In the path to promoting the large-scale adoption of blockchain, Wallet as a Service (WaaS) is crucial, and it is key for Web3 to welcome the next billion users.

Aleksandar Kuzmanovic is a professor of computer science at Northwestern University in the United States, focusing on computer networking research. His Northwestern Networks group is dedicated to building protocols and systems that can enhance internet performance. In 2017, he founded bloXroute Labs with the aim of promoting network scalability by improving blockchain efficiency. Today, bloXroute has become a recognized network layer solution for multiple blockchains, widely used among traders in the DeFi space.

We hope to understand how entrepreneurs with backgrounds in global universities view the future development of the Web3 industry and how they integrate their expertise with blockchain technology through interviews. Therefore, we specially invited Professor Aleksandar Kuzmanovic to be a guest speaker in the "OKX University Interviews" series. In his sharing, he stated: "In the path to promoting the large-scale adoption of blockchain, Wallet as a Service (WaaS) is crucial, and it is key for Web3 to welcome the next billion users." We hope his background and experiences can provide us with a unique perspective on the industry. Below is the original text of the interview, which we hope will be helpful to you.

The "OKX University Interviews" series is a special column produced by OKX, hosted by OKX official community ambassador Mercy (@Mercy_okx), aimed at exploring the industry perspectives of people from global universities and providing references for those starting businesses in Web3 and seeking employment.

1. Please start with a brief self-introduction.

I am Aleksandar Kuzmanovic, a professor of computer science at Northwestern University, focusing on computer networking research. I lead the Northwestern Networks group, which is dedicated to building protocols and systems that can enhance internet performance. When I first encountered blockchain, I naturally viewed it as a computer networking optimization problem, as blockchain is essentially a network that relies on efficient data transmission. This realization led me to establish bloXroute Labs in 2017, focusing on addressing this challenge. Initially, our vision was to promote scalability by improving blockchain efficiency. Today, bloXroute has become a recognized network layer solution for multiple blockchains, widely used among traders in the DeFi space.

2. In your opinion, what is the current state of the Web3 industry?

Web3 has developed rapidly in recent years, and we can easily look back at the changes over the past decade. For example, when we founded bloXroute Labs in 2017, DeFi and MEV did not even exist. This indicates that innovation in this field is advancing at an astonishing pace. This is not surprising, as there are always numerous issues to be resolved when building a new financial system, especially one based on entirely new concepts.

In my view, one thing is very clear: in the initial years, Web3 was primarily driven by people's vision of blockchain's potential, with new blockchain projects emerging almost daily. While there is still much room for innovation in the field, I believe the industry has now entered a relatively stable phase. The real challenge ahead is how to make it easier for ordinary users to use blockchain.

3. What do you think are the core driving forces for the future development of the Web3 industry? How do you view the current talent situation in the Web3 industry?

I believe this is definitely a billion-dollar question, especially regarding how to achieve large-scale adoption. As I mentioned earlier, significant progress has been made in blockchain performance. At the same time, I have recently observed that more effort is being put into how to get ordinary users to access and use this technology. In my view, the development of Wallet as a Service (WaaS) is crucial, as it effectively shortens the distance between blockchain technology and ordinary users. Now, users can increasingly use blockchain technology conveniently without delving into technical details that they neither care about nor need to understand, and they may not even realize they are using blockchain. I see these as very positive developments.

Of course, I hope universities can play a role in this regard. Given that the Web3 field is full of technical challenges, at the intersection of cryptography, computer science, game theory, and finance, it is essential to have a rigorous and comprehensive approach (including peer-reviewed publications) to systematically help solve these problems.

Over the past decade, the attitude of Northwestern University and the entire academic community has changed significantly. Northwestern University itself has its unique aspects, as we have the top-ranked Kellogg School of Management, which provides tremendous potential and talent reserves for entrepreneurship, with many entering the Web3 field.

A similar trend has emerged in the engineering school. In particular, blockchain courses are regularly offered by professors from various fields, covering multiple disciplines from game theory to computer systems. This has allowed more and more students to engage with and participate in Web3. To a large extent, Web3 has become a mainstream topic, which is exciting.

4. In the next 5-10 years, which areas of the Web3 industry are most likely to undergo significant changes?

In addition to bloXroute, my friend and colleague Professor Xinyu Xing (who recently joined us from Penn State University) is also the founder of Sec3, a company focused on smart contract auditing. Smart contract auditing is clearly a critical area for a simple reason— even minor errors can lead to catastrophic consequences, as we have witnessed multiple times in the past. Therefore, it is essential to ensure that the implementation and deployment of smart contracts are rigorously verified.

For aspiring entrepreneurs entering the Web3 field, I have two pieces of advice. The first is quite general—if you are confident in your idea or project, go for it, showcase it, and fight for it. The second is that a good idea is never too late, especially in a relatively young field like Web3. I remember when we founded bloXroute Labs in 2017 with my PhD student Uri Klarman, we faced similar challenges. At that time, it seemed that the industry had stabilized, and there was not much room for new projects. But it turned out that 2017 was not the case, and neither is it now. There is always room for innovative ideas to develop.

5. After years of deep involvement in the Web3 industry, do you have any insights to share?

My academic and entrepreneurial journey in the Web3 field is quite unique. Initially, like many people, I had heard of Bitcoin but did not pay much attention to it and never thought it would have such a significant impact. Over the years, many peer-to-peer systems have been developed, and I thought Bitcoin was just one of them. The difference is that Bitcoin truly has transformative potential because its goals far exceed those of ordinary systems.

After Bitcoin gained popularity for a few years, other blockchain technologies began to attract attention. So, my students and I also started researching blockchain, exploring what other applications it could have. We published several academic papers in this field, and through this research, we gained a deep understanding and practical experience of blockchain systems.

These experiences ultimately led to the birth of bloXroute Labs. We realized that just as content delivery or traditional financial services have dedicated networks, blockchain also urgently needs an efficient dedicated network. The biggest challenge is how to design an efficient network while retaining the core characteristics of decentralization in blockchain.

Finally, and most importantly, ideas must be put into action to be meaningful. Having an idea is just the beginning; it is merely a concept. What truly drives us toward success is having a group of dedicated and passionate people, like Uri Klarman and Eyal Markovich from bloXroute, who were created because of these talents, allowing everyone to see and use them. Therefore, having execution-oriented talent is the real key to success.

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