Blockchain Won't Save the World

Charles Hoskinson, founder of Cardano, shares his insights on blockchain adoption and the potential use cases of blockchain technology. He discusses the challenges of scaling blockchain, the importance of decentralization, and his vision for Midnight, a data protection blockchain. He also provides advice for enterprises and governments looking to engage with web3 and blockchain.

Oh Mama! Who's ready to ROAST some Blockchains? Our favourite season-ending format is back, with some very special guests... This is where we cut loose, make fun of ourselves (and others), throw a little shade (in a respectful way) and generally find humour in the weird nuances of Blockchain and Web3. This time round, we're roasting the daft things that happen when the Bear Market comes around, token values drop, funding gets cut, scam projects get exposed, and dodgy 'influencers' start looking for work in AI or McDonalds... And to help stoke the fires, and bring the funny, I'm joined by some legendary Web3 OGs who have seen more than their fair share of stupid Blockchain things in their illustrious careers: Mathew Sweezey (The Enterprise Guy) Irina Heaver (The Crypto Lawyer) Diego Borgo (The Brand and Culture Guy) Sandra Helou (The Metaverse Builder) Keir Finlow-Bates (Architect & Engineer Extraordinaire) Emily Landon (The Web3 Recruiter) So join us for a light-hearted look at the ridiculous things that go on in our industry, peppered with some jokes, some war stories, and some predictions of when this Bear Market will end...

We finally did it! Charles Adkins, an enterprise innovation and blockchain veteran is finally going to bless the podcast, and share his view on why 300 Fortune 500's using NFTs is barely the start of Web3 adoption...If you don't know, Charles is the guy who advises the likes of Nike, Walt Disney, Red Bull, and Polygon how to drive success with emerging technology. And for the past year he's been helping Aptos to secure some of the world's most notable Blockchain collaborations.Is Blockchain dead? Does the Metaverse still need Web3 technology? Are all the projects and funds flowing into AI now?... We discuss this and more, including:- Why should the enterprise world be interested in Blockchain?- What makes a great Blockchain use case? - Why does Charles always have a copy of 'Move Over Brokers, Here Comes the Blockchain' within reach?- What is Aptos doing differently that is making enterprises take note?- What will drive wider adoption of decentralised technologies?- What advice would he give other chains or enterprises building with Blockchain technology

Midnight, a data protection Blockchain developed by Input Output (IOHK)(a core contributor to Cardano), has just launched, but what does this mean for Web3?I'm joined by Midnight's Head of Product, Mauricio Magaldi, for a wide-ranging discussion on why data remains a huge issue (and cost) in Web2 as well as Web3, and how Midnight's unique architecture and zero knowledge technology can help any developer to build better apps.This is a show for anyone who uses, builds or buys applications in their daily life.We discuss:- Why data remains an underrated issue for individuals and companies- What do we mean by data protection, and what good looks like- Why decentralisation can be great for apps, but where major Blockchains have failed in terms of data and metadata protection to-date- Why Midnight exists today- What Midnight's technology is all about- How to get involved in early access to Midnight's devnet

For Web3 and Decentralised Apps (DApps) to reach mainstream, we need a place to store data that isn't just the Blockchain. We need decentralised storage! And Storj has been leading the way since 2014. But there's a twist. Decentralised storage isn't just (only) about enabling Web3...I'm joined by Ben Golub, CEO of Storj Labs and the former CEO of Docker, who knows a thing or two about scaling technology. And we're going to have a 'full stack' conversation about how, when and if DApps will ever reach mainstream.In this show we'll be discussing:- The history of DApps and how they differ from 'traditional' apps- The importance of Decentralised Storage to scale DApps- How Storj is differentiated from other solutions (centralised and decentralised)- Why you shouldn't store everything on a Blockchain- What more is needed to see wider adoption of Web3- Advice to anyone looking to build DApps that scale

Why haven't we made interoperable Blockchains, yet? Why should we care? Is Decentralised Finance a credible alternative to big banks? And how did Moonbeam get to 1 MILLION smart contracts?All big questions in the world of Web3, and ones that Derek Yoo (Founder of Moonbeam) is very familiar with. But the macro market story will tell you, we're not quite at 'mass adoption' of DeFi, and we're still seeing a lot of Blockchain maximalism in the world, as new chains grapple for product-market fit.We'll discuss all this and more, including:- The importance of DevX and UX- Derek's rationale for building on the Polkadot network- DeFi maturity and its value to the world today- How Moonbeam attracted a million smart contracts to the platform- The wider challenge of attracting developers Blockchains and Web3- 'Competition' from the proliferation of L2s and L3s- What more is needed to see wider use of DApps and Web3 tech

How did a sports betting company become a world leader in Blockchain? Co-founder Matt Kalish explains how NFTs and the Reignmakers fantasy sports experience are unlocking entirely new business models...This is one of those shows that will make things 'finally click'...When you see a business with high digital penetration, based on real-world events and data feeds, and with high levels of fan engagement, there's a strong basis for fast-paced innovation.Matt and the Draft Kings team have captured the imagination of thousands of fans and consolidated the 'fantasy sports' category. They're publishing content licensed by top sports associations like the PGA, UFC and NFL, with individual player NFTs selling for thousands of dollars.On this episode we find out why and how Draft Kings have been thriving in Web3, and cover:- The origins of DK's interest in Web3- An introduction to the Reignmakers products - How to combine the best of sports, gaming and NFTs- What's coming in Reignmakers Football Season 2- How DK measure the impact of Blockchain and NFT tech- The challenges of working with Web3 technology- The response of 'traditional' customers of DK as well as of the wider Web3 and NFT communities

Crypto exchanges have created some drama in Web3 lately. Can we do better? Christian and Blocktrade believe so, and have a plan for disrupting the 'traditional' role that exchanges play... through play!On this show, Christian Niedermueller, CEO of Blocktrade, shares his views on the world of exchanges, and why he and the Blocktrade team are going to transform the customer experience, and bring trust back to crypto.Two major parts of the recipe will. be 'gamification' and 'education'. There is still a big gap in peoples' understanding of how Web3 works and given exchanges are typically one of the first touchpoints with crypto, there is a responsibility to help educate customers. But this doesn't have to be a dull, bank-esque experience, and the Blocktrade team are pioneering new ways to make learning and engaging with crypto fun and memorable. On this episode we'll discuss: - Christian’s Blockchain origin story and the founding of Blocktrade- The role and importance of exchanges in Web3 (and Web2)- How Blocktrade is differentiated from other exchanges- The role exchanges play in educating people and businesses about Crypto- The power of gamification in customer education and retention- What is needed to see wider adoption of Web3

Yuval Rooz, CEO of Digital Asset, discusses the formation of Canton Network and its vision to connect the global financial system with blockchain. Topics include Digital Asset's history, Canton's problem statements, its comparison to other options, value for consortium members, fostering open innovation, and the next steps on the Canton roadmap.

'Decentralise everything' they say... Helium accepted the challenge. How do you decentralise wireless telecoms to allow anyone or any device to connect to the internet? Listen in to find out more...On this show we discuss how a 10-year old silicon valley project pivoted to Blockchain, then made a full migration from roll-your-own protocol to Solana, and a lot more besides! - The history of Helium Network and the DePIN network- What makes the combination of IOT and Blockchain so powerful- Early applications for Helium- Plans for migration to Solana- What it takes to grow an ecosystem like Helium and the challenges of working with physical hardware- Advice to others building with Web3 and Blockchain tech