Tor Bair is a technology and blockchain professional working on privacy-focused decentralized systems. He is the CEO and co-founder of Stashh Labs and the former CEO of the Secret Foundation. ^{[2] [5]}

Education

Bair graduated from Brown University in 2009 with a Bachelor’s in Economics. He then received his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management in 2016. ^[1]

Career

Bair began his career as an options trader at Optiver from 2009 to 2013, where he worked across derivatives markets including equities, treasuries, currencies, and energy products. He later held analytics roles as an MBA intern at HubSpot and Spotify in 2015, focusing on user engagement, retention strategies, and localization opportunities.

In 2016, he joined Snap Inc. as a data scientist, contributing to growth and revenue initiatives such as user retention, onboarding, ad performance, and international expansion. From 2017 to 2020, he worked at Enigma MPC as head of growth and marketing, helping develop privacy-focused solutions for decentralized technologies.

Between 2018 and 2021, he served as an advisor to OpenFinance Network and Numerai and advised the Proof of Stake Alliance from 2019 to 2021. In 2020, he founded the Secret Foundation, which he led until 2023, supporting the development and adoption of open-source privacy technologies.

Since 2021, he has been a co-founder at Stashh Labs. In 2024, he launched Honest Pirate Advisory, where he continues to work. ^{[2] [3]}

Leaving Secret Network

Bair left the Secret Foundation in 2023 following controversy over a $2.625 million dividend he withdrew from foundation funds without prior disclosure to the community. The payment, which Bair claimed was compensation for vested tokens, drew criticism from SCRT Labs CEO Guy Zyskind, who also raised concerns about potential undisclosed financial dealings, including a loan to Alameda Research. The situation intensified scrutiny around the foundation’s governance, especially after it was revealed to be a for-profit entity despite previously presenting itself as nonprofit. These events led to growing community pressure for transparency, ultimately leading to Bair’s departure. ^[4]

Interviews

Privacy & Web3

In this episode of the Reimagine Ownership podcast, Bair discussed the evolving relationship between privacy, identity, and digital ownership in Web3. He explained that Stashh was created to address NFT discovery and social interaction issues by building a privacy-focused, social-first NFT platform. Bair emphasized that privacy in Web3 should mirror real-world ownership dynamics—users should control who sees their assets and under what conditions. He distinguished privacy from anonymity, noting that blockchain is inherently transparent and traceable, and that meaningful digital reputation requires selective disclosure rather than complete obscurity. The conversation also explored how ownership has historically relied on state-backed structures and how blockchain technology may decentralize but still needs similar trust and protection mechanisms. ^[9]

Crypto Culture

In Episode 9 of The Collectoors Podcast, Bair and MC Liquid engaged in a reflective conversation on the cultural and psychological foundations of the crypto and NFT ecosystems. They emphasized how markets, particularly those involving meme coins and NFTs, function as memetic marketplaces shaped by collective belief and cultural expression. Drawing on historical context, including the rise of Dogecoin and its unexpected mainstream relevance, the hosts discussed how memes serve as vehicles for decentralized value and identity. They critiqued the real-time, often context-less nature of platforms like Twitter. They stressed the importance of understanding the past to navigate the volatility and experimentation of the current Web3 landscape. Throughout, they questioned whether the space is genuinely transformative or simply self-referential, highlighting the ongoing need for self-awareness and historical insight in crypto culture. ^[6]

Private NFTs

In this episode of The Alpha Podcast, Bair discussed the development and philosophy behind Secret Network, a permissionless blockchain that is private by default. Bair explained how traditional blockchains like Ethereum or Solana expose all on-chain data publicly. At the same time, Secret Network allows for encrypted interactions, giving users and developers granular control over data privacy, including for NFTs. He traced his journey from MIT, where he studied the intersection of privacy and blockchain, to founding the project in 2017 under the name Enigma. The conversation explored how private metadata and customizable permissions enhance the NFT experience for creators and collectors, drawing parallels to real-world data privacy expectations. Bair emphasized the importance of building privacy-focused infrastructure at the protocol level rather than relying on centralized intermediaries and highlighted the broader implications for user empowerment in Web3 and the metaverse. ^[10]

Presentations

Decentralizing Privacy

At Cosmoverse 2022, Bair discussed the importance of privacy, framing it as a fundamental human right rather than merely a technological feature within blockchain systems. He traced the historical development of the secret project and its commitment to ensuring strong privacy guarantees through decentralization. He highlighted seminal research from 2015 that laid the groundwork for integrating privacy with blockchain technology, observing that the need for privacy had become increasingly urgent in light of recent societal and political developments. Bair underscored that full decentralization must incorporate inherent privacy to be effective and sustainable, noting the project's growth since its migration to the Cosmos ecosystem in 2020. He addressed the ongoing efforts to promote the adoption of privacy-focused applications across industries, emphasizing that widespread use of privacy solutions would strengthen the argument for privacy as a universal human right. The talk culminated with insights into recent upgrades and future developments to enhance cross-chain privacy functionality and interoperability in the secret ecosystem. ^[7]

Stashh

In a presentation for Stashh, Bair detailed the platform's capabilities for creating and discovering secret non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which prioritize privacy and offer flexible ownership options not available in traditional NFTs. He explained how Stashh has evolved since its inception, emphasizing the potential of Secret NFTs to revolutionize various industries by enabling better monetization for creators and enhancing financial privacy for users. The platform had launched several features, including auctions and customizable metadata, since its mainnet release in December 2021. Stashh reported significant user engagement, with over 120,000 connected wallets and considerable sales volume, and showcased a variety of tools designed to enhance the NFT experience. Lastly, Bair highlighted the ongoing development and expansion of Stashh's offerings, indicating a bright future for the Secret NFT ecosystem. ^[8]

Panels

Future of NFTs

At DCentral Miami 2022, Bair participated in a panel discussion on the potential and future of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). Alongside Halsey Huth (Moonpay), Joey Richter (Aardvark Technologies), Marko Suvajdzic, and Kelmen Gradisar (Ballies), Bair highlighted the advantages of blockchain technology in ensuring true ownership and interoperability of digital assets, emphasizing the significance of privacy in NFTs. The panelists discussed the importance of sustainability and the need to shift the narrative surrounding NFTs from mere collectibles and speculative items to tools that enhance user experience and community engagement. They acknowledged the current misconceptions about NFTs and explored ways to communicate their value more effectively to a broader audience. The conversation also touched upon innovative applications of NFTs, such as creating executable NFTs for distributing applications, while emphasizing the importance of establishing regulatory frameworks to ensure accountability and foster long-term growth in the NFT space. ^[11]