When Shift Happens Podcast

E145: Story Protocol Founder: How Crypto Could Finally Unlock an $80 Trillion Asset Class

Oct 30, 2025
Seung Yoon Lee, CEO and co-founder of Story Protocol, previously founded Radish Fiction, successfully selling it to Kakao for $440 million. In this conversation, he unveils the revolutionary vision behind Story Protocol, which aims to turn intellectual property into tradable assets. He discusses the profound issues with creator compensation on platforms like Netflix and how blockchain can empower creators. Seung also introduces the ARIA Protocol for music IP and envisions a future where modular IP assets become building blocks for AI-driven creativity.
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ANECDOTE

Near‑Death Fundraising Stretch

  • Seung described fundraising pain when a promised investor wiring failed and runway shrank to one month.
  • He kept the company alive by issuing many small convertible notes until larger funding arrived.
ADVICE

Mix Long‑Term Optimism With Short‑Term Pessimism

  • Be long‑term optimistic but short‑term and mid‑term pessimistic when building startups.
  • Expect businesses to take years; plan for durability rather than quick exits.
INSIGHT

IP As A Trillion‑Dollar Yield Asset

  • Intellectual property is a massive, under‑liquid asset class worth trillions that behaves like yield‑producing real estate.
  • AI increases IP value because specialized data and creative catalogs power model performance and monetization.
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