Trent McConaghy is working on a shared public database for the internet, sovereign personal data, and more. He is the founder of BigchainDB blockchain database software, works with the IPDB network & foundation, COALA IP protocol, and serves as an advisor to the Estonian E-residency program. These are all building blocks towards his long-term goal—to help ensure that humanity has a role in an increasingly autonomous world.

McConaghy started his career as an undergraduate by doing AI research for national defense in the 1990s before founding his first startup, ADA, that explored creative AI. He has since founded Solido, the product of which is now used for most modern chip designs, and co-founded the company Ascribe to help compensate creators in the digital era via IP on the blockchain.