The Rollup Why Private AI Is The Only Way Forward For The USA And What Comes Next with Ismael Hishon-Rezaizadeh
Jan 19, 2026
Ismael Hishon-Rezaizadeh, co-founder of Lagrangedev, dives into the transformative role of cryptography in defense technologies. He discusses how zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs are securing autonomous drones, ensuring the integrity of AI models in combat. Ismael highlights the importance of private AI in safeguarding against threats like China and explores the critical intersection of blockchain with AI security. He also touches on trends in the defense industry and how dual-use strategies could reshape our security landscape.
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Crypto Cryptography Is A National Security Asset
- Crypto-funded cryptography is far ahead of other sectors and can secure AI in adversarial environments.
- Lagrange repurposes ZK, FHE, and consensus research from crypto to protect autonomous defense systems.
Verifiability Prevents Tampered Inference
- ZK proves the provenance and integrity of model outputs used by autonomous drones in contested environments.
- Verifiability addresses tampering risks for models, connections, and inference results that drive kill-chain decisions.
From Crypto Labs To Defense Primes
- Lagrange moved ZK tech from crypto research to defense partnerships with primes like Anduril and Shield.
- Ismael frames this as the same pattern Palantir and Anduril used to apply Valley tech to national security.