Lifespan.io President and co-founder Keith Comito was into longevity earlier than longevity was cool.
“We began our nonprofit again in 2014,” Comito stated. “Again then, few credible researchers can be caught lifeless saying they have been engaged on getting older. It was nonetheless type of a scientific backwater. So, we needed to emulate what the most cancers analysis advocates did, beginning within the ‘40s.”
He stated these early advocates recognized essentially the most credible analysis on the time and used “old-school” fundraising approaches like telethons to crowdfund for his or her work. They constructed a grassroots motion and grew their scientific experience. By means of their efforts, defeating most cancers is now a world precedence with communities of tens of millions of individuals crusading within the combat in opposition to this devastating illness that’s carefully linked to getting older.
Comito stated Lifespan.io is taking an analogous method however for all aging-related illnesses. They’ve constructed a big group of individuals by sharing verified information about breaking developments in longevity, crowdfunding analysis utilizing blockchain expertise, and creating a few of “essentially the most profitable YouTube collaborations within the house.”
“In 2017, I helped write the scripts for a preferred sequence of getting older movies that have been the highest-viewed movies the week they got here out, with 14 million views inside days. That was enormous to hit these numbers six years in the past, and the like ratio was overwhelmingly optimistic.” This illustrated to the sphere, Keith stated, that it was okay for longevity researchers to return out into the open and never be ashamed of their revolutionary and life-saving work.
Comito leverages numerous expertise honed from a various background, together with laptop programming, biology, and arithmetic. He has invented a number of metaverse-adjacent applied sciences, developed software program that has been adopted in widely-used providers like HBO Now, MLB at Bat and Disney+, and even by accident created a top-charting Chuck Norris Joke Generator as a joke again within the early days of cell functions. At the moment, he’s taking a look at methods to deliver our world into the metaverse that not solely excite us but in addition heal our minds and our bodies as properly. Keith sees the way forward for Web3 overlapping and supporting the way forward for longevity whereas tying in different scorching sectors like gaming and VR.
Shaking up science
Comito stated that one space he’s spent the previous couple of years exploring is the pure fundraising capabilities of cryptocurrency, working with organizations reminiscent of Gitcoin and Angel Protocol to brainstorm new fashions of crypto philanthropy to fund scientific breakthroughs. In fact, plenty of “crypto heavyweights are already supporting life extension analysis,” he says. Vitalik Buterin, for instance, has supported a number of longevity tasks, donating crypto to causes just like the SENS Analysis Basis. This connection goes all the best way again to the beginning of cryptocurrency – by means of the help of early cypherpunks like Hal Finney, says Comito, who theorizes the frequent thread is transcending boundaries, whether or not monetary or organic, to steer humanity to a brighter future.
The potential of blockchain expertise to drive longevity analysis goes far past elevating cash, notably with respect to decentralized science, or “DeSci.” “There are promising potential therapies for Alzheimer’s which lack conventional revenue motives, for instance, ones that may be developed with blockchain-based crowdsourcing,” he stated.
Therapies like flickering lights and sounds at sure frequencies may remediate dementia. Comito himself is engaged on such an method together with his colleagues at Lifespan.io – aiming to launch a first-in-kind decentralized medical trial to check non-drug interventions for Alzheimer’s illness, with the blessing of presidency organizations just like the Nationwide Institute of Well being.
“There have been very public failures on the remedy of Alzheimer’s with conventional approaches,” Comito stated. “Over a trillion {dollars} has been spent on analysis, with strikingly little progress.”
He stated a non-drug resolution found by a decentralized group of individuals on the web can be a “full earthquake.” Decentralized science, powered by teams like decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), can even overcome points related to conventional analysis institutes. DAO governance promotes transparency and rewards productiveness, facets which might be instrumental in advancing longevity analysis.
“I believe we are likely to view organizations just like the FDA and the NIH as being calcified and anti-crypto,” Comito stated. “However my expertise has been that leaders of such organizations truly need us to shake issues up. With the assistance of blockchain expertise, we are able to obtain medical advances so highly effective and simple that current programs may have no alternative however to alter.”
Crypto will energy additional innovation within the house
Comito acknowledges that crypto has some notion points to beat within the wake of the FTX collapse. Nevertheless, he sees that as extra of a product of the general market. Whereas it’s true that it’s onerous proper now for charities to lift cash, Comito is optimistic that we are going to see a future full of exponential development.
“Final 12 months, plenty of charities began dipping into crypto as a result of the market was scorching,” he stated. “They’ve drunk the Kool-Support, and now’s the time to construct and discover out who’s actually getting one thing fascinating executed. When the market recovers, these tasks can be in nice form. We’re constructing instruments to do one thing wonderful within the subsequent a number of years.”
Organizations like Endaoment and The Giving Block are laying the inspiration for a philanthropic shift. Within the longevity house, VitaDAO and the Longevity Science Basis proceed to fund cutting-edge analysis within the quest to assist lengthen our lifespans and enrich our well being. This might additionally appear like crypto and blockchain expertise finally taking part in a task in streamlining knowledge interactions which may have a task in facilitating longevity.
We’re quick approaching a world the place everybody can personal their knowledge, carrying it of their healthcare pockets. This might help remove bloated trade structure that depends on paper information in a lot of the world. In flip, this may speed up alternatives for folks to take part in medical trials, cut back prices, facilitate funds to members, restrict emission-heavy journey, obtain variety objectives, and result in extra standardized knowledge.
“Considerations must be managed, however that’s one thing we are able to do collectively as a crowd, which we think about a DAO of humanity,” Comito stated. “Blockchain expertise just isn’t going away, and may have a key half to play in a future the place all folks may have sovereignty – not solely over their foreign money and knowledge however over their wholesome lifespans as properly.”
