"Now is the perfect time to build solutions that combine AI and..."
Welcome to this edition of Coffee with Calyptus, where we sit down with Sergi Fernandez, Co-Founder and CTO of Context Protocol. We dive into how he's now blending AI and blockchain to build a transparent, agent-driven future, and why trust, clarity, and adaptability are the ultimate currencies in this space.
You've built and led multiple startups, from Fox Trading to Rand and now Context Protocol. What’s been the biggest lesson from your journey as a Web3 entrepreneur, and how has your approach to building products evolved?
I’ve learned that being user-focused and agile is key to success, especially in Web3, where everything evolves so quickly. Adapting on the fly while staying true to your core vision is essential. No matter the market conditions, if you keep building and offering genuine value, you’ll eventually stand out above the noise.
After launching several projects from scratch, I’ve found it’s much better to release a product quickly, gather feedback, and iterate to find the right market fit than to wait for a “perfect” version. In Web3 specifically, a strong community is everything, so delivering tangible progress fast helps people understand your vision and the value you bring.
Over time, my strategy has evolved to focus on delivering immediate, practical value that resonates with early adopters. By rolling out features in smaller, rapid iterations and involving the community in shaping the product, we create a sense of co-ownership and ensure our solutions align with real needs. This approach not only speeds up traction but also fosters a loyal user base that grows alongside the product.
At Rand, you played a key role in launching the RND token and developing smart contracts. What were some of the unexpected challenges in creating a token ecosystem, and what advice would you give to founders looking to build their own?
One of the biggest surprises at Rand was realizing just how important good tokenomics and clear communication are for community support. Early on, we noticed that if people couldn’t understand exactly how the token fits into the overall product vision, interest would drop off quickly. To fix this, we made a point of explaining the token’s utility in detail, through straightforward documentation, regular AMAs, and honest Q&A sessions. Showing real-world value helped people see why the token mattered and helped build trust.
A strong community is essential, without it, a token won’t go anywhere. We learned that keeping people engaged over the long run can be challenging, so we created a transparent roadmap, offered sneak peeks of what we were working on, and regularly asked for feedback to shape new features. This open approach helped everyone feel they were part of the journey.
My main advice for founders is to be clear about how you’ll engage your community and the real value you’re offering them. People who buy your token are effectively investing in your vision and your ability to deliver on it. So, it’s essential to show them what you want to achieve, why it matters, and how they’ll benefit in the long run. By being transparent about your plans, progress, and any challenges you face, you build trust and create a sense of shared purpose. That clarity and openness become the foundation for everything else you do.
Now, as the Co-Founder and CTO of Context Protocol, you’re working at the intersection of AI and blockchain. What excites you most about combining these two technologies, and what problems are you aiming to solve?
I’m excited about how blockchain can serve as a verifiable, trustworthy source of data for AI, because AI is only as good as the data it trains on. With Context, we’re building an interactive data layer that stores information on-chain in an AI-ready format. This ensures data ownership for users and provides AI agents with a transparent, reliable dataset. It’s a powerful synergy that can transform how data is shared, verified, and used in a decentralized future.
I envision a world where AI agents handle many of our daily tasks, like purchasing products, making restaurant reservations, or managing a health portfolio, while we go about our lives. To achieve that, we need to guarantee that the data they rely on is both trustworthy and efficient. By leveraging blockchain, we’ll pave the way for an Agentic future and economy that people can truly trust.
Having led engineering teams in fast-paced startup environments, what’s your strategy for fostering a culture of innovation while maintaining technical excellence?
Clear communication is key. I believe in giving teams the freedom to experiment and think creatively, but I also hold them accountable for well-defined goals aligned with the company's vision. In early-stage startups, where time is crucial, everyone needs to be on the same page to keep things running smoothly.
For instance, at Rand, as CTO and first employee, I’d built and led a team of seven engineers, covering Software, Blockchain, and DevOps, and we scaled the whole team from 2 to 22 people within a year. That kind of rapid growth demanded a strong, adaptable culture.
The key to success was creating a healthy, values-driven environment where everyone understands the company’s vision and sees the impact of their contributions. I spent a lot of time getting to know each team member’s needs and adjusting routines based on their feedback. It’s crucial to build solid relationships within the team, ensuring roles and aspirations align with company goals so that everyone feels a sense of ownership.
A flat hierarchy and quick feedback loops help maintain both innovation and rigorous engineering standards. People motivate each other, and everyone strives to excel because they see themselves as part of the bigger picture.
You’ve been integrating AI tools like LangChain and Vercel AI SDK into your projects. How do you see AI shaping the next evolution of Web3, and what role will AI agents play in blockchain applications?
AI is one of the most promising use cases for blockchain, enabling on-chain interactions that are trustless, verifiable, and transparent. This opens up entirely new business models and collaboration opportunities. A big piece of that puzzle is digital identity, allowing AI agents to interact securely with one another and with humans in a decentralized environment.
I see blockchain as the ideal foundation for helping AI agents reach their full potential by guaranteeing data integrity and scalability. Since the AI agent ecosystem is still in its early days, now is the perfect time to build solutions that combine AI and blockchain.
Personally, I’m focused on experimenting with and launching AI agents through various frameworks, like Virtuals Protocol or ElizaOs, because we’re entering a new post-web era, and it’s vital to ride this wave from the very start!
Solidity Challenge 🕵️♂️
Here's a smart contract designed for a special event ticket giveaway. The plan is to distribute free tickets evenly among all participants who sign up. But there might be a hitch in the system. Can you spot it?
Solidity Challenge Answer ✅
Answer: The signUpForTicket() function doesn't check if an address has already signed up. This means a participant can sign up multiple times. Each time they do, their address gets added again to the participantList array. This skews the getTotalParticipants() function, which might return an inflated count, affecting the fair distribution of tickets.
