Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed Technologies

Joaquin Mendes, the COO of Taiko and a Web3 innovator, shares insights into Taiko's decentralized, Ethereum-equivalent rollup solution. He discusses the challenges of scaling Ethereum using ZK technology while maintaining security. Joaquin dives into the trade-offs of base sequencing and user experience, the evolution of zkEVM technology, and the vibrant ecosystem of decentralized applications on Taiko. He also addresses potential future impacts on Ethereum from upcoming upgrades and innovative strategies to enhance transaction processing.

Adeniyi Abiodun, Chief Product Officer and co-founder of Mysten Labs, shares insights from his impressive journey in crypto, including his time at Meta on the Libra project. He discusses Sui's innovative architecture, which promises high scalability and unparalleled transaction speeds. The conversation covers revolutionary concepts like ZKLogin for seamless authentication and the integration of gaming within decentralized finance. With projects like Walrus and Nautilus in the pipeline, Sui aims to reshape the Web3 landscape by merging blockchain potential with user-friendly experiences.

With an extensive experience in traditional money markets, Maple Finance was envisioned as an institutional capital marketplace which combines the transparency & capital efficiency of blockchains with the regulatory framework of TradFi. Unlike many DeFi protocols that require over-collateralized loans (e.g. Aave), Maple also specializes in under-collateralized lending, enabling greater capital efficiency for institutional borrowers. With over $6b in loans since its inception, Maple plans to further expand its offerings by including RWAs as collateral assets.Topics covered in this episode:Sid’s backgroundThe vision behind Maple FinanceMaple’s tech stackDeciding risk profilesOver-collateralized vs. under-collateralized loansAssets accepted as collateralDeploying to other blockchainsInstitutional appealManaging defaultsRWAConverging DeFi & TradFiBiggest challengesExciting upcoming trendsFuture roadmapCrypto correlation or decoupling?Episode links:Sid Powell on XMaple Finance on XSponsors:Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at - gnosis.ioChorus One: one of the largest node operators worldwide, trusted by 175,000+ accounts across more than 60 networks, Chorus One combines institutional-grade security with the highest yields at - chorus.oneThis episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst.

Tally is a software platform designed to support tokenized organizations, particularly Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) and crypto communities. It provides tools for launching tokens, governing protocols, and enabling staking to foster community participation and growth. Tally facilitates onchain governance, allowing transparent and decentralized decision-making for managing funds, grants, and protocol upgrades. It powers major blockchain ecosystems like Arbitrum, ZKsync, Uniswap DAO and Wormhole DAO by providing interfaces for proposal creation, voting, and staking. The Tally Protocol further enhances this by offering a liquidity layer for governance tokens, that allow token holders to earn staking rewards while retaining voting rights and participating in DeFi.Topics covered in this episode:Dennison’s backgroundHas crypto won?Does privacy still matter?The vision behind TallyThe evolution of DAOsAre grassroots DAOs viable?Corporate vs. DAO PMFHow developer activity & contributors evolvedTally’s roadmapICO vs. IPOEpisode links:Dennison Bertram on XTally on XSponsors:Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at - gnosis.ioChorus One: one of the largest node operators worldwide, trusted by 175,000+ accounts across more than 60 networks, Chorus One combines institutional-grade security with the highest yields at - chorus.oneThis episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst.

Namechain is an L2 developed by ENS Labs, to enhance the scalability and efficiency of managing decentralized identities on Ethereum. It is designed to work in tandem with ENS V2, which introduced a hierarchical registry system for more efficient subdomain management and custom resolvers. A key vision for Namechain is to unify multi-chain user identities, creating a "digital identity chain" that simplifies how users interact with the broader blockchain ecosystem. This is achieved through features like L2-to-L2 bridging, which allows users to initiate ENS-related activities from various Ethereum Layer 2 networks, not just Namechain itself.Topics covered in this episode:High level overview of ENSCrosschain functionality through CCIP ReadDomain squattingOnboarding ENS users via Paypal and VenmoGoogle & GoDaddy integrationsENS V2 upgrade & NamechainTransferring tokens from Namechain to L1Sequencer security assumptionsScalabilityNew features & use casesENS roadmap & metricsEthereum ecosystem statusEpisode links:Nick Johnson on XENS on XSponsors:Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at - gnosis.ioChorus One: one of the largest node operators worldwide, trusted by 175,000+ accounts across more than 60 networks, Chorus One combines institutional-grade security with the highest yields at - chorus.oneThis episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst.

Ethereum’s transition from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake created a unique set of conditions (i.e. lack of protocol-level delegation, 32 ETH requirement, long exit queues, etc.) that led to Lido’s liquid staking model to gain huge traction, significantly eclipsing other LSD providers on native PoS chains. stETH added on-demand liquidity, bypassing withdrawal windows, while also increasing DeFi utilization and increasing yields. Moreover, by allowing users to stake any amount of ETH in pools, it removed the requirement for 32 ETH increments, ultimately improving decentralisation through long tail distribution of individual stakers. Lido V3 introduces modular stVaults which enable staking customization. This allows professional actors, such as institutional stakers, to have granular control over validators, MEV and other parameters, diversifying their investment strategies.Topics covered in this episode:Hasu’s backgroundDiscovering LidoLiquid staking and the early days of LidoWhy liquid staking gained traction on EthereumThe evolution of LidoInitial decentralisation concerns and the importance of dual governanceRestakingLido V3 and vaultsInstitutional staking & ETFsEthereum’s ‘crisis’ and its valuesEpisode links:Hasu on XLido on XSponsors:Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at - gnosis.ioChorus One: one of the largest node operators worldwide, trusted by 175,000+ accounts across more than 60 networks, Chorus One combines institutional-grade security with the highest yields at - chorus.oneThis episode is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain.

Jeff Zirlin, co-founder of Ronin and Sky Mavis, shares insights into the explosive success of Axie Infinity and its impact on blockchain gaming. He explains how Axie created a sustainable economy by merging NFTs with gameplay, attracting millions of players. Zirlin discusses the inception of Ronin as a tailored Ethereum sidechain to support gaming scalability and the vital role of community in driving engagement. He also delves into the future of crypto gaming, the role of AI, and what makes a successful play-to-earn model.

Anatoly Yakovenko, co-founder of Solana, dives into the scalability and unique features of his blockchain platform. He shares insights on the journey of Solana, from tackling bottlenecks to its vibrant community post-FTX. The discussion covers controversial topics like miner extractable value (MEV), concurrent block leaders, and advancements like the Firedancer upgrade. Yakovenko also explores Solana’s economic proposals and the upcoming Seeker phone, which aims to redefine the smartphone market for crypto enthusiasts.

Bitcoin’s security and reliability as a store of value are undeniable. However, its liquidity remained untapped for too long due to a lack of trustless bridges and native smart contract capabilities. As BTC is only native to Bitcoin’s L1, any attempt to include it in DeFi relies on the trust assumptions of third party custodians that wrap it. Build On Bitcoin (BOB) aims to expand Bitcoin’s functionality by integrating it with Ethereum’s smart contract capabilities. BOB operates as an OP Stack L2 with a hybrid design incorporating ZKPs, Bitcoin staking, and Ethereum for data availability. By functioning as a rollup, BOB processes transactions off-chain and batches them for settlement on Bitcoin and Ethereum, significantly improving transaction speed and reducing costs compared to Bitcoin’s base layer.Topics covered in this episode:Alexei’s backgroundSetbacks for Bitcoin DeFiBitcoin bridgesBitVMBOB operators and trust assumptionsBOB architecture & Bitcoin stakingBitcoin LSTsThe future of Bitcoin DeFiEpisode links:Alexei Zamyatin on XBuild on Bitcoin on XSponsors:Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at - gnosis.ioChorus One: one of the largest node operators worldwide, trusted by 175,000+ accounts across more than 60 networks, Chorus One combines institutional-grade security with the highest yields at - chorus.oneThis episode is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain.

Puja Ohlhaver, a researcher and lawyer, dives into how blockchain and AI can revitalize communities through decentralized governance. She explores the concept of community currencies designed to create a fairer power distribution, critiquing current oligopolistic structures. The conversation covers the dual-token system that balances economic engagement and voting rights, the importance of localized governance, and innovative funding mechanisms. Puja also discusses how these currencies can combat societal polarization and enhance community-driven innovation.