Exclusive interview with Nexus founder Daniel: Unveiling how to reconstruct the trust mechanism in the AI era?

Question

Respondent: Daniel Marin, Founder and CEO of Nexus

Interview and article by: Alex, OpenBuild Content Team

In the context of the continuous expansion of AI computing power and the rapid evolution of Web3 infrastructure, how to verify the authenticity of large-scale computations has become a core challenge faced by global digital systems. Nexus is driving a cutting-edge exploration - building a verifiable computing network that everyone can participate in and that operates globally in collaboration, integrating zero-knowledge virtual machine zkVM with a distributed prover network to create a borderless "world supercomputer."

In this issue's interview, OpenBuild talks to Daniel Marin, the founder of Nexus, delving into the founding intentions of Nexus, the future path of verifiable computing, and the deep coupling between zkVM, distributed computing, and trustworthy AI execution. He also shares how Nexus achieves high-performance scalability of general computing through a dual drive of technology and ecology, without sacrificing privacy.

Guest Introduction

Daniel Marin, founder and CEO of Nexus, graduated from Stanford University with a degree in computer science. In 2022, he founded Nexus with the goal of creating a digital world where "every action is verifiable, every model is auditable, and every interaction is validated." He won a bronze medal at the International Physics Olympiad in 2018 and 2019, and was named to Forbes' "30 Under 30" list in 2025. Nexus has completed a $25 million funding round, with investors including Pantera Capital, Lightspeed, and Dragonfly Capital.

Founding Intention: A verifiable computing platform accessible to everyone

OpenBuild: What prompted you to establish Nexus? What problem did you initially want to solve?

Daniel Marin: At that time, I was involved in a research project at the Stanford Cryptography Laboratory and witnessed the rapid evolution of zero-knowledge proofs, especially inspired by the Microsoft Research paper [1]. It made me realize that we could efficiently combine multiple zk proofs to construct a new paradigm of "universal verifiable computation" [2].

On the other hand, I observe that the current blockchain ecosystem faces three major bottlenecks:

Users cannot easily contribute computing power.
Developers must have a professional background to participate.
The scalability and performance of the chain itself are limited.

I wonder if it is possible to allow anyone to connect to the network using any device (even an old phone), contribute computing power, run AI-level tasks, and at the same time prove the authenticity of these tasks?

This is the starting point of Nexus - a chain where "the more nodes, the faster the network." Compared to traditional chains, Nexus's network becomes faster and more powerful as more people participate. Every device that joins is not a burden but an accelerator. My original intention in founding Nexus is very simple - to make the internet safer and more trustworthy.

For many years, I have been pondering whether it is possible to create a "universal verifiable computer" for this world, an infrastructure where anyone can verify the computation results. With the breakthrough in zero-knowledge proof technology, this goal has finally become a reality. Especially during my involvement in the research at the Stanford Cryptography Laboratory, I was inspired by Microsoft Research's Nova paper [3]. It made me realize that we can efficiently combine multiple zk proofs to construct a new paradigm of "universal verifiable computation."

In addition, I have also observed the multiple limitations of the current blockchain system:

• Ordinary users cannot contribute resources;

• High development threshold, requiring mastery of complex tools;

• Scalability is severely limited.

So I came up with an idea: to allow everyone to connect to the network using their own devices (even a mobile phone) and contribute computing power, ultimately building a trusted supercomputer that supports large-scale computing together.

This is the starting point of Nexus. Unlike traditional blockchains where "the more nodes, the slower it gets," Nexus's design logic is that the more nodes there are, the stronger the network.

The Future of zkVM and Verifiable Computation

OpenBuild: What was your initial vision of "verifiable computation"? How do you see its future now? Daniel Marin: We are at a turning point in computational paradigms. I believe that verifiable computation will reshape our understanding of computational scalability, performance, and even application forms.

The scalability here [4] is divided into two dimensions:

• Vertical: Accelerate the speed of zkVM through hardware such as GPUs;

• Horizontal: Connect more devices to form a global computing power network, bringing an exponential overlay effect.

And this is not just empty talk. We expect that within the next year, the operating speed of zkVM will reach 1GHz on the M2 MacBook Pro — meaning that a laptop can verify one block per second. This is simply the "Moore's Law of the zk field" in action.

At the application level, we are particularly optimistic about the verification needs of AI, such as auditability of model behavior and traceability of AI-generated content. This is also the original intention behind our establishment of the Nexus Verifiable AI Lab[5].

The fundamental difference from traditional blockchain

OpenBuild: What is the biggest difference between Nexus and other chains? How does it respond to the challenges of AI infrastructure?

Daniel Marin: Everyone is talking about scalability, but they all overlook the most critical point: insufficient underlying computing power.

As the application of AI becomes more widespread and models become more complex, the required computing power grows exponentially, leading to extremely high-frequency transaction requests. The question arises: how do we obtain sufficient computing power to support billions of transactions per second? Moreover, users must also trust these transactions?

This is exactly the solution proposed by Nexus:

• It is a World Supercomputer,

• Each time a laptop or mobile phone is connected, the network performance will improve,

• Any user can easily contribute idle computing power without needing a technical background.

We have built a zkVM-driven Layer 1 blockchain that not only verifies transactions but also validates arbitrary computations. It aggregates idle computing power from around the world, allowing any user to join with one click.

Ultimately, Nexus is not a traditional "chain", but an infrastructure network optimized for general verifiable computing.

The concept of building a "verifiable internet"

OpenBuild: You mentioned that Nexus is creating a "verifiable internet." What does that mean? How is it different from the current internet?

Daniel Marin: The "verifiable internet" we envision is a new paradigm:

• Every action can be proven;

• Each model can be audited;

• Each piece of data can be verified.

From AI to healthcare, from identity systems to on-chain finance, every component of the future digital world will be built on "verifiability."

This is not only an upgrade of the trust mechanism but will also bring about a transformation of the business paradigm— in this internet, trust does not require "belief," only "verification." Supported by verifiable computing, the digital society will be more transparent, efficient, and secure.

Roadmap and Product Planning

OpenBuild: From both technical and ecological perspectives, what are the key directions for Nexus in the next 6-12 months?

Daniel Marin: We have just launched the global Testnet III[6], which will run until the mainnet goes live in the third quarter of this year. 👉 Welcome to visit: app.nexus.xyz to participate in the testing and receive rewards.

At the same time, we are focusing on promoting:

• zkVM new version development;

• Nexus Verifiable AI Lab construction;

• Ecological expansion of over 50 cooperative projects.

In the future, we will continue to iterate and promote "verifiable computing" as a core component of AI and Web3.

Conclusion: Building a Trustworthy Digital Civilization

From Daniel's sharing, we can see that Nexus is not just trying to "improve blockchain", but is redefining the trust logic of the future digital society with verifiable computation as the entry point.

In this era of ubiquitous generation and data explosion, "verifiability" is becoming a more critical next-generation infrastructure than "consensus."