Head of AI & Economic Systems | Building intelligent systems for the agentic economy
I build production AI systems and design economic mechanisms for decentralized networks at Outlier Ventures. My work focuses on applied AI: multi-agent systems, LLM-powered automation, reinforcement learning, and the infrastructure needed for autonomous agents to participate in economic systems.
I hold a Dr.-Ing. (Summa Cum Laude) from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, where I developed expertise in complex systems simulation, optimization, and sensitivity analysis. Today, I apply these quantitative methods to build AI systems that transform business operations and to model economic mechanisms for Web3 protocols.
Beyond the technical, I lead teams, shape strategy, and represent the company as a thought leader on AI and decentralized systems. I've presented at EthCC and the Oxford Blockchain Society, authored the "Post Web" thesis on agentic AI convergence with distributed ledger technology, and consistently achieve ~9/10 client satisfaction across 30+ protocol advisory engagements.
Building production AI systems that automate complex workflows: investment due diligence automation (80% time reduction, ~$5.63/report), real-time portfolio monitoring agents, and multi-agent architectures. Deep experience with LLM orchestration, tool use, and agent design patterns.
Developing RL agents for financial optimization problems. Built PPO-based systems for dynamic liquidity provision with curriculum learning, shaped reward functions, and 25-dimensional state spaces.
Modeling incentive mechanisms and economic dynamics for decentralized networks. Created the Quantitative Token Model (QTM), an open-source simulation framework for designing sustainable digital economies, used in 50+ engagements.
Publishing research on AI verification, agentic systems, and economic mechanism design. Author of the "Post Web" thesis on AI agents + distributed ledger convergence. Speaker at EthCC and Oxford Blockchain Society.
Building and leading teams, authoring company-wide AI strategy (proposal to 3 production systems in 12 months), and advising C-level executives at protocols including BASE, Fetch.ai, and Lisk.
Deep reinforcement learning agent for optimal liquidity provision on concentrated liquidity AMMs. Learns dynamic range selection and repositioning strategies through PPO with curriculum learning.
Tech: Python, PyTorch, Gymnasium | Features: 25D state space, shaped liquidity distributions, vectorized training
AI-powered workflow processing startup applications end-to-end. Multi-source data enrichment (pitch decks, web search, social signals, People Data Labs), 7-dimension analysis framework, batch processing with resume capability.
Tech: Claude API, LangChain, Notion API, X API | Impact: 80% time reduction, ~$5.63/comprehensive DD report
Open-source simulation framework for modeling digital economic systems. Agent-based modeling of incentive mechanisms, supply/demand dynamics, and sustainability metrics with Monte Carlo analysis.
Tech: Python, radCAD, Streamlit | Impact: 50+ engagements, industry-wide adoption
Optimal control theory applied to decentralized infrastructure networks. Models node operator economics, emission policies, and network sustainability with a 5-component cost function.
Tech: Python, radCAD, Streamlit | Focus: Incentive mechanism optimization
Full-stack application transforming email newsletters into AI-powered podcasts. Gmail OAuth integration syncs emails, OpenRouter AI optimizes content for audio, and Google Cloud TTS generates high-quality narration.
Tech: FastAPI, React, Docker, OpenRouter, Google Cloud TTS | Features: Gmail sync, real-time job processing, HTTPS deployment
AI-powered system monitoring X posts from 239 portfolio companies, analyzing with LLMs, and forwarding important news to Slack. Includes conversational agent for querying portfolio data via natural language.
Tech: Claude API, LangGraph, BigQuery, X API, Slack API | Features: Priority filtering, deduplication, 6-hour sync cycles
| Domain | Level | Tools & Methods |
|---|---|---|
| AI/LLM Systems | Expert | Claude API, GPT API, LangChain/LangGraph, Multi-Agent Systems |
| Reinforcement Learning | Advanced | PPO, Policy Gradients, PyTorch, Gymnasium |
| Quantitative Modeling | Expert | Monte Carlo, Sensitivity Analysis, Agent-Based Modeling |
| Economic Mechanisms | Expert | cadCAD/radCAD, Incentive Design, Network Dynamics |
| Python | Expert | NumPy, Pandas, scikit-learn, Streamlit, FastAPI |
| Cloud & Data | Advanced | GCP (BigQuery, Compute Engine, Cloud Functions), SQL, Dune Analytics |
| Domain | Scope | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| AI Strategy & Execution | Company-wide transformation | Authored strategy, secured budget, deployed 3 production AI systems in 12 months |
| AI Systems | Investment & portfolio operations | 80% time reduction in DD, automated monitoring of 239 portfolio companies |
| Research Team | Built 6-person team from scratch | Market analysis across DeFi, DePIN, DeAI, RWA, DeRob, Fundraising |
| Protocol Advisory | 30+ engagements, C-level | ~9/10 satisfaction, economic mechanism design for BASE, Fetch.ai, Lisk |
| Thought Leadership | EthCC, Oxford Blockchain Society | Published research on AI verification, agentic systems, economic design |
Verifiable AI: The Strategic Imperative for Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (2026) Technical analysis of AI verification methods: TEEs, zkML, interactive verification, and EU AI Act implications. Read on SSRN
The Post Web: Agentic AI + DLT Convergence (2025) How autonomous agents transform economics and require new infrastructure for machine-native coordination. Read the thesis
BASE Economic Design Proposal (2025) Adaptive economic mechanisms for Coinbase's L2 network. Read the proposal
Quantitative Token Model (2023) Open-source simulation framework for modeling digital economic systems. Read the article
- EthCC[8] (Cannes, 2025) - Agentic Systems are Replacing Traditional Startup Models
- Oxford Blockchain Society (2025) - Agentic Internet Conference: Introduction to the Post Web
- EthCC[6] (Paris, 2023) - Data-driven Economic System Design and Optimization
Dr.-Ing. (Doctorate in Engineering) | Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Summa Cum Laude | Complex systems modeling, simulation, parameter optimization
Research internship at National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Colorado, USA
I'm interested in conversations about AI agents, LLM systems, reinforcement learning, economic mechanism design, and the future of agentic economies.
- Email: achim.struve@gmail.com
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/achim-struve-79489221b
- X: @drachimstruve
Building AI systems that automate complex decisions and economic coordination.