Jed McCaleb, Stellar co-founder, discusses his journey from early programming through Bitcoin, Ripple, and Stellar, then pivots to space exploration with Vast and AI research with Estera, reflecting on regulatory challenges in crypto and the importance of human frontiers.
In this Block by Block episode, Stellar Development Foundation CEO Danelle Dixon interviews co-founder Jed McCaleb about his career spanning file sharing, Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox, Ripple, and Stellar. McCaleb explains his motivation for decentralized systems, the regulatory uncertainty that challenged early blockchain adoption, and why he stepped back from full-time SDF work. He discusses his current ventures: Vast, a space station company aiming to provide artificial gravity for long-term human habitation in orbit with a planned 2025 launch, and Estera, a nonprofit focused on AI research that studies brain algorithms to complement current machine learning approaches. McCaleb emphasizes the importance of human frontiers for psychological well-being and economic growth, his learning process through reading and collaboration, and his optimism about Stellar's recent smart contracts platform launch on Soroban.