We are thrilled to welcome Tony (@0xkeyu) as the newest member of the Primitive Ventures team! Splitting his time between New York City and San Francisco, Tony brings an extraordinary mix of intellectual curiosity, technical expertise, and a deep understanding of both Eastern and Western crypto cultures. His unique perspectives and drive to explore uncharted territory make him not just a talented teammate, but also someone you’ll want to grab a coffee and debate philosophy with.

Born and raised in Shenzhen, China, trained in Hamilton College, his fascination with philosophy and how human society is shaped by believes began in a class on Spinoza’s Ethics. From there, his intellectual journey expanded to the philosophy of science, history of technology, and ultimately, a thesis exploring Kuhn’s incommensurability argument. These reflections eventually led Tony to the realization that scientific paradigms are as much societal constructs as they are objective truths — a perspective that resonates with the ethos of decentralization.

Tony’s crypto journey began during his college years, where he authored an Economics honors thesis assessing the impact of CBDC news on cryptocurrency markets. Before joining Primitive, Tony was a researcher at Fenbushi Capital, where he delved into areas such as DeFi, MEV, and infrastructure. His work included groundbreaking research on on-chain option protocols and the first systematic study on AMM designs that mitigate Losses-versus-Rebalancing (LVR).

Complementing his academic and technical depth, Tony is deeply embedded in the vibrant Shenzhen market where he grew up with- a global hub for consumer electronics and the birthplace of giants like Tencent and Xiaomi. With firsthand exposure to the supply chains behind PoW mining rigs and DePIN infrastructure, as well as GTM strategy for many global crypto projects into Chinese speaking markets.

Tony’s multi-cultural background and nuanced understanding of the evolving dynamics between the U.S. and China give him a rare perspective on the bifurcation of global tech and social spheres. As he takes on this new role, his ability to bridge these perspectives will empower Primitive Ventures to identify frontier trends, foster cross-border synergies, and support portfolio founders with actionable insights.

We are excited to welcome Tony to our team and are excited to see the contributions he will make as we scale our global presence and remain at the forefront of crypto innovation

Follow Tony on Twitter https://x.com/0xkeyu

Follow Primitive Ventures on Twitter https://twitter.com/primitivecrypto