Ben Bilski, the German entrepreneur who founded NAGA, is making a fresh bet on Solana and AI crypto trading with the launch of True Trading. | Credit: Derech Fenech, CCN.
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Key Takeaways
Bilski is launching True Trading on a Solana Layer 2, arguing its liquidity, speed, and architecture make it uniquely suited for AI-native trading.
True’s chat-first platform is powered by an on-chain, self-learning LLM that guides users through risks and strategies.
While Bilski sees AI-guided trading as the industry’s future, he insists professionals won’t be replaced but empowered.
Benjamin Bilski, the German tech entrepreneur who founded the NAGA Group, is making a fresh bet on crypto with the launch of True Trading, an AI-native perpetuals exchange built on Solana.
The move comes at a delicate moment for the blockchain, which has been dogged in the past by high-profile outages and, just this week, a $40m exploit tied to one of its staking partners.
But Bilski insists that far from being a liability, Solana’s speed and architecture make it the only credible base for the next generation of AI-driven trading platforms.
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For Bilski, the decision to launch on Solana wasn’t about block speed or cheap fees, though both still matter.
“Solana has become the centre of liquidity in crypto, with the largest and most active on-chain trading ecosystem today,” Bilski told CCN.
“That matters. You want to build where the traders already are,” he added.
True Trading compresses activity into ZK-verifiable proofs on its Solana Layer 2, a hybrid that Bilski argues achieves the “best of both worlds: institutional-grade performance with blockchain-level transparency.”
After the SwissBorg Hack, a Focus on Security
The platform’s debut comes after a $40m exploit on SwissBorg tied to a compromised API from staking partner Kiln, an episode that, for some, raised fresh questions about Solana’s security.
But Bilski is quick to draw a line.
ZachXBT reported the breach on Telegram | Source: ZachXBT
“That incident was a third-party integration error, not a vulnerability in Solana itself,” he says.
“Blaming Solana for that would be like blaming Ethereum for the Bybit exploit—the chain wasn’t the issue.”
True’s approach is to keep its core logic in-house and limit external dependencies, he says, adding that independent audits and cryptographic verification are non-negotiable.
Importantly, unlike custodial platforms, users always retain control of their assets, reducing exposure to catastrophic third-party failures.
AI as Trader, Teacher, and Copilot
True’s defining feature is a self-learning large language model (LLM) that is trained on-chain, absorbing user actions and market events in real time.
Instead of complex dashboards, True’s selling point is it allows users to interact through a chat-first interface.
The AI explains risks, suggests strategies, and even acts as a coach—ensuring that traders understand leverage and exposure before executing orders.
“AI-guided trading is inevitable,” Bilski argues.
“Just as search evolved into ChatGPT, trading will evolve into conversational, AI-assisted experiences.”
He suggests that this is not a threat but an opportunity for regulators: “It creates a more informed trader, not a less informed one.”
Humans Still in the Loop
Despite the AI hype, Bilski insists the human element remains indispensable.
Professionals won’t be replaced and instead will be augmented, scaling their strategies through copy trading and monetising their expertise.
Retail traders, meanwhile, get an AI copilot that levels the playing field.
“The human role remains essential—setting strategy, adapting to market shifts, making judgment calls AI cannot replicate,” Bilski says.
“But execution, risk checks, and guidance can all be streamlined.”
Bilski said the result is “a healthier, more transparent market” where beginners can keep up and professionals can “finally monetize their expertise.”
What’s at Stake?
True Trading’s launch is preceded by a public token sale scheduled for 10 September 2025, in which 10% of its 100 million $TRUE tokens will be offered.
Almost half the supply is reserved for ecosystem rewards, designed to grow a user base and incentivise participation.
The pitch to investors and traders is ambitious, launching a platform where AI is not an add-on, but the entire infrastructure instead.
“TRUE’s approach is very clear: our AI doesn’t operate as a black box,” he said.
“Other platforms will adapt – just like in every technology cycle, automation starts as an edge, then becomes a standard. We’re simply building that future first.”
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
