Davide Crapis

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Davide Crapis

Davide Crapis

Davide Crapis is a researcher at the who specializes in protocol economics and the intersection of technology and artificial intelligence (AI). He is a member of the foundation's Robust Incentives Group (RIG) and its , contributing to research on fee markets, Maximal Extractable Value (MEV), and the integration of into the ecosystem. [1] [6] [2]

Career

Before his work at the , Crapis built a career in data science, machine learning (ML), and product development. His early experience includes a role as a Research Fellow at the Innocenzo Gasparini Institute from 2009 to 2010, where he focused on policy analysis using logistic regression models. He then spent four years, from 2012 to 2016, at Columbia Business School as a researcher and instructor in analytics, operations, and ML, publishing three papers in top journals and conferences. During this period, he also interned as an Applied Scientist at Nomis Solutions in 2015, building ML models to analyze consumer sensitivity to interest rates.

After leaving Lyft in 2021, Crapis pursued independent projects at the intersection of AI and . From July 2021 to April 2022, this work included building an automated system for personalized e-commerce offers and creating an AI product with a new protocol for programmable payments. In 2022, he was a member of South Park Commons, working on large language models (LLMs) and . From March 2024 to May 2025, he was an early co-founder at PIN AI, where he co-led the startup's initial phase, focusing on product ideation and design, raising $10 million from investors, and hiring a team of over 20 people before stepping down to pursue decentralized AI projects.

Lyft

In 2016, Crapis joined Lyft, where he held several roles over five years. He began as a Data Scientist, building the company's first algorithmic incentive allocation platform. As a Senior Data Scientist, he designed and launched Lyft’s first real-time driver pricing system, a technology that was deployed nationwide, credited as a core component of the company's IPO, and awarded multiple patents. He was later promoted to Driver Marketplace Lead and Staff Scientist, where he managed a team of over 20 scientists specializing in ML, operations research, and economics. In this role, he directed projects in prediction, optimization, and causal inference and oversaw the allocation of billions of dollars in incentives.

Ethereum Foundation

Crapis works as a researcher at the , where his responsibilities include conducting and coordinating applied research and development on the economics of the protocol. Within the foundation, he is associated with the Robust Incentives Group (RIG), a team focused on ensuring the economic security and efficiency of the protocol. Through RIG, he has been involved in publishing "RIG Open Problems" (ROPs), which are research challenges designed to fund teams to solve specific issues. One such initiative he promoted was ROP-12, titled "Credible LLM Markets and AI-MEV," which was the first ROP centered on creating infrastructure for AI. [2] [1]

dAI Team

In September 2025, Crapis announced he was a member of the newly formed at the . The team's stated mission is to establish as the primary settlement and coordination layer for and the broader machine economy. His work in this area includes developing standards and integrations to facilitate the onboarding of onto the network. In August 2025, he presented on this topic at the Google : ZK & AI Summit. Beyond his research role, Crapis occasionally invests in and advises projects that align with his vision for an "internet of value," operating on a principle of engaging only in "positive sum relationships." [6] [1]

Research and Publications

Crapis's research primarily focuses on the economic mechanisms that underpin the network. He has made numerous contributions on the Research forum, where he has been an active member since February 2023 and was recognized with the "New User of the Month" award shortly after joining for the quality of his initial posts. His work is often supported by simulations, such as the Jupyter notebook he published on GitHub to model the fee market for . His research topics have generated engagement from other prominent researchers, including Tim Beiko, Dankrad Feist, and Justin Drake. [5]

His main areas of research include:

  • Protocol Economics: Analyzing the core economic components of , such as fee markets, blockspace allocation, and the impact of protocol upgrades. He authored a detailed analysis of the EIP-4844 fee market and explored concerns related to latency and transaction ordering in blockspace markets. [5] [1]
  • Layer 2 Economics: Crapis developed a framework he termed "Rollup Economics 2.0" to analyze the value flows and economic models of a mature ecosystem of scaling solutions, or rollups. [6] [1]
  • Crypto x AI: A significant of his recent work explores the practical applications of integrating AI with technology. He has articulated this vision in a series of posts titled "The Internet of Agents," which outlines a future where autonomous use blockchains for coordination and economic settlement. This research forms the basis of his work with the 's . [6] [1]
  • Maximal Extractable Value (MEV): He has researched methods for creating a more MEV-resilient , addressing the value that can be extracted from transaction ordering by producers. [1]

Selected Works

Crapis has authored numerous articles and research posts on platforms like the Research forum and his personal Notion page. His publications cover topics ranging from the history of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) to technical analyses of Ethereum's economic mechanisms.

A selection of his published works includes:

  • "A Brief History of DAOs" (January 2025)
  • "The Internet of Agents — Part 2" (January 2025)
  • "Execution Auctions as an Alternative to Execution Tickets" (June 2024), co-authored with Jonah Burian
  • "The Internet of Agents" (March 2024)
  • "Economic Analysis of Execution Tickets" (March 2024), co-authored with Jonah Burian
  • "Rollups are Real — Rollup Economics 2.0" (August 2023)
  • "Latency in Blockchains and L2 Migration" (July 2023)
  • "MEV Resilient " (March 2023)
  • "EIP-4844 Fee Market Analysis" (March 2023)
  • "Latency arms race concerns in blockspace markets" (March 2023)
  • "Approximating User Welfare and Surplus with Transaction Data" (February 2023)
  • "Guide to Economics: Introduction" (January 2023)
  • "Dynamic Pricing to Sustain Marketplace Balance" (November 2020)

These works represent his contributions to public research on Ethereum's economic design and future development. [1] [5]

REFERENCES

[1]
davidecrapis.notion.site

Personal research and bio page

Sep 15, 2025

[2]
farcaster.xyz

Professional activities and personal details

Sep 15, 2025

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