Karnika Yashwant

Founder and VC KEY Difference

Over 18+ years across entrepreneurship and emerging technologies, I've studied how new models reshape industries and create entirely new forms of value. Blockchain introduced programmable trust, digital ownership, and new structures for global coordination. AI is now embedding intelligence directly into systems. The convergence of these two layers is where the next phase of the internet takes shape. My work stays close to where this is actually happening. I've organized and co-hosted crypto events, and led conversations on Cryptopolitan with founders and leaders from Animoca Brands, Chainlink, OpenSea, Binance and the likes. They're a direct view into how infrastructure, markets, and platforms are being built and scaled. At the capital layer, I have LP exposure through funds including Kingsway Capital and GPs like Balaji Srinivasan, with underlying access to companies like Animoca Brands, Paradigm, TON Foundation, and Global Digital Assets. I also invest directly in early-stage startups across Web3, AI, space tech, and longevity, founders building at the edge of new systems. I participate actively on-chain. I've held top positions across staking and restaking ecosystems including Lido, Ether.fi, and Puffer Finance, contributing to validator performance, network security, and liquidity depth. Through KEY Difference, I work with founders, companies, and institutions navigating these shifts. The focus is consistent: understand structural change, identify where value compounds, and position ahead of it