The Smart Economy Podcast: Real-World Blockchain Applications with Crypto, DeFi, NFTs, and DAOs Scaling Trust: Alex Gluchowski on Matter Labs, ZKsync, & the Future of Ethereum
Dec 11, 2025
01:01:59
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
Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.
Check out our three most downloaded episodes:
- Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAO
- Staking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockX
- The Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of Obligate
Attention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals: https://bit.ly/SEP-guest