The intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain is shaping the future of Web3, offering transformative potential across industries. In this in-depth conversation with Dr. Xiao Zhen, a leading researcher and educator at Peking University, we explore the evolution of blockchain technology, the shifting perspectives of young developers, career and创业 opportunities in Web3, and the powerful synergy between AI and decentralized systems.
Dr. Xiao Zhen earned his PhD from Cornell University and previously worked as a researcher at AT&T Labs (formerly Bell Labs) and IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, where he received the "Research Excellence Award." Returning to China in 2008 under the prestigious "Hundred Talents Program," he now serves as a professor and doctoral supervisor at Peking University. His widely acclaimed course Blockchain Technology and Applications has surpassed 1.4 million views on Bilibili, reflecting his influence in bridging academic rigor with public understanding.
This interview is part of the OKX University Interview Series, designed to connect global academic insights with real-world Web3 development, empowering students and aspiring builders with forward-looking guidance.
The Evolution of Web3: Technology, Ecosystem, and Talent
👉 Discover how next-gen developers are shaping the future of decentralized tech.
Over the past decade, blockchain has evolved from a niche cryptographic experiment into a foundational layer for digital innovation. When asked about changes since his early work on Ethereum around 2018, Dr. Xiao highlighted three key dimensions: technical advancement, ecosystem expansion, and talent transformation.
Technically, the shift from Proof-of-Work (PoW) to Proof-of-Stake (PoS) in Ethereum marked a turning point—not just for scalability, but for environmental sustainability. "The energy savings are significant," Dr. Xiao noted. "This aligns with global green computing trends."
Layer 2 solutions like Optimistic Rollups and ZK Rollups have further pushed performance boundaries by offloading transaction processing while preserving security and decentralization. However, he cautioned that some L2 implementations face scrutiny over their degree of decentralization.
On the ecosystem front, DeFi, NFTs, and the Metaverse have driven mass adoption. At Peking University, Dr. Xiao co-leads the Metaverse Technology Research Institute, where his team investigates how AI can enhance decentralized networks. One example he cited is Theta Network, a blockchain-based video streaming platform that leverages users' idle bandwidth for content delivery—reducing reliance on centralized CDNs and cutting costs.
From a talent perspective, there’s been a clear influx of Web2 developers transitioning into Web3. Their experience in software engineering has professionalized blockchain development, enabling more robust, user-centric applications.
How Young Developers View Blockchain Today
Student interest in blockchain has grown—but not uniformly. While AI and machine learning courses attract larger enrollments, those drawn to blockchain tend to be deeply curious about decentralized systems, cryptography, and digital sovereignty.
Dr. Xiao teaches two courses: Blockchain Technology and Applications and Introduction to Metaverse Technology. His assignments include hands-on projects such as implementing cryptographic functions in Go and writing smart contracts in Solidity—giving students real engineering experience.
Interestingly, he observes a growing divide in student motivations:
- STEM students focus on technical depth: consensus algorithms, network optimization, zero-knowledge proofs.
- Liberal arts students engage more with societal implications: decentralized governance, data privacy, and digital identity.
To prepare students for real-world risks, Dr. Xiao dedicates class time to analyzing scams and fraudulent schemes in the crypto space—an essential literacy in an industry still maturing.
With AI’s rise, he has integrated topics like chatbots and generative AI (AIGC) into his curriculum, fostering interdisciplinary thinking. “We’re not just teaching code,” he said. “We’re teaching critical judgment.”
Career and创业 Opportunities in Web3: Where Are the Open Doors?
For students considering careers or创业 ventures in blockchain, Dr. Xiao emphasized strategic positioning based on geography and regulatory environment.
In China, the landscape is dominated by permissioned blockchains—such as ChainMaker (formerly BSN), SparkChain, and AntChain—used primarily in supply chain finance, food traceability, judicial evidence storage, and data security. These applications align with national policy supporting "token-free" blockchain use cases.
His research group collaborated with AntChain to optimize data dissemination in consortium chains. They identified that performance bottlenecks had shifted from consensus layers to network layers. To address this, they developed a novel framework called Predis + Multizone, which enables parallel pre-distribution of block data using idle node bandwidth. By combining multicast trees with erasure coding, they reduced peak bandwidth usage and propagation latency—results later deployed in real AntGroup scenarios and recognized as an “Outstanding Application Project” by the CCF-Ant Research Fund.
👉 Explore how innovative research is powering real-world blockchain scalability.
Abroad, public blockchains offer broader entrepreneurial freedom—especially in jurisdictions like Singapore with clear regulatory frameworks. There, startups can explore tokenomics, DeFi protocols, and NFT marketplaces within compliant boundaries.
However, Dr. Xiao warned against speculative mindsets:
“Don’t chase quick profits through ICOs or trading hype. Build meaningful products. Understand token economics, user experience, and legal compliance.”
He stressed that successful Web3 projects require cross-disciplinary teams—engineers, economists, lawyers—and a strong product vision grounded in real user needs.
Choosing Between Domestic vs. International Web3 Paths
When deciding where to build a Web3 career, students must evaluate:
- Regulatory climate: China prohibits cryptocurrency trading and secondary NFT markets; overseas markets vary widely.
- Funding environment: U.S. venture capital remains active in Web3 despite tightening regulations; Chinese VCs remain cautious.
- Use case focus: Domestic roles center on enterprise-grade consortium chains; international roles span DeFi, Layer 2s, DAOs, and infrastructure.
“Silicon Valley still leads in innovation density,” Dr. Xiao said. “But China excels in practical deployment of non-financial blockchain solutions.”
Students aiming for global impact should gain experience with both models—contributing to open-source public chain projects while understanding enterprise integration challenges.
The Future Is Convergent: AI Meets Blockchain
👉 See how AI and blockchain are combining to redefine digital creativity.
One of the most exciting frontiers lies at the intersection of AI and blockchain—a domain Dr. Xiao actively researches with Theta Labs.
Their joint work includes:
- Using deep reinforcement learning to optimize blockchain sharding, reducing cross-shard transactions while maintaining load balance.
- Developing AIGC demos like Sketch-to-3D, which converts hand-drawn sketches into high-fidelity 3D models in seconds—ideal for gaming, film, and manufacturing.
- Enhancing computer vision robustness for immersive metaverse environments.
Beyond technical synergy, the convergence unlocks new economic models:
- Decentralized AI marketplaces: Developers can publish trained models on-chain, enabling transparent usage tracking via smart contracts.
- Privacy-preserving AI training: Users retain control over personal data via decentralized storage (e.g., IPFS + Filecoin), allowing AI systems to learn without compromising privacy.
- Verifiable inference: Blockchain ensures auditability of AI decision-making processes—an emerging need in regulated domains.
“Web3 gives users ownership; AI gives them intelligence,” Dr. Xiao summarized. “Together, they enable a smarter, fairer digital world.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can students without a computer science background succeed in Web3?
A: Absolutely. Web3 needs diverse talents—from legal experts designing compliant token structures to designers crafting intuitive dApp interfaces. While coding skills open doors to development roles, many paths exist in governance, community management, product design, and policy.
Q: Is it safe for students to participate in public blockchain projects?
A: Yes—if done responsibly. Focus on open-source contributions, bug bounties, or testnet deployments. Avoid handling large sums of real assets early on. Always prioritize security best practices and legal compliance.
Q: How important is understanding tokenomics for developers?
A: Crucial. Even if you're building infrastructure, knowing how tokens incentivize behavior helps design better systems. Misaligned incentives can break otherwise solid technology.
Q: What programming languages should beginners learn for Web3?
A: Start with Solidity for Ethereum smart contracts, Go or Rust for blockchain core development, and JavaScript/TypeScript for frontend dApp integration.
Q: Are AI-generated NFTs ethical or valuable?
A: Value depends on provenance and utility. When AI-generated content is minted transparently—with clear attribution and scarcity mechanisms—it can hold artistic and collectible worth. However, ethical concerns around copyright and originality must be addressed.
Q: Will AI replace blockchain developers?
A: No—AI will augment them. Tools like GitHub Copilot already assist in writing code faster, but system design, security auditing, and economic modeling still require deep human expertise.
Core Keywords
- Blockchain technology
- Web3 career
- AI and blockchain convergence
- Smart contract development
- Decentralized applications (dApps)
- Tokenomics
- Metaverse technology
- Student entrepreneurship in Web3