Samuel McCulloch is the Growth Lead at USD.AI and the host of Leviathan News, a media platform focused on DeFi. ^[4][1] He was previously the Executive Producer and Host at Flywheel, a media and advocacy platform that provides information on Frax and related crypto and financial topics.

Education

Samuel McCulloch attended the University of St. Andrews where he studied for an M.A. in Philosophy between 2009 to 2013. Prior to that, he was a student at the Defense Langauge Institute studying Russian Language Studies. ^[1]

Licenses & Certifications

Samuel McCulloch holds several licenses and certifications related to the financial industry. These include the Series 7 (General Securities Representative Examination) and the Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law Examination), issued by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). ^[1]

Career

In 2003, Samuel McCulloch started out as a Russian Cryptologic Linguist and then a Senior Signals Intelligence Analyst at the United States Marine Corps. In October 2013, he was an Investment Consultant at PFS International specializing in structuring private capital and long-term financial analysis, tax optimization in foreign offshore jurisdictions, and corporate consulting for offshore companies. ^[1]

From June 2014 to 2017, Samuel worked as an Equity Options Trader for private clients. He was also self-employed as a Business Development Consultant until 2018. In April 2018, he moved to the role of Head of Content/UX at Adara.io until 2020. ^[1]

In February 2020, he was the Director Of Business Development at RealT, a blockchain real estate company based in Florida, USA. From August 2020 to 2022, Samuel worked as a UX Writer at OKX, a crypto exchange where he contributed to the company's mission by crafting clear and concise language that helped guide users through complex processes in the product. In 2019 he served as a podcast host at End of the Chain. ^[1]

Starting in August 2025, Samuel McCulloch is the Growth Lead at Permian Labs. Permian Labs is the team behind USD.AI, a yield-bearing stablecoin backed by AI infrastructure. The protocol channels onchain deposits into financing GPU hardware, giving AI companies access to compute while depositors hold a stable, interest-earning digital dollar. As Growth Lead, he focuses on marketing, ecosystem adoption, and expanding the bridge between DeFi liquidity and real-world AI demand.

Leviathan News

Samuel McCulloch is a key contributor to Leviathan News, where he serves as a host and content creator. At Leviathan, he produces in-depth analysis and interviews focusing on decentralized finance, cryptocurrency markets, and blockchain technology. ^[4]

Flywheel DeFi

Samuel McCulloch joined Flywheel DeFi in June 2022 as the Executive Producer. Flywheel podcast is a media company that was originally funded by the Frax DAO. ^[3]

"I am dedicated to exploring the latest trends and innovations in the world of finance and technology" - he wrote^[1]

With a specific focus on stablecoins and their potential to revolutionize the financial industry and with years of experience in producing content that informs and engages audiences, Samuel has a proven track record of creating compelling podcasts, videos, and articles that explore complex topics. ^[2]

The Flywheel DeFi was created in June 2022, with Sam McCulloch, DeFi Dave, and kapital_k as the leading team and they are also responsible for co-hosting the podcast. ^[2][3]