Why the Next AI Wave Will Be Decentralized (w/ Steven Waterhouse)

In this episode of the TEACHMEDEFI Podcast, Sohejl sits down with
Dr. Steven Waterhouse—also known as Seven—to explore the
evolution of artificial intelligence, from its early machine
learning roots to the emerging frontiers of decentralized AI.
Drawing on his experience across venture capital, blockchain, and
deep tech, Steven shares insights into the future of AI
infrastructure, creativity, and compute.


Steven Waterhouse is the Co-Founder and CEO of Orchid Labs, a
decentralized VPN protocol. Previously, he was a Partner at
Pantera Capital, one of the earliest crypto-focused venture
funds, and co-founded the Digital Currency Fund at Fortress
Investment Group alongside Mike Novogratz. He also co-founded RPX
Corp (Nasdaq: RPXC) and served as Director at Sun Microsystems
during the early internet boom. Steven holds a PhD in Engineering
from the University of Cambridge and brings decades of experience
at the intersection of deep tech, crypto, and infrastructure.


The conversation examines why privacy, verifiability, and trust
are becoming critical for the next generation of AI applications.
Steven and Sohejl also reflect on the philosophical implications
of machine creativity, how AI can amplify rather than replace
human originality, and what kinds of new software stacks are
needed to support decentralized intelligence.


They discuss the economic constraints shaping AI development
today—from the rising cost of compute to the role of nuclear
energy—and how limitations can spark innovation. This episode
takes a sober but visionary look at how AI may shape our digital
and creative future.


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Guest Links / Additional Material:


Nazare Ventures: https://nazare.io/


Steven Waterhouse on X: https://x.com/deseventral


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Timestamps:


00:00 - Intro


03:00 - Steven’s Journey in Tech and AI


10:00 - The Evolution of AI and Its Current State


12:20 - Are We Moving Towards AGI or Not?


16:05 - Creativity, Disobedience and Intelligence 


20:45 - AI as a Tool for Human Creativity?


28:00 - Decentralized AI: Opportunities and Challenges


31:30 - Privacy and Verifiability in Decentralized AI


38:15 - Constraints, Progress and Investment in AI


41:44 - The Need for Compute and Energy


46:10 - Nuclear Energy and AI


50:00 - How To Keep Up With The Progress in AI?


54:00 - What’s The Most Overhyped Thing in AI?


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Disclaimer:


TEACHMEDEFI is a provider of entertainment and opinions. We are
neither a broker/dealer nor an investment advisor. This is not a
service for issuing or receiving financial or investment advice.
None of our content constitutes a recommendation – or should be
understood as such – to conduct transactions in securities,
cryptocurrencies, or crypto-assets, or to engage in any of the
investment strategies presented in our discussions or provided
content. We do not provide personalized recommendations or views
on whether a stock, cryptocurrency, crypto-asset, or investment
approach is suitable for the financial needs of a particular
individual.