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

Axelar is a highly scalable, decentralized blockchain that aims to connect all existing blockchains. The proof of stake network, built on the Cosmos-SDK, allows application developers to choose the best blockchain to deploy their applications and use Axelar’s cross-chain communication protocols to lock, unlock, and transfer assets between networks, as well as communicate with applications on other blockchains. Co-founder and CEO of Axelar, Sergey Gorbunov joined us to chat about his experience working on Algorand, the importance and future of interoperabilty protocols, and the vision behind Axelar.Topics covered in this episode:Sergey's background and how he got into cryptoThe lessons he learnt from his time at AlgorandWhy and how Axelar was builtThe future of interoperabilty protocolsWhat are security challenges around interoperabilityInteroperability use cases beyond token transfersAtomic transactions with AlexarThe road ahead for AxelarEpisode links: Axelar SiteAxelar DiscordAxelar on TwitterSergey on TwitterNonconventional Podcast by Ela CrainSponsors: 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 Brian Fabian Crain. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/433

It's been just short of 2 years since we had Julian Assange's father John, and Harry Halpin, on the show to chat about his imprisonment and the impact it could have on the crypto community. At that time it was unknown if/when Julian would be extradited to the US to face trial. On December 10 2021, the US government won its appeal of a British court ruling that barred Assange’s extradition to the US. On the very same day the AssangeDAO was born and now has a thriving community of 10k people behind it.The DAO raised over $50 million and the funds were used to bid on an NFT, Clock, which is part of a collection between Assange and digital artist Pak. The bid was successful and proceeds from the sale of the Clock NFT will go to support Assange’s legal defence fund and awareness campaign about the free speech implications of his case.We were joined by Julian's brother Gabriel, and Stellar Magnet, core contributors of the AssangeDAO. We spoke about Julian's case as it currently stands, how the DAO was born and why they chose to purchase the NFT, and the road ahead.Topics covered in this episode:Julian Assange and his imprisonment from his involvement with WikileaksThe Assange DAO and why an NFT was purchased with the funds raisedWhat are the next step options that the DAO is considering?Where to learn more about the Assange DAOHow to contributeEpisode links: Episode 339 - What Julian Assange Represents to the Crypto MovementAssangeDAO siteUS based siteUK based siteAssangeDAO on TwitterGabriel on TwitterStellar on TwitterSponsors: Chorus 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/432

NEAR Protocol is a leading smart contract platform that aims for simplicity, security and scalability. NEAR was one of the first sharded blockchains and allows deploying smart contracts using Web Assembly on currently four different shards. NEAR's sharding design, Nightshade, splits the blocks into different segments, which allows for great scalability without negatively impacting user and developer experience. Since, its launch NEAR has evolved into one of the most active smart contract ecosystems.Illia and Alex, co-founders of NEAR, joined us to chat about the NEAR's protocol design and recent advances, such as the launch of Aurora, NEAR's EVM shard. We also discussed how their sharding solution works and how it can scale to support a massive amount of users and applications.Topics covered in this episode:Why Illia and Alex decided to build NEARNEAR's core idea to scale through shardingNEAR’s Nightshade sharding designDealing with interactions between programmesHow cross-shard interoperability worksAurora - the EVM shardNEAR's focus on user experiencePagoda - the first web3 startup platformThe biggest challenges aheadEpisode links:NEAR ProtocolAuroraNEAR on TwitterAlex on TwitterIllia 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: Tally 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/431

Gitcoin is a platform which funds software developers for work in open source ecosystems. Open source creates value without capturing it: Gitcoin creates funding mechanism to correct the asymmetry between value created and value captured. So far they have raised $51million, which were then distributed to public goods projects.We were joined, for the second time, by Gitcoin's founder Kevin Owocki. Hear as we chat about quadratic and public good funding, the Internet of Jobs, and Kevin's book, Greenpilled - Regenerative CryptoEcononmics, which is out soon!Topics covered in this episode:An update on what's happened since Kevin was last on the showHigh level funding stats and measuring the success of GitcoinQuadratic funding - why and how?Public good fundingImpact DAOs and Regenerative CryptoEconomicsGitcoin's transformation to a DAOThe Internet of Jobs (IoJ) - advantages and disadvantagesGreenpilled - Kevin's bookEpisode links:Episode 257 - Gitcoin – Aligning Incentives in Open-Source DevelopmentGitcoin resultsGreenpilled - Regenerative CryptoEconomics - book coming soonTake the Green PillGitcoin on TwitterKevin 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: Tally 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 Sebastien Couture & Friederike Ernst. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/430

Agoric is an Proof-of-Stake blockchain built on the Cosmos-SDK that allows developers to create secure smart contracts written in JavaScript. It offers developers safe, reusable DeFi components and built-in economic primitives like a stablecoin, while connecting to the larger blockchain ecosystem via IBC.Besides covering the Agoric platform, we dove into the long prehistory with Agoric CEO Dean Tribble. Dean and his co-founders have been working on smart contracts and secure computing for decades, long before cryptocurrencies were invented, and a lot of that work shaped the Agoric platform today. We talked about underlying design principles like the Object Capability Security Model, but also the tradeoffs between Ethereum's model of scaling on a single chain versus the Cosmos model of sovereign chains interoperating asynchronously.Topics covered in this episode:Dean's background and how he got into cryptoSmart contracts in pre-blockchain timesWhy was Agoric created?The Object Capability Security ModelWhy they chose to build on the Cosmos SDK and the problems that solvesIBC transfersHow much can Agoric scale?What's coming next for AgoricEpisode links:Episode 286 - Agoric and the Decades-Long Quest for Secure Smart ContractsAgoric websiteAgoric on TwitterDean 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 Brian Fabian Crain. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/429

Olympus is a hotly debated project in the DeFi space. It posits to be a decentralized reserve currency protocol. Each OHM token is partially backed by the Olympus treasury, but how large the treasury is, depends on what is counted towards it. We would argue that OHM tokens should be discounted for this purpose. Users can interact with Olympus DAO through staking and bonding, which incentivizes users to deposit or sell their collateral to the Olympus treasury in return for discounted OHM tokens.We were joined by Olympus Founder Zeus to chat about why the protocol was created and how it works, and we address the debate about it being a Ponzi scheme.Topics covered in this episode:Zeus' background and how he got into cryptoWhy and how the OHM was createdBonding and staking within the protocolAPY on Olympus DAOHow Olympus would deal with a DAO runIs Olympus a Ponzi?The goals for Olympus this yearEpisode links:Olymus DAO websiteOlympus DiscordOlympus on TwitterZeus on TwitterSponsors:Tally: Tally 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/tallycashCowSwap: 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/cowswapThis episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst & Zubin Koticha. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/428

Zodiac is a collection of tools built according to an open standard which proposes a composable design philosophy for DAOs. Built by the Gnosis Guild team, this extension pack for DAOs enables connection between platforms, protocols, and chains, no longer confined to monolithic designs. It not only changes access, but bridges chains, organizations, and networks through DAO-to-DAO (D2D) collaboration mechanisms.We were joined by Kei Kreuther and Auryn Macmillan, founders of Gnosis Guild, a core contributor to the Zodiac platform. Hear as we chat about the rise of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations, the Zodiac Toolset and how it works, and the future of DAOs in not only the blockchain space but also in the real economy.Topics covered in this episode:Kei and Auryn's backgrounds and how they got into cryptoWhere DAOs came from and the arc of their evolutionThe overlap between DAOs and cooperativesUnraveling the abundance of DAO toolsThe components and modules of the Zodiac ToolsetThe types of legacy organizations or governance structures that are most ripe to transition into DAOsThe future of DAOs and their place within the real economyEpisode links:A prehistory of DAOsEp 33 - Reality Keys – A Certificate Authority for FactsWhat DAOs and Cooperatives can learn from each otherFostering Worker Cooperatives with Blockchain Technology: Lessons from the Colony ProjectGnosis Guild BlogZodiacGnosis Guild DiscordGnosis Guild on TwitterKei on TwitterAuryn on TwitterSponsors:Chorus 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 Sebastien Couture. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/427

The current lack of privacy on the internet exposes billions of people to mass surveillance and data breaches, undermining trust in digital services and stifling innovation. Nym is a mixnet and develops the infrastructure to prevent this data leakage by protecting every packet’s metadata at the network and application layers.We were joined by Nym's CEO & Founder Harry Halpin, and CSO Jaya Klara Brekke, to chat about the threat mass surveillance has on society, what Nym sets out to do and take a deep dive into the architecture of the protocol.Topics covered in this episode:Harry and Jaya's backgrounds and how they got into cryptoHarry's personal experience with surveillanceMass surveillance on the internetThe rationale behind the cypherpunk manifesto “transparency for the powerful, privacy for the rest of us”The 'general public's' attitude towards privacyThe Nym infrastructure, purpose and benefitsHow Nym works with other applicationsHow does incentivization workHarry's relationship with Julian AssangeEpisode links:“Privacy for end users, transparency for the infrastructure” blog postEp 339 - What Julian Assange Represents to the Crypto MovementNym websiteMain TelegramNode Setup Help ChatGitHubDocumentationYouTubeHarry on TwitterJaya on TwitterNym on TwitterSponsors:Tally: Tally 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/tallycashCowSwap: 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/cowswapThis episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst & Brian Fabian Crain. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/426

Formerly Enigma, Secret Network is a blockchain-based, open-source protocol built using the Cosmos SDK. It uses Trusted Execution Environments on nodes to marry privacy-by-default with smart contracts.We welcomed Guy Zyskind, Founder & CEO of Secret Network, back on the show to chat about the progression of the project into the new protocol and why this is now built on Cosmos, advantages and drawbacks in using Trusted Execution Environments and SGX technology over cryptography only, and why people might want to keep NFTs private.Topics covered in this episode:Guy's background and how he got into cryptoHow Enigma/Secret Network evolvedWhy the Switch to Cosmos?Trusted Execution Environment and SGXThe levels of privacy within the networkWhy CosmWasm?The future of SGX computationSecret contracts interacting with other IBC enabled chainsThe types of applications running on Secret todayNFTs on SecretEpisode links: Episode 246 - EnigmaSecret NetworkDiscordSecret Network on TwitterGuy 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 Sunny Aggarwal & Friederike Ernst. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/425

The DarkFi squad return for the second part of this 2 part episode. We chat about the FreeAssange DAO, totalitarianism in crypto, and hear about Amir's early involvement in many projects including Bitcoin, DarkMarket (OpenBazaar) and even Ethereum. Diving a bit more technical, we also cover the DarkFi platform, a new blockchain that prioritizes privacy. As a base layer for anonymous applications and smart contracts, it's a multichain interoperable, and open source product that anyone can build any type of applications on utilizing zero-knowledge proof.Topics covered in this episode:The Free Assange DAOIs transparency ever a good thing?DarkMarketTotalitarianism in cryptoAmir shares his views on EthereumSolarpunkEpisode links:Dark.FiDarkFi manifestoDarkFi Element channelDarkFi on TwitterAmir on TwitterRose on TwitterIvan on TwitterThe Dark ForestSponsors: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: Tally 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 & Sunny Aggarwal. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/424