Key Takeaways
- Misha Putiatin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Symbiotic, a protocol for shared security in modular blockchain ecosystems.
- Previously, He was an investor at Greenfield Capital, supporting early-stage crypto and Web3 projects.
- Earlier in his career, he worked in venture capital, corporate strategy, and private equity, giving him a broad perspective on the intersection of finance and technology.
Who Is Misha Putiatin?
Misha Putiatin is the co-founder and CEO of Symbiotic, a decentralized system that enables blockchain networks to share economic security by restaking safely. With a background in venture capital and blockchain systems, Putiatin has built his career by working on projects focusing on decentralization, systems that don’t rely on central control, and security that can grow with the network.
Early Career and Background
Before starting Symbiotic, Misha worked as an investor at Greenfield Capital, a venture capital firm based in Berlin that focuses on Web3. At Greenfield, he played a key role in supporting projects that were creating the essential building blocks of crypto, such as infrastructure protocols, smart contract platforms, and governance systems.
His work enabled him to identify the broad needs of blockchain ecosystems, sparking his interest in creating infrastructure that could scale across various networks. He focused mainly on challenges related to validator incentives, capital efficiency, and decentralized coordination.
Co-Founding Symbiotic
Misha co-founded Symbiotic to address a crucial issue in modular blockchain systems: how to share security across different layers and applications while minimizing the need for trust. Symbiotic lets networks restake assets — using tokens that are already staked, like ETH — to help protect other systems.
This idea is part of a larger transition in crypto, where shared security enables smaller or newer projects to leverage larger networks’ security without establishing their own validator groups from the outset. With Symbiotic, Misha helped introduce a more open and permission-free approach to this.
Symbiotic’s Approach to Shared Security
Unlike some restaking protocols, Symbiotic was created to allow customization and open participation. The protocol allows anyone to build their own restaking modules, set their own slashing rules, and determine their own trust requirements. This gives protocols more control over their security while utilizing a shared pool of staked capital.
Putiatin has pointed out the importance of modularity in Web3 systems. As rollups, app chains, and off-chain systems become more common, Symbiotic aims to be the security layer that connects them all without sacrificing decentralization or openness.
Impact and Leadership Style
Misha brings a thoughtful approach and strong belief in decentralization. His approach to leadership centers on planning for the long term, building systems that can work effectively with others, and maintaining an open and inclusive environment for everyone. He often emphasizes the importance of creating tools that don’t trap users, but instead provide them with choices, support teamwork, and remain clear and honest.
Because he has worked in various areas — including venture investing, helping to run startups, and setting up financial models — Misha has a broad understanding of how things work. This helps him create tools that are not just solid on the tech side, but also make sense in the real world over time.
Putiatin at ETHGlobal
In an episode of ETHGlobal, Misha Putiatin, Co-Founder of Symbiotic, discusses shared security and how Symbiotic enables decentralized networks to grow without compromising strong security. He explains that starting new blockchains or rollups can be expensive and complicated, which often leads teams to centralize or stay isolated.
Misha demonstrates how shared security can address these issues by enabling networks to share validators, capital, and risk management, allowing developers to concentrate on building quickly without worrying about security. His insights provide a straightforward approach to enhanced coordination, more efficient resource utilization, and trustless governance in Web3.
What’s Next for Symbiotic?
As Symbiotic grows, Misha is working on adding more connections to Ethereum, rollups, and new appchains. The team is also exploring cross-chain bridges, real-world asset platforms, and zero-knowledge systems, where customizable, restaked security can unlock new possibilities.
Misha also focuses on making Symbiotic a community-owned protocol, with governance and rewards supporting long-term builders, restakers, and users.
Final Thoughts
Misha Putiatin combines strong knowledge of cryptosystems, financial strategy, and decentralized coordination. From his early work in venture projects to creating modular security tools at Symbiotic, his career has focused on openness, efficiency, and building trust that can grow.
As blockchain technology evolves, his work at Symbiotic is helping to create a future where blockchains and off-chain systems can safely share resources and collaborate without relying on centralized intermediaries.
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