Jason Zhao on Tokenizing Intellectual Property and How Blockchain Will Transform the Internet | Ep.386

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Hristina Yordanova

Managing Editor

Hristina Yordanova

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Hristina, the Managing Editor at Cryptonews.com, has a rich background in crypto journalism spanning almost a decade. She previously contributed to Cointelegraph, DappRadar, and CoinMarketCap,...

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November 18, 2024 11:39 EST

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In a compelling interview with Cryptonews.com, Jason Zhao, Chief Protocol Officer and co-founder of Story, shared insights into how his company is reshaping the multi-trillion-dollar intellectual property (IP) market using blockchain. With a background as the youngest-ever Product Manager at DeepMind and a double degree in Philosophy and Computer Science from Stanford, Zhao brings a visionary approach to solving real-world problems like IP rights management and enabling a more dynamic, creator-driven internet.

Jason Zhao on The Need for Tokenizing IP

Story’s mission centers around building the infrastructure for IP management in a blockchain-native way. Zhao emphasizes the importance of tokenizing IP as a crucial step toward mainstream adoption of blockchain technology. “IP is fun, relatable, and understandable. Everyone knows why Mickey Mouse or Avengers is valuable,” he explained. By tokenizing IP, Story aims to transform it into a programmable, tradable asset class, bridging the gap between blockchain’s financial use cases and broader cultural relevance.

Tokenization offers creators and businesses new ways to monetize their content while providing legal and technological safeguards. “Imagine being able to collateralize your creativity,” Zhao noted. With Story, creators can register, remix, and monetize IP seamlessly, unlocking previously untapped revenue streams.

Proof of Creativity: A New Standard for IP Management

Story’s groundbreaking Proof of Creativity protocol allows creators to register their work on-chain, set licensing terms, and programmatically manage royalties. Zhao explained, “It’s not just a smart contract; it’s a combination of legal and technical frameworks that make IP transactions seamless, scalable, and enforceable.”

The protocol is designed to support the next generation of creativity, particularly as AI-generated content grows. “It’s not about whether a human or AI creates something—it’s about whether it’s authentic and legitimate,” Zhao said, highlighting how Story’s tools will help creators and fans alike build and share content in a transparent ecosystem.

Building the Backbone of a Fully On-Chain Internet

Zhao envisions a world where blockchain becomes the foundation for all digital interactions. “Blockchains today are mostly about finance, but most people don’t spend their days trading stocks. They create and consume culture,” he said. Story aims to make blockchain the default platform for peer-to-peer IP transactions, enabling artists, developers, and creators to collaborate without intermediaries.

He likened the journey to that of early internet tools like Instagram, which began as simple utilities but evolved into networks that reshaped culture. “Come for the tool, stay for the network,” Zhao quipped, describing how Story’s IP library and ecosystem of applications will foster composability and innovation.

The Future of Story and the Internet

Backed by $240 million in funding from A16Z, Polychain, and others, Story is scaling rapidly. Zhao revealed plans to launch their final public testnet, Odyssey, in the coming weeks, a precursor to their mainnet launch. With over 200 ecosystem partners already on board, Story is positioning itself as a core protocol for Web3, much like DNS is for the traditional internet.

“Success for us will look invisible,” Zhao remarked.

“If Story works, it will be a silent backbone for how people create, share, and monetize content online.”

With its ambitious vision and robust technology, Story is set to redefine how intellectual property is managed and monetized in the digital age. As Zhao concluded, “Our goal is to bring blockchain from finance to culture—and beyond.”

Watch the full interview here.

About Jason Zhao

Jason Zhao is the Chief Protocol Officer and Co-founder of Story, the world’s IP blockchain. Jason was the youngest ever Product Manager at DeepMind focused on productionizing Google’s cutting-edge artificial intelligence models across industrial and enterprise applications. He is an active angel investor in frontier technology startups.

Jason served as the founding Editor-in-chief of Stanford Rewired, a magazine focused on the intersection of storytelling and technology. As a Design Fellow at IDEO, Jason created and taught a course at Stanford’s d.school. Jason received both a Bachelor’s in Philosophy and a Master’s in Computer Science at Stanford University.