Hi, I'm Federico

I work at the intersection of law, economics, and technology, a space where the rules governing human cooperation are being rewritten from the ground up.

The question that drives my work: what does justice look like in a world without borders, intermediaries, or shared jurisdictions? Kleros was my attempt at an answer: the world’s first decentralized arbitration protocol, built on collective intelligence and game theory.

My current focus is on what comes next: hybrid systems where AI and human judgment work together to extend the rule of law into the algorithmic society.

I’ve spent the last decade building at that frontier, as an entrepreneur, a researcher, and an educator.

Federico Ast sitting in a studio setting, global educator on Coursera and blockchain technology expert.

Timeline

  1. 2008

    Economics & Philosophy Degrees

    University de Buenos Aires

    The foundation for a career at the intersection of institutional design, game theory, and the theory of justice.

  2. 2012

    PhD Researcher

    IAE Business School

    Doctoral research on collective intelligence, culminating in the theoretical framework that became Kleros.

  3. 2016

    Global Solutions Program

    Singularity University

    Intensive immersion in exponential technologies and their implications for governance, institutions, and global problem-solving.

  4. 2017

    Founder & CEO

    Kleros

    Launched the world's first decentralized justice protocol, incubated by Thomson Reuters.

  5. 2018

    Global Instructor

    Coursera

    Education programs on blockchain, legaltech, and Web3, now reaching over 120,000 students worldwide.

  6. 2020

    Global Recognition

    EU & BPI France

    Kleros awarded the Horizon 2020 "Blockchains for Social Good" prize by the European Commission and an innovation grant by BPI France, key institutional recognition for decentralized justice.

  7. 2023

    Global Expansion

    Universities, Institutions & Governments

    Decentralized justice goes global with research partnerships at Oxford, collaboration with the United Nations, and growing adoption in companies and governments.

  8. 2026

    Founder & Educator

    Kleros & Beyond

    Leading Kleros into the AI era, building the infrastructure for decentralized justice while educating the next generation of lawyers, technologists, and institutional designers worldwide.

Timeline

  1. 2008

    Economics & Philosophy Degrees

    University de Buenos Aires

    The foundation for a career at the intersection of institutional design, game theory, and the theory of justice.

  2. 2012

    PhD Researcher

    IAE Business School

    Doctoral research on collective intelligence, culminating in the theoretical framework that became Kleros.

  3. 2016

    Global Solutions Program

    Singularity University

    Intensive immersion in exponential technologies and their implications for governance, institutions, and global problem-solving.

  4. 2017

    Founder & CEO

    Kleros

    Launched the world's first decentralized justice protocol, incubated by Thomson Reuters.

  5. 2018

    Global Instructor

    Coursera

    Education programs on blockchain, legaltech, and Web3, now reaching over 120,000 students worldwide.

  6. 2020

    Global Recognition

    EU & BPI France

    Kleros awarded the Horizon 2020 "Blockchains for Social Good" prize by the European Commission and an innovation grant by BPI France, key institutional recognition for decentralized justice.

  7. 2023

    Global Expansion

    Universities, Institutions & Governments

    Decentralized justice goes global with research partnerships at Oxford, collaboration with the United Nations, and growing adoption in companies and governments.

  8. 2026

    Founder & Educator

    Kleros & Beyond

    Leading Kleros into the AI era, building the infrastructure for decentralized justice while educating the next generation of lawyers, technologists, and institutional designers worldwide.

Timeline

  1. 2008

    Economics & Philosophy Degrees

    University de Buenos Aires

    The foundation for a career at the intersection of institutional design, game theory, and the theory of justice.

  2. 2012

    PhD Researcher

    IAE Business School

    Doctoral research on collective intelligence, culminating in the theoretical framework that became Kleros.

  3. 2016

    Global Solutions Program

    Singularity University

    Intensive immersion in exponential technologies and their implications for governance, institutions, and global problem-solving.

  4. 2017

    Founder & CEO

    Kleros

    Launched the world's first decentralized justice protocol, incubated by Thomson Reuters.

  5. 2018

    Global Instructor

    Coursera

    Education programs on blockchain, legaltech, and Web3, now reaching over 120,000 students worldwide.

  6. 2020

    Global Recognition

    EU & BPI France

    Kleros awarded the Horizon 2020 "Blockchains for Social Good" prize by the European Commission and an innovation grant by BPI France, key institutional recognition for decentralized justice.

  7. 2023

    Global Expansion

    Universities, Institutions & Governments

    Decentralized justice goes global with research partnerships at Oxford, collaboration with the United Nations, and growing adoption in companies and governments.

  8. 2026

    Founder & Educator

    Kleros & Beyond

    Leading Kleros into the AI era, building the infrastructure for decentralized justice while educating the next generation of lawyers, technologists, and institutional designers worldwide.

Awards & Recognition

  • Thomson Reuters Incubation

    Kleros selected for the Thomson Reuters incubation program, recognizing the protocol's potential to transform the global legal industry.

    2017

  • Thomson Reuters Incubation

    2017

  • Thomson Reuters Incubation

    2017

  • European Commission Prize

    Kleros was awarded the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 prize and an innovation grant by BPI France, the first major institutional validation of decentralized justice as a field.

    2019

  • European Commission Prize

    2019

  • Horizon 2020

    2019

  • BPI France Innovation Grant

    Innovation grant awarded by BPI France to expand Kleros's reach into corporate and institutional use cases.

    2020

  • BPI France Innovation Grant

    2020

  • BPI France Innovation Grant

    2020

  • Stanford · Advisory Board Member

    Appointed to the Advisory Board of the Stanford Journal of Blockchain Law & Policy, shaping the global research agenda for LegalTech and AI governance.

    2025

  • Stanford · Advisory Board Member

    2025

  • Stanford Journal · Advisor

    2025

A middle-aged person smiles and claps while enjoying a performance in a dimly lit venue.

Get in Touch

If you're working on problems at the intersection of law, technology, and institutional design, I'd be glad to hear from you.

A middle-aged person smiles and claps while enjoying a performance in a dimly lit venue.

Get in Touch

If you're working on problems at the intersection of law, technology, and institutional design, I'd be glad to hear from you.