John Sajadi, Founder and CEO of the International Bitcoin Virtual Machine (IBVM), has been recognized by The Enterprise World as one of the Most Influential Business Leaders to Watch in 2025. With over two decades of experience in software engineering and blockchain, Sajadi challenged the conventional view of Bitcoin as just a store of value. He envisioned a future where it could be a programmable platform.
Sajadi has not only overcome technical scepticism of solving the blockchain trilemma—scalability, security and decentralization but has also built bridges between traditional and decentralized finance. His leadership is defined by a commitment to ethical innovation, technical excellence, and personal well-being, proving that purpose-driven vision can redefine an industry.
The Visionary Behind IBVM
John Sajadi’s journey with IBVM began with a simple yet profound question: What if Bitcoin could do more? With over two decades of experience at the intersection of software engineering, blockchain innovation, and fintech infrastructure, Sajadi recognized a significant gap in the market. While Ethereum introduced programmability, it often did so at the cost of energy efficiency and trust. Bitcoin, despite being the most secure and decentralized protocol, remained largely underutilized.
This realization led to the birth of IBVM, the International Bitcoin Virtual Machine. Sajadi envisioned a way to make Bitcoin scalable, programmable, and environmentally sustainable, all without compromising its fundamental principles. His vision has since evolved from merely building a product to pioneering an entire ecosystem. IBVM is no longer just a Layer 2 solution; it is a movement toward a trustless, permissionless, and programmable financial future built directly on the bedrock of Bitcoin.
How IBVM Unlocks a New Era of Decentralized Finance on Bitcoin?
The International Bitcoin Virtual Machine (IBVM) is the first-ever zero-knowledge (zk) rollup Layer 2 built natively on Bitcoin, designed to bring smart contract capabilities, decentralized applications (dApps), and DeFi ecosystems directly to the world’s most secure blockchain. At its core, IBVM solves the blockchain trilemma—scalability, security, and decentralization—without compromise.
By leveraging zk-rollups, IBVM compresses and batches thousands of transactions off-chain before settling them securely on the Bitcoin network. This innovative approach drastically reduces energy consumption by over 99% compared to traditional blockchains, addressing a key environmental concern in the industry.
However, the true value of IBVM lies in its robust infrastructure. It offers a decentralized escrow protocol, programmable compliance, and a plug-and-play ecosystem for fintech companies. Furthermore, it creates essential bridges between centralized institutions and decentralized networks, all while maintaining the unwavering integrity of the Bitcoin protocol.
From Challenge to Breakthrough
The greatest challenge in developing the International Bitcoin Virtual Machine (IBVM) was convincing the world that Bitcoin’s potential extended beyond being a mere store of value. This mission was met with significant barriers, including technical scepticism, regulatory caution, and a lack of unified developer resources.
To overcome these hurdles, the team took an unapologetically bold architectural stance, combining zero-knowledge proofs, decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN), and trustless cross-chain bridges. They also focused on building a strong community through educational initiatives, developer grants, and international partnerships. As a leader, John Sajadi leaned on transparency and conviction, surrounding himself with brilliant individuals who shared the same long-term vision and were unafraid to challenge him.
Ultimately, building IBVM wasn’t about avoiding problems; it was about confronting them directly with clarity and purpose, forging a new path for Bitcoin’s future.
Beyond the Code
John Sajadi leads with a clear philosophy built on vision, integrity, and precision. He is a firm believer in creating robust systems that will outlive individual personalities. His leadership style is strategic yet grounded, constantly working to align technological innovation with tangible, real-world economic outcomes.
At the executive level, John Sajadi’s decisions are guided by a commitment to long-term value creation, rather than fleeting trends. Integrity, scalability, and fairness are his non-negotiable principles. He also places a strong emphasis on fostering partnerships that benefit the entire ecosystem, believing that collective progress is more valuable than individual company gains.
IBVM’s Milestone Year
The year 2025 has been marked by significant milestones for the International Bitcoin Virtual Machine (IBVM), demonstrating its rapid momentum and growing influence. The successful launch of the IBVM Testnet saw remarkable community engagement, with over 75,000+ wallet downloads in the first month and 150,000+ wallets created in total. The project’s social media following surged to over 150,000, with more than one million community members interacting with the IBVM Wallet.
Innovation continued with the successful deployment of over 190+ Smart Contracts and Tokens on the Testnet and the launch of a decentralized escrow service, which enables trustless cross-chain swaps. The company is also actively pursuing integration with Visa and Apple Pay, which would allow users to spend crypto and earn Bitcoin rewards on everyday payments—a massive step toward mainstream adoption. These achievements were further validated by a $20 million strategic investment by Rollman Management group at a $100 million and valuation and another key partnership with Ubertas Group have demonstrated unwavering commitment, with Dadon (Chairman of IBVM) and Alok Agrawal and Romil Jain (Co-founders).
Strategic Alliances and a Bold Expansion into AI
In a series of strategic moves, IBVM has forged significant alliances with industry leaders such as Pegasus Family Office, Ubertas Group, Quest Global Technology, OX Labs, Smat, Zyra, Secondlive, Cryplex AI, Vitamin AI, Pesaflex, Sui Network, Sui News, Programmers Point (Launching IBVM’s Academy) and Rollman Group. The company is now in the final stages of a Token Generation Event (TGE) on August 27th, 2025, and is preparing for listings on multiple Tier 1 exchanges, positioning itself for a major market debut.
Beyond its core financial services, IBVM is making a bold leap into new territory by expanding its Decentralized Physical Infrastructure (DePIN) to power decentralized cloud computation for AI and rendering workloads. This infrastructure transforms how real-world resources are accessed and monetized by decentralizing the ownership and operation of physical hardware. By combining Bitcoin-based zk-rollups with edge computing, IBVM creates permissionless marketplaces for AI rendering, decentralized storage, and computation, all settled with Bitcoin’s security. This empowers individuals and businesses to contribute hardware resources, earn rewards, and participate in a trustless, scalable digital economy.
Work-Life Balance and Leadership
For John Sajadi, work-life balance isn’t about dividing hours equally; it’s about applying equal intention to all aspects of life. He advises business leaders to prioritize their well-being with the same seriousness they give to a major meeting. His personal strategy involves scheduling “non-negotiables” like downtime, family time, and moments for creative thinking directly into his calendar. Sajadi believes that sustainable leadership begins with self-mastery, where the body, mind, soul, spirit, sensuousness, and heart work in harmony.
The Best Lesson Learned
Throughout his career, Sajadi’s most valuable lesson has been that purpose outlives pressure. In every crisis, from tech pivots and funding rounds to team challenges, he found that having a clear sense of purpose consistently triumphed over chaos. By staying grounded in the “why,” he has been able to navigate the “how” with unwavering resilience.
A Financial Journey of Risks and Reinvention
Sajadi’s financial journey began with bootstrapping software solutions and evolved into building multi-million dollar ventures in fintech and blockchain. Today, he proudly leads IBVM, a company backed by $22 million in strategic investment. He is focused on building a global Bitcoin Layer 2 infrastructure that is not only transforming digital finance but also significantly reducing its environmental footprint. His journey is a testament to the power of taking risks, a commitment to reinvention, and a relentless pursuit of a compelling vision.
5 Key Takeaways to learn from John Sajadi’s Cover Story
- Innovation Starts with a Bold Question
- Purpose Is Stronger Than Pressure
- Build Ecosystems, Not Just Products
- Sustainability and Scalability Can Coexist
- Leadership Requires Inner Balance
