an advisor to the White House. In 2016, he joined Marcena Capital Ltd as an Investment Director, a role he held until 2020 before becoming the firm's Chief Investment Officer in 2021, which served as a basis for later work with Web3. ^{[1] [4]}

In 2015, Sripada founded the company Bubblo, where he served as CEO until 2021. He also held the position of Venture Partner at Wavemaker Labs from 2021 to 2022 and became the Chief Commercial Officer of Nextwave X Partners in 2022. ^[1]

In 2024, Sripada co-founded Gaia (also known as Gaia Labs or GaiaNet) with CEO Matt Wright and serves as its Chief Operating Officer. Gaia was established to build open-source, decentralized AI infrastructure as an alternative to the centralized systems offered by large technology corporations. The company's mission is to create a peer-to-peer network of independently operated nodes that gives users and developers control over how AI is built, deployed, and monetized. Under Sripada's leadership, Gaia has undertaken several initiatives, including launching an "Autonomous Hackathon" in December 2024 in partnership with organizations like Coinbase and Lit Protocol. By July 2025, Gaia Labs announced it had raised a total of $20 million in seed and Series A funding, with its network growing to over 700,000 active nodes. ^{[5] [6] [7]}

A significant project developed under Sripada is the Gaia AI Phone, announced in September 2025. The device, built on Galaxy S25 Edge hardware, is designed to run AI processes entirely on-device, functioning as a full node in the Gaia network. This approach aims to provide users with data sovereignty and offline AI capabilities, contrasting with cloud-dependent AI models. Sripada has emphasized the technical challenges involved, stating that the project required "breakthrough compression and optimization techniques" to fit enterprise-grade AI onto mobile hardware. ^{[8] [5]}

"Every so‑called AI phone today is basically a data collection device for Big Tech. We built something different: your AI lives with you, your data stays on your device, and you capture the value." ^[6]

Gaia has also engaged in enterprise pilots with organizations including NASA, Qualcomm, and TikTok, and has formed an academic partnership with UC Berkeley to demonstrate applications of its technology. ^{[2] [5]}

Public Commentary and Philosophy

Sripada is a vocal advocate for decentralization in the artificial intelligence sector. He frequently speaks and writes about the need for an open-source alternative to the centralized control of AI by a few large corporations.

Decentralization vs. Centralization

Sripada argues that the current AI industry is highly centralized, which he believes stifles innovation and concentrates power. He has compared the dominance of companies like OpenAI and Google to Netscape's early lead in the web browser market, suggesting that being first does not guarantee long-term success. He predicts that tightening global regulations on AI monetization will drive more developers toward decentralized networks to avoid "monopolistic control over human knowledge." In his view, the future of AI lies in decentralized systems that are more accessible, equitable, and transparent. ^[9]

"The timing was crucial because AI, as it stands today, is highly centralized. Big corporations are charging rents, and it's not very decentralized. Therefore, there is a huge opportunity to build an open-source, decentralized solution for generative learning and knowledge systems." ^[2]

AI Agents and the Future of Business

Sripada distinguishes between Large Language Models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and what he defines as true AI agents. He contends that the public often misunderstands AI by equating it solely with LLMs. He envisions AI agents as more sophisticated systems capable of performing complex tasks, interacting with users, and generating revenue in real time. He believes these agents will drive the next phase of the AI revolution. ^[9]

He has described Gaia's mission as building "the Stripe for AI agents," providing developers with the tools and framework to easily create and deploy their own AI systems. He predicts that AI agents will disrupt traditional business middlemen and democratize commerce, enabling individuals to operate businesses with efficiencies previously available only to large corporations. ^[2]

"The AI revolution won't be about centralized LLMs. It will be about AI agents that enable people to create, interact, and build in ways we have yet to imagine." ^[9]

Data Sovereignty and AI Bias

A central theme in Sripada's commentary is the importance of data ownership. He has criticized Web 2.0 technology companies for profiting from user data while providing little value in return to the individuals who generate it. He advocates for Web3 and decentralized AI as mechanisms to return data ownership to individuals, allowing them to control and be compensated for the use of their data and intellectual property. At the Consensus 2024 conference, he argued that in the Web3 economy, "knowledge is not just power; it is the most important currency." ^{[10] [11]}

Sripada also believes that decentralization is a key solution to mitigating AI bias. He asserts that as long as LLMs are controlled by a few entities, bias is "unavoidable." By fostering a diverse ecosystem of AI models, he argues that decentralized networks can ensure a broader range of perspectives and reduce the influence of any single, potentially biased source. To ensure safety and quality, he points to Web3 governance models, such as community moderation and token-based validation mechanisms, as effective tools for decentralized systems. ^{[9] [2]}

Media Appearances

Sripada frequently represents Gaia at industry events and in media interviews. He has been a featured speaker at conferences such as Consensus 2024 in Austin and TOKEN2049 in Singapore. In March 2025, he was interviewed by CryptoDaily during Consensus Hong Kong, where he detailed Gaia's mission. He has also appeared on the Schwab Network to discuss broader trends in the AI industry, such as Apple's strategic position. ^{[11] [10] [7]}

Interviews

Gaianet’s Vision for Blockchain-Powered Intelligence #01

On April 28, 2025, Shashank Sripada participated in an interview on the Crypto Coin Show with Ashton Addison, where he discussed Gaianet’s model for decentralized artificial intelligence. In the conversation, Sripada compared centralized AI platforms, such as OpenAI, to early internet portals that provided broad but limited functions. He described Gaianet as an open-source framework designed to allow individuals and organizations to create, operate, and monetize AI agents across a distributed network.

Sripada explained that these agents are intended to move beyond general-purpose language models by addressing specific domains and business processes. Examples mentioned included trading, customer interaction, and data management. He noted that Gaianet’s system supports the use of proprietary datasets while maintaining privacy through decentralization and blockchain mechanisms.

The interview also addressed the platform’s domain node structure, in which entities can host nodes responsible for directing AI requests to specialized agents. According to Sripada, blockchain serves as the underlying infrastructure for attribution, validation, and monetization, including features such as token staking and rewards. Accessibility was highlighted as well, with reference to no-code tools designed to enable broader participation, including those without technical backgrounds.

At the time of the discussion, the Gaianet network had expanded to more than 400,000 nodes. Sripada indicated that the roadmap included wallet integrations, marketplaces for AI agents, hackathons to support developer engagement, and multi-chain compatibility. He described these developments as part of the effort to position Gaianet within the broader landscape of decentralized AI and Web3 applications. ^[13]

Discussion on Gaia and Decentralized Networks #02

On July 22, 2025, Shashank Sripada participated in an interview on Moby Media in an episode titled Gaia with Shashank Sripada. The discussion focused on his views regarding the shift from centralized cloud computing models to decentralized networks, and the possible implications of this transition for artificial intelligence, privacy, and digital governance.

Sripada explained that Gaia’s infrastructure, described by him as supported by hundreds of thousands of active nodes, is designed to facilitate the creation and operation of personalized AI agents across a broad range of hardware types. He presented decentralization not only as a technical solution but also as a structural model intended to reduce dependence on centralized providers and to expand opportunities for participation in AI development.

He also stated that Gaia incorporates blockchain-based mechanisms to enable validation, distribution, and monetization of AI agents without the need for intermediaries. In the same context, Sripada mentioned that the platform provides open-source tools for developers and is working toward additional resources aimed at non-technical users.

In his assessment, the emergence of what he referred to as an “agent economy” could represent a new phase of adoption within the Web3 ecosystem. This model, according to him, would allow specialized AI agents to operate in specific knowledge areas and open pathways to new organizational and economic structures. He added that governance frameworks based on token staking and community participation are intended to promote accountability and oversight within this environment. ^[14]