OKX University Interview | Aleksandar: Wallet-as-a-Service is Crucial for Web3
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OKX University Interview | Aleksandar: Wallet-as-a-Service is Crucial for Web3
Wallet as a Service is crucial on the path to driving mass adoption of blockchain, serving as the key for Web3 to welcome the next billion users.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsAleksandar Kuzmanovic is a professor of computer science at Northwestern University in the United States, focusing primarily on computer networking research. He leads the Northwestern Networks group, which is dedicated to building protocols and systems that enhance internet performance. In 2017, he founded bloXroute Labs with the goal of improving blockchain efficiency to advance network scalability. Today, bloXroute has become a widely recognized network-layer solution across multiple blockchains and is extensively used by traders in the DeFi space.
We aim to explore how entrepreneurs from global academic backgrounds view the future development of the Web3 industry and how they integrate their expertise with blockchain technology. For this reason, we are honored to invite Professor Aleksandar Kuzmanovic as a featured guest in the "OKX University Interview" series. During our conversation, he emphasized: "Wallet as a Service (WAAS) is critical on the path toward mass blockchain adoption—it’s the key to bringing Web3 to its next billion users." We hope his background and experiences offer you a unique perspective on the industry. Below is the full transcript of the interview, which we hope will be valuable to you.
The "OKX University Interview" series is a special feature produced by OKX and hosted by OKX Community Ambassador Mercy (@Mercy_okx). It aims to uncover insights from individuals in academia worldwide, offering guidance for those exploring entrepreneurship or career opportunities in Web3.
1. Please start with a brief introduction about yourself.
I am Aleksandar Kuzmanovic, a professor of computer science at Northwestern University in the United States, specializing in computer networking research. I lead the Northwestern Networks group, which focuses on developing protocols and systems that improve internet speed and efficiency. When I first encountered blockchain, I naturally viewed it as a computer networking optimization problem—after all, blockchain is fundamentally a network that relies heavily on efficient data transmission. This insight led me to establish bloXroute Labs in 2017 to tackle this challenge. Initially, our vision was to scale blockchain through improved efficiency. Today, bloXroute has evolved into a widely adopted network-layer solution across multiple blockchains and is commonly used by traders in the DeFi ecosystem.
2. What is your view on the current state of the Web3 industry?
Web3 has advanced rapidly in recent years, and now we can easily reflect on the changes over the past decade. For example, when we founded bloXroute Labs in 2017, DeFi and MEV didn’t even exist. This shows how quickly innovation is unfolding in this space. It’s not surprising, though—when building an entirely new financial system based on novel principles, there are countless problems waiting to be solved.
In my opinion, one thing is clear: during the early years, Web3 was largely driven by visionary enthusiasm around blockchain’s potential, with new blockchain projects emerging almost daily. While there remains ample room for innovation, I believe the industry has now entered a relatively stable phase. The real challenge ahead lies in making blockchain more accessible to everyday users.
3. What do you see as the core drivers of future growth in Web3? And what is your assessment of the current talent landscape?
This is undoubtedly a multi-billion-dollar question—especially regarding how to achieve mass adoption. As I mentioned earlier, significant progress has already been made in blockchain performance. More recently, I’ve noticed growing attention being paid to how ordinary users can access and use this technology. From my perspective, the development of “Wallet as a Service” (WAAS) is crucial—it effectively bridges the gap between blockchain technology and mainstream users. Now, people can increasingly interact with blockchain seamlessly, without needing to understand the underlying technical details—details they neither care about nor need to know—and often without even realizing they’re using blockchain at all. These are highly positive developments.
Naturally, I hope universities can play a meaningful role here. Given that the Web3 field sits at the intersection of cryptography, computer science, game theory, and finance, having rigorous methodologies—including peer-reviewed publications—is essential for systematically addressing these complex challenges.
Over the past decade, attitudes at Northwestern University and within academia broadly have shifted significantly. Northwestern has a distinct advantage due to its world-class Kellogg School of Management, which provides tremendous entrepreneurial potential and a deep talent pool—many of whom have gone on to enter the Web3 space.
A similar trend is visible in the engineering school as well. Blockchain-related courses are now regularly offered by professors across various disciplines, covering topics ranging from game theory to computer systems. This allows more students than ever to engage with and contribute to Web3. To a large extent, Web3 has become a mainstream topic in academia—an exciting and encouraging phenomenon.
4. Over the next 5–10 years, which areas of Web3 are most likely to see transformative change?
Besides bloXroute, my friend and colleague Professor Xinyu Xing—who recently joined us from Pennsylvania 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 bugs can lead to catastrophic consequences, as we’ve witnessed many times before. Therefore, rigorous validation of smart contract implementation and deployment is absolutely essential.
For aspiring Web3 entrepreneurs, I have two pieces of advice. The first is general but important: if you believe strongly in your idea or project, go for it—build it, showcase it, fight for it. The second is that a good idea is never too late, especially in a relatively young field like Web3. I remember co-founding bloXroute Labs in 2017 with my PhD student Uri Klarman—we faced similar doubts back then. At the time, it felt like the industry had already stabilized, leaving little room for new entrants. But history proved otherwise—not just in 2017, but today as well. There will always be space for innovative ideas.
5. After years of deep involvement in Web3, what reflections would you like to share?
My journey in Web3, spanning both academic research and entrepreneurship, has been quite unique. Like many others, I had heard of Bitcoin early on but didn’t pay much attention, nor did I anticipate its massive impact. Over the years, numerous peer-to-peer systems had been developed, and I initially assumed Bitcoin was just another one. What set it apart was its truly transformative potential—its ambitions went far beyond those of conventional systems.
After Bitcoin gained traction for several years, other blockchain technologies began drawing increasing attention. That prompted my students and me to begin researching blockchain and exploring its broader applications. We published several academic papers in this domain, through which we gained deep theoretical understanding and practical experience with blockchain systems.
This knowledge ultimately led to the creation of bloXroute Labs. We realized that just as content delivery and traditional financial services rely on specialized networks, blockchain also needed a high-performance dedicated network. The biggest challenge was designing such a network while preserving blockchain’s core principle of decentralization.
Finally, and most importantly, ideas only matter when acted upon. Having an idea is just the beginning—it remains merely a concept. What truly drove our success was having a team of dedicated and passionate individuals. People like Uri Klarman and Eyal Markovich at bloXroute turned those ideas into reality—building products that people could actually see and use. Ultimately, execution-driven talent is the real key to success.
Risk Warning and Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only. The views expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the positions of OKX. This article does not constitute (i) investment advice or recommendations; (ii) an offer or solicitation to buy, sell, or hold digital assets; or (iii) financial, accounting, legal, or tax advice. We make no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the information provided. Holding digital assets—including stablecoins and NFTs—involves high risk and may result in significant price volatility. You should carefully consider whether trading or holding digital assets is suitable for you based on your financial situation. For specific advice tailored to your circumstances, please consult your legal/tax/investment professional. You are solely responsible for understanding and complying with applicable local laws and regulations.
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