The Index Podcast

What if you could rebuild telecom from the ground up—open, decentralized, and powered by crypto? In this episode of The Index, host Alex Kehaya chats with Frank Mong, COO of Nova Labs, the team behind Helium Mobile—the decentralized wireless network now partnering with AT&T and Telefónica.Helium started with a bold idea: replace legacy cell towers with a community-powered network. The key unlock? Blockchain incentives. After years of experimentation, they figured out how to bootstrap real wireless coverage—starting indoors, where traditional carriers fail.Frank breaks down how modern buildings kill cell signal, and how Helium turns everyday Wi-Fi routers into indoor cell towers using open-source tools and a crypto-powered incentive model. Now users and businesses can earn rewards while improving service—no billion-dollar infrastructure required.Even more interesting? Helium’s data lives on Solana. That transparency gives enterprise partners real-time visibility into network quality—something they can’t get from legacy providers.And for users, the payoff is real: free phone plans (3GB/month, no credit card), plus affordable upgrades that save families hundreds.We also dive into:Why blockchain is the missing link for decentralized wirelessHow Helium’s staking and incentive model worksWhat it means to build infrastructure at startup speedIf you're building in Web3, care about real-world utility, or just want better phone service, this one’s for you.Helium Mobile: https://heliummobile.com/X Channel: https://x.com/helium_mobileShow LinksThe Index X ChannelYouTube

What if you could bring Solana’s speed to every major blockchain—and onboard millions of new users with zero friction?In this new episode of The Index, host Alex Kehaya welcomes back Joanna Zeng, Co-founder & CEO of SOON, for an exciting update on how her team is breaking down the walls between blockchain ecosystems and building the infrastructure for a more unified Web3.Soon is pioneering a decoupled SVM architecture—separating Solana’s execution layer from its consensus layer—to deliver Solana-level performance on Ethereum, BNB Chain, Base, and beyond. The result? Developers can build once and deploy everywhere, while users get high-speed dApps without switching ecosystems.Joanna also shares how Soon has evolved from pure infra to application builder. Their new platform, Simp for Fun, brings together AI-powered copy trading and livestreaming to create an experience that feels like Twitch for traders—a smart, user-friendly entry point for onboarding the next wave of users into Web3.We also cover:Three SVM rollups live in productionOver 40 applications deployed on mainnet (half incubated by the Soon team)A 51% token allocation to the communityEmerging market traction and grassroots growthFrom technical breakthroughs to real-world adoption, this episode shows how Soon is executing at startup speed while building for long-term impact.Subscribe to The Index for weekly interviews with builders pushing the edge of crypto, AI, and Web3 infrastructure. 🔗 Learn more about SOON: https://soo.network/ 🐦 Follow Soon on X: https://x.com/soon_svmShow LinksThe Index X ChannelYouTube

The future of AI needs a new internet. Coinbase is laying the foundation. In this episode of The Index, host Alex Kehaya talks with Nemil Dalal, Head of Coinbase’s Developer Platform, about how Coinbase is building crypto-native infrastructure to power the next generation of applications, starting with autonomous AI agents.Nemil shares his background in crypto, from meeting Brian Armstrong at Y Combinator to helping scale USDC from $10 million to $1 billion in market cap. Today, he's focused on making blockchain development more accessible by reducing friction around payments, APIs, and onboarding.A key part of that effort is X402—Coinbase’s implementation of the long-dormant HTTP 402 "Payment Required" status code. X402 allows AI agents and applications to autonomously pay for API access using cryptocurrency, without the need for API keys, credit cards, or manual account setup.We break down how X402 works under the hood:API requests return a 402 response when payment is requiredAgents can immediately respond with a signed crypto transaction to unlock accessJust one line of JavaScript is needed to enable itThis simple standard opens the door to a wide range of use cases—from AI agents accessing paid services to developers integrating crypto-powered paywalls with minimal overhead.If you're building in Web3, working with AI, or developing APIs, this episode offers a practical look at how Coinbase is creating tools that make decentralized development more seamless and scalable.🔗 Learn more about Coinbase: https://www.coinbase.com 🐦 Follow Coinbase Dev on X: https://x.com/coinbaseDevShow LinksThe Index X ChannelYouTube

What if launching a decentralized network didn’t require reinventing tokenomics or compromising on trust and security?This week on The Index, host Alex Kehaya sits down with Misha Putiatin, Co-founder of Symbiotic, to explore how their novel approach to universal staking is changing the game for protocol builders. Instead of issuing a new token to bootstrap security, Symbiotic enables networks to leverage existing assets like ETH, providing deep, native trust from day one.What makes Symbiotic particularly fascinating is its versatility. After thousands of customer conversations, one insight stood out: networks needed more than just security. They needed customizable staking infrastructure for use cases like insurance, complex collateral systems, and highly specialized validator requirements.Just weeks after launching on Ethereum mainnet, Symbiotic is already securing 14+ networks and hundreds of millions in value, proving that the future of staking isn’t one-size-fits-all, but modular, open, and composable.Misha also unpacks why open-source remains core to their mission (despite the risk of vampire attacks) and how permissionless infrastructure creates the conditions for real innovation.If you're building in crypto, this conversation is a masterclass in how to architect trust at scale.→ Learn more at symbiotic.fi and follow the team on X. → Subscribe to The Index for weekly conversations with the builders shaping blockchain’s next frontier.Show LinksThe Index X ChannelYouTube

What does it take to make DeFi yield simple, transparent, and unstoppable?In this episode of The Index, we sit down with Sunand Raghupathi, Co-founder and CEO of VEDA, to explore his journey from leaving a computer science PhD program to building one of DeFi’s fastest-growing platforms. VEDA has grown to $2 billion in assets and 100,000+ users in just over a year, proving there’s massive demand for easy, accessible crypto yield.What sets VEDA apart from failed centralized yield platforms like Celsius and FTX is its radical commitment to transparency. “When you put things on-chain, that’s the best possible user experience,” says Raghupathi. By combining user-friendly design with on-chain verifiable constraints, VEDA eliminates the hidden leverage and risky practices that doomed its predecessors.We also explore VEDA’s breakthrough cross-chain architecture, which lets users tap yield opportunities across multiple ecosystems without the headaches of complex bridging. As VEDA expands beyond Ethereum-compatible chains to Solana, Raghupathi highlights the unique market structures and liquidity dynamics that create fresh yield strategies and points to Bitcoin as “a massive, untapped opportunity” for DeFi to unlock.If you’re a blockchain developer, investor, or founder looking for insights into the next phase of DeFi, this episode is packed with sharp takes on why Sunand is even more bullish on the space today than during the 2021 bull run.Explore VEDA’s platform at https://veda.tech/.Follow on X: https://x.com/veda_labsShow LinksThe Index X ChannelYouTube

What if blockchains could communicate as easily as APIs? In The Index's Everything SVM episode, Alex Kehaya and Omar Zaki sit down with Dean Little, Co-founder and Chief Scientist at Zeus Network, which is building a seamless way to connect Bitcoin and other major blockchains to the Solana ecosystem. His other work includes cryptography research at Jupiter Research Center, where he focuses on advancing secure blockchain systems. In this episode, Dean unpacks the breakthroughs driving cross-chain interoperability forward.The Everything SVM conversation dives into JupNet — a groundbreaking SVM chain designed to “aggregate anything, verify anywhere,” unlocking seamless cross-chain activity without the usual friction. Dean breaks down what sets JupNet apart from protocols like IBC, from its novel approach to validator trust to the way its architecture hides complexity behind an intuitive user experience.We also explore Dean’s cutting-edge Quantum Vault project, where he’s using Winternitz One-Time Signatures (WOTS), to build quantum-resistant vaults on Solana — a bold move to safeguard crypto assets against the looming threat of quantum computing.If you’re serious about building cross-chain systems, exploring SVM innovation, or staying ahead of where blockchain infrastructure is headed, this is an episode you can’t afford to miss.👉 Learn more at https://zeusnetwork.xyz/ 👉 Follow Zeus Network on X: https://x.com/zeusnetworkhqShow LinksThe Index X ChannelYouTube

What if the world’s most powerful AI wasn’t controlled by a handful of tech giants, but was open, accessible, and owned by everyone?In this episode of The Index, we sit down with Vincent Weisser, Co-founder and CEO of Prime Intellect, to explore his groundbreaking vision for democratizing artificial intelligence. Vincent pulls back the curtain on the technical and philosophical innovations behind Prime Intellect, from distributed training systems that harness idle compute power around the world to the crypto-economic incentives designed to reward contributors and decentralize ownership.At the core of Prime Intellect’s approach is a radical rethink of how we train the next generation of AI models. Instead of relying on massive, centralized data centers, Prime Intellect distributes the workload across decentralized networks, achieving similar results with far fewer communication demands. This breakthrough not only unlocks cost-effective training at a global scale, but also reshapes who can participate in the AI economy.But this episode isn’t just about engineering. Vincent shares his bigger mission: building a world where intelligence is “too cheap to meter,” where abundance replaces scarcity, and where superintelligence becomes a public good, not a private monopoly. With the rapid pace of progress toward artificial general intelligence (AGI), the stakes have never been higher. As Vincent puts it, the race is on—not just to build AGI, but to decide who will own and benefit from it.Whether you’re building, investing, researching, or just reflecting on the future of AI, this conversation will challenge your assumptions and offer a rare glimpse into one of the most ambitious open-source projects shaping the future of intelligence.Explore more at primeintellect.ai and follow on X at x.com/primeintellect.Show LinksThe Index X ChannelYouTube

How do we rebuild trust in a decentralized financial system that’s been rocked by collapses and scandals?This week on The Index, host Alex Kehaya sits down with Alexandre Elkrief, Co-founder and CEO of August, to discuss the future of crypto, stablecoins, and DeFi—and how his team is rebuilding trust in the ecosystem with Upshift. Designed to replace blind trust with verifiable transparency, Upshift is a breakthrough protocol that’s redefining the infrastructure of decentralized finance.After managing institutional DeFi positions during the chaotic “DeFi Summer,” Elkrief witnessed the system’s flaws up close. Most strategies were built on spreadsheets and assumptions, lacking the tools to manage risk or offer real transparency. Upshift solves this with a revolutionary tri-party account model that puts users back in control—no more operating in the dark.With over $300 million already managed in smart contract vaults, Upshift gives users, asset issuers, and strategists clear, auditable access to capital and strategy. As DeFi matures beyond hype and into serious financial engineering, Elkrief envisions Upshift as the “BlackRock of DeFi”—a platform where trust is earned through code, not promises.Don’t miss this powerful conversation on the future of crypto, stablecoins, and decentralized finance—and how Upshift is setting a new standard for transparency, trust, and scale.Website: https://www.augustdigital.io/Follow on X: https://x.com/upshift_fiShow LinksThe Index X ChannelYouTube

New on The Index— What happens when $1.5B disappears overnight?Host Alex Kehaya chats with Andres Monteoliva, Co-founder and CEO of Range—a blockchain security and intelligence platform—about the high-profile crypto hacks that have exposed major gaps in Web3 and how they’re shaping the future of blockchain security.Together, they unpack the real-world failures behind some of the biggest exploits and explore how Range is using real-time risk modeling to help prevent the next billion-dollar breach.From the $600M Ronin Bridge hack that went unnoticed for days to Reddit users spotting the Osmosis exploit before the devs did, Monti shares how these events exposed major gaps—and why they led him to build Range, now a cross-chain monitoring platform protecting ecosystems like Solana and Cosmos.They break down the Bybit hack, where attackers used a compromised dev machine to deploy malicious frontends, and why 70% of stolen funds still trace back to Web2-style exploits like key compromises.Monti also dives into Range’s multi-layered defense system—combining transaction monitoring, asset tracking, and real-time anomaly detection using heuristics and machine learning.If you're building in Web3, this episode is packed with hard-earned lessons on securing your protocol without sacrificing decentralization.Website: https://www.range.org/Show LinksThe Index X ChannelYouTube

What if the original vision for the internet—a decentralized, permissionless, and open system—could still be realized?On this episode of The Index, host Alex Kehaya is joined by Danny O’Brien, Senior Fellow at the Filecoin Foundation, to explore how we got here—and how we can build something better.Danny’s career spans decades at the frontlines of digital freedom, from the early days of the free software movement to today’s push for decentralized infrastructure and open AI. He shares stories connecting the dots—from Bash shell's origins as free software (the same Bash running on the Mars helicopter) to the modern struggle against walled gardens and platform lock-in.Together, we unpack why centralized systems pose such a risk to innovation, how the ethos of “just build together” remains vital, and why open-source collaboration is more than a philosophy—it’s the backbone of digital sovereignty.We also dive into the future of “open intelligence”: AI systems built on transparent, community-driven infrastructure. Danny argues this is the continuation of a 60-year project, where the tools we build reflect the freedoms we value.If you're a builder in Web3, an open-source contributor, or working at the intersection of AI and decentralized protocols, this conversation is for you.Let’s dive in and rebuild the internet from first principles.Website: https://fil.org/Follow Danny O'Brien on XShow LinksThe Index X ChannelYouTube