Cardano CEO Frederik Gregaard on AI, On-Chain Compliance, Bitcoin Interoperability and Real-World Use Cases: “We’re Building the World’s Largest DAO”

At a major regional crypto conference, Binance News spoke with Frederik Gregaard, CEO of the Cardano Foundation, to explore one of the industry’s biggest transformations: the merging of AI, blockchain governance, and real-world applications.Gregaard discussed why Cardano sees itself not as an AI chain but as a trust and verification layer, how on-chain Legal Entity Identifiers (LEIs) could accelerate global institutional adoption, and why the MENA region and India are becoming proving grounds for Cardano-powered public-sector systems.Below is the full, enhanced Q&A — optimized for clarity, SEO, and user engagement.1. “Your session title ‘Decentralized Intelligence’ implies a future where AI and blockchain intersect. How do you envision Cardano becoming a trust layer for AI models?”Frederik Gregaard:Cardano hasn’t experienced downtime since 2017 — something only Bitcoin shares. When you think of blockchains as critical infrastructure, uptime matters.Most applications will eventually move to Layer 2, and that’s where the combination of Cardano and AI becomes powerful. Cardano provides identity, incentives, collaboration frameworks, and regulatory alignment. AI, meanwhile, delivers the sophisticated user experience we've seen from ChatGPT or Grok.This creates a model where AI systems no longer operate from a single centralized database, but across multiple datasets — with Cardano as the trust and provenance layer.2. “We’re seeing an explosion of AI blockchains — many hype-driven. How is Cardano’s governance evolving to ensure AI accountability?”Gregaard:Many AI-focused chains try to be the AI layer. Cardano doesn’t.Our goal is to secure decentralized AI: ensuring identity, verifiable credentials, and equal computational access so no single actor can overwhelm the system.We're not running AI models — we’re safeguarding them.3. “If autonomous AI agents begin interacting with DeFi or markets, how can Cardano guarantee transparency and traceability at scale?”Gregaard:Cardano can store rich metadata and supports multiple identity layers depending on the required trust level. Combined with compliant stablecoins and low-cost microtransactions, you can build transparent and auditable decision trails.We don’t automatically fall back to ZK rollups. We prefer using the blockchain openly — as a transparent trust anchor. There’s still more research to be done, but transparency is a core design philosophy.4. “Cardano has explored on-chain LEIs — a rare compliance-first design. How close is this to real adoption? And will the EU or UAE move first?”Gregaard:The system already works — the first anchors are live. Expect more announcements at the upcoming Cardano Summit in Berlin.LEIs originated after Lehman Brothers collapsed; banks simply didn’t know which entity they were exposed to. Today, LEIs enable 80% of global trade, including operations in Dubai’s ports.The next evolution, the Virtual LEI (VLEI), is now recognized in the UK.This isn’t about choosing the EU or UAE — it’s about enabling global trust. Cardano offers one anchor, but the blueprint is open so any blockchain can adopt it.It’s not “Cardano vs. others.” It’s about interoperable, verifiable identity.5. “You’ve called Cardano an operating system for global finance. What proof points can we expect by 2025–26?”Gregaard:We recently rang the opening bell at the London Stock Exchange — the first-ever RWA project to do so.Many chains talk about tokenizing diamonds or gold. Cardano has done that too. But now we have fully compliant reinsurance products on a Tier-1 stock exchange, accessible via an ISIN number — traditionally a $100M minimum ticket product.Even as BlackRock’s Bitcoin ETF launched on the LSE this week, Cardano-based RWAs were already there. That level of compliance opens new pathways for institutional models.6. “As Bitcoin DeFi grows, how does Cardano plan to compete in interoperability?”Gregaard:We’re working on three delivery paths for Bitcoin integration.You can already wrap BTC on Cardano, but the real innovation is making Bitcoin programmable using the extended UTXO model.That opens use cases like:Lock BTC on CardanoUse it as collateral for stablecoinsInteract with NFTs and other assetsUnlocking Bitcoin’s dormant liquidity is a major opportunity — and Cardano is well positioned to enable it.7. “Could the MENA region become a testbed for Cardano-powered public-sector pilots?”Gregaard:We follow the problems, not the regions. The UAE has been a meaningful hub — we’ve had two summits here and multiple collaborations.One example: tokenizing gun ownership with Dubai Police and DAPI. We created a 3D digital fingerprint of a firearm, anchoring it on-chain without exposing private data. This lets the UAE contribute to global crime-solving while protecting local sovereignty.That innovation later expanded to India, where police now hash forensic data — over 10,000 events — to prevent tampering and bribery. It began in the UAE and scaled because the underlying problem was larger elsewhere.This is blockchain used for public safety, not just finance.Rapid-Fire Round1. Describe Cardano in 2025–26 in one word.Gregaard: The world’s largest DAO.2. Biggest misconception about Cardano?That it’s a “ghost chain” — despite more than 2,000 active projects building on it.3. Faster progress or safer code?Safer code.4. How do you teach ethics to AI agents trading crypto?Embed ethics into incentive structures using consensus mechanisms like Ouroboros — governed by humans, not machines.5. What will surprise users most in the next year?A surge of real, verifiable on-chain use cases solving social and financial problems.6. Biggest real-world use case ahead — finance, identity, public service, or crime prevention?Impossible to predict; adoption determines the breakout moment.7. Explain Cardano to a Dubai taxi driver in 30 seconds.A global DAO of seven million participants, with real voting rights, digital identities, and a $1.5B treasury — all governed transparently for a better future.8. Most exciting collaboration this year?Integration with Brail, an SDK enabling compliant and privacy-conscious stablecoin issuance.9. Harder — managing engineers or changing narratives?Changing narratives. People resist new ideas. Engineers follow logic.10. Biggest challenge for the Cardano Foundation right now?Balancing corporate governance, community governance, and on-chain governance.11. If you could change one regulation tomorrow, what would it be?Reverting MiCA stablecoin rules to their original intent — with more flexibility on how reserves are held in banks.