Jed McCaleb is an exporter of blockchain technology, exploring frontier space as a potential area of interest.
Vast is the latest venture from prominent crypto billionaire Chris Larsen, which aims to expand what he calls “human habitation in space” – “enabling a future where millions of people are living across the solar system.”
According to a company statement, the space habitation start-up was founded by McCaleb in 2021. It will be tasked with developing the world’s first artificial-gravity space station to allow humans to live and work in space.
“We are excited to announce #Vast’s mission to expand in-space capabilities by enabling scalable solutions for humans to live and work in space by creating the world’s first #artificialgravity space station.
Pioneering the world’s first #artificialgravity space station, #Vast is excited to announce our mission to expand in-space capabilities by enabling scalable solutions for humans to live and work in space. https://t.co/Kn9kjFqaDu
— Vast (@vast) September 12, 2022
It was founded in 2021 by McCaleb as a space habitation start-up. For humans to live and work in space, it will develop the world’s first artificial-gravity space station.
A well-known trading card website called Magic: The Gathering Online Exchange, which he later converted into a Bitcoin exchange in 2011, is his creation. The co-founder of Ripple Labs left the company in June 2013, though he remains a member of the Ripple Foundation.
McCaleb founded Stellar Development Foundation after he left Ripple.
According to McCaleb, humanity can utilize the “incredible power of the solar system” by using his expertise:
“I have always believed in leveraging technology to reduce inefficiency and improve the human condition. To expand human habitation in space, we have to create technologies that perfect sustainability.
To create technology previously seen only in science fiction, McCaleb says he is assembling a “world-class team” of engineers.
“It is not science fiction to create artificial gravity. All you need is a large spinning structure to produce a centrifugal force that simulates gravity.”
In a recent announcement, NASA announced that the International Space Station (ISS) will be decommissioned and deorbited by 2031, providing an opportunity for commercial businesses to provide replacement facilities.
McCaleb’s net worth is at least 2.5 billion as of 2022, according to Forbes, though it’s unclear where the money is coming from.
According to other sources, the figure is much higher because he sold off billions of XRP tokens as a founding member of Ripple Labs over eight years until he ran out of them on July 18.