CRYPTO 101 Ep. 683 – The Future of Data Ownership, AI Agents & Crypto Rewards

Hosts: Bryce Paul & Brendan Viehman
Guest: Charlie Silver (CEO & Founder, Permission)
Release Date: October 14, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode explores the transformative intersection of AI, data ownership, and crypto rewards. Bryce and Brendan interview Charlie Silver, founder and CEO of Permission (formerly Permission.io, now Permission.AI), about the evolving landscape where individuals regain control over their personal data and are compensated for its use through blockchain-based incentives. The discussion dives into the potential of “agent-to-agent” (A2A) protocols, the Permission Agent, the ASK token, and what the future might hold for privacy, digital advertising, and the broader implications of AI-powered personal agents.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Charlie Silver’s Backstory: Data Value and Early Crypto Belief

[01:33-04:58]

• Charlie shares his entrepreneurial background, especially building RealAge, a health media company bought by Hearst for over $100M.
• Noted for pioneering “permission-based” marketing—obtaining user consent supercharged engagement and value.
• His early government experience exposed him to the “corruption” of the monetary system, making him receptive to Satoshi’s vision for crypto as an alternative to “unsustainable” fiat systems.

"When I first read the white paper of Satoshi Nakamoto, I go, well, absolutely. We need a new form of value…"
— Charlie Silver ([03:50])

2. What is Permission, and Why Does Data Ownership Matter?

[08:38-10:10]

• Permission's mission: Give individuals—not just corporations—the ability to control and monetize their personal data.
• Emphasizes how current AI/chatbot platforms use our data, often without meaningful compensation or consent.
• The shift toward AI agents, where control and value flow to the individual, is central.

"Permission was founded with one principle, that data has value and that individuals should receive that value instead of all of the publishers and all the major platforms…"
— Charlie Silver ([08:38])

3. The Agent-to-Agent (A2A) Future: Practical AI Agents & Data Markets

[10:10-15:41]

• Digital advertising is moving toward an A2A model—personal AI agents (representing individuals) will negotiate directly with business AI agents.
• This replaces today’s model where advertisers use platforms to target individuals who have little visibility or reward.

"Ultimately, the world of digital advertising is going to become an agent to agent experience, meaning AI agents, which are just pieces of software to conduct tasks, is going to dominate the Internet."
— Charlie Silver ([10:10])

• Google’s ADA protocol and similar open-source standards are making cross-platform AI agent interoperability possible.
• User’s AI agents will handle many web search and commerce tasks, better tailoring experiences and managing privacy.

"Instead of starting with a Google search, you'll start with your AI agent."
— Charlie Silver ([13:18])

4. Personal Data Compensation: Control, Privacy, and Real Rewards

[15:41-19:40]

• The traditional internet economy only rewarded platforms and publishers—now, individuals will get paid for sharing data.
• Monetization opportunities could be significant: “It’s worth a lot. Could be thousands of dollars a year.” ([15:41])
• Agent frameworks mean individuals explicitly opt-in (and out) of data sharing, and control with whom and for what purpose data is shared.
• Direct, transparent negotiations between individuals and businesses.
• Crypto wallets could become the new “inbox” for business messages and rewards.

"It's a real asset... data is, you know, I hate to use this cliche, but it's true. It's oil. It's the oil of the information economy."
— Charlie Silver ([16:49])

5. Opt-In, Opt-Out, and the Illusion of Cookies

[22:10-23:55]

• Fine-grained controls: users can opt in/out for specific companies or data types at any point—“You’re in total control.”
• Cookies are exposed as a “biggest deception”—users unwittingly enable publishers to sell their behavioral data many times with little benefit.

"You click on 'I accept cookies.' What you've basically said is you can put a text file on my browser and track me everywhere. And then that publisher sells that data... not once, twice, but dozens and dozens of times."
— Charlie Silver ([23:11])

6. The Broken Ad Economy & Click Fraud

[24:39-25:26]

• Bryce, Brendan, and Charlie lament the nature of the current web ad ecosystem: users are exploited, and half of ad spend vanishes to bots/fraud.
• AI agents promise to clean up the ad landscape by connecting real people with real rewards and cutting out fraudulent, exploitative intermediaries.

"Advertisers are now... going to pay individuals directly and... advertisers are going to get better value and individuals are going to finally receive value for their data."
— Charlie Silver ([25:26])

7. AI, Jobs & Productivity: Fears & Optimism

[26:16-31:10]

• AI will replace some jobs, especially routine entry-level work, but historical “creative destruction” will ultimately lead to new types of work.
• Regulations have been slow in the U.S. due to lobbying power of tech giants, but trends are moving toward greater data privacy protections and transparency (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).

"Technology improvements and advancements are only good for human beings. I mean, there's always a dark side... but technology is agnostic."
— Charlie Silver ([31:10])

8. Regulation, Transparency, and Crypto’s Core Value

[32:43-34:45]

• Blockchain enables “immutable record of transactions,” the transparency missing from the current web and finance industry.
• The Permission project aligns with regulatory trends by designing explicit consent and user rights into the core, a must for broader adoption.

"Transparency has to be the rule. And that's what's so exciting about crypto... blockchain provides transparency... and immutable record of transactions. That is the big innovation."
— Charlie Silver ([33:32])

9. The ASK Token, Business Model, and Technical Details

[34:45-41:40]

• The ASK token is designed to compensate users for sharing their data and to allow businesses to request data in a compliant, transparent way.
• Focused on utility and scaling, not “pump and dump.”
• Permission ensures most value goes to users (80% or more); Permission takes a nature-based fee.
• The token is blockchain-agnostic, powered using Layer Zero, but new accounts are on Ethereum’s Base L2; designed for maximum future compatibility.

"It's had one purpose from day one... advertisers and businesses should ask permission to use data. We have been working for years to find the right use case that can scale and the permission agent and AI is that use case."
— Charlie Silver ([35:08])

10. What’s Next for Permission & Key Innovations

[41:52-43:39]

• Launch of the Permission Agent—users can claim a custom ASK domain (e.g., bryce.ask).
• Vision: Web3 domains as the new email addresses and personal crypto wallets as the main interface for digital interactions and rewards.

"We want people to register, get the agent, get your own Ask domain... I think Web3 domains are going to be the new email addresses."
— Charlie Silver ([41:52])

• The most important factor: timing. The convergence of AI maturity, crypto resurgence, and shifting economic cycles is the ideal launchpad for Permission’s vision.

"How do you become an overnight success and you get the timing right? You work your ass off for 10 years."
— Charlie Silver ([43:39])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the problem with cookies:
  “Cookies are kind of the biggest deception in the world... Don't accept third party cookies. Don't accept them because that just enables a publisher to track you and then sell your data and you don't get squat.”
  — Charlie Silver ([23:11])

• On A2A agent economy:
  “Very soon... you're going to have your own AI agent that says, hey, find me a boutique hotel in New York City... That agent will execute that task.”
  — Charlie Silver ([13:18])

• On data as oil:
  “Data is... the oil of the information economy. And instead of big platforms just taking your oil without compensation, AI is finally the use case that’s going to enable individuals to really receive the value for their data.”
  — Charlie Silver ([16:49])

• On the future of crypto rewards:
  “Crypto wallets will become the new inbox... that’s how businesses will communicate. Here’s some crypto and here’s a message, and let’s continue the conversation.”
  — Charlie Silver ([20:32])

Timestamped Highlights

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------|------------------| | Introduction to Charlie Silver & Permission | [01:33-04:58] | | Data value and user compensation model | [08:38-10:10] | | AI's personal agent revolution & A2A protocols | [10:10-15:41] | | Privacy, opt-in/out, cookie deception | [22:10-23:55] | | Broken ad economy & fraud | [24:39-25:26] | | AI and the future of jobs | [26:16-31:10] | | Regulation and transparency | [32:43-34:45] | | The ASK token and tech architecture | [34:45-41:40] | | New Permission Agent & vision for Web3 | [41:52-43:39] |

Tone & Takeaways

The conversation is optimistic, ambitious, and slightly rebellious—mixing hard-nosed skepticism of today’s digital economy with hope for a more equitable, transparent, and user-empowering future.
The promise of AI-powered personal agents + crypto rewards: control, privacy, and real economic participation for ordinary people.

For Listeners & Crypto Enthusiasts

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in:

• The future of digital privacy and advertising
• How AI and cryptography can empower individuals
• New models of data ownership and online economics
• Where blockchain is headed beyond just digital money

Actionable Takeaway:
Explore the new Permission Agent, claim a custom ASK domain, and envision a future where your data works for you, not the platforms.