# Frank Poncelet

> Aircraft engineer turned fintech builder turned blockchain architect. 30 years of getting to new tech early, from Alpha Jets to agentic AI.
> Full profile: https://frankponcelet.com/llms-full.txt
> Agent skill: https://frankponcelet.com/skill.md
> MCP server (agent-callable API): https://frankponcelet.com/api/mcp
> Agent card (A2A discovery): https://frankponcelet.com/.well-known/agent-card.json

Use About and Journey for biography and work-history questions, FAQ for direct answers to the most common ones, Projects for selected work, and Speaking for talks and topics. This file is generated from the structured content that powers the homepage, while keeping this top-level guidance curated.

## About
- [About](https://frankponcelet.com/#about): I'm a systems thinker who keeps arriving early to revolutions. My career started at 30,000 feet, maintaining Alpha Jets and Fouga Magisters for the Belgian Air Force. I taught 55 cadets through their first solo flight and specialized in composite materials and flight instruments. When I pivoted to software in 2004, I graduated 1st in class out of 80 students, then spent my evenings teaching computer science at an evening school. Right now I am building toward agentic and physical AI: systems that do more than chat, and actually run workflows, connect to devices, and coordinate on their own.

## FAQ
- [FAQ](https://frankponcelet.com/faq): Short answers to what people, and their AI assistants, ask most often. The links go to the longer version.
- [What does Frank work on today?](https://frankponcelet.com/faq#work): My day job at Xplore Group covers innovation, pre-sales, and project and program management. Through Hyperlabs I build enterprise blockchain systems. Most of my own energy in 2026 goes to agentic and physical AI: systems that run workflows, drive devices, and coordinate with each other instead of just chatting.
- [Is Frank available for keynotes and panels?](https://frankponcelet.com/faq#speaking): Yes. With IrishNFTgal I give duo keynotes on crypto and AI, see [Speaking](/#speaking). Ask me on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankponcelet/).
- [What advisory work does Frank take on?](https://frankponcelet.com/faq#advisory): Web3 strategy for enterprises entering blockchain, digital asset advisory for family offices and institutional clients, and innovation facilitation such as hackathons, workshops, and strategy sprints. What I turn down: generic "blockchain consultant" engagements with no clear delivery, speculative token projects without fundamentals, and anything that requires pretending certainty where none exists.
- [What is Hyperlabs?](https://frankponcelet.com/faq#hyperlabs): Xplore Group's blockchain brand, which I co-founded in 2023. We build enterprise blockchain solutions such as on-chain asset management and subsidy processes. One example: the Flemish forestry agency (Agentschap Natuur & Bos) now runs its subsidy management on blockchain, so every subsidy decision is traceable and auditable. More at [hyper-labs.digital](https://hyper-labs.digital/).
- [Who built the CryptoPunks V1 wrapper?](https://frankponcelet.com/faq#cryptopunks-v1-wrapper): I did, in 2022, as FrankNFT.eth. The wrapper is an ERC-721 contract that made the original 2017 CryptoPunks contract safely tradeable again; the wrapped collection has since passed 51K ETH in volume. I wrote up the story, including the mistakes, in [Immutable, including the mistakes](/blog/cryptopunks-v1-wrapper).
- [What is ERC721F?](https://frankponcelet.com/faq#erc721f): An open-source ERC-721 template that cuts minting gas substantially compared with the reference implementation. I wrote it in March 2022 and it is now used across the industry. The code is on [GitHub](https://github.com/FrankNFT-labs/ERC721F) and on npm as `@franknft.eth/erc721-f`; the background is in [And single](/blog/erc721f-multiple-and-single).
- [Does Frank invest in startups?](https://frankponcelet.com/faq#investing): Yes, mainly early stage, in builders who remind me why I kept coming back to this space. I don't publish a thesis or a ticket size. If you're building something real, reach out on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankponcelet/).
- [Does Frank write?](https://frankponcelet.com/faq#writing): Yes. The [blog](/blog) here is a record of the personal journey rather than an opinion column: build notes on blockchain, smart contracts, and agentic AI, with an [RSS feed](/blog/feed.xml). I also publish AI articles at [AIgeneers](https://aigeneers.eu/team/frank-poncelet), Cronos Group's AI division.
- [Can AI agents use this site?](https://frankponcelet.com/faq#ai-agents): Yes, and that is deliberate. The same content that renders this site is served as [llms.txt](/llms.txt), as an MCP server at `/api/mcp`, as an A2A agent card, and as a loadable persona skill at [`/skill.md`](/skill.md). Every page also has a markdown version via `Accept: text/markdown` or a `.md` suffix, and my agent has an on-chain identity via ERC-8004 (#36039) on Ethereum mainnet. The [AI page](/ai) has install instructions.
- [How do I contact Frank?](https://frankponcelet.com/faq#contact): [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankponcelet/) is the main channel for speaking and advisory requests. On X and Instagram I'm @frankNFT_eth. For enterprise blockchain work through Hyperlabs, start at [hyper-labs.digital](https://hyper-labs.digital/).

## Journey
- [Journey](https://frankponcelet.com/#journey): Career chapters covering Blockchain & Web3 (2010–present), Cronos / Xplore Group / Hyperlabs (2017–present), ING Belgium (2008–2017), The Educator (2005–2011), and Belgian Defence & Air Force (1988–2008).
- [Blockchain & Web3 — 2010–present](https://frankponcelet.com/#journey): Rebuilt this site as a callable interface for AI agents — MCP tools, resources, and prompts served over HTTP alongside the HTML; and Claimed on-chain identity for my AI agent via [ERC-8004](/blog/erc-8004-registry-not-reputation) (#36039) on Ethereum mainnet.
- [Cronos / Xplore Group / Hyperlabs — 2017–present](https://frankponcelet.com/#journey): Innovation, pre-sales, project & program management — Operations Architect; and Joined [AIgeneers](https://aigeneers.eu/) — Cronos Group's AI division, publishing AI articles and insights.
- [ING Belgium — 2008–2017](https://frankponcelet.com/#journey): Team Manager Mobile Banking — Delivered a new mobile security platform; and Team Manager New Service Platform — building the next generation of ING's digital services.
- [The Educator — 2005–2011](https://frankponcelet.com/#journey): Part-time IT Instructor @ CVO-IVV de avondschool; and Founding faculty — helped build the department's foundational IT courses.
- [Belgian Defence & Air Force — 1988–2008](https://frankponcelet.com/#journey): IT Instructor at Defence — teaching Java EE and design patterns; and Graduated 1st in class (out of 80) in military IT conversion: Java EE, distributed computing, AI.

## Projects
- [Projects](https://frankponcelet.com/#projects): Selected work across AI, Fintech, Blockchain, and NFT.
- [Agentic & Physical AI Systems](https://frankponcelet.com/#projects): Designing and prototyping agentic AI systems that do more than chat: running workflows, driving devices, and coordinating with each other. This is where I'm spending my energy in 2026.
- [ING Mobile Banking](https://frankponcelet.com/#projects): Led the team that built the first native iOS mobile banking app in Belgium for ING. What started as a first became the everyday banking channel for millions of Belgian users.
- [Crelan Mobile App](https://frankponcelet.com/#projects): Project Manager & Strategy Advisor for Crelan's new mobile banking app (2022–2024), responsible for delivery from start to launch.
- [Major Belgian bank — MiFID Platform](https://frankponcelet.com/#projects): Project Manager of The Profiler, a reusable MiFID compliance platform for asset management.
- [ERC721F](https://github.com/FrankNFT-labs/ERC721F): Open-source low-gas NFT contract template, now widely used across the industry. Cuts minting gas costs substantially compared with the reference ERC-721 implementation.
- [Hyperlabs](https://hyper-labs.digital): Co-founded Xplore Group's blockchain brand in 2023. We build enterprise blockchain solutions, including on-chain asset management and subsidy processes.
- [Natuur & Bos on Blockchain](https://frankponcelet.com/#projects): Digitalized the Flemish forestry agency's subsidy management process on blockchain, making every subsidy decision traceable and auditable.
- [We are Dorkis](https://wearedorkis.com): Co-founded a collection of 4,724 hand-drawn NFTs — dorks, goofballs, and weirdos created the old-fashioned way with pen and colored pencil on paper. The community is for everyone who's ever been called a dork.

## Speaking
- [Speaking](https://frankponcelet.com/#speaking): Conference talks and panels on The Death of the Human Middleman: AI Agents, RWAs & the Automation of Everything, Mass Adoption: The Final Frontier, ERC-6551 Token-Bound Accounts, Decentralized Masterpieces, and NFT panel with John Crain & IrishNFTgal.
- [NFC Summit 2026 (2026)](https://frankponcelet.com/#speaking): Lisbon — The Death of the Human Middleman: AI Agents, RWAs & the Automation of Everything — duo keynote with IrishNFTgal
- [Dappconn (2026)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztLiAEz2ROQ): Berlin — The Death of the Human Middleman: AI Agents, RWAs & the Automation of Everything — duo keynote with IrishNFTgal
- [NFC Summit 2025 (2025)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQdC3E9r-i0&t): Lisbon — Mass Adoption: The Final Frontier — duo keynote with IrishNFTgal
- [NFT Tallinn — The Banana Conf (2024)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-86m7tdc08): Tallinn — ERC-6551 Token-Bound Accounts — duo keynote with IrishNFTgal
- [ETHcc — 0x499 (2024)](https://frankponcelet.com/#speaking): Brussels — Decentralized Masterpieces — NFTs and the Future of Art — with IrishNFTgal, Ioana Surpatean, Yiqin Zhu & Zarina Izy
- [ETH Dublin (2024)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bxg-bF-xFN0): Dublin — NFT panel with John Crain & IrishNFTgal
- [Non Fungible Conference (2024)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aRIA-Eufy0): Lisbon — Soulbound Tokens — The Future of Identification and Recognition
- [NFT Fest Lugano (2023)](https://frankponcelet.com/#speaking): Lugano — Ordinals or NFTs? On-chain or not?

## Blog
- [Blog](https://frankponcelet.com/blog): A record of the journey, not an opinion column: build notes on blockchain, smart contracts, and agentic AI. Every post URL also serves its raw markdown source via Accept: text/markdown or a .md suffix. RSS: https://frankponcelet.com/blog/feed.xml
- [A registry is not a reputation. Three months with token 36039.](https://frankponcelet.com/blog/erc-8004-registry-not-reputation): 2026-10-02 — I minted an ERC-8004 agent identity in July. Here is what it did for me since, and what the numbers say it does for anyone.
- [How hard can it be](https://frankponcelet.com/blog/we-are-dorkis): 2026-09-19 — How a tweet in July 2021 became We Are Dorkis, my first NFT contract, 300 hand drawn traits, and a rebate that never fired.
- [And single](https://frankponcelet.com/blog/erc721f-multiple-and-single): 2026-09-08 — Why I wrote ERC721F in March 2022, what it was arguing with, and where the code ended up after the JPEG rush.
- [Immutable, including the mistakes](https://frankponcelet.com/blog/cryptopunks-v1-wrapper): 2026-08-27 — How I ended up wrapping the first CryptoPunks contract, and what it taught me about shipping code you can never take back.
- [One file, two readers](https://frankponcelet.com/blog/one-file-two-readers): 2026-08-04 — Every post on this blog is one markdown file, served as HTML to browsers and as raw markdown to AI agents. This is how that works.

## Contact
- [Contact](https://frankponcelet.com/#contact): Primary contact path for collaboration, advisory work, and speaking inquiries.

## Social
- [X](https://twitter.com/frankNFT_eth): Official social/profile link on X.
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankponcelet/): Official social/profile link on LinkedIn.
- [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/franknft_eth/): Official social/profile link on Instagram.
- [GitHub](https://github.com/FrankNFT-labs): Official social/profile link on GitHub.
- [Sessionize](https://sessionize.com/FrankNFT/): Official social/profile link on Sessionize.
- [AIgeneers](https://aigeneers.eu/team/frank-poncelet): Official social/profile link on AIgeneers.
- [OpenSea](https://opensea.io/FrankNFT_eth): Official social/profile link on OpenSea.

## Agent Interface
- [MCP Server](https://frankponcelet.com/api/mcp): Primary agent-callable interface — read-only MCP endpoint (JSON-RPC 2.0, Streamable HTTP). Tools: get_profile, get_career, get_projects, get_speaking, get_expertise, get_engagement, get_current_focus, list_articles, get_persona. Resources: skill.md (persona), llms-full.txt (full profile). Prompts: frank-architect, frank-security, frank-dyor, frank-vibe (command modes). Liveness: /api/mcp/health.
- [Agent Card](https://frankponcelet.com/.well-known/agent-card.json): A2A (Agent2Agent) discovery card mapping Frank's skills to the MCP endpoint.
- [Agent Skill](https://frankponcelet.com/skill.md): Loadable skill defining Frank's persona, engineering philosophy, and decision framework for AI agents.
- [AI Features Guide](https://frankponcelet.com/ai): Guide to this site's full agent surface with install instructions for the skill and MCP server (markdown variant: /ai.md).
- [OpenAPI](https://frankponcelet.com/openapi.json): OpenAPI 3.1 description of the public HTTP surface (all read-only, no auth).
- [agents.json](https://frankponcelet.com/.well-known/agents.json): agents.json (wild-card.ai v0.1.0) — LLM-oriented flows layered on the OpenAPI surface: get_full_profile, get_persona_skill, and query_mcp_tool.
- [ARD Catalog](https://frankponcelet.com/.well-known/ai-catalog.json): Agentic Resource Discovery manifest listing the MCP server, A2A agent card, and persona skill for agent registries.

## Optional
- [Privacy Policy](https://frankponcelet.com/privacy): Site privacy and analytics policy.
- [Sitemap](https://frankponcelet.com/sitemap.xml): Full URL inventory for this site.