CEO Kim Seo-jun: “Vibe-coding environments are being adopted and used first by the blockchain industry”

Vibe-coding environments that leverage artificial intelligence (AI) are reshaping how startups are launched and how services are developed, and there is an assessment that this trend is spreading relatively quickly within the blockchain industry.

On the 30th, Hashed CEO Kim Seo-jun said in a keynote address at an offline Vibe Labs event held in Gangnam, Seoul, “The time from coming up with an idea to building an actual product and delivering it to users is almost disappearing,” adding, “One of the industries that adopted and is heavily using vibe-coding first is the blockchain industry.”

Vibe coding is a development approach in which AI writes and implements code based on natural-language instructions, and it is characterized by significantly shortening service implementation times compared with the past.

Kim cited one example of a change he has felt firsthand while using vibe coding. He introduced his experience of implementing a simple experiment called “ETHval” in a short time using Ethereum-related on-chain data, explaining that work that previously required considerable time at a team level has now become possible even on an individual basis. However, he added, “What matters is not the output itself, but the fact that the environment now makes this kind of work possible.”

He said this shift is affecting not only founders but also how investors perceive their role. Kim said, “In an environment where you can quickly build products and iterate experiments with a small team, the meaning of capital inevitably changes,” adding, “In a situation where anyone can build something similar, what creates differentiation is trust and connection.”

He argued that the global networks and community-driven ways of working that have accumulated in the blockchain industry are carrying over into the AI era as well. Kim said, “The more similar services there are, the more important it becomes who built it and who connects people,” adding, “On this front, the blockchain industry has experience that it built up earlier.”

Kim said, “This Vibe Labs program is a place to experiment with how founders and investors can move together on the premise of these environmental changes,” adding, “More than the technology of vibe coding itself, what matters is how you understand and leverage the execution environment that is changing because of it.”

Meanwhile, the event was held offline to share the direction and operating model of “Vibe Labs,” Hashed’s AI startup support program. The event featured Kim’s keynote speech followed by an introduction to the program, a panel discussion, and an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session, with Q&A and discussions with attendees continuing throughout.