{"id":"sreeram-kannan","title":"Sreeram Kannan","content":"**Sreeram Kannan** is an academic and entrepreneur known as the founder of Eigen Labs, the company that developed the [EigenLayer](https://iq.wiki/wiki/eigenlayer) protocol on [Ethereum](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum). He is also an affiliate associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Washington and is credited with developing the concept of \"restaking,\" a mechanism for shared [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) security. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-MMYAzW7OqG) [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-18C8Y3TNCk)\n\n## Education\n\nSreeram Kannan completed his postdoctoral research at the University of California, Berkeley from 2012 to 2014. He earned his Ph.D. in Information Theory and Wireless Networks at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign between 2008 and 2012, where he also obtained a Master of Science in Mathematics from 2009 to 2011. Prior to this, he completed a Master of Engineering in Telecommunications at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) from 2006 to 2008, and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communication Engineering at the College of Engineering, Guindy from 2002 to 2006. [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-MMYAzW7OqG) [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-18C8Y3TNCk) [\\[4\\]](#cite-id-JB3dJAoaBD)\n\n## Career\n\nSreeram Kannan is the Chief Executive Officer of [EigenLayer](https://iq.wiki/wiki/eigenlayer), a role he has held since July 2021. He is also an Associate Professor at the University of Washington, where he has conducted research in information sciences with applications in blockchain technology, artificial intelligence, wireless networks, and computational biology since 2014. Prior to this, Kannan was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Berkeley from 2012 to 2015, focusing on information-theoretic approaches in computational biology, particularly RNA sequencing assembly. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, conducting research in information theory for wireless networks and distributed computation. Kannan has also held research and internship positions at Microsoft Research, Qualcomm, the University of Southern California, and the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.  [\\[4\\]](#cite-id-JB3dJAoaBD)\n\n## Controversies\n\nThe launch of [EigenLayer](https://iq.wiki/wiki/eigenlayer) and its associated EIGEN token in 2024 was met with several controversies. The token distribution plan, announced in April 2024, caused significant backlash from the community. Many users who had participated in the points program expressed disappointment with the airdrop's terms, which included a multi-month lock-up period preventing immediate trading and geographic restrictions that excluded users in several countries, including the United States, from participating. Kannan acknowledged the negative reaction, stating, \"*I think the first time the negativity hit was after the token launch... it just blew up in the most negative possible manner.*\" [\\[1\\]](#cite-id-MMYAzW7OqG)\n\n## Awards and Honors\n\nThroughout his academic career, Kannan has received several awards and honors for his research and teaching.\n\n* Invited Speaker on [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain), NAE US-Japan Frontiers-of-Engineering (2021)\n* UW ECE Outstanding Teaching Award (2019)\n* Amazon Catalyst Fellowship (2018)\n* Van Valkenburg Award for outstanding dissertation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2013)\n* Qualcomm Cognitive Radio Prize (2010)\n* Qualcomm (CTO) Padovani Award (2010)\n* NSF CAREER Award [\\[2\\]](#cite-id-18C8Y3TNCk)\n\n## Media Appearances\n\nIn March 2025, Kannan appeared on a16z Crypto to discuss [EigenLayer](https://iq.wiki/wiki/eigenlayer), explaining how decentralized trust networks, modular security, and permissionless innovation are influencing the [cryptocurrency](https://iq.wiki/wiki/cryptocurrency) ecosystem. He detailed the evolution of [Ethereum](https://iq.wiki/wiki/ethereum) and the role of actively validated services (AVSs) in advancing [blockchain](https://iq.wiki/wiki/blockchain) scalability and coordination.\n$$widget0 [YOUTUBE@VID](https://youtube.com/watch?v=PXy7hC7wtZA)$$","summary":"Sreeram Kannan is the founder of Eigen Labs, the company behind the EigenLayer protocol on Ethereum. He is also an affiliate professor at the University of Washington and is known for developing the concept of 'restaking' for shared blockchain security.","images":[{"id":"QmcLfx96QLBBpgzevTx8JBNgrtekBWdgbx3LWGg1XAhiET","type":"image/jpeg, image/png"}],"categories":[{"id":"people","title":"people"}],"tags":[{"id":"PeopleInDeFi"},{"id":"Founders"},{"id":"Ethereum"},{"id":"Developers"},{"id":"Protocols"}],"media":[{"id":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXy7hC7wtZA","name":"PXy7hC7wtZA","caption":"","thumbnail":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXy7hC7wtZA","source":"YOUTUBE"}],"metadata":[{"id":"references","value":"[{\"id\":\"MMYAzW7OqG\",\"url\":\"https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2024/12/10/eigen-layers-sreeram-kannan-king-of-the-professor-coins\",\"description\":\"CoinDesk profile on Sreeram Kannan\",\"timestamp\":1758705388650},{\"id\":\"18C8Y3TNCk\",\"url\":\"https://people.ece.uw.edu/kannan\\\\_sreeram/\",\"description\":\"University of Washington faculty page\",\"timestamp\":1758705388650},{\"id\":\"event-named-most-influential-by-coindesk-link\",\"description\":\"Event link\",\"url\":\"https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2024/12/10/eigen-layers-sreeram-kannan-king-of-the-professor-coins\",\"timestamp\":1758705388931},{\"id\":\"JB3dJAoaBD\",\"description\":\"LinkedIn: Sreeram Kannan\",\"timestamp\":1758705825938,\"url\":\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreeram-kannan-a397a47/\"}]"},{"id":"website","value":"https://people.ece.uw.edu/kannan_sreeram/"},{"id":"twitter_profile","value":"https://twitter.com/sreeramkannan"},{"id":"linkedin_profile","value":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreeram-kannan-a983572/"},{"id":"commit-message","value":"\"docs: Create wiki page for Sreeram Kannan, founder of EigenLayer.\""}],"events":[{"id":"6d7f1049-f727-45df-b8b2-72d91a632313","date":"2013-05","title":"Earned Ph.D. from UIUC","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Received a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, earning the Van Valkenburg Award for his dissertation.","link":null,"multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"69779b41-ac22-4ae8-9322-39620a53301b","date":"2018-01","title":"Transitioned to Cryptocurrency","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Decided to fully commit to a career in the cryptocurrency industry after being inspired by the potential of blockchains for human coordination.","link":null,"multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"4f1bdfbc-5e1a-4a94-8c93-fa9bc5c48fdb","date":"2021-06","title":"Founded Eigen Labs","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Founded Eigen Labs, the company responsible for developing the EigenLayer protocol on Ethereum, based on his concept of 'restaking'.","link":null,"multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null},{"id":"6a9fa68e-38a8-41d1-b98e-ed7f9642c2d0","date":"2024-12","title":"Named Most Influential by CoinDesk","type":"DEFAULT","description":"Recognized as one of CoinDesk's 'Most Influential' figures in crypto for his work on EigenLayer and the concept of restaking.","link":"https://www.coindesk.com/tech/2024/12/10/eigen-layers-sreeram-kannan-king-of-the-professor-coins","multiDateStart":null,"multiDateEnd":null,"continent":null,"country":null}],"user":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"author":{"id":"0x8af7a19a26d8fbc48defb35aefb15ec8c407f889"},"language":"en","version":1,"linkedWikis":{"blockchains":[],"founders":[],"speakers":[]},"operator":{"id":"0x4a2bC97afBF41a2Cbf4b4628F63420682Ff4CF2a"}}