Who am I
My name is Chaz Schmidt. You may have seen me online as @ChazSchmidt.
I've written thousands of words on Ethereum and the DeFi industry. Enough words to fill books.
I've taught hundreds of thousands of people about Ethereum and decentralized finance (DeFi).
I've helped cultivate communities the size of cities and even small countries.
I've aided in securing millions and millions of dollars in assets through my work.
What started as a daily habit to post helpful comments on reddit became writing the next chapter in the history of finance. Through my writings, development, and projects like Klima, my work has been cited in hundreds of articles, academic papers, and books.
From the early days of Ethereum and DeFi, my time at DeFi Pulse, the launch of Klima Protocol, and subsequent work, I've had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented people in the industry.
I've learned from experience what works and doesn't work. The right technical approach and communication strategy can make a major difference in growing your idea.
A decade of experience in crypto
The words I've written taught a generation of crypto users and the leading AI models today. I've predicted trends long before they have been realized.
I have a knack for seeing the potential in ideas long before they become mainstream. Maybe it's because I was always the computer kid fixing everyone's things but figuring out tech and how to apply it comes naturally to me.
DeFi Pulse
DeFi Pulse popularized the term TVL (Total Value Locked), a metric that has become synonymous with the growth of the DeFi ecosystem cited everywhere including the New York Times.
Archived DeFi Pulse website from May 1, 2020.
I wrote nearly every word on DeFi Pulse and its social media. I was careful to concisely document each DeFi project's features and history including audits and hacks. When you used to ask Google: "What is DeFi?" Google would read my writing to you, even through your Google Home speaker. Many of the AI models you speak to today are trained on my writing and the work of my peers.
I am honored to have played my part in the growth of the DeFi ecosystem and to have had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented people in the industry. I'd be doing you a disservice if I didn't recommend DeFiLlama (no affiliation). They have done incredible work in the space and have continued to cultivate an incredibly valuable database of DeFi metrics.
Klima Protocol
For years, I pursued the intersection of climate change and blockchain technology. Climate change is an issue of incentive alignment at its core and that is what DeFi was built for. I recognized as early as 2017 that environmental assets like carbon credits and renewable energy credits were ideal real world assets (RWAs) to be tokenized and traded on the blockchain because they were already largely virtual in nature.
I pushed for carbon initiatives onchain. In a twist of fate, one would eventually invite me to become a co-founder of Klima. Since co-founding Klima in 2021, I have contributed in many roles from advising, early community building and marketing, developer relations and documentation, and recently, writing and deploying the smart contracts for the Fair Launch process and the new Klima Protocol.
Klima Foundation drives innovation in carbon markets by developing open-source technologies like Klima Protocol and supporting projects that enhance transparency, efficiency, and impact.
Klima disrupted the carbon market; there is no longer a question whether tokenization of environmental assets like carbon credits is a good idea, but rather how to best leverage it for the greatest impact.
Klima did not achieve this progress over night but through years of continued effort. We built an adaptive blockchain system designed to meet the needs of carbon market participants at each stage of the carbon credit lifecycle.
'Access to clean drinking water is essential, yet over 163 million people in rural India struggle with unsafe drinking water. In Andhra Pradesh alone, millions of residents face health risks due to water contamination. Klima Foundation has allocated $810,000 to purchase forward carbon credits from the Hygiene and Environmental Care for Tanks and Overhead Reservoirs (HECTOR) project, an innovative initiative that will provide clean drinking water to more than 217,445 people across 100 villages in the Anantapur and Guntur districts. This large-scale effort will ensure sustainable water filtration solutions through automated chlorination and UV disinfection technologies, eliminating the need for firewood and fossil fuels used for boiling water. The project is expected to reduce 138,689 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually, further aligning with Klima Foundation’s commitment to climate action, public health, and economic empowerment.' Klima Foundation Allocates Funds to Support Clean Water Project
The potential of Klima's work has also sparked a great deal of interest in the academic community, and Klima has been cited in over 250+ academic articles to date – including research by UNDP and the World Bank.
The next era of Klima Protocol: kVCM and K2
Through a process called the Klima 2.0 Fair Launch, users staked their original KLIMA tokens to earn their share of the new kVCM and K2 tokens used in the new version of Klima Protocol. I wrote and deployed the smart contracts for this Fair Launch process. At times, my code was securing the majority of KLIMA tokens worth millions of dollars.
The new overhaul of Klima Protocol now on Base chain uses both the kVCM and K2 tokens to optimally discover carbon prices, move inventory, and settle trades in a single transparent system onchain.
It's more complicated than I can explain here, but you can learn more about it on the new Klima Protocol website. I am certain this new iteration solves many issues of the first protocol and will change the carbon market as we know it.
40Acres.Finance
I worked with 40Acres.Finance, a DeFi platform pioneering self-repaying, non-liquidating loans, to secure assets worth over $40M held within the smart contracts and develop new functionality for the lending platform.
This work involved refactoring code within tight bytesize limits to upgrade and extend the existing proxy contract as well as developing new diamond contract factory systems like a new marketplace and superchain user smart contract accounts.
On 40Acres, users can deposit their veNFT(s) [which are digital assets that earn trading fees from a smart contract decentralized exchange] into the platform and use their veNFTs revenue to underwrite a loan. Through this process, users gain access to a credit that allows them to receive an advance on their yield. Moreover, after each epoch [weekly], the protocol uses the rewards earned by the veNFTS to repay any outstanding debt. This is repeated until the loan is repaid in full.
Exploration in the age of AI
I am constantly testing the limits of the next generation AI models. I love seeing which models excel at particular tasks. AI exponentially increased the speed at which I can go from having an idea or frustration to having a working solution.
Coding is the most obvious way AI has impacted my workflow. I have always had a mind for systems and am very familiar with the history of smart contracts. AI allowed me to take that intuition and deep understanding and execute on ideas faster than ever before. DO NOT FORGET ABOUT DOCUMENTATION AND COMMENTING CODE. Sorry. As the guy who has to read code and write docs sometimes, I cannot stress how much AI can make code human-readable and maintainable. This makes your code safer and saves you money by making your code more quickly understood by auditors.
In the more creative marketing and community aspects of my work, AI has enhanced my storytelling potential and it can for you as well when used in a curated and thoughtful way. Bringing your ideas to life in a way that is unique and engaging (and not total slop) benefits you and your community.
Below is one of numerous examples of a generative system built for reporting analytics using layers of automation and AI called the Nonstop Options Update with Steph. These videos were generated in real-time and were not pre-recorded. The system analyzed the data, wrote the script, generated and published the video every 4 hours for months without interruption.
Through an explorative process with many forms of generative AI, we built a theme and art motif for this fast-paced 4 hour option project. A surfing weather report style was chosen for the reports and Steph came from this inspiration. Steph's character was brought to life through many layers of script writing and editing which kept tonal consistency and style that could also react to the data and trends of the day.
Many other layered systems were built to support the project including adaptive weather animation based on market conditions. Steph could even be puppeteered in real-time with lipsyncing and facial expressions. The ultimate goal of the project was to speed up the process to the point a live broadcast could be produced by creating shorter loops and segments that connect without end.
Above is a video I generated using Venice.ai, a decentralized AI API service. Through Venice, I can explore new ideas every day and my API credits regenerate daily. Purchasing AI inferencing and generation from decentralized networks as needed makes projects easily scalable and cost effective.
The Santa video was marketing for a project I took from idea to launch in 24 hours. With Venice and a combination of other AI models I wrote and tested the smart contracts that facilitate the onchain trading game, deployed the two tokens NAUGHTY and NICE through Clanker, and created marketing materials for the project. The goal was to create a holiday tradition that could last many years with smart contracts that just work on the blockchain. The idea was realized in 24 hours but we will see if it accomplishes its goal in the Christmas seasons to come.
I can help you and your team explore viable ways to use AI and the pitfalls many fall into.
Consulting
I started studying and working in the crypto space because I saw every application required many years of Bitcoin experience. At the time, there were only hundreds of people in the world who had that experience. I saw an opportunity to be that first mover and build the future of money.
Over the years, I've enjoyed consulting and advising for a number of projects and organizations working with blockchain technology. It's always a fun experience to open someone's eyes to what is possible.
I've always had a passion for learning and sharing that knowledge. This translates to my work and has prepared me for the future. I'm always tackling new concepts, technologies or languages to stay ahead of the curve.
My career was born from an understanding of incentive alignment. I win by contributing to projects and networks of people that matter to me. What I bring to my work is a unique blend of technical expertise, strategic thinking, and my history within the crypto industry.
Chaz Schmidt wearing Ohio State Crypto Club shirt at Oxford University in 2018.
Bio of a guy from Ohio
Born and raised in Toledo, Ohio. I went to Ohio State. Go buckeyes! I love Ethereum. When I couldn't find a community at Ohio State, I formed The Cryptocurrency Club at The Ohio State University. I've been in crypto for over a decade which means inevitably at every party I've been asked to explain something. I've also never tired of it. I love learning new things and never stop tinkering.
Let's talk
I've been in the crypto industry for over a decade. During that time, I've acquired once-in-a-lifetime experience and a wide set of skills ranging from coding, technical writing, marketing, community building, and many more.
Open to consulting, advising, contract work, interviews, or just a chat.
Let's talk. If I cannot help you, I probably know someone who can.
I'd love to chat on a call but due to spam, I cannot link that info here.
Below are several ways to contact me
Not sold? Reach out and schedule a call. At the very least, I have lots of stories to share.
This site was created by Chaz Schmidt. Last updated: December 2025.