Protocol Labs

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the Juan Benet Podcast (opens new window), a platform dedicated to conversations on the future of neurotech, computing, intelligence, and more. Today, neurotech stands to restore not only vision, but also hearing, speech, and mobility for millions of people.

Introducing PL_Genesis: Frontiers of Collaboration (opens new window), the next phase of Protocol Labs' flagship hackathon and a call to teams working on the building blocks of frontier technology: Web3, Crypto, AI, Robotics, and Neurotechnology. Last season, PL_Genesis: Modular Worlds challenged builders to assemble a new internet from composable, user-owned primitives.

In this conversation ahead of LabWeek Web3 (opens new window) and Devconnect (opens new window) in Buenos Aires, Will Scott of Protocol Labs and Andy Guzmán of the Ethereum Foundation’s PSE team, explore how data sovereignty is evolving, from encrypted transactions and private reads to a broader redefinition of digital autonomy.

One of the more impactful changes to internet security in the last two decades has been the widespread normalization of TLS encryption for web browsing. The conscious push to create the free certificate authority through Let's Encrypt (opens new window), coupled with the coalition-building of browser vendors that provided user visible motivation for servers to adopt and prefer the encryption mechanism, led to a real shift in behavior.

Last week, Protocol Labs (opens new window) and Web3Privacy Now (opens new window) hosted a retreat (opens new window) outside of Berlin for 100 leading builders in the privacy-tech space. Conversations ranged across secure communications, decentralized identity, and trusted computing. The bulk of the time was spent in smaller groups working on immediate coordination problems, and the event also provided an opportunity for projects to share and better understand each other's roadmaps.

A little more than a year ago, Crecimiento (opens new window) was still just an idea. On April 28, 2024, after weeks of brainstorming, late-night conversations, and endless Telegram messages, during The Mu’s pop-up city (opens new window) in the heart of Buenos Aires, a group of dreamers from across the globe came together to ignite something bold. Not a startup, not an event. A movement.

What: LabWeek Web3 Where: Buenos Aires, Argentina When: November 13–19, 2025 Why: A decentralized conference focused on digital human rights, real-world crypto applications, and next-gen infrastructure — by builders, for builders. Register now: 25.labweek.io/25-w3 (opens new window) LabWeek Web3 (opens new window) returns this November — and we’re heading to Buenos Aires.

Payy, a project from Polybase Labs (opens new window) — a team within Protocol Labs — recently launched the first non-custodial, privacy-preserving stablecoin Visa card. Designed for everyday use, Payy aims to make borderless money a reality, closing the long-standing usability gap for crypto in real-world transactions while putting privacy at the center of payments.

Introducing PL_Genesis: Modular Worlds, Protocol Labs' flagship annual hackathon — and a call to builders to assemble a new internet from user-owned, composable primitives. A stack where protocols interoperate by design. Where storage, compute, identity, and incentives can be swapped like modules—verifiable, sovereign, and decentralized from the start.

As AI systems continue to advance at an astonishing pace, the next great challenge lies in embodied intelligence—the ability of AI to perceive, reason, and act in the physical world.