Tria Co-Founder: AI Agents Could Drain Deposits From Traditional Banks

John Lilic, co-founder and chief strategy officer of Tria, joins CoinDesk's Jennifer Sanasie and Eleanor Terrett at Korea Blockchain Week to trace an unusual career arc—from volunteering at New York's Bitcoin Center in 2014 to building infrastructure for today's neobank boom. Lilic explains why self-custody remains his "North Star," framing it as the principle that should guide every product decision in crypto. From there, the conversation turns to the competitive pressure facing incumbents. Lilic argues that traditional banks must reinvent themselves as technology companies or risk losing ground, and he lays out why AI agents could pull deposits out of banks entirely as automated financial management becomes routine. The discussion connects that thesis to Tria's own approach to consumer-facing crypto infrastructure. Lilic also explains why Korea and Japan lead his market strategy, pointing to user behavior and regulatory dynamics in the region. The episode includes chapter markers, beginning with his early days at the Bitcoin Center in 2014.