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1. Please briefly share your career journey. Before getting involved in Web3, which area did you primarily focus on?

Jeff: I am a co-founder of Priceline and helped create one of the most successful cases in the online travel industry. Priceline subsequently acquired Booking.com, and its parent company eventually evolved into what is now Booking Holdings—a giant publicly listed on NASDAQ with a market capitalization of about $160 billion. My focus has always been consistent: finding large but troubled markets and making them simpler, more transparent, and more valuable. Before getting involved in Web3, I was committed to removing friction in the booking and distribution processes. What drew me into the Web3 field was not hype, but the opportunity to reimagine ownership and incentives. The current travel industry is still too fragmented. Therefore, I firmly believe that social travel driven by Web3 and AI is the correct next step.

2. How do you view the disruption that Web3 brings to the traditional travel agency model?

Jeff: Traditional online travel agencies have indeed made significant contributions, but they have also added layers—intermediaries, opaque economic models, and loyalty systems that favor platforms over travelers. Web3 is disrupting this. It facilitates direct connections, transparency, and faster settlements. For investors, this is where the significant opportunity lies: improving profit margins while enhancing user experiences. Future winners will not be content with merely listing hotels. They will build ecosystems that reduce friction and return value to travelers. This is a structural change, not just a functional upgrade.

3. What global market trends make Web3+AI social travel platforms more advantageous than traditional intermediaries?

Jeff: The following three trends are most critical. First, travelers need flexibility and real rewards, not expired points. Second, digital payments and borderless commerce have become the norm, especially for younger users. Third, people trust communities more than advertisements. Traditional systems were not built for this. And so, the Web3 and AI-driven social travel platforms are exactly that. They integrate booking, payments, rewards, and personalized experiences. This is what modern travelers expect, and it's difficult for traditional online travel agencies to provide.

4. What prompted you to transition from traditional online travel agencies to the Staynex platform?

Jeff: I joined Staynex not because it bears the Web3 label, but because the travel industry is undergoing transformation again, and Staynex embraces this trend. Today, merely offering booking services is far from enough. Future leaders will integrate business, rewards, AI, and payments. Staynex's goal is not to become a slightly better OTA but to build for the genuine ways people travel today. Notably, Staynex has announced that its token STAY will be listed on three top ten exchanges starting April 23, 2026. This is real growth momentum, not just talk.

5. What inefficiencies in the industry did you notice while working at Priceline, and how does Staynex address them?

Jeff: The biggest issue is fragmentation. Travelers experience a coherent journey, but the industry delivers services through fragmented systems, incentive mechanisms, and networks of relationships. This causes friction and loss of value. Staynex addresses this issue by integrating booking, flexible payments, AI-driven itinerary planning, and reward systems into a connected ecosystem. For investors, this means higher user retention rates and longer-term value. For users, the travel experience becomes simpler and more rewarding. This is what we call the Web2.5 dual-track model—combining the scale effects of Web2 with the incentive models of Web3. This model works effectively.

6. What qualities of the Staynex team give you confidence to serve as the chairman of the project?

Jeff: I always prioritize the human factor. While market and ideas are important, execution is everything. What convinced me? It is the team's focus on practicality rather than narrative. This is rare in the Web3 space. Narratives can attract attention, but only execution can earn trust. What I see is a team that truly understands the product, user growth, and focuses on long-term value. They are not looking for shortcuts. I generally decline all invitations, but I accepted this time because they possess the discipline and ambition to build a real business.

7. How will blockchain+AI redefine global travel as a social experience in the next decade?

Jeff: Simply put: travel will evolve from one-time transactions to ongoing relationships. Blockchain enables transparent reward mechanisms and seamless cross-border payments. AI provides personalized experiences and smart recommendations. The combination of the two will make travel experiences coherent rather than fragmented. You will not focus on the underlying technology, but you will feel faster bookings, better rewards, and tailor-made journeys. This is the future. For investors, this means a new layer is evolving into infrastructure, rather than just a novelty. The significant scale of the travel industry gives it the potential to realize this vision.

8. What predictions do you have for the long-term development of Web3+AI social travel platforms compared to traditional online travel agencies?

Jeff: Traditional online travel agencies will not disappear, but the value center will shift. The most valuable platforms will not just be aggregators of suppliers; they will also possess networks of relationships around payments, loyalty, and community. This is where social travel platforms have an advantage. Programmable rewards, AI recommendations, and other features will become standardized rather than specialized. The ultimate winners will be those platforms that align deeply with the genuine travel needs of digital users. In my view, travel remains one of the most underestimated opportunities in Web3, and social travel is the clearest entry point.

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