The Rollup

Erik Voorhees on Building the Uncensored ChatGPT

Mar 2, 2026
Guest
Erik Voorhees
Erik Voorhees, founder of ShapeShift and Venice AI, is a crypto entrepreneur building privacy-first, non-custodial tools. He discusses why AI needs uncensored, privacy-focused alternatives, how Venice blends crypto primitives with chat AI, the risks of centralized censorship, and the evolving convergence and geopolitics between AI and crypto.
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INSIGHT

Protocols Preserve Crypto Ethos

  • The crypto ethos is preserved by protocol code rather than who adopts it.
  • Erik argues Bitcoin's design embeds protection so institutions using it doesn't erase its core principles.
ANECDOTE

Building ShapeShift After Mt. Gox

  • Erik Voorhees built ShapeShift in 2014 after Mt. Gox collapsed to avoid custodial risk.
  • He designed ShapeShift as the first non-custodial exchange so users didn't reveal identity or have funds held by the platform.
INSIGHT

AI Reached Mainstream Faster Than Crypto

  • AI's mainstream arrival was rapid compared with crypto's slower adoption curve.
  • Erik contrasts decades-long academic AI work culminating in ChatGPT with crypto's more recent, gradual uptake.
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