John Robison Hoopes is a researcher, engineer, and co-founder focused on decentralized geospatial infrastructure.

He co-leads a research group at the University of Maryland studying proof-of-location systems, peer-to-peer spatial data, and verifiable geocomputation. He co-authored Towards a Decentralized Geospatial Web (GISRUK 2025) and is founder of Astral, an open-source project building a spatial extension for the decentralized web.

Previously, John co-founded Toucan, a leading platform for climate-linked digital assets, led developer relations at Ordnance Survey, and worked with an international NGO analyzing global vessel traffic for maritime awareness. He holds an MSc in Spatial Data Science and Visualisation from UCL (with distinction).

Today, he collaborates with teams around the world — offering strategic and technical guidance on geospatial systems, decentralized infrastructure, and emerging technologies.