CAC: How did participating in the Congressional App Challenge contribute to your personal journey, career path, and accomplishments so far?

JB: The honor I received for winning the Congressional App Challenge not only contributed to my confidence in pursuing a career in tech, but also affirmed that my ability to bridge creativity with technology was rare. Congressman Steny Hoyer visited Eleanor Roosevelt High School to present us with the awards just days before my graduation, which was a big achievement for the school since all of the winners came from the same high school. 

CAC: Try to remember back to competing in the CAC – what was your app about and why did you create it?

JB:The app I created was called Crypt the Code, an online app I built in LiveCode to teach children about cryptography. Even then, I recognized that cryptography would become a major topic, based on my research into cryptocurrency at the time. My introduction to cryptocurrency began when I watched the movie Dope (2015) in high school, which was produced by Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi, and executive produced by Pharrell Williams, who, eight years later, became one of my investors. The game challenged players to decrypt hidden messages, assist senior citizens in recovering their personal data, and more.

CAC: What are you most proud of in your academic or professional career thus far?

JB: The accomplishment I’m most proud of is founding my second tech company, Rektify AI, a cryptocurrency cybersecurity firm specializing in smart contract auditing and AI integrations for blockchain projects. Smart contract auditing is the process of identifying bugs and vulnerabilities in code that underpins decentralized applications. Smart contracts themselves are cryptographic code that enforce instructions, much like digital vending machines: once the right conditions are met, they automatically execute the agreement without human intervention. Without them, EVM-compatible (Ethereum Virtual Machine) cryptocurrency projects, which make up a large chunk of the industry, simply would not exist.

CAC: Let’s look into the future – where do you hope to be in 2035?

JB:By 2035, I envision an era of groundbreaking progress not only in cryptocurrency, but also in artificial intelligence and machine learning. My goal is to be a pioneer at the forefront of AI ethics while also advocating for Bitcoin’s role as a global reserve currency and a digital asset for underrepresented communities to achieve financial sovereignty.

CAC: What excites you most about the future of technology and innovation?

JB: The future of decentralized finance security and cryptocurrency cybersecurity is a technological pillar I am deeply focused on. I believe advancements in AI will not only help the crypto industry prevent code vulnerabilities but also strengthen code verification to ensure high-quality code is deployed to the blockchain and ease public concerns about the industry’s safety. I am equally excited about the intersection of art, NFTs, and AI. Although it sparked controversy during the 2022 NFT boom, I am confident that upcoming innovations will push creative and technical boundaries in ways that will truly astonish people. Lastly, AI agents are on the rise. I foresee AI agents being an integral part of the tech industry’s productivity in the coming decade.