{"id":"yilun-zhang","title":"Yilun Zhang","content":"**Yilun Zhang** is a technologist and co-founder whose work focuses on the intersection of decentralized networking and artificial intelligence infrastructure. He is the co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of [UnifAI Network](https://iq.wiki/wiki/unifai-network). Previously, he co-founded and served as CTO for the decentralized networking project [NKN](https://iq.wiki/wiki/nkn). [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-r717k3h6HbF4TJi2)​\n\n## Education\n\nZhang attended Peking University, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Physics in 2013. He continued his studies in the United States at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). In 2018, he completed his doctoral studies and was awarded a Ph.D. in Physics. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-0V4W3sNrN4plalnz)​\n\n## Career\n\nZhang’s professional career began in 2017, when he co-founded and served as CTO of Neureka, contributing to the company’s early technical direction. In 2018, he co-founded NKN and served as its CTO for six years, focusing on developing a decentralized networking framework. He later co-founded [UnifAI Network](https://iq.wiki/wiki/unifai-network) in 2024 and now serves as its Chief Technology Officer, overseeing the development of AI-powered automation tools for Web3 systems. At [UnifAI Network](https://iq.wiki/wiki/unifai-network), Zhang leads the design of the platform’s core infrastructure, which includes a distributed execution layer for running autonomous [DeFi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) agents, an AI evaluation system used to benchmark agent performance, and an orchestration layer that connects a wide range of [DeFi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) protocols and tools across several [blockchains](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain). Under his technical leadership, the project has expanded its ecosystem through partnerships, grants, and community collaborations, with users and community members highlighting the platform’s automated strategy tools and their role in simplifying liquidity management and multi-protocol operations. [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-0V4W3sNrN4plalnz) [\\[3\\]](#cite-id-40Ziq89TyMQY1z1A)​\n\n## Panels\n\n### Auto vs Manual LP&#x20;\n\nIn September 2025, Zhang was a featured speaker on a [UnifAI Network](https://iq.wiki/wiki/unifai-network) livestream. The panel discussion, which took place on September 6, 2025, also included core members of the \"LP Army\" community, a group of [liquidity providers](https://iq.wiki/wiki/liquidity-providers). The event was hosted by community figures [Sunny He](https://iq.wiki/wiki/sunny-he) and Otto, with other participants including Mikus, MichaelZogot, and Mush247. The discussion explored several key themes relevant to modern liquidity provision. A central topic was the significant time commitment required to manage liquidity provision (LP) manually, a task that involves constant monitoring and adjustment to optimize returns and mitigate risks, such as [impermanent loss](https://iq.wiki/wiki/impermanent-loss). Participants shared their experiences and reflected on the general shift within the LP community from purely manual strategies toward more automated workflows. Tools developed by [UnifAI Network](https://iq.wiki/wiki/unifai-network) were discussed as a means to simplify these workflows and reduce the time demands on providers.\n\nDespite the advantages of automation, a consensus emerged among the panelists that human judgment remains indispensable. They emphasized that oversight is particularly critical when managing positions involving volatile assets, where algorithmic strategies may not be able to account for all market nuances or black swan events. Panelists also provided direct feedback on the usability of [UnifAI's](https://iq.wiki/wiki/unifai-network) tools and offered suggestions for potential improvements. The conversation concluded with an exploration of future community initiatives, including ideas for LP competitions and more effective methods for sharing and collaborating on successful strategies within the broader [DeFi](https://iq.wiki/wiki/defi) ecosystem. [\\[4\\]](#cite-id-Ga5k042Xi9Q6sksl)​\n\n[YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZLCeQe3JzVk)","summary":"Yilun Zhang is a technologist and co-founder, currently serving as the CTO at UnifAI Network. He previously co-founded and was the CTO of NKN. Zhang holds a Ph....","images":[{"id":"QmQin12WpSH5BnFdWUfzNGWMwDcKsA51R3Em7cUuFUF4SS","type":"image/jpeg, image/png"}],"categories":[{"id":"people","title":"People in crypto"}],"tags":[{"id":"Founders"},{"id":"Developers"},{"id":"PeopleInDeFi"},{"id":"AI"}],"media":[{"id":"QmY8FXtjGjLdE9ocnfEc1CQZ86NdLi1MQCUxfyub1dR3Kc","size":null,"name":null,"type":"GALLERY","source":"IPFS_IMG"},{"id":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLCeQe3JzVk","size":null,"name":"ZLCeQe3JzVk","type":null,"source":"YOUTUBE"}],"metadata":[{"id":"references","value":"[\n  {\n    \"id\": \"r717k3h6HbF4TJi2\",\n    \"url\": \"https://unifai.network/\",\n    \"description\": \"UnifAI Network official website\",\n    \"timestamp\": 1763419188273\n  },\n  {\n    \"id\": \"0V4W3sNrN4plalnz\",\n    \"url\": \"https://www.linkedin.com/in/yilun-zhang-/\",\n    \"description\": \"Yilun Zhang's LinkedIn Profile\",\n    \"timestamp\": 1763419188273\n  },\n  {\n    \"id\": \"40Ziq89TyMQY1z1A\",\n    \"url\": \"https://x.com/YilunZhang4\",\n    \"description\": \"Yilun Zhang's X (Twitter) Profile\",\n    \"timestamp\": 1763419188273\n  },\n  {\n    \"id\": \"Ga5k042Xi9Q6sksl\",\n    \"url\": \"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLCeQe3JzVk\\\\&pp=ygUXc3VubnkgaGUgdW5pZkFJIG5ldHdvcms%3D\",\n    \"description\": \"Livestream titled \\\"Auto LP vs Manual LP\\\"\",\n    \"timestamp\": 1763419188273\n  }\n]"},{"id":"linkedin_profile","value":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/yilun-zhang-/"},{"id":"twitter_profile","value":"https://x.com/YilunZhang4"},{"id":"website","value":"https://unifai.network/"},{"id":"previous_cid","value":"\"https://ipfs.everipedia.org/ipfs/QmfSkLiUTLdGsGXBZEHkZ7DqXxKp8a4w39Vmcthm5spR6r\""},{"id":"commit-message","value":"\"Updated data formats, IDs, and section title\""},{"id":"previous_cid","value":"QmfSkLiUTLdGsGXBZEHkZ7DqXxKp8a4w39Vmcthm5spR6r"}],"events":[{"id":"63bd91b8-d744-4ccc-a0e1-2477c107e78c","date":"2013-01-01","title":"Graduated from Peking University","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Yilun Zhang graduated from Peking University with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/yilun-zhang-/","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"54a5eaf0-8c99-4944-ba07-3b60c45b1133","date":"2018-01-01","title":"Earned Ph.D. from UC San Diego","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Yilun Zhang earned a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California, San Diego.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/yilun-zhang-/","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"153bf501-5a31-4d86-8197-8423ca91c382","date":"2018-01-01","title":"Co-founded NKN","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Yilun Zhang co-founded and became the CTO of NKN, a decentralized networking infrastructure project.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/yilun-zhang-/","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"af0f083b-2d6b-44e7-aeb1-0c2b3dc3561a","date":"2024-01-01","title":"Co-founded UnifAI Network","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Yilun Zhang co-founded UnifAI Network, an AI-native infrastructure for agentic finance, and took on the role of CTO.","link":"https://unifai.network/","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"81c8f87f-eb8d-4281-8d2c-cf5ecf78e1d2","date":"2025-09-01","title":"Auto vs Manual LP Panel","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Joined a UnifAI Network livestream to discuss the role of automation in liquidity provision and the shift from manual to automated strategies.","link":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLCeQe3JzVk","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null}],"user":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"author":{"id":"0x8AF7a19a26d8FBC48dEfB35AEfb15Ec8c407f889"},"operator":{"id":"0x88D5B28842B30b2Bc8E0839f7bcBb7798F080263"},"language":"en","version":1,"linkedWikis":{"blockchains":[],"founders":[],"speakers":[]},"recentActivity":"{\"items\":[{\"id\":\"1c89b9e6-147f-4669-b9c0-11ed921bad6b\",\"title\":\"Yilun Zhang\",\"description\":\"Yilun Zhang is a technologist and co-founder, currently serving as the CTO at UnifAI Network. He previously co-founded and was the CTO of NKN. Zhang holds a Ph.D. in Physics from UC San Diego.\",\"timestamp\":\"2025-11-17T22:53:47.971Z\",\"category\":\"Wiki Update\",\"status\":{\"icon\":\"RiGlobalLine\",\"label\":\"Wiki Updated\",\"iconClassName\":\"text-green-500\"},\"user\":{\"name\":\"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889\",\"address\":\"0xacb6c5AD52b8f605299B0d774CE97F26e3DB80c2\"},\"button\":{\"label\":\"View Summary\",\"icon\":\"RiFileTextLine\"},\"summarySections\":[{\"title\":\"Career\",\"subtitle\":\"Added several internal links for context.\",\"variant\":\"modified\",\"changeCount\":3,\"changes\":[\"Added internal link for 'UnifAI Network'.\",\"Added internal link for 'DeFi'.\",\"Added internal link for 'blockchains'.\"]},{\"title\":\"Panels\",\"subtitle\":\"Updated text and added several internal links in the 'Auto vs Manual LP' subsection.\",\"variant\":\"modified\",\"changeCount\":6,\"changes\":[\"Shortened the name 'Yilun Zhang' to 'Zhang'.\",\"Added internal link for 'UnifAI Network'.\",\"Added internal link for 'liquidity providers'.\",\"Added internal link for 'impermanent loss'.\",\"Added internal link for 'UnifAI's'.\",\"Added internal link for 'DeFi'.\"]},{\"title\":\"Videos\",\"subtitle\":\"A new YouTube video was added to the page.\",\"variant\":\"added\",\"changeCount\":1,\"changes\":[\"Added YouTube video from URL: https://youtube.com/watch?v=ZLCeQe3JzVk\"]}]}]}"}