Chris McCoy is a systems architect who created the STORE protocol, addressing what may be the defining challenge of the technological century: ensuring powerful AI tools serve democratic participation rather than corporate concentration. His two-decade track record of anticipating technological shifts—from social platforms to blockchain to AI governance—informed STORE's design to solve systematic challenges in decentralized computing before they become crises.
As CEO of STORE Research and co-creator of the STORE protocol, Chris designed the Washington Economic Consensus Algorithm and BFT Democracy principles that enable computing infrastructure to be collectively owned and governed by users rather than centralized entities. STORE now operates 450+ AI endpoints across 5 global data centers, soon to be democratically governed—demonstrating his implementation-focused approach that consistently moves from concept to practice.
Drawing inspiration from his intellectual heritage as second cousins twice removed from Linus Pauling (the only two-time solo Nobel Prize winner), Chris combines scientific excellence with social conscience. Growing up in rural Washington on food stamps before becoming a systems architect gave him a unique perspective on how access to resources transforms lives, driving his approach to designing systems that distribute rather than concentrate power through mathematical governance frameworks.
Through McCoy Ventures, Chris invests in companies, tokens, and initiatives that expand economic participation, applying lessons from building democratically governed infrastructure at scale. His portfolio spans breakthrough energy technology (Lightcell Energy), creator platforms (Zestworld, Encore), and foundational blockchain projects (STORE, Ethereum, Bitcoin)—all selected for their potential to distribute opportunity rather than concentrate power.
Chris McCoy is a systems architect who created the STORE protocol, addressing the defining challenge of our technological century: ensuring AI tools serve democratic participation rather than corporate concentration. His two-decade track record of anticipating technological shifts informed STORE's design, which now operates 450+ AI endpoints across 5 global data centers, soon to be democratically governed. Through McCoy Ventures, he invests in technologies that distribute opportunity rather than concentrate power, drawing from experience building democratically governed infrastructure at scale.
Chris's two-decade track record of anticipating technological shifts—from social platforms to blockchain to AI governance—informs our investment thesis: backing founders who distribute rather than concentrate power through mathematical governance frameworks. Drawing inspiration from his intellectual heritage as second cousins twice removed from Linus Pauling, his experience building democratically governed infrastructure at civilizational scale provides unique insight into early-stage technologies that expand economic participation rather than consolidate control.
