For episode 220 of the Crypto Altruists podcast, we’re excited to welcome Bayley Wang, Co-founder & CEO of PrismaX, a robotics intelligence platform building an open coordination layer between humans and machines. PrismaX’s thesis is simple and bold: the bottleneck in robotics isn’t just hardware anymore, it’s coordination. If robots, humans, and AI are going to collaborate safely and at scale, we need transparent rules, shared standards, and incentives that reward the communities creating the value.
PrismaX is reimagining robotics in a way that makes machines smarter and more transparent. Contributors are rewarded for high-quality data, humans stay in control through standardized teleoperation, and AI partners help turn better inputs into better robots. Powered by smart contracts, on-chain coordination, and zk proofs, PrismaX enables safer drone fleets, better warehouse automation, smarter city systems, and a future where communities co-own the infrastructure, the data, and the benefits.
In this episode, we’ll explore how Web3 can keep robotics in the public interest, why decentralization is a safety and governance feature, not just a buzzword, and what it looks like when robots help elevate human potential rather than replace it.
You’ll learn:
🤝 Humans Will Always Be in the Loop: AI isn’t perfect, and robotics will always need human oversight for safety, training, and maintenance. Far from replacing people, robots amplify human intelligence and skills.
🔗 Web3 Brings the Incentives and Transparency: Decentralized systems make it possible to reward contributors, gamify participation, and gather diverse community input, creating intelligent “swarms” of human collaboration powered by incentives and transparency.
🌍 Robotics Should Advance Humanity, Not Replace It: When designed responsibly, robots can take on the tasks we don’t enjoy like heavy labor, while giving us more time for what makes life meaningful: art, music, and time with loved ones. The key is keeping humanity in control.
PIPE gDAO is leveraging blockchain for their University Real World Asset IP Launchpad that helps bring groundbreaking ideas from lab to market. By joining the Pipe Associate Network (aka PAN), associates can create a profile highlighting their skills, be notified of opportunities, and then contribute fractional work to pre-IPO companies in return for equity and tokens.
Check out their Linktree for links to all of their socials so you can get involved and join this growing community!
02:55 - Let’s start with your journey. You’ve built a career at the intersection of robotics, AI, and now Web3 - can you take us back to what first sparked your interest in this space, and what led you to co-found PrismaX?
06:20 - PrismaX describes itself as a “social operating system for robots.” Can you break that down for us? What does that mean in practice, and what problems are you solving?
09:55 - You’ve talked about how the biggest bottleneck in robotics isn’t hardware anymore, but coordination. Can you walk us through why coordination is such a challenge in robotics today, and how PrismaX uses blockchain to solve it?
14:20 - Tell me more about the incentive mechanisms that reward user participation in your ecosystem.
17:45 - There’s a growing movement around “RobotFi”, which involves bringing robots onchain as verifiable agents. What does that mean in the context of PrismaX, and what new opportunities does that unlock?
21:15 - You recently raised $11M led by a16z and others. How are you planning to deploy that funding to grow the PrismaX platform and ecosystem?
23:00 - For listeners who are interested in trying the platform and participating in teleoperating tasks?
24:45 - What do you see as some of the most exciting positive use cases for robotics in the coming years?
31:00 - Many fear that AI and robotics will take away the “humanity” from our daily lives and world. How do you respond to that, and how is PrismaX ensuring that robotics help elevate humanity, rather than minimize it?
33:55 - If you had one piece of advice for an aspiring Founder working in emerging technology, who is interested in the intersection of blockchain and AI, what would it be?
36:10 - Do you have a CTA for listeners excited by what you’re building? How can they get involved, whether they’re developers, researchers, or just curious? What’s the best entry point into the PrismaX ecosystem?
38:25 - Looking ahead, what’s the most exciting or hopeful way you see robotics elevating human potential? Whether it’s extending our reach, amplifying our skills, or unlocking new forms of collaboration, what’s the future you’re most excited to help build?
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While we may discuss specific web3 projects or cryptocurrencies on this podcast, please do not take any of this as investment advice, and please make sure to do your own research on potential investment opportunities, or any opportunity. We host a variety of guests on this podcast with the sole purpose of highlighting the social impact use cases of this technology. That being said, Crypto Altruism does not endorse any of these projects, and we recognize that, since this is an emerging sector, some may be operating in regulatory grey areas, and as such, we cannot confirm their legality in the jurisdictions in which they operate, especially as it pertains to decentralized finance protocols. So, before getting involved with any project, it’s important that you do your own research and confirm the legality of the project. More available HERE.
