Hello and welcome!
My name is Albena Kostova-Nikolova, and I write about the intersection of blockchain and artificial intelligence.
I have been working in the crypto industry since 2018, helping build several blockchain protocols, a decentralized exchange (DEX), a decentralized AI agent lab, and countless Web3 communities and events. After witnessing multiple market cycles and technological shifts, I believe the convergence of crypto and AI could become the birthplace of some of the most consequential innovations of our time.
About The Web3 + AI Newsletter
The one fundamental thesis I defend in my writing is that the growing centralization of AI poses profound risks to civil liberties, human rights, and ultimately democracy, and that blockchain technology offers a viable path to mitigating them.
We are already witnessing how the heavy concentration of AI capabilities in the hands of a few hyperscalers enables mass surveillance, manipulates public discourse, exacerbates social inequalities, suppresses diverse forms of digital expression, and threatens the livelihoods of entire creative industries.
So, I’m using this publication to shed light on companies and initiatives attempting to build a fairer, more equitable, and private AI. I cover projects and use cases spanning decentralized GPU clusters and clouds, data storage, and AI training and inference, AI computations on commodity hardware and smartphones, private and confidential AI, and the nascent agentic economy.
Disclaimer
My writing may often come across as biased or one-sided, but I make no claim to impartiality. Despite crypto's often checkered reputation, I remain an unapologetic believer in blockchain's potential to prevent censorship, strengthen privacy, and redistribute power and wealth.
That said, I’m here to investigate the intersection of blockchain and AI in all its complexity. If it gives rise to new forms of crime, inequality, or injustice alongside its benefits, I won't hesitate to point those out as well.
In any case, my objective with this newsletter is to inform and educate. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice or as a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any of the companies or assets mentioned.
Cadence and Content
I founded The Web3 + AI Newsletter in 2023, and since then, I’ve experimented with different publication formats and schedules.
It began as a weekly newsletter, but the pace of developments in Web3 and AI quickly made it clear that a weekly roundup couldn’t capture the momentum of the space.
I then switched to a daily, bullet-point format. While it was more timely, it left little room for context, analysis, or my own perspective.
That’s how the newsletter’s current form was born. My goal with it is to strike a balance between timeliness and depth: to publish at least five times a week, highlighting the most important developments with enough context and commentary to make them worth your time.
I invite you to support
I’ve never been a fan of paywalls, and I especially dislike the idea of dividing my writing into pieces that are “worthy” of payment and those that are not. That’s why, The Web3 + AI Newsletter has always been free and will remain so.
However, if you find any value in the insights I’m sharing, I invite you to support this publication. This is my full-time job at the moment, so I’d greatly appreciate it if you decide to upgrade to a paid subscriber.
Let’s connect
Don’t hesitate to reach out on X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, or Instagram or share your thoughts here. I’d love to hear from you.
If you could help spread the word and share The Web3 + AI Newsletter with friends, colleagues, or anyone interested in the space, I’d truly appreciate it.
Thank you!
