Original Placement:
Today’s guest on the Cardano SPO column is a stake pool operated by Akyo, who works as a freelance engineer in Japan and is a member of Intersect Japan Hub: AKYO [AKYO].
The previous guest was a stake pool operated by Ronald, a Computer Science graduate and currently CEO of Dquadrant a development company based in the Netherlands.
This column is where I invite Stake Pool Operators (SPO) to share their stories and vision as a way to connect with and learn about the Cardano Community.
Hi, thanks for your time. Tell us something about yoursel, where are you based and what are your backgrounds?
Hi Patryk!
I am very honored to have the opportunity to be interviewed by you.
My name is Kyosuke Takatsuki, but I am known as Akyo in the community. I usually work as a freelance engineer in Japan, but before becoming an engineer, I was involved in the production of sneakers at a shoe manufacturer.
This may be a sudden question, but do you know about the “vulcanized method”? This is a manufacturing method developed by American inventor Charles Goodyear in 1839. It is a traditional method that requires a lot of manual labor and skilled techniques. I made shoes using this legacy method. It was a very valuable opportunity to learn a lot both mentally and technically while being surrounded by strict craftsmen.
After that, I moved to Tokyo after various experiences and I am currently working as a freelance engineer in Tokyo. At the same time, I also contribute to the Japanese Cardano community through meetups and other events.
What’s the path that led you to Cardano and to become a Stake Pool Operator (SPO)?
Before becoming an SPO, I was just a holder. Although I had the opportunity to learn about the role of SPO in the ITN Era, I couldn’t understand it even after reading the documentation at that time, so I gave up on becoming an SPO. However, after that, I came across a wonderful community called “SPO JAPAN GUILD”. This community is a place where even beginners can kindly support you in Japanese. The founder of the community is BTBF, who launched this community in August 2020 to promote the decentralization of the Cardano network. With his support, an environment was created in which many Japanese stake pool operators could work.
I re-learned about Cardano Stake Pool Operators in this community and was able to launch AKYO Pool (then WYAM Pool) in March 2021. For me, who had been thinking “Is there something I can contribute to Cardano?” before becoming an SPO, this was the moment I realized my wish. Since then, I have supported many SPOs.
Then, on April 11, 2021, we generated our first block, and have now grown to generate 683 blocks.
You have been organizing plenty of meetups, what has that experience been? Where are these meetups, how many people show up and what themes have you been covering?
Since last year, I have been holding meetups in Tokyo with Yuta, a Cardano Ambassador. We have covered a variety of topics, including Catalyst, the future of Cardano, and how to use wallets, and the number of participants has reached as many as 37 at times.
All of these experiences are extremely valuable to me. Online, chat, video calls, and social media (such as X) are common, but I believe that the opportunity to actually meet face-to-face offline and talk about Cardano is something special that cannot be obtained online. I feel that the value created by people meeting face-to-face can only be realized offline. Another event that left a particularly strong impression on me was the event we held in collaboration with EMURGO. I am truly grateful to have been able to realize this wonderful collaboration with EMURGO.
For those totally unaware, can you explain what Intersect is? What role does it play in the Cardano ecosystem? Please also share what Intersect Japan Hub is.
Intersect is a member-based organization for the Cardano ecosystem. With a mission to ensure the continuity and future development of the ecosystem, this member-based organization brings members together under a common vision. Intersect aims to realize a resilient, secure, transparent, and innovative Cardano ecosystem, and empowers its members to lead the future of Cardano.
As Intersect’s Community Hub, Intersect Japan Hub is a place where enthusiastic and organized members of the Cardano community gather. Under the leadership of two managers, Yuta and Yuri, the hub was officially launched in June 2024. Currently, 400 members are participating, and we listen to the voices of members who are passionate about “Is there anything I can contribute?” and work with them to promote various things. First of all, we are focusing on various events and other activities.
Great contribution. Any final thoughts? Where can people stay in touch?
Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Patryk for putting me in the spotlight, to everyone who reads this article, to the delegators who delegated to the AKYO pool, and to everyone who supports me.
If you would like to get in touch with me, please feel free to contact me via DM on X. I have also included my Linktree, so please take a look.
Kind regards.
Disclaimer: The opinions and views of the people interviewed are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Cardano Foundation or IOG. Moreover, this content is for educational purposes, it doesn’t constitute financial advice.