# Introductions 👋

**URL:** https://collective.flashbots.net/t/introductions/155
**Category:** The Flashbots Ship
**Created:** [August 24, 2022, 2:24pm UTC](https://collective.flashbots.net/t/introductions/155 "2022-08-24T14:24:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 121

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### Author: ![johnx](https://collective.flashbots.net/user_avatar/collective.flashbots.net/johnx/32/3503_2.png) [@johnx](https://collective.flashbots.net/u/johnx)
#### Post date: [October 14, 2025, 9:02am UTC](https://collective.flashbots.net/t/introductions/155/121 "2025-10-14T09:02:51Z")

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Hi everyone — I’m John.

I’m a researcher, design engineer, and entrepreneur. My background is in geospatial data science and open-source software development. My work is focused on making location a first-class, verifiable primitive in decentralized systems — building protocols that connect real-world geography to Ethereum.

I’m the founder of **Astral** (astral.global), where we’re building location-based services for the decentralized web, and **Sophia Systems** , a small research and product studio. I’m also a Research Affiliate at the **University of Maryland** and a member of the OGC Blockchain & DLT Working Group.

Previously, I co-founded **Toucan** (toucan.earth), worked on ecosystem and innovation at **Ordnance Survey** , and am a member of the **Kernel** community. In past lives I’ve been a cycling tour guide, ski patroller, and a cliff diver at **Casa Bonita**.

Lately I’ve been advancing open protocols for the decentralized geospatial web and developing a framework for verifiable location proofs.

I’m based in London. Feel free to say hi! Links are on my website, `x25bd.com`.

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