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Story Protocol Co-Founder Jason Zhao Steps Back to Pursue New AI Venture
Zhao will remain an adviser as Story Protocol enters its next phase under SY Lee’s leadership, while he launches Poseidon to bring AI into frontier industries like science and space.
Aug 17, 2025, 1:13 p.m.
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What to know:
- Jason Zhao, co-founder of Story Protocol, is stepping down from his full-time role to focus on a new AI initiative called Poseidon.
- Story Protocol, launched in 2021, has raised over $130 million and aims to make intellectual property programmable on blockchain.
- Leadership of Story Protocol will transition to co-founder SY Lee as CEO, with Zhao remaining as a strategic adviser.
Jason Zhao, co-founder of intellectual property blockchain project Story Protocol, is stepping away from his full-time role after more than three years of building the platform.
Zhao announced via a social media post that he will remain as a strategic adviser while turning his focus to a new AI initiative, Poseidon, which applies artificial intelligence to frontier industries such as science, biopharma, robotics, and space.
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After 3.5 years building Story from scratch, I’m stepping out of my full-time role. I’ll stay closely involved as a strategic advisor.
— Jason Zhao (@jasonjzhao) August 16, 2025
While incubating Poseidon, I rekindled my original passion from my DeepMind days: applying AI to frontier industries like science and space.… pic.twitter.com/fd8J0c9uSO
“Language generation is just the initial wave of a cascade of abundant intelligence across fields… that, if successful, will constitute a new Industrial Revolution,” Zhao said in a post on X.
Zhao launched Story Protocol in 2021 as a way to make intellectual property “programmable,” enabling rights holders to register and monetize content directly on-chain.
The project has since secured more than $130 million in venture funding from backers, including a16z.
Leadership will now pass fully to co-founder SY Lee as CEO, alongside Andrea as chief product officer and Sandeep as chief AI officer.
Zhao said he will remain close to Story through partnerships and investment, calling the project “the most meaningful experience of my life.”
Story Protocol's token, IP, is trading above $5.80, up 2% on-day.
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