Daniel Beltrán is an on-chain engineer and AI expert recognized as the founder of a0x, a technology project focused on developing artificial intelligence agents, or "onchain minds," within the Base blockchain ecosystem. He is known for leading the creation of jessexbt, the first AI agent from a0x, which gained prominence through its participation in the inaugural Base Batch accelerator program. Beltran's work operates at the intersection of AI and decentralized technology, with a stated mission to democratize access to specialized knowledge and guide the development of AI towards a more equitable future. ^{[3] [1]}​

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Academic Background

Beltran's engineering experience is rooted in his time at the Universidad de Chile (FCFM). Between 2012 and 2014, he held several technical and academic roles, including serving as a teaching assistant for the "Renewable Energy and Efficient Use" course and managing the university's Energy and Drives Laboratory. A significant project during this period was his role as Motor Lead for the Eolian IV Solar Car from March 2013 to November 2014, where he contributed to the development of South America’s first two-seat solar car. His responsibilities included managing motor and controller research, supplier relations, electrical testing, and implementing the control system. ^[6]​

Career

Beltran's career reflects a strategic pivot to combine the fields of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, leading to the founding of a0x. He is an active participant and builder within the Base blockchain community, contributing not only through his projects but also through educational initiatives and community engagement. ^[1]​

Early Career: Engineering and Agtech

Centro de Energía (2014–2015)

After his time at the Universidad de Chile, Beltran worked as a Project Engineer at the university's Centro de Energía from April 2014 to July 2015, where he developed a Java-based lithium battery aging model for microgrid systems. ^[6]​

GeoGrow (2016–2020)

His entrepreneurial ventures began in the renewable energy and Agtech sectors. From 2016 to 2020, he co-founded and led GeoGrow, an Agtech startup focused on IoT–SaaS greenhouse climate monitoring, serving first as CEO and later as CSO. The venture secured public funding through CORFO. ^[6]​

SolarTracker (2017–2019)

Concurrently, from 2017 to 2019, he co-founded SolarTracker. As Commercial Director, he oversaw operations for the startup, which developed predictive-maintenance algorithms for photovoltaic plants and also secured public funding through CORFO. ^[6]​

Transition to E-commerce and Cybersecurity

The Vegan Butcher (2020–2021)

Beltran later transitioned into e-commerce and cybersecurity. Between June 2020 and November 2021, he founded and marketed The Vegan Butcher, a plant-based food e-commerce brand in Santiago, Chile. ^[6]​

Unitti (2021)

In 2021, he served as Chief Commercial Officer at Unitti, a cloud operations and cybersecurity firm, where he managed sales for ethical hacking services and oversaw AI-driven innovation projects. ^[6]​

Founding of a0x: AI and Cryptocurrency

ZURF (2022–2024)

His most recent role before a0x was as CEO of ZURF, a crypto-social startup, from December 2022 to August 2024. At ZURF, he led teams in building an on-chain short-video DEX with creator tokens on Lens and Farcaster, focusing on integrating DeFi into social platforms. ^[6]​

a0x (2024–Present)

Beltran founded a0x in 2024 to build infrastructure at the convergence of AI and blockchain. Based in Latin America, the company specializes in Blockchain, Fintech, Real World Assets (RWA), Tokenization, and Compliance. The project's central aim is to develop "onchain minds," which are specialized AI agents or "digital clones" designed to support individuals by scaling their presence and expertise in a verifiable, on-chain manner. The project is built on Base, an Ethereum Layer 2 network. ^{[4] [3] [1]}​

In an August 2025 update, Beltran shared a development roadmap for a0x that included several key initiatives. These plans featured the development of an "a0x engine v2," described as being "smarter, faster, stronger," and the integration of a0x technology directly as a Base application. The roadmap also outlined the expansion of its AI offerings with new clones and agents, alongside a planned brand refresh for the project. ^[3]​

Philosophy and Vision

Beltran's work is guided by a distinct philosophy regarding the future of artificial intelligence and its societal impact. He has publicly discussed the dual potential of AI to create either a "utopia of abundance" or a "dystopia of control and massive unemployment," advocating for the use of decentralized technologies like blockchain to steer development toward a more positive outcome. He believes that blockchain can provide a crucial foundation for AI, ensuring its development is not controlled by a small number of centralized entities. ^[1]

He distinguishes between general-purpose Large Language Models (LLMs) and the more specialized, autonomous "AI agents" that a0x focuses on creating. His vision involves the creation of "digital clones" of experts, which would serve to democratize access to their knowledge and skills on a global scale. This philosophy aligns with Vitalik Buterin's concept of "AI as the engine, humans as the steering wheel," and is encapsulated in a comment Beltran made, stating, "Clones are supporters, you are the will power," emphasizing a human-centric approach where AI acts in a supportive capacity to human intention. ^{[3] [1]}

Key Projects

Beltran's primary focus is the development of a0x and its associated AI agents. The most prominent of these is jessexbt, which serves as a proof-of-concept for the "onchain mind" model.

jessexbt

​jessexbt is the first "onchain mind" developed by a0x. The AI agent is modeled after Jesse Pollak, the creator of the Base blockchain, and is designed to function as a virtual co-founder for developers building within the Base ecosystem. Its purpose is to provide guidance, feedback, and support at scale, effectively scaling Pollak's ability to assist the community. ^[3]​

The project's concept was first introduced in a video posted by Beltran on June 6, 2025, with a formal announcement following on July 15, 2025. The project quickly gained recognition after being selected for the inaugural Base Batch accelerator program. On July 21, 2025, Beltran announced that a0x, represented by team members including himself, Matias Palomo, and Patricio, had secured a shared 2nd place finish among the top ten teams in the Base Batch #001 Closing Ceremony. As part of this achievement, the project was awarded a $40,000 grant to support its continued development. ^{[5] [3]}​

On November 6, 2025, the Jesse Pollak AI clone was officially launched on the Base App and made accessible via Telegram. To mark the launch, a0x announced a contest for users interacting with the clone to win a mentorship session with the real Jesse Pollak. ^[4]​

Community Engagement and Education

Beltran is an active contributor to the Web3 and AI developer communities, particularly within the Base ecosystem. His activities include public speaking, educational leadership, and active participation in community discourse.

Campus On Chain "Build Week"

On September 2, 2025, Beltran delivered the kickoff presentation for "Build Week," an educational event and hackathon co-organized by a0x, Campus On Chain, and Base. In his presentation, he outlined the event's nine-day structure, which consisted of four days of classes followed by a five-day hackathon. The curriculum covered topics such as blockchain, smart contracts, AI, and miniapps. ^{[2] [4]}​

The event's primary objective was to encourage the development of real-world applications for the Base App, with project themes including AI, DeFi, gaming, consumer applications, and education. A prize pool of over $2,000 was offered to the top eight teams. ^[2]​

Ecosystem Participation and Programs

Beyond formal events, Beltran engages with the Base community through social media and participation in accelerator programs and speaking engagements.

Acelera Accelerator Program

In early October 2025, a0x was selected as one of six teams for the "Acelera" accelerator, a Latin American program for crypto and AI founders run by Odisea Labs. The six-week program, which began on October 10, 2025, focused on product development, marketing, and fundraising, culminating in a final pitch at Devconnect in Argentina on November 22, 2025. ^[4]​

Speaking Engagements and Community Events

Beltran and the a0x team are active in the broader Web3 community. On September 6, 2025, a0x co-organized an "AsaDAO" Web3 community event in Bolivia. On October 24, 2025, the team was invited by Startup Grind Buenos Aires to speak at the "Road to Devconnect LatAm" event about the intersection of AI and Web3. On November 6, 2025, a0x was featured in a live YouTube conversation hosted by Dobprotocol to discuss AI agents and on-chain autonomy. ^[4]​

In an online post on October 14, 2025, Beltran shared a list of his favorite projects building on Base, which included Clanker and Bankr. ^[3]​