EP 42 — Avoiding the Hidden Tax of DeFi with Nikita from BarterSwap

Jun 5, 2025

46:57

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What actually happens after you hit “swap”?

In this episode, Saurabh is joined by Nikita Ovchinnik, founder of BarterSwap, to break down the mechanics of routing, MEV, solvers, and the invisible infrastructure that powers billions in DeFi volume.

They explore:– Why AMMs leak value and how orderbooks are making a comeback– The role of solvers, searchers, and market makers in intent-based trading– How MEV is created, who captures it, and whether it can ever be eradicated– BarterSwap’s new product, Superposition — liquidity without TVL– Why most liquidity providers lose money, and what alternatives could work better– Expansion to Solana, L2s, and building infrastructure that scales across chains

BarterSwap has routed over $11B in trades. But its model isn’t extractive — it’s about giving users more control over execution, pricing, and outcomes. This episode will make you understand how DeFi works behind the scenes.

00:18 Introduction to MEV and BarterSwap

03:52 AMMs vs Order Books

07:15 The Role of Liquidity Providers in DeFi

13:31 Exploring MEV

19:29 Barter's Approach to MEV

27:50 Liquidity Management with Barter's Superposition

31:14 Barter's Multi-Chain Strategy

33:40 MEV - Good or Bad?

33:51 How Barter is Tackling MEV

34:30 How Superposition Allows Users to Provide Liquidity Without Deploying Assets into a Pool

36:18 Future Plans to Integrate Solana?

40:47 Barter's Business Model