In this episode, Matt sits down with Benji Leibowitz to explore how blockchain and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) are being used to radically reimagine the way longevity research is funded, governed, and executed. Ben explains how Molecule’s platform tokenizes intellectual property (IP) from scientific research, allowing it to be transparently traded, shared, and co-developed without traditional legal friction. The discussion breaks down the differences between hard IP (like patents) and soft IP (like sponsored research agreements), and how tokenized systems allow collaborators and investors to hold governance stakes in specific compounds or discoveries.

The conversation delves into how DAOs like VitaDAO work as crypto-powered collectives that pool resources and vote on funding decisions. Ben walks through a real-world example of how VitaDAO funded autophagy research at a university lab using an IP-based NFT structure. This enabled the research outcomes to be transparently linked to a tradable digital asset, which could be further fractionalized for community governance and additional fundraising. Matt and Ben also discuss the challenges of integrating crypto models with legacy academic institutions, where bureaucracy and legal constraints slow down innovation.

From there, the discussion shifts to Pump Science, a spinout from Molecule that is testing a gamified, public-driven approach to longevity R&D. Pump Science creates tradable tokens tied to specific interventions like rapamycin or urolithin A, using transaction fees from token trading to fund real-world animal experiments. They highlight how their worm and fly lifespan tests generated over $7 billion in trading volume, with a portion of the fees earmarked to support follow-up mouse studies. They also discuss the potential of future models where trading alone—without traditional fundraising—could finance entire experiments.

Ben and Matt explore the importance of designing incentive systems that reward positive outcomes. For example, token holders of interventions that show the largest lifespan benefits in early models receive bonus tokens from future launches. This approach encourages the community to fund and promote effective interventions, creating a built-in mechanism for prioritizing promising research. They also touch on the challenges of standardizing mouse experiments and the importance of scientific validity, even within a faster, leaner experimental model.

The episode closes with a broader look at the future of decentralized science (DeSci), the trust gap between crypto and academia, and the enormous potential of individual-driven research funding. Ben emphasizes the need for transparency, simplicity, and community education to build credibility. As new compounds and mouse studies launch through the Pump Science platform, the conversation offers an optimistic blueprint for how blockchain might accelerate the pace and democratization of longevity science.