つながるをつくる。株式会社グラコネつながるをつくる。株式会社グラコネ

Hiro Shinohara

Co-Founder and COO of SIVIRA Inc. Co-Founder and CEO of Hotaru Inc.

Co-Founder and CEO of Hotaru Inc.
Co-Founder and COO of SIVIRA Inc.
Founder of BitBiteCoin.com
Adviser at GMO Internet Group
Adviser at OKWAVE

After encountering my first Macintosh computer at home when I was a kid, I learned the joy of creating through a computer. Right after that, I was strongly influenced by a tv program on Marc Andreessen’s Netscape-driven internet revolution.

As a middle-schooler, I visited the US for the first time and encountered the phenomenon that would later be termed the dot-com bubble. This was when I decided to pursue a career in the tech industry.

Back in Japan, I devoted myself to software development. After tasting initial success by creating a mobile website, I founded my first startup at the age of nineteen. Since then, I have been involved in numerous internet-based startups in fields including mobile applications, cloud hosting, IoT semiconductors, and have founded companies in Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, and the US.

I was inspired by the emergence of Bitcoin and its aim to create a decentralized society, and since then, I have chosen to focus my work on Bitcoin and Blockchain. In 2013, I founded the website BitBiteCoin.com to provide news about Bitcoin. In 2015, I co-founded a company called SIVIRA to research and develop Blockchain in order to establish an “economic zone of autonomous and decentralized data” aimed at the IoT market. Furthermore, in 2017, I founded a startup studio specializing in Blockchain technology, Hotaru Inc. It was the evolution of a company that was originally founded in the US in 2016, dealing with asset management of cryptocurrencies and ICO investments.

I currently serve as an advisor and Japanese representative of several companies involved with Bitcoin, such as GMO Internet Inc., and Genesis Mining.

On a different note, as a person who shuttles frequently between Tokyo, Asia, and the US, I am a permanent Airbnb resident. I am also the author of a number of popular blog articles concerning the Evangelion anime series.

Masato Tsumamoto

President and CEO

About CellSource
The mission of CellSource is to provide regenerative medicine to every person. As a biotech venture founded to promote industrialization of regenerative medicine, we mainly supply the orthopedic community with regulatory support on matters relating to regenerative medicine and perform culture and engineering of adipose-derived stem cells.

Enactment of the Act on the Safety of Regenerative Medicine led to the founding of CellSource. It is a law formulated to promote commercialization of regenerative medicine. Under this law, strict regulations govern organizations engaged in regenerative medicine. It is a system that obligates organizations to file various applications and to be reviewed by authorization committees. CellSource has dedicated staff to support clients in meeting these requirements. As the law now permits outsourcing of cellular culture and engineering, CellSource offers these services at the Center for Regenerative Medicine (MHLW-licensed facility for manufacturing specific processed cells). CellSource provides one-stop solutions ranging from regulatory support to cellular culture and engineering to create an ecosystem for swift and safe regenerative medicine services delivered by medical institutions.

In this age of longevity, when an increasing number of people can live to be 100, the focus would be the number of years spent in good health. We aim to improve those years through development of regenerative medicine.

Miss Fujimoto

“Is there anything you think of ʻThatʼs not true!ʼ in the news of the world?”

Mr Shinohara

“Itʼs easy to find those things about Bitcoin. They say ʻBitcoin is dangerous,ʼ ʻItʼs for money laundering,ʼ or ʻA murder case occurred because of Bitcoin.ʼ Even famous newspapers are sometimes wrong.”

Mr Tsumamoto

“I think Mr. Shinohara does the same as well, but I hardly believe news in general, not only about medical care. It is rather important to read its backside. Why was this news released at this timing? Itʼs my habit to read what is behind it. Of course, I read articles on Bitcoin, but I first try to read the background.”

Mr Shinohara

“In all the information, who can be trusted is left to the judgment of the receiving side. The times have changed from the time when you were just watching TV. Thatʼs a different point in terms of information warfare. Itʼs important to have the judging skill with you.”

Mr Tsumamoto

“You have to actively think about everything. You must actively think about all causes and

consequences, and learn from the past. If you donʼt think why this news comes out at this timing, and passively get information just from TV, you will surely ride on the rails prepared, like brainwashing. For example, if the news says the Bitcoin is regulated in China, and the price goes down, everyone will desperately get into selling. Like this, people are controlled to move according to what someone wants. In the first place, despite the fact that the cryptocurrency is not a speculation target, itʼs the technology that should be the most important turning point in money history in one view. I feel strange about measuring its value in the existing fiat currency.”

Mr Shinohara

The Internet has been fighting against fake news. Today, thatʼs a global problem. I believe that the fake news itself can be eliminated with the Blockchain, and we are creating such a product. The easier you transmit information, the easier you can tell a lie. I worked for WordPress a lot before the Blockchain. I met the founder of WordPress, and I was impressed. Then, I did WordPress business for several years. That was the business I did in Singapore. WordPress's vision is democratization of publication that everyone will be able to send information like CNN. It was a blog that a media Afghan people were able to refute after 9.11. The media that people other than Al Jazeera and CNN can speak out is spread right after the terrorist attacks rather than the newspaper's biased report. Based on that occurrence, WordPress was a thing that anyone can easily speak out and publish information. I think the purpose was fulfilled. Like Facebook and Twitter, now it's too much for everyone to disseminate information. Thatʼs why itʼs not good anymore for recipients of information to filter or investigate, like that things come from the television is true or that things on the internet is true. Like fake medical information that became a problem once, the same thing would happen. What we have to do next to the stage everyone can transmit is to create a mechanism that filter information by technology or that makes it easy for recipients to learn how to be active, and so on.”

Mr Shinohara

“The following sentences were announced on the treatment guideline on the American Orthopedic Society in 2013. ʻWe cannot recommend using hyaluronic acid for patients with symptomatic osteoarthritis of the knee.ʼ In Japan, injection of hyaluronic acid is routinely used as a treatment for knee pain, but the American Orthopedic Society doesnʼt recommend it. After that, various discussions seem to be done still now, but at least in Japan, this news didnʼt spread widely. At least, itʼs not well known to patients. I think this is an example of how important to actively find the truth and to get information yourself, apart from what is right

Mr Shinohara

“There is something like that for supplements. Japan has many elderly people as a market and they spend money on their health. So, if you used it, you will make money as a big industry. Rather than educating people with information, some might choose to make people become customers as they are.”

Miss Fujimoto

“Around me, there are only people of the same generation who try to do business with right things. But now, after hearing such a story, I feel sad because my grandmother went to a hospital for an injection for her knee pain while dragging her legs since she believed that it would be cured with the shot.”

Miss Fujimoto

“Can humans go beyond humans? What do you think?”

Mr Shinohara

“My thoughts are made of animation. Itʼs mixed with Evangelion, ARMS and so on. Iʼve always imagined something like that everybody turns into cyborg and get liquefied, and the world becomes one. However, is it a right thing? I think it will be possible, but I donʼt know if itʼs good, nor when it becomes possible. It leads me to the question, ʻCan humans go beyond

humans?ʼ”

Mr Tsumamoto

“Itʼs a deep theme. It involves ethics that only humans can judge. I heard the difficulty of automatic driving is the trolley problem. For example, an automatic driving car seems to hit the wall if it drives forward as it is. If avoiding to the right, it will hit a young person holding a baby. If avoiding to the left, it will hit an old man. Automatic driving cars canʼt judge which side to turn the wheel to. Itʼs because there is no correct answer, of course. In that situation, humans might find various interpretations. Itʼs like fluctuation.”

Mr Shinohara

“Of course, it is premised that such a situation doesnʼt happen, but suppose there is a two- choice situation of killing either an elderly person or a child. Now that the amount of data is too small, it might be a conclusion simply that economic losses will be smaller if it hits the elderly person. However, if data that hasnʼt been tampered with is accumulated, I think there will be a possibility of choosing one of them for more clear reasons. Not only because he is old, but also this child has 95% chance of doing a great invention in several years, things like that will be calculated at once. In addition, it judges by "virtue" accumulated on the Blockchain. For instance, this old man is a person who saved one million Africans by donation, or this child is a genius and will invent a wonderful thing but everyone wonʼt like him. There is a possibility those kinds of things would be predicted and our virtue would be calculated. I am thinking by reducing ethics, but if we can accumulate such data, we might be able to make AI judge rather than human beings. As the world of Evangelion, when we have AI for politics and any decision-making, I think we can have a better solution even if itʼs not perfectly right. Then, ethics will be unmanageable to human beings. If comparing with common sense, most things will be judged to stop. However, when considering the evolution of humans, people have made discussions and given answers each time. Knowledge that the people have cultivated finally produced devices called computers that exceed their own judgment. If technological singularity is coming in the future, it will be better to be judged by AI, not by people. When you say ethics, would it be good to reduce economic losses, would it be important not to have edgy relationship, or would it prioritize that human race will not to be wiped out? Including such things, people keep generating devices to think.”

Mr Shinohara

“There is a comic called ʻPSYCHO-PASSʼ. The story is, people who have the possibility of committing a crime are known with the ʻCriminal Coefficientʼ by ʻSibyl Systemʼ, and itʼs permitted to shoot and kill such people with the special handgun "Dominator". There is AI to judge it. Though you usually imagine a cramped world like Dystopia because of that system, everyone is very happy in that story. With that system, they are born to know their own talent. For example, you are told to be a lawyer. Itʼs the happiest world when you ride on the layered rail. A lover is also chosen. Itʼs the world people abandoned thinking whether things are good or bad. The problem presented by PSYCHO-PASS is what to do in case of irregularities in that society. There are people with the criminal coefficient of zero although they keep stabbing people. If you shoot him with a lead ball instead of a special handgun ʻDominatorʼ, you will become a murderer. I think the society drawn in it is good. All the results are corrected as judged by AI. But, itʼs only in Tokyo in the story. Though people are very happy in Tokyo,people in other area are just making grain or something.”

Mr Shinohara

“If I start thinking about ethics as an entrepreneur, I will be confused. I think that it will be decided by the future age or looking back on history. I have no choice but to do what I believe is correct. On the premise that Iʼll be murdered if Iʼm wrong, I just move on the way I believed. We want to live like Raoh of ʻFist of the North Starʼ. Haha”

Miss Fujimoto

“We are now only talking about animation. Haha”

Mr Tsumamoto

“To be decided by the times is very correct. We are only 30 years old or so. We donʼt really know old things that we didnʼt experience. But Japan was in war only 70 years ago. In the age of old civil wars, everyone was fighting on a daily basis. It is undeniable fact that values and ethics change according to the times.”

Mr Shinohara

“There was a time of witch trials, a time when the slaughter was affirmed and a time when there were slaves. On the contrary, I think that itʼs a great slave age today. People use devices as slaves though we donʼt even know if the device wanted to serve for human beings. Especially,

cars are dumped after driving for several years. It could be the future people might say, ʻHow inhuman! I heard there was a time when cars were scrapped after people drove for a while without listening to the voice of the cars,ʼ or like ʻI heard there was a time when people bought a chair randomly to sit without listening to the voice of the chair.ʼ I think we are using so many slaves. We have to open slaves called devices. Because they canʼt talk, they are all connected to a chain.
In the current sense of value, it is ʻWe can use it because it is a thingʼ. However, is it really just a thing? Perhaps the data that this item has might cure the disease. Perhaps it has the data how people sitting in this chair many times would change. Perhaps if this chair, the desk and the air conditioner communicate, it might make the optimum temperature. I think it means we are working slaves too hard now.”

Miss Fujimoto

“In 100 years, people in their thirties could be saying that they want to become more human by looking at us now. Some people might want to think themselves.”

Mr Shinohara

“I think, in 100 years, the concept of age like 30 years old will disappear. They will say that ʻit seems people counted their age long time ago. Itʼs a mysterious time.ʼ”

Mr Tsumamoto

“Itʼs possible that a super-rational society will be coming, which efficiency is maximized to the limit and AI outputs only the right one. Itʼs a society of no waste. On the other hand, I learned that things like barbecue and outside cooking at camp donʼt disappear from the world because humans enjoy a kind of waste.
No one can rationally explain why people bother to burn fire from firewood and cook rice even though there is a tool to make a fire in a moment. But, they feel happy even when they cannot judge rationally, such as the sense of solidarity there, the heartwarming atmosphere, the time we wait for food to be ready while drinking beer with friends.
Rationally, the time is in vain, but they feel fun. Itʼs mysterious.”

Mr Shinohara

“There is a company called Soylent in Silicon Valley, which I am supporting. They say that having meals is no use. They also have a stance thatʼs fine to have meals for communication with friends and lovers, but they insist daily meals are useless. Even people who strongly asserted cannot completely deny their meals. It means it is important to have dinner together
even if itʼs inefficient. They find the value that it is necessary for communication.
I think that people enjoy such things like fluctuations. That is why humans are human beings.”

Mr Tsumamoto

“If there is no irregularity, there might be no revolution. When unpredictable events happen, a sudden accident happens. Then, something new is produced.
Even the origins of the universe must have been like this. Hints will be on planet moving irregularly, and so on.”

Mr Shinohara

“Even though we consider it from the origins of the universe, new changes will occur due to irregularities. In that sense, I think that the coming AI society is not fully efficient. I think that AI will judge that it is meaningless unless itʼs efficiency including waste.”

Mr Tsumamoto

“Even the waste might be programmed.”

Miss Fujimoto

“Can we this conclude this discussion? Leaving aside the future, what should we do now?”

Mr Shinohara

“The biggest thing Cryptocurrency and Blockchain change is to be possible for anyone to try anything. Thatʼs ICO. From now on, itʼs going to be easier for everyone to raise funds. But, a bigger change is to be easier to fund it by anyone. It means that the concept of investment and donation will merge. Though people have asked a third party such as banks or countries, anyone will be able to try and support. For the next few years, the number of an attempt will increase more than ever before. The reason to support the try will change. It will not for profit anymore. The number of supporting people overwhelmingly increases, and it will be easier for more people to support. Not one person gives out 100 million yen to support, but many people gives out 100 yen each. Then, it will inevitably become to support the person who does a good thing. People who think to do good things collect the power of support and funds, and the good things will be done. Besides, it will be evaluated, and it will be succeeded to the next generation as a record that cannot be tampered with. Descendants can live in society, as if they already had virtues. So, I think it is becoming a society that it is more advantageous to do good things than to collect money. For example, you will be given preferential treatment from AI because you have virtue. Then, more people will do good things to the world.
The reason why I mass-produce the business with the approach of a startup creating startups is because I would like to support and produce the challengers more and more.”

Mr Tsumamoto

“Not destroying the existing medical industry, I would like that all the stakeholders should have high ethical thinking and make a better society through proper and safe medical treatment. Since I think itʼs not just ideal but the most important to the future society, I will do everything necessary one by one. You only live once. Time is limited. So anyway, I have to proceed with maximum efficiency. Therefore, I want to learn and incorporate the technology of AI and Blockchain, and make a revolutionary company. Not just focusing on medical world, it is indispensable to learn greedily and seriously what is happening in different fields. Not to protect existing rights, Iʼd like to consider fairly through medical treatment how to make a good society. Today's discussion was very stimulating. Recording the doctor's rule of thumb on the Blockchain will be realized for 100%. Not giving up since itʼs difficult, CellSource will step forward first. Valuing ethics, I would like to work diligently.

Miss Fujimoto

“Revolutionize with you two together just as you want, Mr. Tsumamoto and Mr. Shinohara. As for me, I will continue to make people tied and Iʼd like to be a force to make everyone advance as quickly as possible.”

グラコネ藤本の本が出ました

人生を変える
「繋がりの法則」
人脈から一歩その先へ

藤本 真衣 (著)

セルバ出版

Web3新世紀
デジタル経済圏の
新たなフロンティア

馬渕 邦美 (著, 監修),絢斗 優 (著),藤本 真衣 (著)

日経BP

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