On May 22, 2025, Incrypted hosted an AMA session with Edison Chen, co-founder of CUDIS.

CUDIS presents itself as the world’s first longevity protocol that bridges Web3, wearable devices, and artificial intelligence. The project offers users full control over their biodata, personalized health recommendations, and incentives for participating in its ecosystem.

The conversation touched on CUDIS’s origin story, the challenges of launching a hardware product in the Web3 space, plans for user rewards, the role of AI, the introduction of the Longevity Hub, and other key topics.

The Genesis of CUDIS

According to Edison Chen, the idea for CUDIS dates back to 2003, but the team only began to explore the blockchain space in earnest in 2016, when they recognized the transformative potential of Web3 for healthcare.

«We realized that if we could integrate blockchain the right way, we could empower people to own their health data,» Chen explained.

For Chen and his co-founders, health information is one of the most valuable personal assets in the modern world. Yet, none of the major players in the wearables market—including Apple, Google, Samsung, Fitbit, Garmin, and Oura — offer users true ownership over their data. CUDIS aims to change that by developing a product that returns control of biodata to people.

From the outset, the team knew they needed a hardware solution — a physical device. They settled on a smart ring form factor, which Chen noted was a largely untapped market niche. Out of an estimated 1,2–1,4 billion wearable devices globally, smart rings account for only 1 to 1,5%.

Research by the team, including surveys of potential users, confirmed the opportunity. Nine out of ten respondents aged 20–30 were unaware that smart rings even existed, reinforcing the market’s potential to attract a young, active audience.

Ultimately, the concept for CUDIS emerged: a project that combines blockchain, cryptocurrency, and wearable technology into a single product.

The Team Behind CUDIS

The vision for CUDIS is rooted in the diverse expertise of its team, which spans cryptocurrency, technology, consumer electronics, and wellness. According to Edison Chen, the project is the culmination of years of collective effort.

Before founding CUDIS, Chen worked in venture capital, where he helped manage a $200 million fund, much of it invested in consumer-facing crypto technologies and brands.

Chen noted that the CUDIS team includes experts from leading global companies such as Google, Samsung, Nike, Equinox, Binance, and others. This background has allowed the project to merge expertise from both Web2 and Web3 sectors. A personal passion for health, fitness, and wellness among the founders was a major factor in shaping the project’s vision.

«We’re all very passionate about fitness, health… and we spend a lot of time working out together. It was completely natural for us to come up with this idea and create a product like CUDIS,»   Chen explained.

Funding and Venture Support

Edison Chen revealed that CUDIS’s initial expenses were funded from his personal resources while the team worked on developing and launching the product. It was only after the creation of early prototypes that the company began seeking venture capital, a process that took several months.

In September 2024, CUDIS secured $5 million in funding from top-tier global VCs. The round was led by Draper Associates, SNZ Holding, and Skybridge, with participation from Foresight, NGC, and others. According to Chen, the investors brought not only capital but also critical strategic support.

Overall, CUDIS received over $15 million in preliminary investment commitments, but ultimately chose to raise $5 million solely from funds that aligned with the project’s long-term vision. Notably, the partnership with Draper Associates — whose portfolio includes investments in Coinbase, Tesla, and SpaceX — was especially significant for the team.

CUDIS is channeling most of its resources into product development and team growth, which Chen identified as the key drivers of long-term success. Over the course of a year, CUDIS rolled out two generations of its smart ring, a process that required significant time, effort, and investment.

At the time of writing, CUDIS employs about 30 people, 90% of whom are engineers. This high concentration of technical talent enables the company to rapidly implement new features, including those proposed by the community.

Why Web3

The founder of CUDIS highlighted the project’s close collaboration with the Solana ecosystem, particularly with the Solana Saga team.

According to Edison Chen, the crypto community shows higher engagement levels than the broader Web2 audience — a trend the CUDIS team has observed during events and when launching new features.

«Our Web2 partners tell us we have a higher conversion rate among people purchasing longevity products than in typical Web2 user groups,» Chen emphasized.

He attributes this to the crypto community’s openness to innovation and willingness to test new technologies, including DeFi, biohacking, and longevity-focused products.

Chen also noted that longevity resonates with most Web3 users, as it aligns closely with personal control, responsibility, and the pursuit of self-improvement.

Challenges of Launching a Hardware Product in Web3

Unlike most startups focused solely on virtual solutions, CUDIS made an intentional, strategic decision to develop a physical device from the outset. Edison Chen acknowledged that creating a hardware product is one of the most challenging undertakings, particularly in the crypto industry.

He cited conversations with the Solana Seeker team, who also encountered difficulties in developing their smartphone. However, Chen believes this complexity provides a competitive moat — those who can overcome such obstacles will gain a significant advantage.

Chen also pointed to the volatility of similar initiatives in Web3. Many teams launch comparable projects — raising funds, developing a device, integrating it with blockchain — but often shut down shortly after, unable to successfully bring the product to market.

Despite the challenges, Chen is confident that having a tangible device gives CUDIS a distinct edge. According to him, users have noted that it’s much easier to explain what CUDIS does to friends and family when there’s a physical product to «show,» something most abstract Web3 solutions lack.

AI Coach and the Role of Personalized Recommendations

CUDIS does not position itself as an AI startup, yet artificial intelligence plays a significant role in its ecosystem.

«From day one, we integrated with OpenAI and built our own AI coach based on their large language model,» Chen noted.

The CUDIS AI coach has been available for over a year, offering personalized guidance on nutrition, physical activity, and lifestyle. The team continuously refines the coach, incorporating community feedback to better align it with users’ real-world needs.

But the AI coach doesn’t just respond to user queries — it helps individuals gain a deeper understanding of their metrics, analyzes data collected by the device, and generates tailored plans based on that information.

However, Chen made it clear that CUDIS is not intended as a medical device and is not a substitute for doctors or clinics. The company’s stance is that prevention is significantly more effective and cost-efficient than treatment.

This is why CUDIS focuses on helping people start caring for their health before serious problems arise. Chen pointed to Singapore’s approach, where the government encourages citizens to invest in their health from a young age to reduce future healthcare costs.

CUDIS views daily recommendations as a tool for long-term prevention, helping users maintain high levels of health without the need for complex medical interventions.

Tokenomics and Airdrop

One of the central topics of the AMA session was user rewards and the sustainability of CUDIS’s business model. In response to comparisons with projects like Sweatcoin and StepN, Edison Chen explained how CUDIS’s approach fundamentally differs.

According to Chen, the move-to-earn model is inherently unstable. While it generates rapid attention, it fails to create lasting demand. If ecosystem participants are motivated solely by rewards, without engaging with the product itself, the token’s value inevitably collapses after a brief speculative period. CUDIS takes a different path: while users are rewarded for participation, they also have real incentives to hold the token.

The project provides bonuses for physical activity — such as wearing the ring or participating in fitness challenges — but places greater emphasis on creating a system where health data has intrinsic value. CUDIS envisions two key sources of demand for its token.

Rewards for Access to Personal Data

Partner projects that wish to access CUDIS users’ data must compensate them, either in fiat currency, by offering their own products, or by distributing tokens as rewards.

«We need to show partners that if they want to use the data, they have to pay for it. They can’t use it for free,» Chen emphasized.

This model transforms users into active participants in the digital health economy, rather than passive consumers.

Internal Ecosystem Demand

A second source of demand is expected to emerge from the upcoming launch of the Longevity Hub — a platform for startups in the longevity space. New projects seeking to launch their products or tokens within this ecosystem will be required to use CUDIS tokens as the base currency. This creates internal circulation and a stable environment for growth.

Additionally, users who lock their tokens will gain access to exclusive health and fitness products, new services, and personalized wellness programs.

Chen pointed out that this approach fosters a long-term, self-sustaining model, as opposed to a short-term hype cycle.

Regarding the airdrop, the founder confirmed that all smart ring owners will receive project tokens. He emphasized that device owners are the backbone of the CUDIS community, and rewarding them should be the starting point for building tokenomics.

The focus is on a long-term approach to token distribution. Chen believes that a one-time reward only drives short-lived activity; instead, CUDIS plans to implement phased incentives, with some tokens distributed during the TGE (Token Generation Event) and additional rewards provided as users engage more deeply with the ecosystem.

The project also plans to reserve a part of tokens to attract new users and support platform development.

Expanding the Ecosystem

As CUDIS’s popularity continues to grow, the team has introduced a new way for users to engage with the ecosystem: the Pioneer Package. This limited offering, with just 3000 slots, is designed for new users who want to test the smart ring while unlocking additional perks.

Edison Chen explained that the launch of the Pioneer Package is a response to requests from the community, which has already embraced the product and is eager to deepen its involvement. The package introduces a new collection of smart rings, called The Sporty Series, featuring unique color schemes and a fivefold multiplier on activity points.

The emphasis is not just on gamification but also on fostering healthy habits. Chen stressed that longevity is within everyone’s reach—get enough sleep, exercise, eat nutritious foods, maintain good mental health, and consider supplements if needed.

Community involvement has played a key role in shaping new features. Chen recalled launching a social challenge on X a few months ago that attracted over 3000 participants. That initiative eventually became part of CUDIS’s mobile app functionality.

The Pioneer Package launch also coincided with the announcement of the Longevity Hub platform, previously mentioned. This platform will give the CUDIS community priority access to new services, products, and even tokens launched under the initiative.

A primary goal of expanding the ecosystem is to attract a new wave of users who can participate in upcoming activities tied to the CUDIS token launch. According to Chen, the TGE is just the beginning, not the endgame.

«Many projects conduct a TGE and then stop thinking about future development. They lack the incentive to build further and don’t know how to scale,» Chen noted.

CUDIS, on the other hand, is focused on a long-term model. While users previously accumulated points, the introduction of the token will unlock new engagement scenarios within the community. Chen sees this as the next stage of growth, breathing new life into the project’s economy and adding further value.

How CUDIS Protects User Data

Edison Chen emphasized that safeguarding user privacy is one of CUDIS’s top priorities. He noted that the team actively collaborates with projects specializing in data protection and is continuously exploring new solutions.

At the current stage, all collected data is encrypted and stored in a decentralized environment via IPFS. When users choose to share their information with other projects, they can do so anonymously, without the risk of personal data leaks.

Chen also shared plans to establish a dedicated CUDIS Grant — a financial support program for teams working on privacy solutions and secure data storage.

Living to 140: Real Goal or Marketing Hype?

When asked by the community about the possibility of living to 140 years with CUDIS’s help, Chen responded with cautious optimism. He acknowledged that recent scientific research and expert opinions in the longevity field suggest it may be feasible. However, he stressed that the CUDIS team is focused on a different aspect of the question.

«We believe that simply living longer isn’t enough. And it shouldn’t be the goal for everyone. The real goal is to live a higher-quality, healthier, and happier life for as long as possible,» Chen said.

He also highlighted the importance of staying active and engaged in later years — maintaining physical mobility, social connections, and a sense of purpose even beyond age 90. In his view, longevity loses its meaning if it comes at the cost of being bedridden and isolated from real life.

That’s why CUDIS is building an ecosystem designed to help people maintain activity, mental clarity, and social bonds for as long as possible.