Catherine Daly oversees Space and Time’s growth, brand, community, product marketing, and content. She previously worked in full-funnel marketing for startups and leading semiconductor companies, applying data-driven approaches to scale complex technologies. At Space and Time, we are focused on increasing the adoption of decentralized data, AI-enabled applications, and cross-chain development.
Space and Time is an AI-powered Web3 data repository that links on-chain and off-chain data to provide enterprise-scale analytics to smart contracts. This allows developers to use Proof of SQL technology to create low-latency, scalable applications with guaranteed encryption.
We recently spoke to Space and Time’s Head of Marketing, Catherine Daly, about bridging the gap between Web2 data and Web3 smart contracts, and the role of AI in the future of blockchain.
To learn more about Space and Time’s growth strategy and the convergence of AI and cryptocurrencies, check out the interview below.
You have a background in semiconductor marketing, but this world is built on precision and long feedback cycles. What perspective did you get when you stepped into Web3, where everything moves at breakneck speed?
I had the opportunity to personally explore cryptocurrencies in the last cycle. I just graduated from college and started learning about NFTs, Ethereum, Bitcoin, etc. I’ve been doing this on the side while working in semiconductor marketing, and no offense to anyone, but it’s extremely boring. It’s completely B2B, marketing to other companies in the semiconductor supply chain. That required a lot of PR and investor relations. It was challenging and technical, but also a bit boring.
Around 2022, my friend Scott Dykstra, who I had known for many years, contacted me and asked me if I would be in charge of marketing for his cryptocurrency startup called Space and Time. I agreed, went in, and never looked back. I’ve been here about four years now and I’ve seen it grow from the ground up.
Oversee growth, brand, community, product marketing, and content. Which provides the strongest signal-to-noise ratio when testing new messaging?
community. It is our greatest asset. Web2 Receive direct feedback on your products, messaging, and relationships that you can’t get in a B2B environment. Community members are more than just part of the community when they have a live token. They are stakeholders. They have skin in the game and their feedback is honest. It’s like having tens of thousands of people invested in your success.
We hear a lot about AI and blockchain, but much of it seems like manual labor. From your perspective, what feels like reality today and what still feels like hype?
The real development, or one that could happen soon, is AI agents transacting on-chain. Trading agents, autonomous agents, they all already exist and are easy to build. Space and Time has a powerful use case because these agents require context. Historical data, on-chain activity, market context, and user context are required. Space and Time is designed to provide a combination of on-chain and off-chain data. Perfect for agents.
As for the rest, I’ll avoid pitchforks by not criticizing specific projects, but I sincerely wish the entire decentralized AI sector success. Vision is what matters.
Is there an AI team you are currently working with?
We have a close relationship with the Fetch.ai team. They are pre-launch and development agents. We provide data to their agents and in return, they help us train some of our in-house agents to improve the developer experience. We also have deep ties to the Autonolas team.
Space and Time positions itself as an AI-driven Web3 data warehouse. If you come across someone who still thinks indexing is “settled,” what’s the easiest way to explain why SxT is more than just an indexer with additional steps?
Indexing still remains unresolved. The main complaints we hear from clients are that they switched from other indexing solutions because the data was inaccurate, the data was too slow, or the performance wasn’t guaranteed. Therefore, we are simply better.
But the key point is that you still need a system to manage that data, analyze it, and send it back to the smart contract. A wide variety of tools can be assembled, but many are hampered by centralization. Alternatively, you can use Space and Time. This handles all of this within a single distributed system, significantly reducing development costs.
Proof of SQL has become one of the most widely cited ZK primitives in the data world. What do people still misunderstand about it?
I wouldn’t say it’s a misunderstanding, but there are still many people who don’t realize the necessity. The industry has spent years living between two extremes: completely on-chain protocols that are very limited due to inability to access off-chain data, and off-chain protocols that rely on centralized databases that can introduce points of failure and cause value loss if that data impacts on-chain logic.
We got used to that barbell. Both protocols benefit from verifiable data, but many are still unaware of it.
Space and Time links on-chain and off-chain data for both smart contracts and AI models. What tactics actually work to bridge the crypto and AI audiences?
Crypto developers primarily seek historical on-chain data or specific off-chain datasets to bridge to trustless. AI teams need reliable context to inform models and agent decisions. Meanwhile, enterprises aim to connect their existing off-chain systems to blockchain in a seamless and familiar manner.
For example, we are working with large banks to explore stablecoin payments and tokenized assets. Internal databases must be connected to smart contracts in a verifiable manner, which is critical given the large amount of capital at stake.
Have you had more conversations with your bank in the last year?
surely. Microsoft invested in us and that allowed us to build relationships with a lot of companies early on. Initially, we mainly focused on analytics such as “What are customers doing on-chain?” Over the past six to nine months, that trend has changed. Both emerging and established banks are considering production use cases and believe Space and Time is the right solution.
Dreamspace, a no-code AI app builder powered by Microsoft Azure, grew from zero to 15,000 users and 30,000 apps in three months. Can you explain to marketers how your GTM strategy contributed to this growth? What else could be attributable to it?
We worked with existing no-code communities, established agent communities, and platforms like Base where people develop apps. But to be honest, this product was something people wanted and could really use. This is not the case for many crypto products. Dream Space has broad appeal, which opened the funnel. Marketing increases product-market fit. It doesn’t create.
You recently helped UGM and other SEA institutions bring student credentials on-chain through Dreamspace. Web3’s efforts, which combined marketing capabilities with traditional education, have often failed to garner much traction, so why did this work so well? What were the education partners concerned about that the Web3 crowd typically ignores?
As an industry, we are not doing enough for students. Students are tech-savvy, quick learners, want to make money, and currently face a tough entry-level job market. Cryptocurrency has the potential to empower, especially in Southeast Asia.
We worked with IndoMogul, the largest gaming community in the region, and the university has been very welcoming. Having credentials on-chain provides students with a verifiable record of achievement. Even if you attend a small university, you can quickly prove your accomplishments. And yes, this is equally valuable in the West. People often lie about their credentials on LinkedIn.
Marketing Web3 infrastructure is sometimes not appreciated because the biggest results are invisible. What was the milestone in space and time that made you think people were finally able to figure it out?
A pivotal moment was when our campaign introduced spatial and temporal data within Microsoft Fabric. By integrating our indexed data directly into our flagship data warehousing product, Microsoft Fabric, we now give developers easy access to space and time. The impact was immediate. The media picked it up, the Ethereum Foundation took notice, and the story really gained momentum. We didn’t do anything special in terms of marketing. We just told that story effectively.
You launched your token in May. Have you ever felt pressured to ramp up your marketing when tokens are falling?
The token was launched after three years of development. It marked a big change. However, we remain focused on fundamentals. We have customers, we have revenue, and we have real products that address real problems. That alone sets us apart from most projects. Of course, everyone wants the charts to go up. But over time, the product will speak for itself.
What do you feel are the broader trends in cryptocurrencies that are underappreciated, from a marketing and adoption standpoint, from a mindshare standpoint, etc.?
My prediction is separation, both in price and story. With the influx of institutional investors, Bitcoin will become more of a household asset. I observed it on FixStar two weeks ago. Educational institutions are excited.
Meanwhile, cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin are returning to their decadent roots: gambling, meme coins, privacy, and more cypherpunk energy. Both sectors will co-exist. Bitcoin may break its four-year cycle, but altcoins are likely to stay within that cycle.
How important is that to working in cryptocurrencies and speaking to the community?
I don’t know how you manage this job without using products. You don’t need to be a great trader, but curiosity and first-hand experience are essential. What always amazes me is how many people in the cryptocurrency industry, especially in VC firms, have never tested anything themselves. At Space and Time, we believe that using our products is important. It’s now easier than ever. A few years ago, UX was terrible. Today, wallets like Base Wallet are incredibly smooth to use. Anyone can use it.
Last question. Crypto events and DevConnect are chaotic in a good way. What is the most interesting conversation you have ever had?
It’s not about specific conversations, it’s about meeting people face-to-face and putting faces to names you see on Twitter, Telegram, and even within your own team. Cryptocurrencies are global, remote, and in some cases anonymous. Meeting people changes everything. It fosters trust and energy in a way that online interactions cannot.
