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

EthCC is over for another year and what a week it was! 6 stages, 2,000 attendees, over 200 speakers, 40 hours of talks and content, 40 sponsors, and 130 side events (and parties) all over Paris. The Ethereum France team pulled it off again with the fifth edition of the Ethereum Community Conference bringing the community together in the city of love.Keeping with tradition we did an EthCC recap panel and were joined by Ethereum France President Jerome de Tychey, EthCC Project Manager Bettina Boon Falleur, and Founder of Giveth Griff Green. We talk about the standout moments of this year's event, how the conference has grown over the years, NFT tickets, the European Ethereum community, and the future of EthCC.Episode links:EthCC 5Ethereum FranceGivethSponsors:ParaSwap: ParaSwap aggregates all major DEXs and makes sure you beat the market price at every single swap and with the lowest slippage - paraswap.io/epicenterThis episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst & Felix Lutsch. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/453

Enzyme Finance, previously named Melon, is a decentralized protocol built on Ethereum (ETH) that allows users to create, manage and invest in custom crypto asset management vehicles onchain. Using Enzyme Smart Vaults, individuals and communities can build, scale and monetize investment strategies that employ the newest innovations in decentralized finance. Enzyme enables Depositors to interact with Vaults in a way that is non-custodial and requires minimal trust between parties. Vault Managers can be bound to performing certain actions or forbidden from others. We were joined by Mona El Isa, CEO & founder at Avantgarde Finance and Enzyme Finance, for the second time after her first appearance 5 years ago. We chat about the transition from Melon to Enzyme and the current state of the protocol, how vaults work on the platform, decentralized governance and how to survive a bear market.Topics covered in this episode:The transition from Melon to EnzymeHas the vision for Enzyme changed?How does the protocol work?Choosing your vault and redeemabilityWho are Enzyme users?Becoming a vault manager and sharing your vault24/7 reportingThe MLN tokenGovernance - Enzyme’s path to decentralizationEpisode links: Episode 158 - The Polkadot Protocol – One Blockchain to Connect Them AllEnzymeEnzyme on TwitterMona on TwitterSponsors: Tally Ho: Tally Ho is a new wallet for Web3 and DeFi that sees the wallet as a public good. Think of it like a community-owned alternative to MetaMask. - https://epicenter.rocks/tallycashSteakwallet: Steakwallet is your new favorite multi-chain, mobile wallet. Tired of having a different wallet for every chain? Get Steakwallet today and get the power of Web 3 across all chains right at your fingertips: https://steakwallet.fi/ -This episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/452

The hotly anticipated Ethereum merge due later this year, will see the joining of the existing execution layer of Ethereum (the Mainnet we use today) with its new proof-of-stake consensus layer, the Beacon Chain. It eliminates the need for energy-intensive mining and instead secures the network using staked ETH. This is a truly exciting step in the Ethereum vision of more scalability, security, and sustainability.Tim Beiko, Protocol Support for the Ethereum Foundation, is heavily involved in the project. He joined us to give some deep insights into governance within Ethereum, a full update on how the merge is coming along and the next steps, and how Ethereum will look post-merge.Topics covered in this episode:Tim's background and how he got involved in the spaceUnpacking governance on EthereumThe Ethereum client ecosystemThe current state of Ethereum's testnet landscapeThe Merge: what is it, and where do we stand?What is coming next in the lead up to the merge and how is success measured?How did the very recent Sepolia test go?Scaling - what will the ecosystem look like post-merge?The Ethereum roadmapEpisode links: Nebular SummitEthereum FoundationThe MergeEthereum on TwitterTim on TwitterSponsors: ParaSwap: ParaSwap aggregates all major DEXs and makes sure you beat the market price at every single swap and with the lowest slippage - paraswap.io/epicenterChorus One: Chorus One runs validators on cutting edge Proof of Stake networks such as Cosmos, Solana, Celo, Polkadot and Oasis. - https://epicenter.rocks/chorusoneThis episode is hosted by Sebastien Couture & Joseph Schweitzer. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/451

Urbit is an exciting new operating system and peer-to-peer network that’s simple by design, built to last forever, and 100% owned by its users. Under the hood it's a from-scratch software stack compact enough that individual developers can understand and control it completely. Urbit deconstructs the client-server model in favor of a federated network of personal servers with built-in, cryptographically-owned identity, each of which is capable of distributing and running their own applications that communicate over the Urbit network. We were joined by the Executive Director of the Urbit Foundation, Josh Lehman, who explained in depth how the Urbit ecosystem was built and now runs, the advantages of the network from user and developer perspectives, the bridge with crypto, and how the roadmap for the kernel is looking going forward.Topics covered in this episode:Josh's background and how he became involved with UrbitAn overview of Urbit and the current state of the systemWhat’s changed about Urbit over the last three yearsUrbit's address space consisting of galaxies, stars and planetsWhat Urbit applications are and how they differ from iphone applications or a dAppsThe advantages of the Urbit user and developer experiencesThe connection between Urbit and cryptoThe projects currently being built on Urbit - Holium, Uqbar, TirrelWhat the roadmap for the underlying Urbit kernel looks likeHow you can get involvedEpisode links: Episode 205 - A Digital Republic Reinventing the InternetUrbitUrbit GrantsUrbit on TwitterJosh on TwitterSponsors: Steakwallet: Steakwallet is your new favorite multi-chain, mobile wallet. Tired of having a different wallet for every chain? Get Steakwallet today and get the power of Web 3 across all chains right at your fingertips: https://steakwallet.fi/ - Gnosis Safe: Gnosis Safe is a smart wallet for securely managing digital assets and allows you to define customized access permissions. - https://epicenter.rocks/gnosissafeTally Ho: Tally Ho is a new wallet for Web3 and DeFi that sees the wallet as a public good. Think of it like a community-owned alternative to MetaMask. - https://epicenter.rocks/tallycashThis episode is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/450

Wyre is a leading fiat-to-cryptocurrency and payment infrastructure company for the cryptocurrency ecosystem. In blockchain time, Wyre has been around forever -- it was founded in 2013. Wyre leverages blockchain to facilitate cross-border payments, bridging the gap between traditional payment processing and digital assets. Focusing on developers, the company provides easy-to-integrate APIs which enable thousands of developers to bring cryptocurrency to the masses. The company has “on-ramped” over 15 million end users to their partners and has processed over $10B in payments since inception.We were joined by Co-founder and CEO Yanni Giannaros, and Director of Crypto Strategy Jamal Raees, to chat about payments applications in general and in web3, how Wyre works on a technical and business level including regulatory constraints, their recent acquisition by Bolt, and the roadmap for the platform.Topics covered in this episode:The history of Wyre and the changes they have seen in the space over the past 10 yearsYanni and Jamal's backgrounds and how they metA technical overview of WyreThe challenges of running an onrampBolt's recent acquisition of WyrePayments applications in web 3 - what works and what doesn'tThe Wyre business model and feesThe jurisdictional restrictions for using Wyre and Yanni and Jamal's thoughts on the current regulatory environmentThe future of crypto interfacesThe Wyre roadmapEpisode links: WyreWyre on TwitterYanni on TwitterJamal on TwitterSponsors: ParaSwap: ParaSwap aggregates all major DEXs and makes sure you beat the market price at every single swap and with the lowest slippage - paraswap.io/epicenterChorus One: Chorus One runs validators on cutting edge Proof of Stake networks such as Cosmos, Solana, Celo, Polkadot and Oasis. - https://epicenter.rocks/chorusoneThis episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/449

Arbitrum is a Layer 2 scaling solution for the Ethereum blockchain which helps reduce high transaction gas fees. Arbitrum uses a multi-round optimistic rollup that regularly checks in with Ethereum’s main chain. OG cypherpunk and ex deputy CTO of the USA, Ed Felten, is one of the creators of Arbitrum. He joined us for an in depth chat about how transactions are processed on the protocol, who validates them, what the security guarantees are, and how the economics will work in the longer term.Topics covered in this episode:Ed's background (including his time as deputy CTO of the USA!) and what led him to creating ArbitrumA walk back to pre-blockchain cryptoWhy Arbitrum chose to build on top of EthereumWhat are roll-ups and what's the user experience with them on Arbitrum?A deep dive into how transactions work on ArbitrumHow nodes work on the platformTransaction fees on ArbitrumHow is Arbitrum designed differently to Optimism?Arbitrum and bridges to ETH and other assetsHow will different scaling solutions co-exist in the future?Episode links: ArbitrumArbitrum on TwitterEd on TwitterSponsors: Gnosis Safe: Gnosis Safe is a smart wallet for securely managing digital assets and allows you to define customized access permissions. - https://epicenter.rocks/gnosissafeTally Ho: Tally Ho is a new wallet for Web3 and DeFi that sees the wallet as a public good. Think of it like a community-owned alternative to MetaMask. - https://epicenter.rocks/tallycashSteakwallet: Steakwallet is your new favorite multi-chain, mobile wallet. Tired of having a different wallet for every chain? Get Steakwallet today and get the power of Web 3 across all chains right at your fingertips: https://steakwallet.fi/ -This episode is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain & Friederike Ernst. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/448

Connext is a crosschain liquidity network that speeds up fully-noncustodial transfers between EVM-compatible crosschains (xapps) and L2 systems. Connext works in tandem with nomad bridge technology, enabling fast transfer of value between blockchains and interchain DeFi protocols. Their goal is to create a world where users never need to know what chain or rollup they're on, and developers can build applications that utilize resources from many chains/rollups simultaneously. We were joined by Connext founder Arjun Bhuptani to chat about bridge technology in general, Connext's pivot from state channels to bridges, their recent partnership with Nomad, and what is coming next.Topics covered in this episode:Arjun's background and how he got into the spaceArjun's involvement with the Moloch DAOWhat is Connext?The history of interoperabilityConnext and the bridges they utilizeConnext's partnership with NomadBridge hacksFinality and rollbacks - dealing with reorgs and probabilistic finalityWhat is Connext's capital efficiency modelEpisode links: ConnextNomadConnext / Nomad partnershipConnext on TwitterArjun on TwitterSponsors: Tally Ho: Tally Ho is a new wallet for Web3 and DeFi that sees the wallet as a public good. Think of it like a community-owned alternative to MetaMask. - https://epicenter.rocks/tallycashChorus One: Chorus One runs validators on cutting edge Proof of Stake networks such as Cosmos, Solana, Celo, Polkadot and Oasis. - https://epicenter.rocks/chorusoneParaSwap: ParaSwap aggregates all major DEXs and makes sure you beat the market price at every single swap and with the lowest slippage - paraswap.io/epicenterThis episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/447

MetaMask is the de-facto standard self-custodial wallet for Ethereum. It started off as a web browser extension on chromium. More recently, it also launched a mobile app. MetaMask allows you to interact with decentralized applications (dapps) natively.We were joined by Dan Finlay, Founder & Group Manager at MetaMask, to chat about the motivation for building MetaMask, the security of the platform, decentralization, the future of seed phrases and much more!Topics covered in this episode:Dan's background and how he got into the spaceThe journey of creating MetaMask ConsensysWhy this was built as a browser extensionMetaMask mobile: What’s the scope? How do people use it?Number of MetaMask accounts, funds stored in MetaMask wallets and some use casesSecurity on the platformThe future of seed phrasesHow thinking has shifted from smart wallers to EoA's with enhanced capabilitiesWhat is MetaMask Snaps?When will we see the MetaMask token?Episode links:MetaMaskForumTwitterDan on TwitterSponsors:CowSwap: CowSwap is a Meta-Dex Aggregator built by Gnosis. It taps into all on-chain liquidity - including other dex aggregators such as Paraswap, 1inch and Matcha - offering the best prices on all trades. It provides some UX perks (no gas costs for failed transactions!) and protects traders against MEV. - https://epicenter.rocks/cowswapSteakwallet: Steakwallet is your new favorite multi-chain, mobile wallet. Tired of having a different wallet for every chain? Get Steakwallet today and get the power of Web 3 across all chains right at your fingertips: https://steakwallet.fi/ -This episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst & Felix Lutsch. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/446"

The Ethereum Name Service (ENS) allows users to register .eth domain names, which can be used natively in some browsers and all Ethereum wallets. It provides a solution to long crypto addresses with a human-friendly format, analogous to DNS domain names that point to IP addresses. There are now 1.1 million registered domains on ENS.Nick Johnson, Lead Developer of ENS, was last on the show 5 years ago when ENS had just been created. We had him back on to give us an update on how the project had evolved and to chat about the kinds of content ENS domains point to, the ENS token airdrop, the governance of the platform, and the road ahead, particularly with respect to scaling solutions and spiralling Ethereum gas costs.Topics covered in this episode:What is Domain Name Service (DNS)?How do you register a top level domain?The relevance of ICANN (The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)The kinds of content ENS domains point to and some use casesThe fees associated with .eth domainsThe ENS token airdropGovernance - how the process of using delegates workedThe kinds of decisions delegates have made so farTrading ENS tokensNick's views on the major challenges facing the ethereum ecosystem todayEpisode links:Episode 183 - ENS – A Global Naming System for EthereumICANNENSENS GovernanceENS on TwitterNick on TwitterSponsors:ParaSwap: ParaSwap aggregates all major DEXs and makes sure you beat the market price at every single swap and with the lowest slippage - paraswap.io/epicenterChorus One: Chorus One runs validators on cutting edge Proof of Stake networks such as Cosmos, Solana, Celo, Polkadot and Oasis. - https://epicenter.rocks/chorusoneThis episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/445

Aave is an open-source moneymarket protocol. An Ethereum native, it's deployed on Avalanche and Polygon, with more than $1 billion deposited on each. V3 is now live on seven different blockchains, including Fantom, Arbitrum, Optimism and Harmony. Aave, which has a decentralized governance system, collects about $50 million in revenue per year to its treasury through its various activities, which makes it self-sustainable. Two years after his last visit to the show and after the recent Aave 3.0 release, we had Stani Kulechov, founder of Aave, back on to chat about governance within the DeFi space, his new project Lens Protocol, and the road ahead for not only his projects, but also the ecosystem as a whole.Topics covered in this episode:In view of the situation this week with Terra and UST, we hear Stani's take on stable coins and stable coin mechanisms and how this has evolved over timeNew collateral - how a collapse of an asset can affect lending marketsGovernance within Aave and DeFi protocols in generalHow interoperability looks for a lending protocolStani's new project LensProtocol - the composable and decentralized social graphWhy have other decentralized social networks not managed to take off?Stani's recent ban from Twitter #freestaniThe roadmap for both Aave and Lens over the next 2 yearsWhat is coming next for the ecosystem?Episode links: AaveLens ProtocolAave on TwitterLens on TwitterStani on TwitterSponsors: Steakwallet: Steakwallet is your new favorite multi-chain, mobile wallet. Tired of having a different wallet for every chain? Get Steakwallet today and get the power of Web 3 across all chains right at your fingertips: https://steakwallet.fi/ - CowSwap: CowSwap is a Meta-Dex Aggregator built by Gnosis. It taps into all on-chain liquidity - including other dex aggregators such as Paraswap, 1inch and Matcha - offering the best prices on all trades. It provides some UX perks (no gas costs for failed transactions!) and protects traders against MEV. - https://epicenter.rocks/cowswapTally Ho: Tally Ho is a new wallet for Web3 and DeFi that sees the wallet as a public good. Think of it like a community-owned alternative to MetaMask. - https://epicenter.rocks/tallycashThis episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/444