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Marcus (Mog) Graichen
Speaker · Proof of Talk 2026
Taostats

Marcus (Mog) Graichen

Founder & CEO, Taostats

Marcus Graichen, founder and chief executive of Taostats, said in March 2026 that most Bittensor subnet teams were not yet ready for the capital and attention coming their way.

The Significance

Why the room needs them.

Marcus "Mog" Graichen is the founder and chief executive of Taostats, a block explorer and analytics platform for the Bittensor network. Spoke in four sessions on the Bittensor track at Proof of Talk Paris 2026.

The Biography

The full account.

Marcus "Mog" Graichen is the founder and chief executive of Taostats, a block explorer and analytics platform for the Bittensor network. That billing appears in a SimplyTao preview of Proof of Talk Paris 2026 published in May 2026 and in the speaker listing for Exploit Summit, held in Montreal on 28–29 September 2026. The Taostats website describes the service as the official block explorer and gateway to Bittensor, used to stake TAO, track portfolios and analyse subnets.

In a January 2024 interview with MarTech, Graichen described a background in media, film and imaging going back about 25 years, around five years teaching at university, and roughly 20 years of web development for companies across many sectors. Graichen told the interviewer that an interest in cryptocurrency began around 2017, from a technical point of view, and that Bittensor first appeared as an investment opportunity. Taostats, in Graichen's words, "was born from keeping a lot of spreadsheets and passing them around within a small community". The same interview covered a later venture, BitAPAI, rebranded Corcel, which set out to provide API access to Bittensor subnets and offered a chat interface and an image studio app.

In April 2026 the Freedom Finance newsletter described Graichen as the operator of three active subnets. It reported that, asked at a San Francisco conference in March 2026 whether subnet teams were ready for incoming capital and attention, Graichen answered: "Mostly, no. Not yet."

Graichen spoke at Proof of Talk Paris 2026 as Founder & CEO of Taostats, across four sessions on the Bittensor track. On 2 June, Graichen took part in the X Ventures Masterclass Stage panel "AI Agents in the Bittensor Ecosystem: From Concept to Production", then joined Robert Myers, Micaela Bazo and Gavin Zaentz on the Taostats Stage for "From Subnet to Market: Turning Bittensor Infrastructure into Real Businesses", moderated by Mark Jeffrey. On 3 June, Graichen gave the keynote "The Thin Line" on the Hecto Main Stage, then joined Jacob Steeves, Chris Zacharia and Mike Grantis on the Taostats Stage for "Proof of Pitch - Bittensor Track", a live crowdfunding session with Bitstarter.

The Thesis · on the record

What Marcus believes about the next ten years.

01
Bittensor is not a crypto product
In a January 2024 MarTech interview, Graichen said: "I now don’t consider Bittensor to be a crypto product," explaining that the network has a token because a blockchain is a good fit for decentralising incentives.
02
Subnets are not ready yet
Asked at a San Francisco conference in March 2026 whether subnet teams were ready for incoming capital and attention, Graichen answered "Mostly, no. Not yet," as reported by the Freedom Finance newsletter in April 2026.
The Timeline

Years of shipping.

c. 2017
Became interested in cryptocurrency from a technical point of view, after a career in media, university teaching and web development, according to a January 2024 MarTech interview.
By January 2024
Had founded Taostats and BitAPAI, the latter rebranded Corcel, according to the MarTech interview.
March 2026
Told a San Francisco conference that most subnet teams were not yet ready for incoming capital and attention, as reported by Freedom Finance.
2 June 2026
Took part in the panels "AI Agents in the Bittensor Ecosystem: From Concept to Production" and "From Subnet to Market: Turning Bittensor Infrastructure into Real Businesses" at Proof of Talk Paris 2026.
3 June 2026
Gave the keynote "The Thin Line" on the Hecto Main Stage and joined the "Proof of Pitch - Bittensor Track" crowdfunding session at Proof of Talk Paris 2026.
In Their Words

Lines that keep proving correct.

I now don’t consider Bittensor to be a crypto product.

MarTech, interview by Kim Davis, 12 January 2024

It was born from keeping a lot of spreadsheets and passing them around within a small community.

MarTech, interview by Kim Davis, 12 January 2024, on the origins of Taostats

Mostly, no. Not yet.

Freedom Finance (Substack), 2 April 2026, reporting remarks at a San Francisco conference in March 2026
The Body of Work

What they have built, written, and backed.

Built

  • TaostatsBlock explorer and analytics platform for the Bittensor network, which Graichen founded; it began as spreadsheets shared within a small community.
  • CorcelVenture launched as BitAPAI and rebranded Corcel, built to give developers API access to Bittensor subnets, with a chat interface and an image studio app.

The next Proof of Talk is in Abu Dhabi.

Louvre Abu Dhabi, 3–4 December 2026. Admission is by application, and the room is capped at 2,000.

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