The Smart Economy Podcast: Real-World Blockchain Applications with Crypto, DeFi, NFTs, and DAOs

The Next Digital Frontier: User-Owned AI, Agents, & Open Infrastructure with George Zeng of NEAR

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by George Zeng, chief product officer at the NEAR Protocol, a blockchain ecosystem building infrastructure for user-owned AI and decentralized applications.

What you’ll learn:
- Why AI agents could become the primary interface for interacting with the internet
- How enterprise AI is evolving around privacy, security, and multi-agent coordination
- Why interface design often determines which technologies reach mass adoption
- How crypto infrastructure can support payments, identity, and coordination for AI systems
- Why the next major crypto breakthrough may emerge outside current narratives
- How managing multiple AI agents introduces new UX and product challenges
- Why balancing usability, privacy, and control is critical for future AI systems
- And much more!

George Zeng is the chief product officer at the NEAR Protocol, where he focuses on advancing user-owned AI and decentralized infrastructure at the intersection of crypto and artificial intelligence. His background spans Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, and Facebook, where he developed expertise across financial systems, platform ecosystems, and product strategy at scale. At NEAR, Zeng is helping shape how AI agents, open-source models, and blockchain infrastructure come together to enable more accessible and user-controlled digital systems. His perspective is particularly valuable as AI and crypto begin to converge, offering a grounded view on where real adoption may occur, what challenges remain around usability and security, and how the next generation of the internet could be defined less by platforms and more by agents acting on behalf of users.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pM0TNaTbyyg

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David Johnston of Morpheus on Why Owning Your AI Agent Could Change Everything

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski sits down with David Johnston, OSS code maintainer at Morpheus, a peer-to-peer network designed to power decentralized smart agents and open access to AI infrastructure.

Johnston shares his journey from early internet startups and energy ventures into Bitcoin and eventually decentralized AI infrastructure, and what he believes is the next major technological shift: personal AI agents that individuals own and control.

What you’ll learn:

Why owning your own AI agent may become as important as owning your smartphone
How decentralized AI infrastructure could challenge Big Tech’s control of AI
Why Johnston believes “everything that can be decentralized will be decentralized”
How crypto networks may enable open access to AI models and computation
Why AI agents may soon perform most on-chain transactions
How early Bitcoin lessons shaped Johnston’s thinking about AI ownership
Why personal AI agents could dramatically change productivity and work

David Johnston is the OSS code maintainer at Morpheus, a decentralized network focused on enabling open-source AI agents. Johnston previously helped launch BitAngels, one of the earliest decentralized angel investment groups in crypto, and has spent more than a decade building companies across technology, energy, and decentralized infrastructure.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/f8C9EnD_DAg

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From Retail Validators to Wall Street: The Institutional Staking Shift with Laszlo Szabo of Kiln

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski sits down with Laszlo Szabo, co-founder and CEO of Kiln, an institutional staking and on-chain yield platform powering validator infrastructure for exchanges, custodians, wallets, and asset managers across the crypto ecosystem.

Szabo shares how staking evolved from early retail validator activity into critical infrastructure for institutions exploring on-chain yield. The conversation examines how staking behaves across market cycles, why institutions increasingly view staking as foundational infrastructure, and how validator operations scale securely across multiple networks.

What you’ll learn:

Why staking can continue growing during bear markets
How institutional staking infrastructure differs from retail validators
Why stablecoin and Bitcoin yield markets may be expanding
How tokenized RWAs are entering on-chain finance
What on-chain vaults are and how they resemble asset management funds
How Railnet is aimed at connecting DeFi protocols and tokenized assets
Why validator infrastructure matters for institutional security

Laszlo Szabo is the co-founder and CEO of Kiln, an institutional staking and on-chain yield platform supporting exchanges, custodians, wallets, and asset managers globally. Kiln provides validator infrastructure, staking access, and DeFi integrations across multiple blockchain networks. Prior to founding Kiln, Szabo worked in technology recruitment and began exploring crypto during Ethereum’s early ecosystem growth, eventually building infrastructure designed to meet the reliability, security, and compliance expectations of institutional participants.

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wFjYO1B2mqU

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Inside Avalanche’s Tokenization Push: Olivia Vande Woude on RWAs, Institutions, & Real Adoption

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Olivia Vande Woude, head of tokenization at Ava Labs, the team behind the Avalanche blockchain, a platform built to support customized blockchain infrastructure for institutions, enterprises, and consumer applications.

Vande Woude discusses her transition from equity research and TradFi into crypto, and how that background informs Avalanche’s approach to tokenization, on-chain finance, and institutional adoption. The conversation explores Avalanche’s multi-chain architecture, why distribution economics matter more than product count, and how RWAs are being deployed in practice today.

They also dig into institutional metrics, regulatory clarity, private credit, stablecoins, and why real-world blockchain adoption often looks quieter than social media narratives.

What you’ll learn:
• Why tokenization is a distribution problem first
• How Avalanche enables purpose-built blockchains
• What institutions look for in blockchain infrastructure
• Why TVL can matter more than users for RWAs
• How private credit is being upgraded on-chain
• How adoption is impacted by regulatory clarity
• Avalanche’s approach to real-world scale

Olivia Vande Woude is head of tokenization at Ava Labs, where she works with global asset managers, fintechs, and institutions to bring financial products and RWAs onto the Avalanche blockchain. She previously worked in equity research at T. Rowe Price, covering banks and financial infrastructure, and brings a capital markets lens to blockchain adoption.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/3lfkv6ltMK4

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Making Crypto Feel Normal: Zeymer Montes on MOCA, Payments, & UX That Actually Works

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Zeymer Montes, founder of MOCA, a crypto payments ecosystem built to make on-chain transactions feel intuitive for users and merchants alike.

Montes discusses his path from early Bitcoin curiosity to years in Web2 software development, where he learned that great products depend as much on UX and communication as they do on technical execution. The conversation explores MOCA’s smart wallet, point-of-sale system, encrypted messenger, and how these pieces work together to support gasless payments, cross-chain settlement, and merchant adoption.

They also dig into onboarding challenges, why language choices matter in crypto UX, how MOCA handles behind-the-scenes token swaps, and why simplicity is essential if crypto payments are going to work in the real world.

What you’ll learn:
• Why UX remains crypto’s biggest barrier
• How MOCA enables crypto payments via QR codes
• What “pay with any wallet” looks like in practice
• How merchants receive stablecoins regardless of payment token
• Why messaging and payments belong together
• How referral-driven revenue supports long-term growth
• What’s next for MOCA’s wallet, POS, and messenger

Zeymer Montes is the founder of MOCA, a crypto payments and wallet ecosystem focused on usability, self-custody, and merchant adoption. With a background in Web2 software development and product leadership, Montes brings a user-first mindset to building crypto infrastructure that works across chains, devices, and experience levels.

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Inside Ethereum’s Next Chapter: Tomasz Stańczak on the EF, L2s, & Institutional Adoption

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Tomasz Stańczak, Co-Executive Director at the Ethereum Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports the development and long-term health of the Ethereum blockchain.

Stańczak discusses his path from traditional finance to Ethereum and how those experiences prepared him to help steward Ethereum during a period of rapid growth. The conversation explores Ethereum Foundation restructuring, builder support, L2 interoperability, and why multiple rollup designs are expected to coexist as the ecosystem scales.

They also examine institutional adoption, tokenization, ETH economics, privacy, and how the Foundation balances research, infrastructure, and application-level growth as it plans for the years ahead.

What you’ll learn

• How Ethereum Foundation leadership operates at scale
• Why L2 diversity and interoperability matter for Ethereum’s future
• How builder-focused teams are supporting applications and founders
• What institutions need to adopt Ethereum infrastructure
• How ETH economics tie into security and incentives
• Why privacy and censorship resistance remain core priorities
• What’s top of mind for the Foundation heading into 2026

Tomasz Stańczak is the Co-Executive Director at the Ethereum Foundation and the founder of Nethermind, one of Ethereum’s leading client teams. Prior to building core blockchain infrastructure, Tomasz worked in traditional finance, including roles at Citi and CME Group, where he gained experience in market structure, risk, and large-scale systems. His background continues to inform his approach to Ethereum stewardship, with a focus on security, open-source development, privacy, and long-term protocol sustainability.

Watch on YouTube: YouTube: https://youtu.be/b_M_gqgHfVg

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Smart, Safe, & Gasless: Inside PistachioFi’s Vision for Everyday DeFi

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Brian Smocovich, co-founder of PistachioFi, a blockchain finance mobile app designed to make DeFi more accessible. Together, they explore how Ethereum’s scaling journey has shaped product decisions, why L1 and L2 tradeoffs matter for consumer-facing apps, and how smart wallets may help reduce friction without sacrificing self-custody.

What you’ll learn:

Why Ethereum’s rollup-centric roadmap introduced short-term complexity alongside long-term scaling benefits
How liquidity fragmentation and gas costs influence real user behavior
Why UX challenges like seed phrases, approvals, and gas remain barriers for non-technical users
How PistachioFi approaches mobile-first, gasless wallet design
Why cryptographic recovery can improve safety without custodial risk
How L1 and L2 architecture decisions affect consumer financial products
What gasless, cross-border transfers could mean for more accessible on-chain finance
And much more!

Brian Smocovich is the co-founder of PistachioFi, a smart wallet focused on making on-chain finance safer and easier for everyday users. Prior to building in crypto, Brian worked in financial advising and management consulting, where he developed a deep understanding of risk management, financial infrastructure, and user trust. His background continues to shape PistachioFi’s focus on security-first design, intuitive UX, and practical pathways for broader on-chain participation.

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Inside Keel: Solana’s New Liquidity Layer for Credit, RWAs, & Stablecoins

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski sits down with Cian Breathnach, founder of Matariki Labs and contributor to Keel, to explore how Solana is maturing into a high-performance environment for institutional capital, stablecoin liquidity, and tokenized real-world assets.

Breathnach shares his path from actuary to protocol engineer, reflecting on how Solana's speed, low fees, and composability convinced him to leave traditional finance and build full-time in Web3. He explains how Keel emerged from the Sky (formerly MakerDAO) ecosystem, why a “capital engine” is essential for scaling USDS adoption, and how capital allocation works inside a protocol-owned balance sheet.

The conversation covers the structural differences between fiat-backed, algorithmic, and overcollateralized stablecoins; the growing institutional interest in tokenization; and the importance of building on a monolithic chain where high-frequency execution and settlement happen in the same place.

Breathnach also unpacks the long-term vision behind Keel’s $2.5B capital roadmap, how it plans to grow lending markets and stablecoin liquidity on Solana, and what’s required to safely onboard institutional RWAs while navigating the realities of DeFi risk.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

How Breathnach transitioned from actuarial work to building capital infrastructure on Solana
Why Solana’s speed and monolithic design enable on-chain credit markets
How Keel allocates capital and manages risk while supporting Sky’s USDS growth
Why overcollateralized stablecoins are crucial for credit creation
How RWAs fit into Solana’s next phase, and why institutional demand is rising
The challenges of tokenization, liquidity bootstrapping, and building in a new VM
How DeFi projects can reduce systemic risk and protect new institutional participants

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Scaling Trust: Alex Gluchowski on Matter Labs, ZKsync, & the Future of Ethereum

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 14:30:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, Dylan Grabowski speaks with Alex Gluchowski, co-founder and CEO of Matter Labs, the engineering team behind ZKsync and the ZK Stack powering Ethereum’s zero-knowledge ecosystem.

Gluchowski shares his journey from growing up in post-Soviet Ukraine—where financial instability and institutional distrust were the norm—to discovering Bitcoin as a tool for freedom. He explains why zero-knowledge proofs felt “too good to be true,” how early cryptographic constraints slowed adoption, and how recent breakthroughs now make ZK the most scalable and secure path forward for blockchains.

The conversation explores the growth of ZKsync, the introduction of the Elastic Network, and why Gluchowski believes all rollups will eventually migrate to ZK. He discusses the challenges of onboarding institutions, the rising demand for stablecoins and compliant privacy, and the pivotal role ZK infrastructure will play as real-world assets, enterprises, and global finance move on-chain.

Gluchowski also highlights the importance of user incentives, developer experience, and the need for seamless interoperability across chains—sharing how ZK recursion, rapid proving, and institutional-grade privacy are shaping Ethereum’s long-term trajectory.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

How Alex’s early experiences with hyperinflation and institutional distrust shaped his mission for ZKsync
Why ZK technology took years longer than expected to become usable
Why scalable proofs, recursion, and fast settlement can unlock a global blockchain economy
The difference between privacy for individuals vs institutions — and why both matter
How the Elastic Network connects ZK rollups into one cohesive ecosystem
Why Alex believes optimistic rollups will phase out over time
How stablecoins, RWAs, and institutional blockchains are driving the next major wave of on-chain adoption

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From Pixels to Protocols: Sebastien Borget on The Sandbox, SANDchain, & the Creator Economy

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 13:43:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Sebastien Borget, co-founder and global ambassador of The Sandbox, a leading decentralized virtual world where players can create, own, and monetize experiences. Together, they explore the evolution of The Sandbox from a 2D mobile game to a metaverse platform with over 8 million users, and discuss the launch of SANDchain, a new layer-2 network designed to empower creators across gaming, art, and social media.

What you’ll learn:
• How The Sandbox evolved from a mobile game to a global Web3 virtual world
• Why creator monetization challenges led to early NFT adoption in 2018
• What lessons Borget learned from building through multiple market cycles
• How SANDchain expands the creator economy beyond gaming
• Why meaningful partnerships matter more than hype in Web3
• How The Sandbox continues to innovate through scalability and decentralization

And much more!

Sebastien Borget is the co-founder and global ambassador of The Sandbox and a leading voice in the Web3 gaming industry. With over 15 years of experience across mobile, cloud, and gaming startups, Borget has helped pioneer user-generated content and digital ownership, shaping how creators engage and earn in decentralized environments.

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The $10B Question: The Graph's Big Bet on Decentralized Data

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Nick Hansen, team lead at The Graph Foundation, an indexing protocol for organizing blockchain data. Together, they unpack The Graph’s mission to become the “Google of blockchains,” and discuss why decentralized indexing matters more than ever.

What you’ll learn:

How The Graph is working to solve the critical read-write problem in blockchain data accessibility
Why decentralized indexing provides crucial advantages over centralized alternatives for dApp development
The evolution of foundation leadership from zero-to-one pioneers to professional operational expertise
How content creation and community building can create career opportunities in Web3
Why blockchain infrastructure projects must balance technical innovation with institutional adoption
The framework for evaluating when decentralization matters most in technical infrastructure
How The Graph is preparing for the convergence of AI and blockchain data through knowledge graphs

And much more!

Nick Hansen is the team lead at The Graph Foundation, where he stewards the development and growth of The Graph, an indexing protocol for organizing blockchain data. With a diverse background spanning traditional finance, marketing, radio broadcasting, and education, Hansen brings a unique perspective to blockchain infrastructure development. Prior to his current role, he created and hosted the GRT IQ podcast, conducting over 200 interviews with key figures in The Graph ecosystem, which led to his transition into a leadership position at the foundation.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:00] Seize Rare Industry Inflection Points Before They Pass You By

Dylan Grabowski emphasizes that **major industry shifts happen rarely throughout human history**, and recognizing when you have an invitation to participate in one is a career-defining moment. Most professionals never encounter a foundational technology at its emergence, making these opportunities extraordinarily valuable and fleeting. The challenge many face is **hesitancy born from uncertainty**—it's difficult to commit fully to something nascent when traditional career paths feel safer. The first step is to **acknowledge the historical rarity of these moments** and reframe participation as a human experience worth pursuing, not just a financial bet. When Grabowski faced the choice between staying in traditional finance and joining The Graph Foundation, he recognized this as one of those rare inflection points and made the leap despite having a family to support. For builders seeking meaningful work, **identifying and seizing these moments—even with imperfect information—often determines whether you build something transformational or watch from the sidelines**.

[00:13:07] Build Authority in Emerging Spaces by Starting a Content Brand Early

Grabowski discovered that **in Web3, you can build credibility and influence by becoming a visible content creator** before you have deep expertise, positioning yourself as an emerging thought leader. Unlike traditional industries where credentials matter first, blockchain communities reward **consistent visibility, genuine curiosity, and transparent learning in public**. The barrier to entry is low—you don't need formal permission, funding, or institutional backing to start creating value. His approach was to **launch the GRT IQ brand with simple deliverables** (infographics, written interviews, eventually a podcast) while learning the space simultaneously over 8 months. This consistency and authentic engagement led to The Graph Foundation directly approaching him with a full-time opportunity, demonstrating that **visibility compounds into opportunity**. For builders wanting to break into Web3, **starting a content brand around a protocol or ecosystem you believe in is one of the fastest pathways to credibility, connections, and ultimately employment**.

[00:17:06] Use Traditional Finance Frameworks to Evaluate Crypto Projects Without Providing Financial Advice

Grabowski applies his **TradFi background to crypto evaluation** by translating familiar concepts rather than creating entirely new frameworks. He emphasizes that **"do your own research" isn't a Web3 invention—it's foundational logic** you'd apply to any major decision (buying a home, choosing a partner, adopting a pet). The critical insight is that **traditional finance already solved the problem of risk assessment**; you can leverage existing concepts like risk tolerance, personal financial goals, and time horizons to approach digital assets responsibly. Rather than chasing PE ratios or impossible metrics, the focus should shift to **understanding the team, the problem being solved, and your personal conviction** after connecting with community members in Discord and Telegram. The challenge many face is **conflating speculation with investment**, which Grabowski addresses by maintaining clear language about what crypto participation actually is at current market maturity. For builders and investors, **applying traditional financial discipline—without pretending crypto metrics are equivalent to traditional finance—provides a grounded approach** that reduces emotional decision-making.

[00:32:54] Position Decentralization as Insurance, Not Philosophy

Grabowski reframes **decentralization not as ideological purity but as practical risk mitigation** against predictable failure modes of centralized systems. When dApps rely on centralized indexing providers (like SaaS competitors to The Graph), they face real risks: **server downtime crashes the application, terms-of-service changes can destroy business models, and data ownership becomes contested**. The market hasn't yet experienced catastrophic centralized failures in blockchain infrastructure, so builders often deprioritize decentralization—but **this is precisely when you should adopt it as insurance**. By using decentralized infrastructure like The Graph, **developers retain redundancy, avoid vendor lock-in, and eliminate single points of failure** that will inevitably emerge as the industry scales. The framework is borrowed from physical infrastructure: you don't appreciate police until you need them, and you don't appreciate decentralized systems until centralized ones fail you. For builders making infrastructure choices, **choosing decentralized solutions early—even when centralized competitors seem cheaper or faster—is strategic risk management** rather than ideological posturing.

[00:44:34] Professionalize Foundation Operations to Scale Ecosystem Maturity

Grabowski's transition to Team Lead at The Graph Foundation reflects a **shift from "zero to one" founding chaos to structured operational excellence** as ecosystems mature. Earlier foundation leaders had different skills suited to launching from nothing; his role is to **apply management discipline, align teams around clear mandates, and drive strategic coordination** without centralizing decision-making. The foundation's goal isn't to solve every problem forever but to **identify which gaps need backfilling now, which the ecosystem can solve independently, and which require long-term stewardship**. He's implementing professionalized processes for how the foundation works with core developers and how core devs coordinate with each other—work that's invisible externally but enables ecosystem-wide coherence. The challenge is **balancing operational rigor with Web3's decentralized ethos**; some criticize formalization as too "corporate," but boundaries and clear processes actually protect decentralization. For ecosystem stewards, **introducing professional operations management at the right maturity stage accelerates ecosystem growth** without creating centralization risk.

[00:47:55] Target New Market Segments to Drive Growth Beyond Developer Communities

Grabowski identifies that **The Graph's next growth phase comes from shifting focus away from developer audiences toward institutional and enterprise users**. For years, Web3 infrastructure projects defaulted to developer marketing because that's who understands the technology, but **market segmentation reveals that institutional buyers have different needs and decision criteria** than individual developers. The surprising discovery is that **major TradFi institutions already recognize The Graph's value**—this isn't a cold-call situation but one where large players proactively approach because they understand the protocol's role. Rather than continuing to optimize for the dev community, The Graph Foundation is now **developing use cases, documentation, and features tailored to enterprise requirements** while continuing core developer support. The framework comes from consulting firms (McKinsey, Bain, BCG) that identify multiple customer segments and design distinct growth strategies for each. For builders and foundations, **recognizing when your initial market (early adopters/developers) is maturing means identifying and cultivating the next segment** to sustain exponential growth.

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From iOS Developer to Crypto CEO: Building Rails on Kraken's Ink L2

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Satraj Bambra, CEO and co-founder of Rails and managing partner at Round13 Capital. Together, they explore Rails’ hybrid trading model, its collaboration with Kraken’s Ink layer-2, and what these developments signal for the future of decentralized finance. Satraj unpacks how Rails blends on-chain user custody with centralized execution for speed, compliance, and transparency, while offering a candid take on post-FTX lessons, institutional market entry, and why Ethereum’s rally is powered more by momentum than fundamentals.

What you’ll learn:

How Rails’ hybrid design fuses CEX speed with DeFi-grade security
Why on-chain custody and centralized matching make trading faster and safer
How the Kraken Ink layer-2 partnership powers scale and trust
What post-FTX lessons taught builders about custody and compliance
Why KYC/KYB is unlocking institutional flow into crypto
How exchange-driven liquidity shapes market momentum
Why Ethereum’s rally reflects speculation, not fundamentals
What’s next: Prop, cross-chain expansion, and institutional vaults driving the next wave of DeFi

And much more!

Satraj Bambra is the co-founder and CEO of Rails, a hybrid perpetuals trading platform combining on-chain custody with centralized execution for institutional-grade speed and security. He also serves as managing partner and CIO of the Digital Asset Fund at Round13 Capital, a Toronto-based venture and growth equity firm investing in high-potential technology and blockchain companies. As a seasoned builder and investor, Satraj previously co-founded BlockEQ, a Stellar-based wallet later acquired for its mobile innovation, and has led engineering teams at TWG and Deloitte Digital. With deep experience across product development, venture capital, and crypto markets, he brings a rare dual perspective as both a hands-on builder and a disciplined fund manager helping shape the next phase of digital finance.

Episode Highlights:

[00:20:59] Crypto as a Tech Stack, Not a Philosophy

Satraj draws a clear distinction between ideology and practicality, arguing that crypto should be treated as a technology layer, not a belief system. For him, the future of finance depends on merging blockchain transparency with traditional compliance. He believes that as TradFi and crypto converge, regulation will harmonize, not disappear. The lesson for long-term builders is to design systems that can operate within global financial standards, not outside them. Deregulation, he reminds listeners, never means zero regulation.

[00:24:18] The Hybrid Exchange Model: Centralized Speed, On-Chain Custody

Rails was born from a lesson learned during the FTX collapse, that speed and control must coexist. The platform keeps user funds fully on-chain through audited smart contracts while executing orders via a centralized matching engine for high throughput. This hybrid design gives traders self-custody without sacrificing performance. Every 30 seconds, transactions are mirrored to the blockchain using Merkle proofs, ensuring transparency and tamper resistance. It’s an architecture built for scale, security, and trust.

[00:26:45] Compliance as a Competitive Edge

While many DeFi projects run from regulation, Rails leans into it. Satraj explains how full KYC/KYB and licensing have become key differentiators for attracting institutional traders and market makers. Traditional firms no longer view compliance as a burden but rather as a prerequisite for entry. Rails operates like a financial-grade exchange that happens to use blockchain, not the other way around. The result is a structure that meets regulatory standards while staying true to crypto’s core values of openness and auditability.

[00:33:10] Integrating Zero-Knowledge and Merkle Proofs

Satraj breaks down how Rails leverages ZK proofs for privacy and user validation, layered on top of Merkle trees for transaction integrity. This dual system ensures that while data remains verifiable, sensitive user information stays private. It’s not decentralization for its own sake, it’s cryptography engineered for trust and efficiency. By combining verifiability with discretion, Rails offers a blueprint for compliance-ready transparency in the DeFi space.

[00:42:16] Roadmap: Prop, Cross-Chain Growth, and Institutional Vaults

Rails’ next chapter focuses on accessibility and expansion. “Prop” will let aspiring traders learn the ropes, trade with test capital, and graduate into funded accounts on the main platform. The team is also integrating new blockchains to widen liquidity access and developing institutional vaults where professional firms can trade and return yield to users. Each initiative reflects Satraj’s belief that hybrid models, bridging DeFi innovation with real-world financial discipline, will define the next era of crypto trading.

[00:44:46] Ethereum’s Rally: Momentum, Not Fundamentals

In one of the episode’s most striking takes, Satraj calls Ethereum’s 2025 surge a momentum trade rather than a sign of renewed fundamentals. He argues that big institutional inflows, not technical breakthroughs, are driving price action. This kind of speculative lift, he warns, signals a late-stage market cycle. For builders, it’s a reminder to focus on product, not hype; for traders, it’s a cue to prepare for volatility. The insight lands as both a market analysis and a cautionary forecast for what lies ahead.

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From 2017 ICO Mania to $100M Corporate Treasuries: Injective's Path to Wall Street

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Mirza Uddin, head of business development at Injective, a blockchain-based platform building infrastructure for DeFi, aiming to enable truly open, permissionless, and interoperable financial systems. Together, they sat down for an insightful conversation about long-term thinking in crypto, creative inspiration from anime, the rise of decentralized finance infrastructure, and how Injective achieved true product-market fit.

What you’ll learn:

How creative outlets like sci-fi and anime can inspire innovative blockchain solutions
Why sustainable blockchain projects need decades of commitment rather than quick wins
The strategic advantages of building on both Cosmos SDK and EVM technology stacks
How Injective achieved 54.7M staked tokens through community-focused development
Why traditional finance partnerships signal mainstream adoption
How staked token ETFs could revolutionize retail investor access to blockchain yields
Why solving user experience friction remains crucial for DeFi adoption

And much more!

Mirza Uddin is the head of business development at Injective, as well as co-founder and general partner at Vessel Capital, where he brings vast expertise in blockchain technology and decentralized finance. With a background in venture capital and cryptocurrency dating back to 2013, Mirza has been instrumental in developing Injective's financial-focused blockchain platform and driving strategic partnerships with Wall Street institutions. His dual role as both an operator and investor through Vessel Capital, where he takes a hands-on approach using personal capital to back promising projects, provides him with unique insights into the cryptocurrency ecosystem.

Episode Highlights:

[00:15:30] Building Sustainable Blockchain Projects

Mirza emphasizes that transformative change in blockchain takes decades, not overnight success. The key insight is focusing on product development and real user value rather than token price speculation. Many projects in 2017-2018 produced fancy whitepapers but never built anything substantial, leading to their eventual failure. By contrast, successful projects like Injective were forced to build actual products even with minimal funding, which created genuine value. Teams must be willing to persist through multiple bear markets while continuously improving their product. The lesson for builders is that lasting success comes from users finding genuine value in your work, not from short-term token gains.

[00:36:45] Product Differentiation Strategy

The average user doesn't care if something is on-chain or off-chain - they care about unique functionality and ease of use. Blockchain projects need to offer features and capabilities that centralized alternatives cannot provide. For Injective, this meant enabling users to build their own exchanges and create custom markets rather than just replicating existing CEX functionality. Projects must justify the added friction of using blockchain by delivering compelling advantages. This strategy helped Injective achieve product-market fit by focusing on real user needs rather than ideological decentralization.

[00:42:30] Technical Stack Evolution

Injective's decision to build on both Cosmos SDK and EVM demonstrates the importance of technical flexibility. The Cosmos SDK provided the customization needed for their core orderbook and trading features, while adding EVM support opened access to the largest developer ecosystem. Rather than choosing between technical stacks, they found ways to leverage the advantages of both. This hybrid approach allows projects to maintain their unique capabilities while expanding their reach. The lesson is that technical decisions should serve business goals rather than ideological preferences.

[00:50:45] Strategic Wall Street Integration

The partnership with Pineapple Financial showcases how blockchain projects can meaningfully integrate with traditional finance. Rather than pursuing superficial corporate treasury deals, Injective focused on partners who could bring real financial activity on-chain. Their approach centers on finding synergies where blockchain can enhance existing financial services like mortgage securitization. Teams should look for partnerships that drive actual usage rather than just token price appreciation. This strategy creates sustainable value by solving real business problems rather than chasing short-term gains.

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Building Freedom Tools for Digital Money: Ian Rogers on Ledger's Strategy for Mainstream Crypto Adoption

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Ian Rogers, Chief Experience Officer at Ledger, a hardware and software security provider for digital assets and Web3. Together, they explore the parallels between early internet adoption and crypto security, discussing how lessons from the web’s evolution inform today’s digital asset protection strategies.

What you’ll learn:

How the early internet's adoption challenges mirror current crypto adoption barriers
Why security and self-custody remain fundamental to crypto's value proposition
How Ledger approaches product development for both crypto natives and mainstream users
Why the merger of AI and crypto will reshape digital value management
How to navigate the spectrum between complete decentralization and user-friendly features
Why punk rock principles still drive crypto innovation

And much more!

Ian Rogers is the Chief Experience Officer at Ledger, bringing over 25 years of expertise in digital innovation and user experience. With a pioneering background in web development, he notably created and managed beastieboys.com in the mid-1990s, potentially establishing one of the first web design companies. His career spans leadership roles at major tech companies, including Yahoo Music, Beats (acquired by Apple), and LVMH, before joining Ledger in 2021. Ian is recognized for his ability to bridge technology and user experience, particularly in helping mainstream audiences adopt emerging technologies. At Ledger, he leads initiatives to make self-custody of digital assets more accessible and secure, while maintaining the company's high security standards and commitment to user sovereignty.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:00] Self-Custody as the Core Value Proposition

Ian Rogers emphasizes that self-custody is the fundamental differentiator between crypto and traditional payment systems. He argues that without appreciating self-custody, there's no reason to prefer cryptocurrency over services like Visa or PayPal. The true value proposition of crypto lies in having direct control over your digital assets, which requires robust security measures. Ledger has positioned itself as the leading provider of secure self-custody solutions, supporting this core principle while making it accessible to mainstream users. This focus on self-custody has shaped their development of increasingly user-friendly hardware wallets and recovery solutions.

[17:15] The Digital Value Revolution

Rogers draws parallels between the early internet's transformation of information and crypto's digitization of value. The shift to digital value represents a more fundamental change than Web2 to Web3, with implications for personal wealth and financial sovereignty. This transformation requires new thinking about security, custody, and user experience as value moves on-chain. Rogers predicts digital value will become pervasive but emphasizes maintaining security and self-custody principles. The key challenge is making these complex systems accessible while preserving their core benefits.

[36:04] Building for Mainstream Adoption

Ledger's mission focuses on enabling secure digital value management without compromising on self-custody principles. Their approach involves improving device usability, expanding supported services, and developing better recovery options for mainstream users. They recognize that reaching the next billion users requires balancing security with convenience. By positioning themselves as the "pro version" of value management apps, they aim to bridge the gap between crypto natives and newcomers. This strategy has led to innovations like their e-ink touchscreens and recovery solutions.

[41:40] Security First, No Compromises

Ledger maintains strict security standards, refusing to compromise on core principles like secure screens and proper seed generation. They prioritize real security over ideological purity, focusing on practical protection of users' assets. Their approach includes careful consideration of new features' security implications and thorough technical documentation. This commitment to security shapes everything from hardware design to recovery solutions, even when facing criticism from crypto maximalists.

[48:16] The AI-Crypto Convergence

Rogers identifies crypto as the essential counterbalance to AI's growing influence, particularly in protecting personal data and value. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining self-custody of digital identities and preferences rather than surrendering them to AI agents. Ledger sees its role expanding as the world moves toward $10 trillion in on-chain value. Their vision includes building tools that let users interact with AI while maintaining control of their digital assets and identity. This perspective shapes their product development and long-term strategy.

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The Darwin Cycles of Crypto: What Survives and Why with Aryan Sheikhalian of CMT Digital

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Aryan Sheikhalian, Head of Research at CMT Digital, a global blockchain and Web3 proprietary trading and venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments that accelerate the adoption of blockchain technology. Together, they dive into what it really takes to build sustainable decentralized systems.

What you’ll learn:

How Aryan's early exposure to cryptography and Blockchain Research Institute shaped his investment lens
What CMT Digital looks for in pre-seed and seed-stage startups
Why Ethereum's shift to a data availability layer could be both a superpower and a challenge
What modular blockchain design unlocks for institutional adoption and infrastructure composability
Why stablecoins are the real killer use case in crypto, and how U.S. policy is accelerating their global reach

And much more!

Aryan Sheikhalian is the Head of Research at CMT Digital, a Chicago-based VC firm backing early-stage blockchain startups. With roots in cryptography, economics, and distributed systems, Aryan brings a pragmatic and research-driven lens to Web3. At CMT Digital, he plays a critical role in sourcing and managing investments while leading research efforts in blockchain technology. Aryan has worked with top blockchain organizations and is deeply involved in fostering the growth of decentralized finance and Web3.

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Why Everything Will Trade 24/7: Pyth’s Mission to Bring TradFi On-Chain

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Marc Tillement, Director of the Pyth Data Association, an independent entity pursuing decentralized financial data distribution through the Pyth Network ecosystem. Together, they explore how Pyth Network aims to transform financial data distribution through its oracle network that serves over 100 blockchains.

What you’ll learn:

How traditional financial data distribution is controlled by 5-6 companies generating $30B in annual revenue
Why decentralized oracle networks are crucial for bringing real-world data on-chain
The strategic advantage of creating new financial data sources rather than just redistributing existing ones
How Pyth Network engages major trading firms and exchanges as data publishers
Why running an independent app chain enables better oracle service across multiple blockchains
How privacy concerns are driving innovation in decentralized exchange infrastructure

And much more!
Marc Tillement is the Director of the Pyth Data Association. With vast experience in traditional finance and blockchain technology, Marc leads efforts intended to revolutionize how financial market data is sourced, distributed, and utilized across more than 100 blockchain networks. Under his leadership, Pyth Network has established partnerships with major traditional finance institutions, like CBOE and NYSE, while onboarding over 100 data publishers, including prominent trading firms like Virtu and GTS. Marc brings unique insights on transforming the $30 billion financial data industry through decentralized infrastructure, offering high-frequency, real-time market data feeds to smart contracts across multiple chains.

Episode Highlights:

[18:21] Revolutionizing Financial Data Infrastructure
Marc Tillement explains how Pith Network is creating a universal price layer that powers financial applications across blockchains. The network provides nearly 2,000 price feeds with sub-millisecond refresh rates available permissionlessly on over 100 blockchains. Rather than just sourcing existing data, Pith creates new financial data directly from trading firms and exchanges who generate it. Developers can integrate these price feeds directly into their DeFi applications without intermediaries. The platform's infrastructure-as-code approach allows seamless integration across chains while maintaining data quality and reliability.

[26:09] Building a Decentralized Data Publisher Network
Trading firms like Virtex, GTS, and Jump Trading have joined Pith as data publishers, contributing their own market data rather than relying on exchanges. This direct-from-source model eliminates the traditional practice of exchanges repackaging and reselling traders' own data back to them. By aggregating data from multiple publishers, Pith can create synthetic asset prices that are decorrelated from any single exchange. The network has onboarded over 100 publishers including major institutions like CBOE and US stock exchanges. Publishers receive token rewards based on data quality and quantity contributed.

[39:32] Evolution from Solana Oracle to Multi-Chain Platform
Pith began as a Solana-native oracle but evolved to run its own application-specific blockchain for price aggregation. This sovereign chain allows publishers to run validator nodes and produce price proofs that can be verified across any blockchain. The app chain model solved scalability challenges of running directly on Solana while enabling permissionless access across chains. Developers can integrate Pith's price feeds by simply deploying smart contracts that verify proofs from the Pith chain.

[49:41] The Future of TradFi on Chain
Marc predicts traditional finance will increasingly move on-chain to enable 24/7 markets and trading. This transition may take years but will fundamentally change how financial markets operate. The blockchain industry will likely split between TradFi-oriented chains focused on real-world assets and pure DeFi chains maintaining the original crypto ethos. Privacy tools and technology will become increasingly important as more traditional trading moves on-chain. The key is being early to capitalize on this shift while maintaining decentralization principles.

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Crypto Security: Building Open Source Education for Blockchain

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 12:35:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Josh McIntyre, Chairperson of the CCE Committee at C4, a non-profit organization advancing the understanding and adoption of Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and secure private key management. Together, they explore essential blockchain security practices that both newcomers and veterans often overlook.

What you’ll learn:

How to evaluate your personal security threat model and build appropriate protection strategies
The three critical security pillars
Why complacency is the biggest threat to experienced crypto users and how to combat it
How to implement the urgency-threats-rewards framework to identify social engineering attacks
Why hardware security keys like YubiKey should be deployed in pairs for redundancy
How to maintain security hygiene through regular audits and testing of backup systems

And much more!

Josh McIntyre is a software engineer at Microsoft and a tech educator at Chaintuts, a comprehensive educational platform demystifying cryptocurrency security for everyone, from curious newcomers to technical professionals. With a rich background in systems engineering and a deep passion for digital sovereignty, Josh has spent years helping individuals better understand how to safeguard their crypto assets. Whether through his hands-on coding tutorials, video content, or his contributions to the Cryptocurrency Certification Consortium, Josh has become a respected voice in promoting practical, real-world crypto security.

Episode Highlights:

[26:08] The Three Pillars of Crypto Security Framework

Josh McIntyre outlines three critical components for comprehensive crypto security: social engineering awareness, self-custody practices, and exchange account management. The framework addresses the most common vulnerabilities in cryptocurrency, from phishing attempts to key management, and exchange security. Users must first understand social engineering tactics, as scammers frequently attempt to trick people into revealing keys or sending irreversible transactions. For self-custody, it's essential to properly manage and backup private keys while keeping them inaccessible to attackers. Exchange users need to focus on account hygiene, including strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and ensuring email security matches exchange security levels.

[29:45] The UTR (Urgency-Threats-Rewards) Pattern for Detecting Scams

McIntyre reveals a powerful three-part pattern for identifying social engineering attacks in crypto: urgency, threats, and rewards. The urgency component involves pressuring targets to act quickly without time to think, while threats often include warnings about account closure or loss of funds. Scammers frequently exploit human psychology by offering too-good-to-be-true rewards, such as promises of massive returns or free crypto. Common examples include phishing emails demanding immediate seed phrase verification and investment scams promising unrealistic daily returns. This pattern recognition approach helps users develop an automatic mental filter for detecting potential scams before falling victim.

[34:56] Essential Backup Strategies for Crypto Assets

McIntyre emphasizes that losing a seed phrase is fundamentally different from losing a standard password, as it represents complete and irreversible loss of access to crypto assets. He recommends implementing the "three copies, two different mediums, one off-site" rule for backing up critical data. Users should consider using fire-resistant storage, metal backups, and potentially even bank safety deposit boxes for secure storage. The strategy must account for both physical threats (fire, flood, theft) and access planning for heirs or trusted parties. This comprehensive backup approach ensures resilience against various failure scenarios while maintaining practical accessibility.

[46:07] Avoiding the Complacency Trap in Crypto Security

McIntyre warns that experienced users often fall victim to security breaches due to complacency rather than lack of knowledge. He advises scheduling regular security audits, at least annually, to review and update security practices as threats evolve. The key is treating security as an ongoing practice rather than a one-time setup, including regular testing of backup systems and verification of access methods. Even security professionals can fall victim to sophisticated attacks, making it crucial to maintain vigilance regardless of experience level. Regular security maintenance helps prevent the gradual erosion of good practices that often leads to compromised assets.

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Why Everything Will Be Tokenized: Spark's Path to Mainstream DeFi Adoption

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 12:06:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Sam MacPherson, CEO and co-founder of Phoenix Labs, the R&D company behind the multi-chain DeFi platform Spark.

What you’ll learn:

How Spark Liquidity Layer helps solve cross-chain fragmentation by automatically deploying capital across multiple L2s
Why the transition from DAI to USDS represents a strategic move to capture mainstream adoption
The mechanics behind Spark's APY generation through diversified yield sources
How institutional adoption is driving DeFi innovation through products like Coinbase's Bitcoin Borrow
How Spark evaluates and onboards new L2 networks based on user metrics and market demand

And much more!

Sam MacPherson is the CEO and co-founder of Phoenix Labs, an R&D group dedicated to building the Spark protocol ecosystem. With over 20 years of software engineering experience spanning video game development and DeFi, Sam joined MakerDAO's protocol engineering team in 2021 during its transition to DAO governance, where he wrote critical smart contracts managing billions in assets. As a key architect of the Spark protocol, which has scaled to $3.6 billion in deployed capital, Sam leads initiatives to solve multi-chain liquidity fragmentation and develop innovative yield-bearing stablecoin solutions.

Episode Highlights:

[09:30] Stablecoins as Crypto's Killer Product
Sam Macpherson explains why stablecoins have emerged as one of crypto's strongest product-market fits, with supply consistently growing through both bull and bear markets. The demand is driven by real utility, particularly in developing nations where people need access to stable USD-denominated stores of value and efficient international transfers. While Tether and Circle dominate the high-liquidity portion of the market, Spark is focused on yield-bearing stablecoins that allow users to earn at least the risk-free rate on idle funds. During bull markets, these yields can reach double-digit percentages, providing significant value to users. This sustainable growth demonstrates how stablecoins solve genuine problems around accessing stable value and generating yields on savings.
[16:24] Spark's Automated Capital Allocation System
The Spark Liquidity Layer has scaled to $3.6B in just months, becoming the largest on-chain capital allocator by leveraging multiple yield sources. The system automatically deploys capital across lending markets, treasury bills, and exchange funding rates to maximize risk-adjusted returns. Rather than users having to actively manage their positions, Spark handles the complexity of finding and capturing the best yields. This automated approach allows even those unfamiliar with DeFi to earn competitive yields while maintaining the security of their principal. The platform continues expanding its reach, recently adding support for tokenized T-bills through BlackRock, SuperState, and Janus Henderson.
[34:38] Making DeFi Accessible Through Sandbox Testing
Recognizing that DeFi can be intimidating for newcomers, Spark created a sandbox environment where users can practice with $10,000 in test tokens before risking real money. This approach allows people to familiarize themselves with the platform's features and understand how yield generation works without fear of making costly mistakes. The interface is intentionally simplified to focus on core functionalities like deposits and withdrawals rather than complex trading features. By prioritizing user safety and education, Spark aims to make DeFi yields accessible to mainstream users who may be intimidated by more complex protocols.
[37:59] Three-Ring Approach to User Adoption
Spark employs a strategic three-ring model to capture different user segments, from DeFi natives to traditional finance participants. The inner ring serves existing crypto users familiar with decentralized protocols, while the middle ring targets users of centralized platforms through infrastructure partnerships. The outer ring focuses on traditional finance integration through products like ETFs, making yield-bearing stablecoins accessible through familiar investment vehicles. This layered approach allows Spark to meet users at their comfort level while gradually expanding DeFi adoption. The strategy is already showing success, with Spark providing 80% of the capital for Coinbase's Bitcoin borrow product.

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The Pseudonymous Team That Saved THORChain: Aaluxx Myth on Maya Protocol and the TCY Rescue

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Aaluxx Myth, co-founder of Maya Protocol, a decentralized liquidity solution enabling native L1-to-L1 token swaps.

What you’ll learn:

How Maya Protocol's approach to cross-chain liquidity differs from THORChain
The real-world impact of crypto in Latin America
How Prop 6 transformed a potential $500M ecosystem collapse into a sustainable recovery solution
Why pseudonymous founding teams can enhance security and principle-based development in crypto
The framework for creating sustainable tokenomics that prioritize swap volume over speculative value
How crisis management in DeFi can be handled transparently through community governance

And much more!

With a background in software development and startups, Aaluxx leads a team of over 70 engineers and designers, with a core focus on building permissionless financial infrastructure. Known for authoring Proposal 6, which led to the creation of the TCY token, Aaluxx played a pivotal role in resolving the THORChain DeFi ecosystem crisis in early 2024.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:00] Decentralization as a Tool for Permissionlessness
Alux Smith introduces a crucial perspective on decentralization's role in crypto ecosystems, framing it as a means rather than an end. This insight challenges the common industry obsession with decentralization for its own sake, focusing instead on its practical utility in enabling permissionless systems and self-custody. The approach recognizes that excessive focus on decentralization metrics can distract from the core goal of creating truly accessible financial systems. By prioritizing permissionlessness, protocols can better serve users in regions with restricted financial access while maintaining security and autonomy. This framework has guided Maya Protocol's development, resulting in a more focused and effective system that serves its core mission of enabling trustless cross-chain trading.
[12:44] Crypto as an Exit Strategy in Emerging Markets
The interview reveals how cryptocurrency serves as a vital financial safeguard in Latin American economies, particularly as an "exit plan" for citizens facing potential political instability. Unlike developed markets where crypto is often viewed as a speculative asset, regions with historical monetary instability see it as a practical tool for preserving wealth and maintaining financial mobility. The key advantage lies in crypto's ability to be quickly accessed from anywhere, contrasting with traditional assets like real estate that can be difficult to liquidate during crises. This perspective has driven significant adoption among middle-aged professionals in Mexico who understand the value of having portable, self-custodied wealth. The insight demonstrates how different market contexts create vastly different value propositions for blockchain technology.
[27:54] Maya Protocol's Innovation in L1-L1 Swaps
Alux details Maya Protocol's architectural approach to cross-chain liquidity, using the Kakao token as an intermediary for efficient asset swaps. Rather than creating direct pairs between all assets (requiring n-factorial pools), the protocol reduces complexity by routing all trades through Kakao, requiring only n pools. This design choice prioritizes liquidity efficiency while avoiding the third-party risk inherent in using stablecoins as intermediaries. The zero-inflation policy and fair launch mechanism have created a more stable system focused on sustainable growth rather than speculative trading. This approach has attracted integration partners who value reliability over short-term price action.
[41:14] Crisis Management in DeFi
The resolution of the Thorfi crisis through Prop 6 demonstrates a novel approach to handling protocol insolvency without destroying ecosystem value. Instead of liquidating assets at a loss, the solution created a new token (TCY) that entitled holders to a perpetual share of protocol revenues. This approach allowed users to either exit immediately at a discount or maintain exposure to the protocol's recovery. The implementation required extensive coordination and 90,000+ lines of code, but provided a more equitable solution than traditional bankruptcy proceedings. The success of this model offers valuable lessons for other protocols facing similar challenges.

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From Wall Street to Web3: How Plaza Finance is Bringing TradFi Sophistication to DeFi

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Ryan Galvankar, the founder of Plaza Finance, a platform built on Base that is specializing in programmable derivatives.

What you’ll learn:

How traditional finance expertise shaped Plaza's approach to building decentralized derivatives
Why Base was chosen as the L2 solution for Plaza's products
The mechanics behind bondETH's stable 10% annual yield through quarterly coupon payments
How levETH achieves "leverage without liquidation" through self-balancing protocols
Why institutional adoption of Ethereum continues despite market sentiment fluctuations
The relationship between bondETH and levETH in creating balanced risk profiles for different investors
How programmable derivatives can bridge TradFi and DeFi by offering familiar financial products

And much more!

Ryan Galvankar is the founder of Plaza Finance, a platform built on Base that is specializing in programmable derivatives. With a background in electrical engineering and finance from the University of Pennsylvania, Ryan brings vast traditional finance experience from roles at Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Magnetar Capital, and Atalaya Capital Management, where he focused on structured credit and trading. As Plaza Finance's founder, Ryan is pioneering innovative DeFi solutions that bridge traditional finance with blockchain technology, aiming to minimize liquidation risk in its structured leveraged products bondETH and levETH.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:00] Bridging DeFi's Risk Spectrum
[00:15:24] Understanding Programmable Derivatives
[00:36:09] Bond ETH: A Bridge to Conservative Investors
[00:46:04] LevETH: Sustainable Leverage Innovation

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Scaling Stablecoins Without Banks: Inside M0’s Complexity Abstraction Machine

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 22 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Gregory Di Prisco, co-founder and Chief Architect at M0, a platform that aims to empower builders of application-specific stablecoins.

What you’ll learn:

Why the future of stablecoins may lie in modular infrastructure rather than monolithic issuers like Circle and Tether
How M0's extension model enables partners to launch custom stablecoins while abstracting complexity
The key differences between the GENIUS Act and the STABLE Act
Why consumer experience will drive mainstream stablecoin adoption
How yield distribution and compliance can be modularized through third-party service providers
Why dollar-denominated stablecoins continue to dominate despite macro uncertainty
How stablecoins could integrate into everyday transactions within five years, largely invisible to end users

And much more!

With a background in futures trading and involvement in cryptocurrency dating back to 2010, Gregory has held key positions, including Head of Business Development at MakerDAO and co-founder of Distributed Capital, one of the first crypto VCs. His journey from traditional finance to blockchain technology includes supporting ETF development through tools like EtherIndex and significant contributions to the stablecoin ecosystem.

Episode Highlights:

[00:37:01] User Experience Trumps Technical Details
[00:42:45] The Wholesale-Retail Model for Stablecoins
[00:51:07] The Future of Stablecoin Adoption
[00:25:03] Consumer Demand for Digital Cash

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Are Stablecoins the Future of Money? Telcoin’s eUSD and becoming a Digital Bank with Paul Neuner

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 08 May 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Paul Neuner, the Founder and CEO of Telcoin, acompany leveraging blockchain technology to provide low-cost DeFi products for mobile phone users globally.

What You’ll Learn:

Why state-chartered digital asset banks may offer a more efficient path to crypto adoption than federal charters
How Telcoin's eUSD differs from traditional stablecoins
The emerging framework for merchant adoption of digital cash payments that could reduce fees from 3% to under 1%
Why upcoming stablecoin legislation in May 2024 could accelerate mainstream crypto adoption
How telecom companies could play a crucial role in the future of digital identity and financial services
The roadmap for connecting 3 billion people to digital cash through local currency integration
Why institutional adoption and regulatory clarity are positive signals despite retail crypto market sentiment

And much more!

Paul is the Founder and CEO of Telcoin, acompany leveraging blockchain technology to provide low-cost DeFi products for mobile phone users globally. With a vast background in telecommunications fraud and security, Paul founded Mobius Wireless and Sedona before entering the blockchain space. As an innovator in digital banking solutions, Paul has worked closely with Nebraska legislators to establish groundbreaking digital asset banking regulations and is actively involved in shaping federal stablecoin legislation.

Episode Highlights:

[12:31] Nebraska's Digital Asset Banking Innovation
[21:06] Digital Cash vs Stablecoins Evolution
[38:01] Two-Phase Payment Strategy
[48:10] Regulatory Outlook for 2025

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Are Stablecoins Crypto's Achilles' Heel? Quai Network's Energy-Backed Alternative with Alan Orwick

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Alan Orwick, the CEO of Dominant Strategies, a development entity creating tooling and applications on the Quai Network.

What You’ll Learn:

Why traditional stablecoins represent an "Achilles heel" for crypto
How Quai Network's dual-token model (QUAI and QI) creates a complete monetary system with a store of value, medium of exchange, and unit of account
The surprising environmental benefits of PoW mining, including carbon-negative operations through methane capture
Why PoW can be more scalable than PoS through innovations like proof-of-entry-minimum
How Quai's UTXO-based QI token creates a truly private, cash-like digital currency with fixed denominations

And much more!

Alan graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 2020 with a degree in Computer Science, where he founded Texas Blockchain, a student club focused on exploring blockchain technology. Following graduation, Alan worked at Apple as a full stack software engineer. Alan is currently driving forward a portfolio of projects, most notably Quai Network.

Episode Highlights:

[20:50] Stablecoins, Strategic Reserves & US Dominance
[25:44] Stablecoin Monopoly and Opportunity for Disruption
[35:21] Why QI Is More Than Just a Stablecoin
[53:29] PoEM and the Return of Proof of Work
[56:49] Dual Token Model: QI and QUAI

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Trust vs. Truth: Redesigning Digital Identity for the Decentralized Web with Ingo Ruebe

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 11:14:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Ingo Ruebe, the founder of Kilt Protocol, a decentralized digital identity solution serving enterprises, governments, and consumers.

What You’ll Learn:

Why Web2 identity is fundamentally broken
The difference between identity and identification
How W3C standards are reshaping digital credentials
Building resilient systems for defense and enterprise
The power of owning your personal data
Bridging traditional industries with blockchain tech
The future of AI agent identification

And much more!

With a background as a computer scientist and former CTO of a major publishing company, Ingo has vast experience across the healthcare, media, and energy sectors. After discovering blockchain technology at South by Southwest in 2015, he founded Kilt Protocol in 2018 to address fundamental issues in Web2 identity systems. His work in developing standardized digital identity solutions through the W3C consortium and the Decentralized Identity Foundation has helped shape industry standards for digital credentials.

Episode Highlights:

[14:50] The Fundamental Difference Between Identity and Identification
[24:48] Blockchain's Three Key Benefits for Identity Systems
[38:16] Social KYC: Rethinking Digital Identity Verification
[48:18] Preparing Identity Systems for AI Agents

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Media, Money, and Misunderstandings: Bankless Sets the Record Straight with David Hoffman

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by David Hoffman, the co-founder and host of Bankless, a cryptocurrency media brand and community that focuses on educating and empowering individuals to navigate the decentralized financial landscape.

What You’ll Learn:

The journey from Ethereum maximalism to broader crypto coverage
Building a media business while maintaining ethical standards
The firewall between Bankless Media and Bankless Ventures
How content strategy evolves with shifting market interests
Managing community expectations and misunderstandings
The differences between crypto Twitter and public perception
Finding a balance between audience demands and personal interests
What really happened with the AICC controversy

And much more!

David is the co-founder and host of Bankless, a cryptocurrency media brand and community that focuses on educating and empowering individuals to navigate the decentralized financial landscape. With deep roots in the Ethereum ecosystem since 2017, he helped build Bankless from a newsletter into a comprehensive media organization that includes podcasting, educational content, and venture capital investments. As a prominent content creator in the blockchain space, David has played a crucial role in making complex blockchain concepts accessible while striving to maintain high ethical standards in the industry.

Episode Highlights:

[17:57] The Three-Way Content Optimization Framework
[25:27] Building a Sustainable For-Profit Crypto Media Business
[52:21] The 2:1 Podcast Preparation Rule
[35:55] Managing Media and Venture Capital Separation

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Building Web3's Community Infrastructure: Galxe's Vision for Digital Identity with Patrick Young

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 16:32:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Patrick Young, Head of Go-to-Market at Galxe, a platform for Web3 community growth and engagement.

Join them as they:

Delve into Patrick's background in blockchain
Explain how Galxe builds and maintains resilient Web3 communities
Discuss Galxe's identity solutions, including Galxe Passport and Galxe Score
Examine the role of Galxe's EarnDrop program in assisting with token distribution and community building
Highlight the development of Gravity Chain, Galxe’s upcoming L1 blockchain
Consider the convergence of blockchain and AI technologies
Explore how blockchain can support different inference layers and serving frameworks
Discuss how Galaxy's suite of products creates an end-to-end lifecycle management system for Web3 projects

And much more!

Patrick Young is the Head of Go-to-Market at Galxe, a leading platform for Web3 community growth and engagement. With extensive experience in blockchain education and ecosystem development, Patrick helped create one of the first blockchain curricula at Miami University and has been instrumental in shaping community-driven approaches in the Web3 space. His background includes key roles at Block Key Capital, Ledgermatic, and Chainlink Labs, where he helped grow the team from 65 to 700 people while running their Web3 commercial services business. His expertise in bridging traditional institutions with Web3 communities and his involvement in Galxe's forthcoming Gravity blockchain makes him a valuable voice for those interested in the future of decentralized ecosystem development.

Episode Highlights:

[17:16] Building Effective Web3 Communities Through Quest
[28:07] Transforming Token Distribution with EarnDrop
[38:00] Galxe's Identity Protocol: The Future of Web3 Authentication
[50:14] Gravity Chain: Building the Infrastructure for Web3 Scale

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From NFTs to Regulatory Clarity: Magic Eden's Vision for Web3's Future with Joe Doll

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Joe Doll, general counsel at Magic Eden, a leading cross-chain NFT marketplace.

Join them as they discuss:

The transformative impact of the new administration's pro-crypto executive order
How stablecoins could cement U.S. dollar dominance
Magic Eden's journey to becoming the #1 NFT marketplace by users and revenue
The evolution of NFT projects from 2021 to present
The real story behind Operation Chokepoint 2.0
The importance of upcoming stablecoin legislation
Building regulatory-compliant infrastructure in crypto
How culture shapes successful Web3 companies

And much more!

With extensive experience in crypto law spanning eight years, including roles at prominent firm Fenwick & West where he helped launch 40-50+ tokens, Joe brings unique insights into both the technical and regulatory aspects of digital assets. His work with major clients like Coinbase, Kraken, Yuga Labs, and OpenSea, combined with his current role at Magic Eden, provides a comprehensive view of how regulation and innovation intersect in the rapidly evolving crypto landscape.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] Intro
[04:35] Stablecoins and US Dollar Dominance
[08:25] Evolution of Crypto Regulation
[17:10] Magic Eden's On-Chain Vision
[22:31] Surviving the NFT Bear Market
[29:46] NFT Quality: 2021 vs Today
[39:54] Magic Eden's Regulatory Approach
[48:58] Operation Chokepoint 2.0 Confirmed

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From TradFi to DeFi: Building the Future of Real World Assets with Centrifuge's Eli Cohen

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Eli Cohen, general counsel at Centrifuge, a platform for tokenized real-world assets.

Join them as they discuss:

The evolution from traditional finance to tokenized assets
How T-Bills are being brought on-chain
Building regulatory-compliant RWA infrastructure
Designing DAO governance for financial protocols
The future of on-chain institutional asset management
Balancing innovation with compliance
How Centrifuge aims to create efficient securitization processes

And much more!

With vast experience spanning traditional finance, market infrastructure, and cryptocurrency regulation, Eli brings a unique perspective to the intersection of RWAs and blockchain technology. His distinguished career includes roles at CME Group, where he helped launch Bitcoin futures in Asia-Pacific, Block.one, and various positions working with financial regulators across multiple jurisdictions. For the past three years at Centrifuge, Eli has been instrumental in developing compliant frameworks for bringing traditional financial assets onto the blockchain while navigating complex regulatory environments across global markets.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] Intro
[03:00] Understanding the Two Categories of Real World Assets (RWAs)
[34:09] The Microbrewery Model of Asset Tokenization
[38:09] Hybrid Governance Structure for DeFi Platforms
[48:29] Evolution of RWA Markets Beyond Treasury Bills

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The Road to Private Smart Contracts: Aztec's Multi-Year Journey with Zac Williamson

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Zac Williamson, CEO and co-founder of Aztec, a startup operating in the blockchain technology space focusing on privacy.

Join them as they discuss:

How ZK technology evolved from niche to mainstream
The connection between privacy and digital identity
Creating a new programming language for privacy
Building decentralized sequencer networks
The importance of moral legitimacy in privacy tech
The evolution of Aztec's network architecture
What's next for blockchain privacy in 2025

And much more!

Zac has been a key figure in advocating for enhanced privacy within the blockchain space. Under his leadership, Aztec spearheads efforts to integrate privacy at the core of blockchain technology, aiming to address the critical balance between transparency and data protection. With a rich background that includes a stint as a software developer and as a member of Entrepreneur First’s cohort, Zac brings a unique perspective to the ongoing dialogue about privacy in Web3.

Highlights (To follow)

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Building Bitcoin's Third Native Use Case with Babylon Labs Co-Founder Fisher Yu

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 16:07:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Mingchao (Fisher) Yu, co-founder and CTO of Babylon Labs, a non-custodial staking protocol that uses the underlying value of Bitcoin to secure a variety of proof-of-stake networks.

Join them as they discuss:

How Bitcoin can secure PoS chains trustlessly
The journey from 1,000 BTC to $3.3B+ TVL
Building truly decentralized security markets
The roadmap for Bitcoin's evolution in DeFi
Uniting traditional finance with crypto through BTC
The future of cross-chain security sharing
Real institutional adoption insights

And much more!

Fisher's career has spanned a variety of roles from deep technology systems engineering to leadership in blockchain innovations at Babylon, where he's currently steering efforts to integrate Bitcoin more fully into the decentralized finance landscape. Before Babylon Labs, Fisher was a managing director at Hash Laboratories, senior staff research engineer at Dolby Laboratories, and senior system engineer at InterfereX Communications.

Episode Highlights:

[00:01:57] Introduction to Fisher Yu and Babylon Labs' non-custodial staking protocol
[00:16:32] Babylon's founding story and origin in late 2021
[00:17:06] Evolution from merge mining to Bitcoin staking solution
[00:23:11] Three target ecosystems: Cosmos, Ethereum rollups, Bitcoin rollups
[00:27:27] Babylon's three-phase launch strategy
[00:38:13] Current adoption metrics: 66.8K+ stakers, 74K delegations
[00:42:57] Geographic restrictions and regulatory considerations
[00:47:55] Discussion on Bitcoin centralization concerns
[00:50:19] 2025 roadmap and vision for "Bitcoin DeFi genesis"
[00:51:56] Contact information and community channels

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Building Bitcoin's Next Layer: BOB's Cross-Chain Solution with Alexei Zamyatin

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Alexei Zamyatin, co-founder of BOB, a Layer 2 blockchain aiming to combine the security of Bitcoin with the versatility of Ethereum.

Join them as they discuss:

BOB's hybrid L2 architecture
Bridging Bitcoin and Ethereum infrastructure
BitVM implementation strategy
Three-phase development roadmap
Reaching 320k unique users
$250M in DeFi TVL
Cross-chain deployment solutions

And much more!

Alexei's work is focusing on expanding interoperability and capital efficiency across major blockchain platforms, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Polkadot, and Cosmos. His flagship product, interBTC, embodies his vision by enabling Bitcoin's use across different blockchains while maintaining its key attributes: full collateralization, interoperability, and censorship-resistance. Prior to founding BOB, Alexei offered his expertise at Boston Consulting Group and conducted research at SBA Research, contributing significantly to digital assets and web3 governance.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] Introduction
[02:17] Bitcoin's Value Beyond market cap: global reach and brand recognition
[04:52] Community Evolution From maximalism to innovation acceptance
[11:05] Background Story Namecoin to Bitcoin bridges research at Imperial College
[19:27] BitVM Overview Core technology enabling BOB's security model
[24:58] Trust Trade-offs Balancing institutional vs technical risk in Bitcoin
[41:09] Growth Metrics 320k users, $250M TVL since May 2023 launch
[49:30] Strategic Phases Three-phase plan from ETH L2 to Bitcoin settlement
[53:16] Future Vision Balancing institutional adoption with cypherpunk roots
[56:16] Community Call Invitation for user feedback and engagement

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Bridging Bitcoin to DeFi: Lombard's Vision for Liquid Staking with Jacob Phillips

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 16:16:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Lombard co-founder Jacob Phillips.

Join them as they discuss:

How Bitcoin's market capitalization is an ideal solution for DeFi's need for liquidity
The differences in the mentality of deploying Bitcoin as an asset into DeFi versus deploying other assets like Ether
Building on the Babylon staking protocol
Upcoming Lombard releases

And much more!

Jacob brings a wealth of experience from his time at Perennial Labs and as an investor at Polychain Capital, deeply enriching our understanding of how Bitcoin can become a more dynamic player in the DeFi space. Lombard is integrating Bitcoin with decentralized finance, offering solutions such as its flagship product, LBTC—a yield-bearing, cross-chain, liquid Bitcoin, backed 1:1 by BTC.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] Introduction
[00:03] Episode introduction and overview with Jacob Phillips of Lombard
[02:34] Bitcoin's historical challenges in DeFi and recent market evolution
[05:20] Catalysts behind Bitcoin's building renaissance
[12:18] Jacob's journey from crypto skeptic to Polychain Capital
[31:34] Lombard's growth to $1B TVL and key partnerships
[36:50] Shifting the Bitcoin holder mindset toward yield generation
[41:18] Technical overview of Lombard Ledger and BFT chain development
[47:54] User acquisition and institutional adoption strategy
[51:39] Institutional perspectives on Bitcoin DeFi adoption

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Social Intelligence in Crypto: LunarCrush's Vision for Market Analytics with Jon Farjo & Joe Vezzani

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by LunarCrush co-founders Joe Vezzani and Jon Farjo.

Join them as they discuss:

How social media metrics can help determine the appetite for specific digital assets
The metrics and categories that LunarCrush follows
How AI has improved the team's ability and processes
The forthcoming rise of AI agents

And much more!

Joe is a Web3 entrepreneur and CEO of LunarCrush. With 15 years of experience, Joe has expertise in financial analysis, accounting, creative production, sales, business development, pricing strategy, customer acquisition, product management, M&As, fundraising, hiring, and more. Previously, Joe held leadership roles at companies like INNOCEAN USA, LifeLine Response, Owens Corning, and Draftfcb.

Jon is an experienced digital strategy leader with a focus on Web3, AI, marketing, branding, and social media. As Chief Product Officer at LunarCrush, he drives innovation and creates solutions that will hopefully resonate with users. Previously, Jon held leadership roles at companies like Veritone, INNOCEAN USA, The Buddy Group, and Metagenics.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:00] Intro
[00:02:25] Social media data vs traditional market indicators
[00:04:06] Correlation between social metrics and market movements
[00:07:50] Analysis of successful meme coins and community tokens
[00:10:26] Founders' crypto origin story
[00:14:04] LunarCrush evolution since 2018
[00:24:33] AI integration and team efficiency
[00:30:04] Future of AI agents in crypto trading
[00:34:28] Major client partnerships
[00:40:38] Emerging social media platforms
[00:48:54] Polymarket impact and social metrics
[00:53:22] 2025 predictions and Bitcoin trends
[00:58:00] Closing remarks and platform information

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Building DeFi Infrastructure: From Zero to MEV Resistance with ParaSwap Founder Mounir Benchemled

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 21 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Mounir Benchemled, founder and CEO of ParaSwap, a platform in the decentralized finance landscape.

Join them as they discuss:

The features ParaSwap is bringing to the DeFi space
Token approvals and security
Regulatory landscape of DeFi
Hybrid approaches to customer acquisition in DeFi
The future of decentralized exchanges

And much more!

With a background rich in software development and blockchain technology, Mounir has not only led ParaSwap to raise $5.7 million from top-tier crypto investors but has also recently taken on the CEO role at Laita Labs, aiming to push the boundaries of DeFi products and infrastructure.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] Intro
[02:30] Discussion of what DeFi got right/wrong and stablecoins as the biggest success
[05:44] Mounir shares his journey from Bitcoin in 2012 to leaving his CEO role in 2017
[10:58] B2B pivot: From retail focus to 85% partner volume integration
[17:13] Regulatory landscape: EU's DeFi-friendly stance vs US restrictions
[22:33] Chain expansion: Scaling beyond Ethereum to BSC, Polygon and L2s
[26:04] ParaSwap Delta: New gasless, intent-based trading solution
[29:19] March 2024 exploit: $24K initial breach leads to larger recovery mission
[37:30] Hacker negotiations: Recovering 80% of funds through on-chain tracking
[44:26] MEV insights: How the exploit improved MEV resistance strategies
[46:19] OTC trading: Peer-to-peer and RFQ protocol capabilities
[49:29] Token mechanics: PSP token utility and staking benefits
[50:30] Airdrop lessons: Candid take on 2021 airdrop timing and mistakes

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Building a Better Internet: Privacy as Web3's Missing Link with Anthony Day

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 07 Nov 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Anthony Day, head of strategy and marketing at Midnight, a Layer 1 protocol developed by Input Output (IOHK).

Join them as they discuss:

The importance of data protection and privacy more broadly and on-chain
Why Web3 needs to be professionalized for mass adoption
The value of blockchain for enterprise and large-scale entities
How Midnight is building itself to be a fourth-generation blockchain network
The multi-asset model for Midnight
How the team is creating tools to onboard traditional and Web2 developers

And much more!

With a rich background in blockchain and Web3 technologies since 2016, Anthony has helped spearhead digital transformations across large organizations and startups. His extensive leadership experience in companies like Deloitte, IBM, and Parity Technologies has given him a unique perspective on integrating decentralized technologies into commercial and scalable business models.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00] Intro
[02:17] The hidden cost of data sharing
[07:58] Web3’s dark side
[10:30] How blockchain won over Anthony
[15:28] Why some companies won’t go on-chain
[20:16] Why Web3 needs to professionalize for mass adoption
[29:38] How crypto is changing finance
[34:18] Betting big on Midnight and Web3
[38:52] Building the fourth-generation blockchain network
[47:35] Why building privacy tech in the U.S. is a regulatory tightrope
[51:07] The night & dust dual-token model
[53:54] Countdown to Midnight launch

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Covalent's Vision for the Future of Data and AI with Ganesh Swami

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 24 Oct 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Ganesh Swami, CEO and co-founder of Covalent.

Join them as they:

Explore the three facets of AI in blockchain: decentralized training, inference, and data
Analyze Covalent's role in bridging Web2 and Web3 technologies
Discuss the evolution of blockchain data needs from 2017 to the present
Examine the development and importance of the Ethereum Wayback Machine
Unpack the challenges and opportunities in blockchain infrastructure
Delve into the future of AI and blockchain integration

And much more!

Ganesh Swami is the CEO and co-founder of Covalent, a company that started as a data analytics provider and has evolved into a comprehensive infrastructure services provider. With a background in physics and pharmaceutical research, Ganesh brings a unique perspective to blockchain technology and its potential for creating transparent, verifiable systems.

Episode Highlights:
[00:01:11] The three facets of AI in blockchain

[00:06:09] Ganesh's journey into crypto and blockchain

[00:10:07] Evolution of blockchain data needs

[00:31:22] Covalent's clients and use cases

[00:36:45] Supporting multiple blockchain networks

[00:46:38] The Ethereum Wayback Machine and blockchain resilience

[00:57:27] Future outlook and reasons for optimism

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Transforming Cross-Chain Liquidity with JP Thor of THORChain

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by JP Thor, Founder of THORChain, a network that facilitates native asset settlement between Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB Chain, Avalanche, Cosmos Hub, Dogecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin.

Join them as they discuss:

How THORChain is building a more interconnected DeFi ecosystem
The possibilities of cross-chain liquidity
Why SwapKit could be the key to decentralized wallet integration
The role of RUNE in facilitating more secure and efficient cross-chain transactions
And much more!

JP is a founder, engineer, entrepreneur, and explorer. He was part of the Air Force and studied Aeronautical Engineering, graduating at the top of his year in 2009 with First Class Honors. After finishing his pilot training, he began Fighter training in 2012. In 2013, JP transitioned to crypto. In 2018, he began building THORChain under the pseudonym “Leena” along with a team of 5 engineers. Within 18 months of launching, THORChain reached a market value of $1 billion.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:00] Introduction
[00:00:28] How close are we to mainstream crypto adoption?
[00:02:56] From fighter jets to Bitcoin
[00:17:40] Why liquidity is the answer
[00:23:07] How THORChain approaches cross-chain swaps
[00:29:40] How THORChain keeps your crypto safe
[00:31:17] Is RUNE the secret ETF of crypto?
[00:33:07] Why SwapKit could be the key to decentralized wallet integration
[00:36:56] Censorship in decentralized networks
[00:41:18] The secrets behind THORChain's resilient codebase
[00:45:04] What the Kujira Alliance means for THORChain's app layer
[00:50:41] The future of secure crypto transactions
[00:55:11] Where can you find JP?

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The Philosophy Behind Polkadot with Fabian Gompf of Web3 Foundation

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 26 Sep 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Fabian Gompf, Chief Executive Officer of the Web3 Foundation, created to nurture and steward technologies and applications in the field of decentralized web software protocols, particularly those that utilize modern cryptographic methods to safeguard decentralization for the benefit and stability of the Web3 ecosystem.

Join them as they discuss:

Polkadot's early days
Practical and impractical uses for blockchain technologies
Modular versus monolithic blockchains
Why enterprise giants are eyeing Polkadot
How Polkadot empowers its community
The recent uproar about the Polkadot ecosystem’s treasury spending
And much more!

Fabian brings vast experience in blockchain and decentralized technologies, having been VP at Parity Technologies before leading the Web3 Foundation. With degrees in electrical engineering and business administration, he is dedicated to advancing Web3 technologies and empowering users to own their data and control their digital lives. His efforts aim to develop innovative applications and support a fair, decentralized internet, aligning with the foundation's mission to enable the next billion users to embrace self-custody in Web3.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.

Episode Highlights:

[00:00:00] Introduction
[00:00:18] From Oxford to Ethereum
[00:05:38] Blockchain's evolution from cyberpunk dream to mainstream revolution
[00:13:26] How Parity drives Polkadot's ecosystem forward
[00:16:19] Modular versus monolithic blockchains
[00:22:01] Why enterprise giants are eyeing Polkadot
[00:26:52] Is blockchain gaming finally ready to go mainstream?
[00:35:02] How Polkadot empowers its community
[00:42:55] The Polkadot's treasury experiment that shook up the crypto world
[00:48:38] What’s next for Polkadot’s future funding?
[00:57:32] Why smaller, nimble teams succeed in Polkadot and Ethereum

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Building the Cronos Tri-Blockchain Ecosystem with Ken Timsit

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Ken Timsit, head of Cronos Labs, a Web3 startup accelerator focusing on decentralized finance and blockchain games, and on developing the Cronos chain ecosystem.

Join them as they discuss:

Crypto as a viable solution to modern banking
The relationships between centralized exchanges and their blockchain ecosystem counterparts
How politics influences the regulatory crypto environment
Cronos’ tri-blockchain ecosystem
Lessons learned from building on the zkEVM and Cosmos tech stacks
The forthcoming Cronos triple yield-bearing thesis for the zkCRO token
And much more!

Ken Timsit is a seasoned professional with vast experience in the blockchain and Web3 industries. He previously served as Chief Revenue Officer at Consensys, a Management Committee Member at the EU Blockchain Observatory and Forum, and Managing Director at ECKT.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.

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Bringing Gaming and Entertainment On-chain with Saga’s Rebecca Liao

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 29 Aug 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Rebecca Liao, co-founder and CEO of Saga, a protocol designed to simplify blockchain integration for game developers.

Join them as they discuss:

The challenges of onboarding Web2 indie game developers into the Web3 space
How Saga's 'Indie Summer' initiative supports game developers in building and launching Web3 games
The concept of cross-game economies and the benefits they offer to developers and players
Saga's approach to intellectual property collaborations and ensuring scalability
Alternative monetization strategies for indie games on Saga that don't rely heavily on tokens or NFTs
The transformative potential of Web3 technologies in redefining gaming experiences
Saga's goals for Gamescom and the long-term impacts of the 'Indie Summer' initiative
The future of Web3 gaming and how Saga is preparing to lead and adapt to changes
And much more!

Rebecca's diverse background in law, politics, and blockchain technology provides unique insights into the evolving landscape of Web3 gaming. Her passion for empowering individuals through technological innovation and democratizing financial services shines through in her leadership at Saga.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.

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How ETFs Are Shaping the Future of Blockchain with Laurent Benayoun

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Thu, 15 Aug 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Laurent Benayoun, CEO of Acheron Trading, a financial services company that builds liquid markets for digital assets.

Join them as they discuss:

The rise of crypto-backed ETFs and their impact on the market
The shift from trading pairs against Bitcoin to stablecoins like USDT and USDC
Acheron Trading's role in providing essential liquidity to the crypto market
The importance of staying ahead of evolving blockchain technologies and liquidity models
Emerging trends in decentralized finance, including EVM-based models and Layer 2 solutions
The uncertain future of crypto regulations and their potential implications
And much more!

Laurent joined Acheron Trading after the acquisition of HedgeTech. He is passionate about algorithmic trading strategies and market microstructure. In addition, Laurent serves as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Quantitative Finance, an expert for Alumni Ventures, an interviewer for the Master of Finance at Princeton, and a mentor for the Harvard Blockchain Incubator.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.

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Zero-Knowledge Proofs and the Future of Blockchain: Insights from Kurt Hemecker

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 31 Jul 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Kurt Hemecker, CEO of the Mina Foundation, the entity tasked with growing the ecosystem of the “world's lightest ZK blockchain.”

Join them as they:

Discuss the evolution of information and money-sharing protocols from Web0 to Web3
Explore Kurt's journey through the tech industry
Delve into the importance of ZK technology for privacy, identity, and scaling solutions
Analyze the growth of the Mina ecosystem and opportunities for builders
Examine interoperability solutions offered by Mina's ZK technology
Unpack the significance of having a programmable ZK Layer 1 blockchain
And much more!

Kurt Hemecker is the CEO of the Mina Foundation. With a background that spans from the pre-internet era to the current Web3 landscape, Kurt has experience across significant roles in telecom, payments, and blockchain. He was part of the initial team of the Libra Association (later renamed DM), where he played a pivotal role in navigating regulatory challenges and advocating for stablecoins. Kurt's extensive knowledge and innovative vision in blockchain and zero-knowledge technology position him as a respected leader in the sector.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.

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Cypherpunks and Open-Source Software: The Founding Ethos of Bitcoin with Max Hillebrand

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 17 Jul 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Max Hillebrand, CEO of zkSNACKs, a development team dedicated to building and implementing privacy solutions in the Bitcoin ecosystem.

Join them as they:

Shine a light on the importance of privacy in Bitcoin
Unpack the cypherpunk ethos
Delve into why and how cypherpunks continue to thrive amid regulatory challenges
Analyze how Bitcoin is embracing the evolution of open-source innovations
Discuss the historical context of money and the need for a stable digital currency
Speculate on the road ahead for privacy and innovation
And much more!

Max Hillebrand is the CEO of zkSNACKs. With a deep understanding of Austrian economics and the cypherpunk ethos, Max has been actively involved in advancing technologies that foster financial privacy and security. Under his leadership, zkSNACKs has worked on creating cutting-edge tools like the Wasabi Wallet, emphasizing the importance of open-source software and freedom of information in the digital age.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.

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Uncovering the Stories of Crypto Builders: A Deep Dive into DeCential Media with Matt Leising

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Matt Leising, Co-founder of DeCential Media, a publication committed to telling the stories of founders, builders, and visionaries in the decentralized economy.

Join them as they:

Shine a light on the power of personal narratives in blockchain innovation
Explore Matt’s journey from Bloomberg to DeCential Media
Unpack the DAO Hack and the birth of Ethereum's resilience
Analyze the challenges of traditional journalism in crypto media
Delve into the future of blockchain innovation from a storyteller’s perspective
Discuss Matt’s book, 'Out of the Ether'
Examine DeCential Media's approach to blockchain storytelling and independence
And much more!

Matt Leising is the co-founder of DeCential Media. With a background in journalism, specifically at Bloomberg News, Matt has extensive experience in reporting on Wall Street and financial markets. He began covering crypto in 2015 as one of the first mainstream journalists to understand what the breakthrough of blockchain technology could mean for finance, culture, and industry in general. His expertise lies in the Ethereum blockchain world, where he knows the people who invented and then built the world’s most-used blockchain. He’s written extensively on the intersection of Wall Street and decentralized finance and how new peer-to-peer systems can change the way the current internet works. He’s one of the foremost experts on the Ethereum DAO hack and is the author of ‘Out of the Ether, the Amazing Story of Ethereum and the $55 Million Heist That Almost Destroyed It All’.

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Layer Two Rollups and Beyond: Enhancing Bitcoin's Ecosystem ft Pavel Sinelnikov

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 19 Jun 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Pavel Sinelnikov, Developer Relations Lead at ZKM, a network focusing on zero-knowledge virtual machines (ZKVM) for universal settlement.

Join them as they:

Discuss lessons learned in Ethereum growth and applying them to Bitcoin
Analyze the importance of Proof of Work (PoW) and Proof of Stake (PoS) co-existing
Unpack the different types of L2 rollups
Delve into the ethos of decentralization and how ZKM applies that to its sequencer network
Unpack how ZKM offers Sustainable Yield Generation
Shine a light on ZKM’s decentralized sequencer network and the security that it offers
And much more!

Pavel Sinelnikov is the Developer Relations Lead at ZKM. With a strong background in blockchain technology and a keen interest in decentralized systems, Pavel has previously worked with notable blockchain projects like Metis, where he was instrumental in developer relations and ambassador coordination. He has also provided educational components on decentralized finance (DeFi) to prominent financial institutions like the Royal Bank of Canada.

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From Grants to Growth: How Gitcoin is Shaping the Future of Open Source Development with Meg Lister

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 05 Jun 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Meg Lister, General Manager of Grants Labs at Gitcoin, a platform that has helped to disseminate grant funding to more than 4,000 projects within the blockchain and cryptocurrency sectors.

Join them as they:

Discuss the catalytic effect of transparent funding mechanisms
Analyze the success rates in grant funding
Unpack the evolution of Gitcoin and the emergence of 2.0
Delve into the balance between centralized and decentralized processes in Gitcoin
Unpack quadratic funding and the role of community contributions in Gitcoin
Shine a light on Meg's perspective on finding a career aligned with personal missions
And much more!

Meg Lister is the General Manager of Grants Labs at Gitcoin, where she spearheads initiatives aimed to revolutionize grant funding through the use of blockchain technology. With a background in philosophy and environmental studies, Meg transitioned from a traditional tech career to the crypto industry, driven by a desire for transparency and equity in funding mechanisms. Meg's work emphasizes community-driven solutions and strategic use of open-source resources to foster a more just and accountable global ecosystem. Beyond her role at Gitcoin, Meg contributes to the broader crypto community through mentorship initiatives and as a key participant in industry discussions on policy and innovation at local and global levels.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.

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Building Bridges in Web3: Pontem's Blueprint for a Seamless Multi-Chain Ecosystem with Alejo Pinto

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 22 May 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Alejo Pinto, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer at Pontem, a product studio working toward global financial inclusion powered by blockchains.

Join them as they:

Discuss Pontem’s contribution to the evolving DeFi landscape
Unpack the suite of products under the Pontem Network umbrella
Examine how Pontem is building for a multi-chain world
Shine a light on the significance of enabling people to transact freely in crypto
Delve into the importance of building on the Move Virtual Machine
Dive into Pontem's strategies to abstract blockchain specifics from the end user
And much more!

Alejo Pinto is the Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer at Pontem Network, a product development studio building Move, as well as EVM-compatible applications and products to enable a more developer- and user-friendly Web3. He has an extensive background in the tech industry, including a significant stint at IBM, where he gained valuable experience in blockchain applications. Alejo's journey into the cryptocurrency space began around 2014 when he first discovered Bitcoin. This sparked his interest in blockchain technology and its potential to transform economic interactions on the internet. His expertise extends beyond just technical knowledge; he is deeply involved in developing applications that leverage different blockchain architectures to enhance transactional freedom and efficiency across various networks.

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Banking on Blockchain: From Permissionless Access to White-label Solutions with Caspar Sauter of D8X

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 08 May 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Caspar Sauter, the Co-founder of Quantena and D8X Exchange, a perpetual futures decentralized exchange.

Join them as they:

Explore D8X’s mission and the importance of building decentralized financial machines
Discuss why D8X chose to focus on perpetual futures
Delve into how D8X is building white-label solutions for banks and financial institutions
Shine a light on the importance of cross-chain liquidity
Unpack the lessons learned from being live on two chains
Dive into the importance of privacy and oracle solutions in the DeFi space
Examine the impact of Bitcoin halving
Review the role of institutions in the crypto space
And much more!

Caspar Sauter is a seasoned expert in the field of quantitative economics with significant experience in the financial sector. Before co-founding D8X, a decentralized exchange focusing on perpetual futures, Caspar worked extensively at a large financial institution where he honed his skills in quantitative analysis and financial modeling. His academic background is equally impressive, marked by a PhD that explored the intersection of economics, political science, and social sciences, with a particular focus on the global distribution of emissions and economic activities. Caspar's transition from academia and traditional finance to the forefront of DeFi showcases his commitment to leveraging technology to create more transparent and fair financial systems. His work at D8X is particularly innovative, demonstrating his strategic vision of merging traditional financial mechanisms with the revolutionary potential of blockchain technology.

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Chain Abstraction: Agoric's Vision for Seamless Blockchain Integration with Rowland Graus

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Rowland Graus, Director of Product Management & Developer Relations at Agoric, a smart contract platform designed to enhance the usability of blockchain networks for end users.

Join them as they:

Explore Agoric's approach to blockchain and smart contracts
Discuss Agoric's specialized smart contract platform for JavaScript developers
Delve into Agoric's focus on cross-chain interoperability within and outside the Cosmos Interchain
Shine a light on key lessons learned from attracting new builders to the Agoric platform
Unpack how MetaMask leveraged Agoric's Hardened JavaScript toolkit for Snaps
Examine Agoric's approach to chain abstraction, simplifying cross-chain operations for users
Review Agoric’s vision for stablecoins and their integration into the ecosystem
Dive into Rowland’s perspective on the evolving blockchain developer landscape
And much more!

Rowland Graus is the Director of Product Management & Developer Relations at Agoric. Involved in the blockchain and crypto space since 2016, Rowland brings a strong background in economics and product management to his role. His professional journey is marked by a passion for innovation and the challenges of building new and transformative technologies in the evolving blockchain landscape. At Agoric, Rowland has been instrumental in advancing chain abstraction techniques that unify fragmented liquidity across blockchain networks. His leadership and deep understanding of economic principles drive the strategic development of Agoric’s products, aiming to keep the platform on the cutting edge of the smart economy.

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From Seed to Shelf: Dimitra's Mission to Transform Agriculture with Jon Trask

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 10 Apr 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Jon Trask, CEO and founder of Dimitra, an AgTech company that leverages cutting-edge technology to help farmers increase yields, reduce expenses, and mitigate risks.

Join them as they:

Unpack how Dimitra leverages blockchain to empower farmers
Discuss the various technologies integrated by the Dimitra Platform
Delve into Dimitra's analytics value to governments and banks
Weigh in on the immediate impact of Dimitra's technology on various stakeholders
Shine a light on on-chain deforestation-related transactions estimates
Explore the many use cases and learning opportunities for farmers through the Dimitra application
And much more!

Jon Trask is the CEO and founder of Dimitra. With a background in programming and cryptography, John has been involved in the blockchain space since 2011. He has extensive experience in supply chain management and has worked with various organizations and governments to implement blockchain solutions in the agriculture sector. Jon has worked for companies like ISO - International Organization for Standardization, the Blockchain Research Institute, and the Government Blockchain Association.

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Surviving the Ups and Downs: Building a Resilient Non-Custodial Exchange with Andreas Brekken of SideShift

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Andreas Brekken, the Founder of SideShift, a non-custodial exchange dedicated to seamless onboarding and user privacy.

Join them as they:

Unpack the evolution of exchanges in the past 10 years
Discuss Andreas’ foray into crypto and building his first exchange
Delve into the rise of SideShift
Shine a light on the importance of user privacy and zero registration
Weigh in on building a blockchain company for bull and bear cycles
Explore SideShift’s recent successes and the future
And much more!

Andreas Brekken is the founder of SideShift. He is also the founder and writer of the weekly Shitcoin.com Newsletter and Co-Host of the Shitcoin.com Podcast. With a background in programming, Andreas has been involved in the cryptocurrency space since 2011. He built his first exchange, Justcoin, from scratch in 2013 and worked as a software engineer at Kraken.

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Building a Faster, Cheaper Blockchain: Gnosis Chain Explained with Philippe Schommers of Gnosis

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Philippe Schommers, the Head of Infrastructure at Gnosis, an entity that has been at the forefront of building decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem since its inception in 2015.

Join them as they:

Unpack the history of the Gnosis ecosystem and its various products
Discuss how Gnosis Chain is similar to, but different from, the Ethereum Chain
Shine a light on the importance of building MEV resistance into its core protocol
Delve into how governance impacts infrastructural development
Weigh in on the various technical aspects of Gnosis Chain and the broader ecosystem
And much more!

Philippe Schommers is the Head of Infrastructure at Gnosis. With a deep understanding of blockchain technology and its potential, Philippe has played a crucial role in the development of Gnosis' various products and services. He is known for his expertise in Layer 1 and Layer 2 solutions, as well as his contributions to the Gnosis Chain.

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Building Privacy-First Blockchain Solutions: A Conversation with Peyman Momeni of Fairblock

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 28 Feb 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski speaks with Peyman Momeni, CEO and Co-Founder of Fairblock, to uncover the vital role privacy plays in decentralized systems. They delve into the urgent need for privacy solutions to combat the negative perceptions surrounding this technology. Peyman shares his unique perspective shaped by his experiences in Iran, where access to open finance is restricted. Discover how Fairblock prioritizes ease of use for developers and seamless cross-chain integration.

Join them as they:

Explore how privacy technologies can protect user data and facilitate financial freedom within DeFi protocols.
Examine ways enhanced privacy features revolutionize governance structures.
Uncover groundbreaking potential within the gaming sector when privacy is at the forefront.
Discuss the challenges and strategies to overcome resistance to privacy solutions in the crypto space.
Analyze the importance of collaboration between developers and privacy innovators for mainstream adoption.
And much more!

Peyman Momeni is the CEO and Co-Founder of Fairblock, a leading innovator in privacy-preserving blockchain applications. His mission is driven by a deep understanding of the consequences arising from a lack of individual privacy and its impact on people's lives. Peyman and his team are dedicated to creating solutions that empower users, enhance the functionality of blockchains, and pave the way for widespread adoption of privacy-centric Web3.

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Bridging Blockchain Innovation and Real-World Utility with Sunny Lu of VeChain

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Sunny Lu, Co-Founder and CEO of VeChain Foundation, the Foundation tasked with growing VeChainThor, an enterprise-grade L1 public blockchain platform, aiming to spearhead a digital revolution through sustainable and highly scalable smart contract technologies.

Join them as they:

Shine a light on Web3’s potential for real-world impact
Discuss Sunny’s journey into the blockchain space
Unpack the importance of the VeChain enterprise
Delve into the criticality of community engagement
Weigh in on the state of the blockchain industry and the path towards mass adoption.
And much more!

Sunny Lu is the CEO and Co-Founder of the VeChain Foundation. He entered the blockchain space in 2013 and has since played a pivotal role in applying blockchain technology to real-world enterprise solutions. With a past as the Chief Information Officer for global brands such as Louis Vuitton, Sunny has used his expertise to bridge technology with business, leading VeChain to become one of the most reputable platforms in the blockchain industry.

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Bridging Institutions and Decentralized Networks: Decent's Approach with Parker McCurley

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Parker McCurley, Co-Founder and CEO of DecentDAO, a builder collective creating DAO, DeFi, and other Web3 toolings and services for institutional and retail clients.

Join them as they:

Discuss lessons learned from navigating multiple crypto cycles
Examine the inner workings of DecentDao
Shine a light on DecentDao’s Ethereum ethos
Unpack DecentDao’s product offerings
Weigh in on the educational value of open-source communities
Delve into Parker’s journey into the blockchain space
And much more!

Parker McCurley is the Co-Founder and CEO of DecentDAO. With a background in software development and a passion for cryptocurrency, Parker has been involved in the industry since 2017. At DecentDAO, he is dedicated to building privacy-focused tools for institutional DeFi and is committed to the vision of decentralizing the financial system.

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Landslide Network: Bridging the Gap Between Avalanche & Cosmos with Nathan Windsor

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Nathan Windsor, the CEO and Co-Founder of Landslide Network, an IBC-enabled Avalanche subnet that allows any Cosmos-based dApp to run natively on the Avalanche network.

Join them as they:

Unpack the differences between Avalanche and Cosmos at a protocol level
Shine a light on the power of the IBC Protocol
Weigh in on the strength of an Avalanche-Cosmos bridge
Examine the role of permissioned and permissionless Blockchain networks
Discuss Nathan’s journey into the blockchain space
And much more!

Nathan Windsor is the CEO and Co-Founder of Landslide Network. He is a seasoned entrepreneur, business leader, and blockchain enthusiast with a track record of founding and scaling technology companies.

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Decentralized Bridges: Nomic's Vision for Connecting Bitcoin and Cosmos with Matt Bell

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Matt Bell, the CEO and Co-Founder of Turbofish, a team working on Nomic, a layer one blockchain that offers a decentralized, non-custodial Bitcoin bridge into the Cosmos ecosystem.

Join them as they:

Shine a light on Nomic’s mission
Weigh in on the issue with Bitcoin’s untapped liquidity
Unpack the technical aspects of Nomic
Examine the broader implications of bridging the gap between Bitcoin and other ecosystems
Discuss Matt’s journey into the crypto space

And much more!

Matt Bell is the CEO and Co-Founder of Turbofish. Matt has been involved in the crypto industry since 2011 and has worked at various crypto companies, including Protocol Labs, where he contributed to the development of IPFS and Filecoin.

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Building a Next-Generation Stablecoin: The Vision of Verified USD Foundation with Matthew Commons

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 20 Dec 2023 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Matthew Commons, President of the Verified USD Foundation, an independent entity accountable for USDV, dedicated to nurturing a stablecoin ecosystem that enables equitable value-sharing of benefits among its community of contributors.

Join them as they:

Weigh in on the Verified USD Foundation’s vision of building a next-generation stablecoin
Delve into the inner workings of the Verified USD Foundation
Examine the impact of permissionless stablecoins on the next wave of users
Unpack the technical aspects of the ColorTrace algorithm
Shine a light on the Verified USD Foundation’s mission to bridge centralized and decentralized finance
Discuss Matthew’s journey into the crypto space

And much more!

Matthew Commons is President of the Verified USD Foundation, Founder and President of Commons Partners, and the Co-Founder of Cambridge Blockchain. His experience as a successful founder, CEO, and CFO includes leading global expansion, raising capital, and building strategic partnerships with institutions such as PayPal, Goldman Sachs, Digital Currency Group, Foxconn, and Kleiner Perkins.

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Arcade: Unlocking Liquidity through NFT Lending with Gabe Frank

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Gabe Frank, the Founder of Arcade.xyz, a DeFi protocol on Ethereum that specializes in NFT lending. It operates as a non-custodial Web3 application and financial “super app” for NFTs and other unique on-chain assets.

Join them as they:

Weigh in on the current state of the NFT space
Discuss Gabe’s journey into crypto
Delve into the mechanics of NFT lending on Arcade
Explore the technical infrastructure and integration of Arcade’s platform
Weigh up the importance of KYT and transaction monitoring
Examine the role of the Arcade DAO
Shine a light on the future of NFT lending
And much more!

Gabe Frank is the Founder of Arcade.xyz and the Co-Founder and CEO of Non-fungible Technologies. He has been involved in the crypto space since 2018 and has experience in custodial services and institutional digital asset wallets, having previously worked at BitGo and Curve.

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The Power of One Global State Machine with Austin Federa, Head of Strategy at Solana Foundation

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 13:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Austin Federa, Head of Strategy at Solana Foundation, an organization dedicated to the decentralization, growth, and security of the Solana network.

Join them as they:

Discuss Solana’s resilience in the face of adversity
Shine a light on the unique features of the Solana ecosystem
Weigh in on the recent Validator Health Report
Delve into Solana’s growing network performance
Explore Solana’s recent partnerships with Visa and Shopify
Weigh up the importance of social consensus and governance
Examine the future of Solana and the blockchain industry
And much more!

Austin Federa is the current Head of Strategy at the Solana Foundation. He is also the host of the Solana Foundation’s podcast, Validated. Austin previously served as Head of Communications at Solana Labs.

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Decentralizing Decentralization: The Evolution of Multi-Chain Infrastructure with Fig from Squid

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 08 Nov 2023 14:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Fig, Co-Founder of Squid, a cross-chain liquidity and messaging router built on Axelar, that enables seamless transactions between different blockchains , and allows applications to implement fast, secure, and seamless cross-chain logic into their products.

Join them as they:

Discuss how cross-chain infrastructure enhances the resiliency of blockchains
Explore Fig’s journey into blockchain
Delve into the challenges and opportunities of multi-chain user experiences
Unpack Squid's role in connecting different chains
Shine a light on the value of security and speed in cross-chain transactions
Weigh in on Squid’s future
And so much more!

Fig is the Co-Founder of Squid, a cross-chain infrastructure platform in the Axelar ecosystem. Prior to building Squid, Fig was initially drawn to a career in medicine due to its intricate systems and the chance to positively impact lives, but he quickly realized that its stringent oversight dampened his innate creative spirit. Seeking an avenue to channel his artistic and technical inclinations, he ventured into music and coding. In the world of crypto, Fig found a harmonious blend of intricate systems, boundless creativity, and an environment that valued merit and innovation. The decentralized ethos of the blockchain space appealed to his sensibilities, guiding him to the forefront of the industry.

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Beyond Centralization: How Grove Infrastructure is Changing the Blockchain Landscape with Michael O'Rourke

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 12:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Michael O'Rourke, Co-Founder & CEO of Pocket Network and CEO of Grove. A powerful gateway to the decentralized world, Grove is a blockchain data platform built on top of Pocket Network, providing apps with reliable, performant, and cost-effective access to blockchain data. Backed by 20,000+ independent, globally distributed nodes, Grove enables teams to deliver a multi-chain user experience at scale.

Join them as they:

Discuss how decentralized infrastructures empower users and companies
Delve into the importance of decentralization in combating nation-state attacks on networks
Explain the need for decentralized systems to differentiate supply and demand to enable businesses to build on both sides of the infrastructure
Unpack the intricacies of the Grove infrastructure and RPC nodes
Shine a light on the DePIN revolution and its impact on the future of the industry
Weigh in on Grove and Pocket Network’s role in the DePIN ecosystem
Discuss Michael’s journey into scalable, decentralized infrastructure
And so much more!

Michael O'Rourke is the Co-Founder & CEO of Pocket Network and CEO of Grove, a blockchain data platform built on top of Pocket Network, providing apps with reliable, performant, and cost-effective access to blockchain data. Prior to building Pocket Network, he owned and operated a blockchain development agency, and was on the ground level of Tampa Bay’s largest Bitcoin/Crypto meetup and consultancy, Blockspaces, with a focus on teaching developers Solidity. Michael first got into Bitcoin in 2013, and his interests quickly grew much deeper. In 2016, writing smart contracts and making discoveries in API services for Ethereum gave Michael a unique perspective on what is required to provide a vertically and horizontally scalable infrastructure service in a decentralized manner.

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The Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of Obligate

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 15:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Bonart Mati, Chief Growth Officer of Obligate. Obligate allows companies to issue on-chain bonds and commercial paper to receive funding from investors in a regulated DeFi environment.

Join them as they:

Shine a light on the unstoppable nature of DeFi and blockchain technology
Discuss Bonart’s journey from fintech to DeFi
Weigh in on the importance of regulation and legal frameworks in the DeFi space
Delve into tokenization and its potential to revolutionize capital markets
Explore the potential of on-chain bonds for regulated decentralized applications (dApps)
Discuss the future of the blockchain and crypto industry
And so much more!

Bonart Mati is currently the Chief Growth Officer of Obligate, a platform and marketplace that helps companies issue on-chain bonds and commercial paper to obtain funding from a variety of different investors. With a background in fintech and finance, Bonart has extensive experience in the industry, including working at Deutsche Bank and GE. He joined Obligate in 2021 and is passionate about leveraging blockchain technology to solve real-world problems and make finance more inclusive.

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Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAO

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 27 Sep 2023 13:30:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAO, the official decentralized organization developing the Core blockchain network, a Bitcoin hash-powered and EVM-compatible blockchain.

Join them as they:

Discuss Rich’s journey from working at Coinbase to joining Core DAO
Shine a light on the importance of account abstraction and self-custody for mainstream crypto adoption
Touch on the blockchain trilemma
Explore the Satoshi Plus consensus protocol, which combines proof of work and proof of stake to prioritize decentralization
Weigh in on the multi-chain thesis and the interoperability of different blockchain networks
Delve into Core DAO's dedication to building a decentralized community
And much more!

Rich Rines is currently a Contributor at Core DAO, which is at the forefront of blockchain innovation by crafting the Core blockchain network. He is also the Founder of AutoReach, a game-changing sales dialer that augments connect rates by over 30% and multiplies talk time by more than 300%, ensuring enriched interactions with prospects. Rich previously led engineering initiatives surrounding money movements at Coinbase.

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Staking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockX

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 13 Sep 2023 15:00:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Chen Zhuling, CEO and Founder of RockX, Asia’s leading enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructure and non-custodial staking provider.

Join them as they:

Talk about the early days of Bitcoin in Asia
Delve into building a delegated proof of stake blockchain network
Explore the evolving market driven by dApp usage
Shine a light on the role of staking in securing blockchain networks
Weigh in on the opportunities and constraints of liquid staking
Discuss how institutional clients can join a distributed validator network
Discuss the future of staking as a service

Chen Zhuling is the CEO and Founder of RockX, a non-custodial staking and access node API provider. He is also the Co-Founder of Aelf, a cloud-powered public blockchain for businesses. With a background in engineering and strategy consulting, Zhuling has been involved in the crypto space since 2017 and is passionate about building infrastructure for the blockchain industry.

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Building for the Creator Economy: How Calaxy is Charting a New Future with Rusty Matveev

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 13:30:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy.

Join them as they:

Talk about Rusty’s journey to Calaxy
Weigh in on the rise of Web3 and the resurgence of the Metaverse
Delve into how Calaxy is building a platform to empower creators
Shine a light on the importance of user experience in Web3
Unpack how Calaxy is contributing to the future of the creative economy
Discuss network characteristics for social media platforms
Explore what’s on the horizon for Calaxy

Rusty Matveev is the Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy, a next-generation social marketplace revolutionizing creator monetization and fan engagement by connecting them through curated content, communication forums, and digital collectibles. Rusty has a background in entrepreneurship, investing, and software development.

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The Rise of Self-Sovereignty: Reimagining Digital Asset Custody with Andrew Lawrence of Censo

Ragnarok Digital, LLP — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 15:58:00 +0000

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo.

Join them as they:

Talk about Andrew's background and early interest in blockchain
Weigh in on self-sovereignty in holding digital assets
Delve into Censo's self-custody and key management approach
Shine a light on hierarchical key management
Explore the role of mobile phones and biometrics in Censo’s ecosystem
Discuss the pros and cons of building open-source solutions
Delve into the future of self-sovereign digital asset management

Andrew Lawrence is the CEO and Co-Founder of Censo, a pioneering FinTech company that provides self-custody and private key management solutions for organizations to better manage and protect their digital assets. Andrew has a diverse background in financial markets and has been involved in the crypto space since 2012.

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Episode Highlights:

[00:02:12] Recognizing the Power of Blockchain - Andrew’s journey into the world of blockchain began in 2012 when he stumbled upon the Bitcoin whitepaper. As a veteran of the financial markets, he immediately recognized the potential of blockchain technology. He saw a powerful parallel between the organization of blockchains and the mutual balances and credit systems used in traditional finance. This realization sparked his interest and set him on a path to explore the possibilities of blockchain technology.

[00:10:44] The Importance of Self-Sovereignty - Andrew strongly believes that the core principles of self-sovereignty and decentralization are imperative for the success and longevity of the crypto ecosystem. Historically, value was stored in tangible entities like gold or food, under the custody of a centralized entity. Today, digital assets offer inherent self-sovereignty. Yet, many organizations still opt for centralized solutions to manage their digital assets, due to regulatory constraints and the complexities surrounding key management. Although central custodians provide an easier, though potentially risky, solution, many choose them for their convenience. To truly harness the potential of the crypto movement, Andrew believes in the need for decentralization and self-sovereignty.

In the inaugural episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, Dylan speaks with Jon ShapeShift, co-founder and former COO of the ShapeShift exchange. The pair discuss ShapeShift's decision to shut down as a corporate entity and migrate entirely to a DAO model.

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