Trust-Minimized XMR Liquidity: Atomic Swaps Without Bridges or KYC with Omar Espejel | EPI 374

Dec 24, 2025

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TODAY'S SHOW: In this episode of Monero Talk Douglas Tuman has a conversation with Omar Espejel, a StarkNet Foundation developer building trustless atomic swaps between Monero and StarkNet, aimed at providing decentralized on- and off-ramps amid widespread exchange delistings. Omar explains his background in the StarkNet ecosystem, his alignment with Monero’s privacy-first values, and a personal experience that led him to prioritize financial privacy. The discussion focuses on a new atomic swap design enabled by StarkNet’s recent move to BLAKE2s hashing, allowing low-cost, peer-to-peer swaps where cryptographic guarantees ensure either both parties succeed or both fail.

By leveraging audited, open-source code from the Monero community (notably Serai and Commit Network), the project allows Monero users to access broader liquidity and Ethereum DeFi without wrapped assets or trusted bridges. Omar outlines StarkNet’s evolving privacy roadmap, and his intention to present the work at Monero Topia, as part of a broader resurgence in privacy-focused crypto infrastructure.

TIMESTAMPS:
(00:02:49) – Guest background and StarkNet overview
(00:06:39) – Personal Monero origin story
(00:10:55) – Atomic swaps and cryptographic foundations
(00:14:44) – Monero ↔️ StarkNet atomic swap concept
(00:18:13) – Liquidity challenges and Serai DEX discussion
(00:22:57) – Open-source development and team structure
(00:24:56) – Zcash, privacy layers, and cross-chain ideas
(00:28:10) – What StarkNet is and why it isn’t private by default
(00:33:03) – Monero development and community collaboration
(00:37:12) – Atomic swap technical Q&A
(00:39:59) – MoneroTopia and Mexico City community plans
(00:42:40) – Privacy coins, delistings, and “privacy season”
(00:48:36) – Roadmap, audits, and expected timeline
(00:51:25) – Closing thoughts and next steps

GUEST LINKS:
https://x.com/espejelomar

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