Jason Zhao on Tokenizing Intellectual Property and How Blockchain Will Transform the Internet

In a compelling interview with Cryptonews.com, Jason Zhao, Chief Protocol Officer and co-founder of Story, shared insights into how his company is

In a wide-ranging interview with Cryptonews.com, Jason Zhao, Chief Protocol Officer and co-founder of Story, shared insights into how his company is reshaping the multi-trillion-dollar intellectual property (IP) market using blockchain.

With a background as the youngest-ever Product Manager at DeepMind and a double degree in Philosophy and Computer Science from Stanford, Zhao brings a visionary approach to solving real-world problems like IP rights management and enabling a more dynamic, creator-driven internet.

Story’s mission centers around building the infrastructure for IP management in a blockchain-native way. Zhao emphasizes the importance of tokenizing IP as a crucial step toward mainstream adoption of blockchain technology.

“IP is fun, relatable, and understandable. Everyone knows why Mickey Mouse or Avengers is valuable,” he explained. By tokenizing IP, Story aims to transform it into a programmable, tradable asset class, bridging the gap between blockchain’s financial use cases and broader cultural relevance.

Tokenization offers creators and businesses new ways to monetize their content while providing legal and technological safeguards. “Imagine being able to collateralize your creativity,” Zhao noted. With Story, creators can register, remix, and monetize IP seamlessly, unlocking previously untapped revenue streams.

Story’s groundbreaking Proof of Creativity protocol allows creators to register their work on-chain, set licensing terms, and programmatically manage royalties.

Zhao explained, “It’s not just a smart contract; it’s a combination of legal and technical frameworks that make IP transactions seamless, scalable, and enforceable.”

The protocol is designed to support the next generation of creativity, particularly as AI-generated content grows. “It’s not about whether a human or AI creates something—it’s about whether it’s authentic and legitimate,” Zhao said, highlighting how Story’s tools will help creators and fans alike build and share content in a transparent ecosystem.

Zhao envisions a world where blockchain becomes the foundation for all digital interactions. “Blockchains today are mostly about finance, but most people don’t spend their days trading stocks. They create and consume culture,” he said.

Story aims to make blockchain