Imagine leaving everything behind – family, language, the familiar hum of home – chasing a whisper that the future might be kinder somewhere else. That’s where Lukita’s story begins: a young Brazilian who walked away from a steady Air Force path because his questions were too big for the answers on offer.

He landed in Europe with empty pockets and a head full of dreams, taught himself English between shifts, and stumbled into crypto the way some people stumble into love – suddenly, completely, irreversibly.

One late-night rabbit hole later, a single tweet about Bittensor lit the fuse. From that spark came TAOMerch: not just T-shirts and hoodies, but flags for a quiet revolution. Every design is a love letter to the network, every package a passport that lets believers “wear the future” in 30+ countries.

In a world of faceless validators and cold code, Lukita reminds us that community is worn on sleeves – literally. His journey from outsider to the guy who quite literally puts TAO on people’s backs is proof that you don’t need to code the revolution to live it out loud.

Tell us a little about yourself and your involvement in the Bittensor ecosystem in a few brief sentences.

I am a dude with a very simple background and uncontrollable imagination coming from a Brazilian family just trying to “make it” in crypto. I first discovered bittensor in January 2023 and saw the revolutionary idea behind the concept and immediately turned all my attention to the ecosystem.

Before diving into Bittensor or crypto/AI, what was your professional background? What drew you to shift directions, and was it a smooth transition?

Well, I did a national exam to join the Air Force as a student of aircraft mechanics to give financial relief to my family. Years pass by and I don’t see a future in that doctrine for me, neither my questioner personality was very welcomed where I have grown up, so I emigrated to Europe for better opportunities. It was definitely not a smooth transition since I had no support whatsoever, in fact was considered “crazy” and had to learn several skills on my own, including English, since money and time have always been scarce.

What sparked your initial interest in decentralized AI or blockchain, and how did that lead you to Bittensor specifically?

By the time I was interested in AI I was already years living in Europe and being fluent in English. That for sure opened many doors to knowledge and new worlds, such as Bitcoin and crypto.

I was a big community member and supporter of a team in Solana that was building a mobile game that had an AI “entity” as a main character in their Lore. My strong imagination couldn’t avoid helping the team to create that Lore. I partially worked with the Creative Director to shape the characters, which took me for the first time back in 2022 to research what AI could become. From the dozens of tabs I had opened on my browser (many were articles, YouTube content and documentaries) the question: “What will be the intersection of crypto and AI ?” was always in my mind as the next big opportunity. Not long after that, discussing the topic with a close friend, he shared a DreadBongo tweet about Bittensor… and here we are.

Walk us through a typical day in your TAO life: from morning coffee to late-night design tweaks or order fulfillments, what keeps the rhythm going?

As bittensor NEVER stops, I try to reserve my morning to have a coffee and some time outside, of course after checking new orders, some major channels for the news I will think about and watching subnet prices. When I am back, I go full berserker mode reading Telegram groups, discord channels and my X feed, which is 99% $TAO related.

Going through big news on Subnet development, new podcasts episodes, long threads and articles I catch the general community feeling and much of the inspiration that takes place into the designs that end up going to the store.

What keeps the rhythm going is the excitement for being part of this and some good music because bittensor NEVER sleeps, even more now with 128 subnets. so all discussions and news come constantly and it’s much fun to be seeing the growth of The Internet of AI live.

What led you to start TAOMerch? Was there a pivotal moment or “aha” realization?

I listened and read everything that has been discussed on Bittensor since early days looking for a way to add value without being a dev. Only thing I could do was “stake and chill” but I like to participate, so I kept thinking about what could become something that helped the people of the community to show how much we believe in the ambitious vision of the network.

One day I had this friend telling me that I was REALLY “wearing the shirt” of this project after tirelessly chilling TAO to him. And then…AHA! He was right! And I was sure that I wasn’t alone in that, so I decided to test and make shirts for myself. Research went by and I found a way to make them for anyone that was as proud as I am to be part of Bittensor, to “Wear the Future”. That was when I founded TAOMERCH .

My first order ever was sent to the Legend, my big friend and Bittensor Documentary producer

As the founder of TAOmerch, what’s one unexpected joy you’ve found in the daily grind of designing, shipping, or seeing community members rock your pieces?

There are so many, from the messages I receive of support, the ideas and the doors it has opened for my life. But the biggest one is knowing the People of TAO, spread across 30+ countries have today at least one piece of merch that they wear proudly in public spaces waiting for the moment of TAO pilling a stranger! haha

Describe a hurdle in your TAO journey that felt insurmountable at first, but taught you something profound about decentralized AI, community building, or yourself.

Uff. When I took some bad decisions and my TAO bag melted. That was hard and it feels like ground 0 again and taught me about how I don’t need to rush the process, it’s still early and I can learn so much with the community to grow it back again.

If you could whisper one piece of advice to someone just staking their first TAO, what would it be, practical, philosophical, or both?

Hmm I think a bit of both. Practically: Understand that technologies that shifted the world completely, like the internet, were once a mystery and a joke for those that didn’t understand it.  So be curious & study.

More philosophical would be this quote that I like a lot: “The strongest of all warriors are these two – Time and Patience”. Leo Tolstoy 

Beyond the chain, what grounds you, reminds you there’s life outside subnets and shipping boxes?

God is what truly grounds me more than anything. I have some hobbies in nature like diving or just playing soccer like I did when I was a kid but nothing reminds me more there’s life outside working than the fact all we do here is useless if it doesn’t spread good to others.

Paint a picture of Bittensor in five years: what everyday impact do you hope your work today creates for the world?

I see bittensor becoming the layer that many people will utilize inevitably because it’s more sustainable, fair and accessible. In the right moment the impact that will cause is truly being this place where people that believe in bittensor will share this belief by wearing it everywhere daily.

What have been your biggest wins or highlights since getting involved with TAO/Bittensor?  

My biggest win was undoubtedly the amazing people I have met, from having a beer with Evert and Mog before taostats even existed, taking a photo with Const in the Louvre and working with the bittensor.ai team. 

What does success mean to you on a personal level, beyond the Bittensor  ecosystem?  

Success for me on a personal level is just being as genuine as I can, being honest is priceless.

What is the best piece of advice you have been given and by whom?  

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” Apostle Paul in ‭‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ 

What do you wish your younger self had known?  

Maybe not known, but realized that we are all living life for the first time, so we must be kind to ourselves. 

What advice would you give to someone new to Bittensor, maybe a first-time TAO buyer, aspiring validator, or community member?  

Study and be patient. Rome wasn’t built in one day and a wealthy life won’t be either.

If you could have one superpower in life, what would it be and why?  

Mine on all subnets. hahah

If you could have a picnic with three historical or known figures (dead or alive), who would they be and what’s in the hamper?   

Jesus Christ, Apostle Paul and Satoshi Nakamoto. Uff..good question, I guess paper and pen ?! hahaha

Favourite movie and why?  

The Devil’s Advocate – It’s a great story of how becoming increasingly obsessed with success can bring very different fruits if we don’t have a strong foundation of values..

What’s your happy song or favourite piece of music?  

Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing

What are you working on next in the Bittensor space, or what’s on the horizon for you personally?  

Can’t say it yet !!! . 

Where do you see Bittensor TAO Merch in 3, 5, 10 years time? 

There are many lines of thought being developed in my mind, including becoming a Subnet in the future !

Independently of that, the store will remain existing and renew designs of the hottest merchandise in Bittensor.

What’s one thing that people might not know about you?

One of my ambitions is to give as much value as I can and while I can so one day when I am old I can live in the countryside, have some animals and my own little “Bittensor office” haha

Why should people buy TAO Merch?

We are the identity of the community. The visual statement of support to Bittensor, there is simply no way you have TAO Merch and not be one of the Legends that believe in the vision of Opentensor

Lukita’s ambition is beautifully simple: keep creating, keep shipping, keep turning belief into something tangible – until the day he chooses to trade the hustle for a quiet life in the countryside, some rescue animals, and a tiny “Bittensor office” under the stars. Until then, every hoodie that lands on a doorstep, every stranger who asks “what’s TAO?” because they spotted a logo in the wild, is a breadcrumb leading the world toward decentralized intelligence.

Success, for him, isn’t measured in numbers on a screen – it’s measured in honesty, in kindness worn openly, in the quiet pride of knowing you helped people show the world what they believe in before the world is ready to believe it too.

So if you’ve ever felt the pull of this network in your bones, do what Lukita did: wear it proudly. Grab a piece from TAOMerch, stake your colours, and join the legends who are already dressing for the future we’re building – one package, one conversation, one believer at a time.

Connect with LukitaTao ⋄ Wear the future at taomerch.com