🧠 The Founder, The Vision & The Team
Theme: From conviction to creation — the human story behind the startup.
1. The Founding Vision
Q: What moment or realisation first convinced you that this problem needed solving — and that you were the one to solve it?
A: It started in 2022, when we were running a DeFi fund. Institutional and retail investors kept coming to us for help — asking which assets to buy, how to structure their portfolios, or even how the software worked. They wanted exposure to crypto and DeFi, but they didn’t understand the tools.
At the same time, I watched our team of world-class traders — a quant, a technical analyst, a fundamental analyst, an accountant, and a developer — destroy their own project through emotion and overconfidence. Even after being up 540% post-FTX, they couldn’t stop trading.
That’s when it hit me: the biggest problem isn’t the market — it’s human nature.
So instead of a team of traders, I built a team of algorithms. Tetrad became the quant hedge fund that never sleeps — purpose-built for assets like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP.
2. Early Lessons
Q: When you think back to the earliest sketch of your idea, what did you get wrong that ended up teaching you the most?
A: My first algorithm was a simple “buy-the-dip” mean reversion strategy — RSI and Bollinger Bands. It worked at first, but I quickly learned that just because something’s oversold doesn’t mean it can’t keep falling.
That mistake taught me the foundation of modern quant design: context is everything. From there came layered stops, time-based exits, momentum filters, divergence analysis, and adaptive moving averages.
That simple system became the seed of Tetrad’s sophistication today — algorithms that think across regimes.
3. Conviction
Q: Every founder has a conviction that keeps them building when logic says stop. What’s yours?
A: Crypto is the future — but most people lack time, access, or knowledge. My conviction is to build a bridge that gives them safe, intelligent exposure to that future.
But at a deeper level, it’s the obsession with quantitative finance itself. It’s a lifelong pursuit — reading, testing, iterating, forever. There’s always another level to master. For me, Tetrad isn’t just a company — it’s a living research lab, and sharing that discovery with the world is what keeps me going.
4. The Team
Q: How did your founding team come together — by chance, by network, or by shared obsession?
A: The first team came through my network. The second was formed from the survivors of the 2022 crash. Now we’re on our third team — the most talented, with the most conviction, and possessing the most aligned values.
We’re expanding through the Tetrad DAO, aiming for 150 members who will run the protocol via progressive decentralisation.
Our developer 0xSweetie joined after I saw her brilliant work in 2021, and Chris Barnes, a venture capitalist and DAO expert, joined after incubating with us and recognising the project’s potential.
It’s the perfect storm — the right people, the right time, the right regulatory moment.
5. The Invisible Ingredient
Q: What invisible ingredient makes your team work under pressure when others might crumble?
A: Even though Tetrad is profit-driven, the core philosophy is people over profit and community over ego.
We’re mission-oriented — building something that will outlast us. Everyone on the team understands that the real win isn’t a trade — it’s transforming how people interact with finance. That shared purpose is what keeps us steady in chaos.
6. Culture in Motion
Q: Startups evolve fast — how do you preserve culture while growing headcount, capital, and ambition?
A: We vet every DAO member before onboarding. We’re transparent about our creed — you either resonate with it or you don’t.
The culture scales because it’s authentic. Users come from all backgrounds — from first-time traders to institutional managers — but everyone sees the same thing: heart, integrity, and purpose reflected in how we operate.
7. The Humbling Moment
Q: What’s been your most humbling moment as a founder so far?
A: December 5th, 2022. We had the vault ready, the algorithm ready, the community ready — and a teammate quit at the last minute, refusing to connect the system. It crushed me.
That failure pushed me to learn to code and build everything myself. From there came our entire algorithmic framework — live vaults, connected exchanges, and adaptive systems. Out of the lowest moment came the foundation for everything Tetrad is today.
8. Leadership Evolution
Q: How has your leadership style changed since the day you launched?
A: In the early days, I was an organiser — raising capital, coordinating between traders and investors. I was a student, not a leader.
Now, I’m deeply hands-on — coding strategies, designing research, managing infrastructure, and steering the vision. With Chris and 0xSweetie, we’ve built a leadership triangle that runs like a general’s roundtable — no egos, just strategy and execution. It’s an iron fist in a velvet glove kind of balance.
9. Momentum
Q: What do you do when you lose momentum — personally or as a company?
A: When momentum fades, I go back to the data. We refine, test, and improve. That’s my reset button.
As a company, we reignite momentum through marketing and community — new people bring new energy. Progress comes from that cycle of reflection and expansion. Build the foundation strongly, and the skyscraper can rise higher.
10. Vision of Success
Q: What does success really look like for you beyond valuation?
A: Success is adoption and impact — how many people use Tetrad, how strong our community is, and how much total value is locked in the vaults.
It’s not about how much capital we raise — it’s about how much confidence we build.
11. Global Contribution
Q: How do you think your work contributes to the evolution of fintech, crypto, or AI ecosystems globally?
A: Algorithmic portfolio management should be the standard in crypto. It removes emotion and bias from trading.
We’re building the bridge between machine learning, AI, and decentralised trading — systems that can think, adapt, and execute autonomously. And with new regulations like the Crypto Clarity Act and GENIUS Act, we’re finally able to offer that level of intelligence to the public legally and transparently.
12. Message to Founders
Q: If you could send one message to founders two years behind you, what would you tell them?
A: Expect three things: your team will change, your capital will run out, and your conviction will be tested.
Raise funds if you can; if not, do everything yourself. Pivot, don’t quit. You don’t need money to survive — you need discipline and daily effort.
Momentum compounds. Keep showing up, and eventually the vision will catch fire.
⚙️ The Company, The Tech & The Traction
Theme: Inside the build — how this startup is redefining fintech, crypto, and AI from the inside out.
1. The Problem & Opportunity
Q: What specific inefficiency or gap in fintech, crypto, or AI does your company attack head-on?
A: We’re the first platform to combine a trading signal service, DeFi vaults, and copy-trading vaults into one system. Each piece exists elsewhere — but never together.
This gives users full custody options via API, on-chain transparency via vaults, and community growth through trader-contributed strategies.
Most importantly, our algorithms are built to thrive in volatility — they’re always ready for chaos, whether it’s a crash or a pump.
2. Why Now
Q: Why has this problem been ignored or mishandled until now?
A: Because humans want control, and that leads to bias. Emotion drives bad trades, and volatility punishes overconfidence.
Algorithms don’t have emotions; they react to data. The tech existed in institutional circles, but never for the public. Tetrad’s mission is to open that access.
3. The User Impact
Q: Who feels this pain the most — and how does your product change their reality?
A: The traders who just got liquidated in false news events — they feel it the most. Our systems either stay out, stop out safely, or profit from the chaos.
That’s the difference: while manual traders panic, Tetrad executes. Once users experience that, they realise there’s a better way.
4. The Technology
Q: What’s the most misunderstood aspect of your technology or approach?
A: That we have just one algorithm. We actually have many, each specialised for specific assets and conditions.
We benchmark against Bitcoin buy-and-hold, and consistently outperform it while protecting capital. Think of Tetrad as a hedge fund of algorithms operating on your own device.
5. Pride in the Build
Q: Walk us through one feature or system that you’re quietly most proud of.
A: Three things:
Parabolic Mode – catches extreme volatility automatically.
Real-time Transparency – live 365-day performance metrics on TradingView.
Market Regime Filter – adapts the algorithm to trend, range, or parabolic behaviour in real time.
These are quant-level systems, made accessible to the public.
6. Balancing Act
Q: How do you balance speed of iteration with the need for trust, compliance, and security?
A: Our philosophy: take your time, but hurry up.
We move fast, but only after long-term backtests, forward-tests, and live-tests prove stability. Innovation without integrity isn’t progress.
7. Market Traction
Q: What milestone or data point made you realise you’d built something real?
A: Three key points:
32% gain on ETH using a trend-following strategy. (see performance monitor linked)
17 consecutive wins during late 2024.
20% profit during a BTC crash from 126K to 104K — with zero liquidations.
That was the proof Tetrad wasn’t just profitable — it was safe.
See how our algorithms traded during Oct 10th flash crash… pic.twitter.com/3VaylvT81W
— Tetrad Protocol (@tetrad_protocol) October 13, 2025
8. User & Investor Influence
Q: How have your early users or investors shaped the product’s direction?
A: They showed us where the friction was. Setting up multiple platforms was complex, so we simplified everything.
Now, onboarding takes 22 seconds — connect your wallet, deposit USDC, and you’re in. Institutional-grade systems, zero code required.
9. Turning Point
Q: What’s been your biggest “almost failed” moment — and what did it change internally?
A: Two moments:
A 2022 teammate quit, forcing me to learn every technical skill myself.
Our first token launch failed due to team members dumping tokens — so we rebuilt our model through a DAO where tokens are earned, not given.
Those experiences made us stronger, more self-reliant, and more aligned.
10. The Road Ahead
Q: What does the next 12–18 months look like for your company — from tech to team?
A: We’re in a three-phase plan:
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Build the DAO and grow vault liquidity.
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Scale marketing with influencers and outreach campaigns.
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Prepare for the next bull market with market-neutral strategies.
Everything we’re doing now is groundwork for the peak of the next cycle.
11. Evolving Role
Q: How do you see your company’s role evolving as the fintech and AI landscape shifts?
A: We’re going multi-chain — wherever users are, Tetrad will be there.
We’re also evolving into a global quant network, where anyone can deploy algorithms, earn success fees, and grow the ecosystem through the DAO.
12. Legacy
Q: If your company disappeared tomorrow, what gap would the ecosystem feel most?
A: None yet — but that’s what we’re changing.
Previous projects were too early or blocked by regulations. Now, with regulatory clarity and new tech, we’re positioned to fill that gap — the world’s first multi-chain, decentralised algorithmic trading network.
X -> https://x.com/tetrad_protocol?s=21
YT -> https://youtube.com/@tetradprotocol6123?si=ItJ4AM9-O3cbLQqC
T -> https://t.me/tetradprotocol
URL -> www.tetradprotocol.com
dApp -> https://tetradprotocol.ai
