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

Gauntlet is a simulation platform for building financial models of blockchain protocols and applications. Their platform uses machine learning methods to simulate different environments with various user behaviors and see how the system holds up in those conditions. They perform analysis on things like core mechanisms to test for liveness, block propagation, and at higher layers like simulating markets. Their offering is complementary to security audits as their analysis goes beyond code functionality and looks at how systems may behave in real-life conditions. Tarun Chitra, CEO & Founder of Gauntlet, talks about his previous life in chip manufacturing and how he built Gauntlet. He also goes deep into the machine learning and statistical analysis involved with Gauntlet. It is quite a fascinating concept and when applied to blockchain systems, there is huge potential for this to become something that is expected by users, investors, and the community for new protocols.Topics covered in this episode:Tarun’s background and how he got into cryptoChip manufacturing in the US and its geopolitical implicationsWhat sorts of things does Gauntlet model?How does historical data play a part in predicting blockchain protocol behaviorSimulation models used by GauntletGame design analysisThe parts of the crypto economic stack that would benefit from this simulation work todayHow does Gauntlet complement a security audit for a new blockchainWhat tools they use for simulationWhat Gauntlet looks like as a business and what is the roadmap going forwardEpisode links: Gauntlet websiteGauntlet on MediumTarun on MediumTarun's papersGauntlet on TwitterTarun on TwitterSponsors: Algorand: To learn more about Algorand and how it’s unique design makes it easy for developers to build sophisticated applications, visit algorand.com/epicenter - http://algorand.com/epicenterThis episode is hosted by Sebastien Couture & Sunny Aggarwal. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/356

Celo has a clear mission - to build a financial system that creates the conditions for prosperity, for everyone. The Celo Foundation is a non-profit organization that supports the growth and development of the open-source, decentralized Celo Platform. Its aim is to build a flexible network of applications built on a blockchain to facilitate payments and remittances to people’s phone numbers. Guided by the Celo community tenets, the Foundation contributes to education, technical research, environmental health, community engagement, and ecosystem outreach. These activities support and encourage an inclusive financial system that solves real-world problems such as lack of access to sound currency, or friction for cash-transfer programs aimed to alleviate poverty.They are aiming to create a new platform to connect people globally and bring financial stability to those who need it most. Rene Reinsberg and Marek Olszewski, founders of Celo, talk about how they are using blockchain technology to achieve this.Topics covered in this episode:Rene and Marek’s backgrounds and how they got into blockchainThe history of Celo and its missionSome of the friction points with the project and how they have overcome themWhat Celo are doing differently than other networksHow Celo are dealing with privacy issuesWhy they chose to build on the EVMThe go-to-market strategy that Celo has chosenHow cUSD works and how they deal with the scalability issue on the systemAs the reserve holds Bitcoin, how does the transfer of cUSD work?cUSD vs MakerThe issuance protocol for transferring assetsHost debriefEpisode links: Celo websiteThe Celo blogcLabs announces acquisition of SummaRethinking Remittances with Blockchain Technology and CeloCelo DollarsPlumo Channel on DiscordValoraCelo on TwitterRene on TwitterMarek on TwitterThis episode is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain & Meher Roy. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/355

Republic is an investment platform that allows anyone pretty much anywhere in the world, of any income and net worth, to invest in some of the best private equity startups. It allows regular people, not just a few wealthy accredited investors, to invest in highly vetted private startups, with as little as $10 or as much as $100,000 per investment.In the past, accredited investors were the only ones allowed to invest in startups through equity-based incentives. However the JOBS Act of 2016 created an exemption under the federal securities laws so that crowdfunding can be used to offer and sell securities to the general public. Republic launched just after the JOBS Act was passed with a goal to create an investment platform which was truly accessible to everyone. This was around the time that companies began raising funds with ICOs, and Republic was among the first platforms to offer a framework for Security Token Offerings.Republic has recently innovated again with their Republic Note product. This is a profit sharing token which allows investors to receive dividends when companies who raise money on the platform make an exit. The tokens are issued by Republic which distributes a portion of the exit profits to investors in proportion to their holdings. This is a similar model to the Binance Token, which isn't surprising since Republic was the first portfolio company of Binance Labs. Ken Nguyen, Co-founder and CEO of Republic, explains the advantages of crowdfunding over traditional investing, the long term regulatory implications, and the opportunities this model opens up for startup funding.Topics covered in this episode:Ken’s background and his history with AngelListThe implications from the JOBS Act 2016Ken’s vision for Republic and making investment more accessible for more peopleOverview of the US Securities Law and investingThe interaction between Republic and cryptoThe types of start-ups and investors using RepublicThe importance of the community aspect within start-ups on RepublicThe Republic Note tokenRepublic Note’s Reg A offering and what the benefits of this will beWhere Republic Note can be tradedEpisode links: Republic websiteRepublic on MediumRepublic NoteWhen will the Republic Note’s Reg A offering be qualified?Republic TwitterKen Nguyen TwitterThis episode is hosted by Sebastien Couture & Brian Fabian Crain. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/353

Republic is an investment platform that allows anyone pretty much anywhere in the world, of any income and net worth, to invest in some of the best private equity startups. It allows regular people, not just a few wealthy accredited investors, to invest in highly vetted private startups, with as little as $10 or as much as $100,000 per investment.In the past, accredited investors were the only ones allowed to invest in startups through equity-based incentives. However the JOBS Act of 2016 created an exemption under the federal securities laws so that crowdfunding can be used to offer and sell securities to the general public. Republic launched just after the JOBS Act was passed with a goal to create an investment platform which was truly accessible to everyone. This was around the time that companies began raising funds with ICOs, and Republic was among the first platforms to offer a framework for Security Token Offerings.Republic has recently innovated again with their Republic Note product. This is a profit sharing token which allows investors to receive dividends when companies who raise money on the platform make an exit. The tokens are issued by Republic which distributes a portion of the exit profits to investors in proportion to their holdings. This is a similar model to the Binance Token, which isn't surprising since Republic was the first portfolio company of Binance Labs. Ken Nguyen, Co-founder and CEO of Republic, explains the advantages of crowdfunding over traditional investing, the long term regulatory implications, and the opportunities this model opens up for startup funding.Topics covered in this episode:Ken’s background and his history with AngelListThe implications from the JOBS Act 2016Ken’s vision for Republic and making investment more accessible for more peopleOverview of the US Securities Law and investingThe interaction between Republic and cryptoThe types of start-ups and investors using RepublicThe importance of the community aspect within start-ups on RepublicThe Republic Note tokenRepublic Note’s Reg A offering and what the benefits of this will beWhere Republic Note can be tradedEpisode links: Republic websiteRepublic on MediumRepublic NoteWhen will the Republic Note’s Reg A offering be qualified?Republic TwitterKen Nguyen TwitterThis episode is hosted by Sebastien Couture & Brian Fabian Crain. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/353

SKALE Network's modular protocol is one of the first of its kind to allow developers to build application specific blockchains. These are interoperable and compatible with the Ethereum mainchain, and the entire Ethereum ecosystem. They provide the benefits of decentralization without compromising on computation, storage, or security.The focus of SKALE Network is slightly different to other scaling solutions, many of which we have had on the show in the past. SKALE Network aims to scale smart contracts, not necessarily transaction throughput. Think of it as a highly performant Ethereum as a service side chain, where developers can deploy their own app specific blockchains. Within the scale network, their dapps will benefit from thousands of TPS with zero gas fees, and addons like file storage. In the future, it’s possible that SKALE will support other addons like machine learning. Jack O'Holleran, CEO and Co-Founder of SKALE Labs, talks about how they are tackling the scaling issues on Ethereum.Topics covered in this episode:Jack's background and how he got into cryptocurrencyJack's thoughts on the problem of scaling on EthereumWhat is a SKALE node and how to start oneComparisons to Cosmos, Polkadot and Eth 2.0 shardingThe SKALE NetworkThe purpose of the SKALE Manager and how it interacts with validators and nodesCreating a dapp on the SKALE networkWhat is the future of access to connectors - are stores an option?How security properties work on the networkWho are the users of SKALE and how does one onboard to the networkThe NODE Foundation - the launch and grants availableEpisode links: SKALE Labs WebsiteSKALE WhitepaperSKALE DevelopersSKALE DiscordThe NODE FoundationSKALE Labs TwitterJack TwitterThis episode is hosted by Sebastien Couture & Sunny Aggarwal. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/352

Ampleforth is a cryptocurrency attempting to become an essential building block to an alternative financial ecosystem. The protocol’s native token, AMPL, is a non collateralized cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin, but with a twist: It is supply elastic. This means the token and protocol will automatically increase or decrease the quantity of tokens held in user wallets based on 24 hour weighted volume price. AMPL operates as an ERC-20 token on top of the Ethereum blockchain. Some claim that the Ampleforth protocol’s implementation of “countercyclical” economic policy makes it a good complimentary collateral because they posit that this mechanism ought to give AMPL a low correlation to the likes of BTC and ETH. Others are not so sure: Does it really make a difference whether you have an inelastic supply without a target price, or an elastic supply with a target price of one? Is AMPL really not correlated to other types of collateral, and should this be so, does it even matter?There has been a lot of chatter about Ampleforth in recent months. Is it legit, or is it a scam, 'HEX with Stanford credentials', as one pundit commented? We spoke with the co-founder Evan Kuo, who attempts to explain how it all works and straighten out misconceptions surrounding the protocol.Topics covered in this episode:Evan’s backgroundWhat is Ampleforth and its missionWhat is Ampleforth’s value proposition and the rules based system it usesHow the rebasing worksSlow traders vs fast tradersWhere profits from fast traders come fromUsing Ampleforth as base moneyToken distributionThe integration hurdles with AMPLDoes the community truly understand the protocol?Episode links: Ampleforth websiteAMPL TalkAMPL Token DistributionAmpleforth White PaperAmpleforth TwitterEvan Kuo TwitterThis episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst & Sunny Aggarwal. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/351

Balancer is a generalized automated market maker (AMM) protocol built on Ethereum. It allows anyone to create or add liquidity to customizable pools and earn trading fees. On one side there are liquidity providers (LPs) that generally seek to balance their holdings, and they get rewarded with trading fees. On the other side, traders that are looking for the best rate possible.One way to look at Balancer is as a generalization of Uniswap, however Balancer pools aren't restricted to the same 50/50 split between 2 tokens. A Balancer pool can support up to 8 tokens with any weights. It supports smart order routing which ensures trades get sent to the pools which provide the best rate possible. They can be seen as self balancing index funds which pay you for contributing liquidity to the platform. Instead of paying fees to portfolio managers to rebalance your portfolio, you collect fees from traders, who continuously rebalance your portfolio by following arbitrage opportunities.The inner workings are quite complex but CEO & Co-founder of Balancer, Fernando Martinelli, breaks down the token economics and governance of the protocol for us.Topics covered in this episode:Fernando’s background and how he got into the spaceBalancer's connection to MakerAn introduction to liquidity mining and some of the problems with thisThe connection to the Uniswap formulaWhat Balancer is and how the protocol worksHow does this work as a Portfolio Management tool and how dynamic are the feesHow smart pools wok - The network of pools and the offchain set upHow the weighting system works on BalancerThe options for users - keeping it simple and the data that is available in your Balancer accountGovernance tokensHow the BAL token is designed and how it worksHow finance for the protocol is raisedThe future plan of dissolving BalancerHow they plan to attract volumeWhat’s coming up in Balancer V2Episode links: Balancer WebsiteBalancer White PaperBalancer DiscordBalancer BlogBalancer TwitterFernando TwitterThis episode is hosted by Sunny Aggarwal & Meher Roy. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/350

UMA, or Universal Market Access, is an open source financial contracts protocol for building synthetic assets. It allows any two counterparties to design and create their own financial contracts for derivatives. An example of these assets in the traditional finance world, are interest rate derivatives. These are used to hedge against fluctuations in currency exchange rates. Today, interest rate derivatives are commonly used and the contracts to create these are standardized. Similarly, UMA allows anyone to create a derivative on a blockchain. Enforcement of agreement will be enforced by the network and so will settlement.What’s unique about UMA is how it ensures proper collateralization of derivatives. Maker and other platforms based on collateralized positions use a price oracle and will automatically liquidate positions if they go below a certain threshold. UMA is ‘priceless’ and does not use an on-chain price feed as the primary means to determine proper collateralization. Rather, it incentivizes participants to identify improperly collateralized positions. UMA token holders essentially vote on the price. Allison Lu, co-founder of UMA, chats in-depth about the platform and provides a great introduction to the world of financial derivatives.Topics covered in this episode:Allison’s background and how she got into blockchainWhat derivatives are and how they work in the legacy financial systemHow the UMA protocol worksHow synthetic tokens are traded and fungibilityCreating put options on the frameworkHow does this compare to prediction marketsUMA’s liquid mechanismPriceless syntheticsWhat are the incentives on the protocolThe importance of delayed reaction timesHow liquidation work and minting worksHow to prevent scammingThe dispute process and corruptionWhat makes the UMA protocol uniqueThe UMA roadmapEpisode links: UMA WebsiteUMA DocsUMA GithubUMA MediumUMA TwitterAllison Lu TwitterThis episode is hosted by Sunny Aggarwal & Friederike Ernst. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/349

Numerai, the "hardest data science tournament on the planet". It's a hedge fund with its own distributed research platform designed specifically for AIs. It's the first of its kind and takes a radically different approach to making market predictions. It's completely crowd-sourced and data scientists around the world compete to create the best predictions and get paid with cryptocurrencies. Users are completely blind to the data and Numerai is blind to the code, and the predictive models users generate. The result is a hedge fund which is market neutral, currency neutral, and geography neutral. It makes all decisions solely on the data.Richard Craib, Founder of Numerai, was first on the show 3 years ago when the project's token, Numeraire, was just launched. Since then they have released a number of additions to the network including Numerai Signals and Erasure Bay, with plenty more in the pipeline.Topics covered in this episode:An overview of what the past 3 years since the last episodeThe Numerai staking modelNumerai datasetsWhat is a market neutral fundNumerai’s current assets and their position in the marketStaking liquid NMRThe latest project - Numerai SignalsNumerai's prediction markets Erasure BayHow the future looks for hedge funding on the blockchainEpisode links:Numerai websiteErasure BayNumerai SignalsNumerai MediumNumerai TwitterRichard Craib TwitterThis episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst & Meher Roy. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/348

Polkadot is a unique protocol connecting multiple purpose-built blockchains into one scalable network. It's using blockchain technology to make way for new markets and future decentralized economies and has many stand out features. It's a sharded multichain network enabling many transactions on several chains in parallel. It offers interoperability and cross-chain communication. Communities on Polkadot govern their own network, and hold a stake in the future of Polkadot’s network governance as a whole. It also enables forkless upgrades, allowing blockchains to evolve and adapt easily. Over 100 projects have been or are currently being built for the Polkadot ecosystem, in a wide range of services and systems.After being in the development stage for 3 years, Polkadot was launched earlier this year. It's the first project by Web3 Foundation, and Parity are behind the development. Dieter Fishbein, Head of Ecosystem Development at Web3 Foundation, and Joe Petrowski, Research Analyst at Parity Technologies, share an in depth overview on the economics and incentives behind the protocol.Polkadot is designed to take back our digital sovereignty from powerful third-parties who currently control the web. It promises to take blockchain technology to the next level, and we believe it will do just that.Topics covered in this episode:Dieter and Joe’s backgrounds and how they got into the crypto spaceThe Polkadot visionThe key components of the Polkadot protocolKusama - Polkadot's cousinScalability, Security, and InteroperabilityThe stages of the Polkadot launch and what is coming nextBuilding with SubstrateThe parachains being developedLeasing parachain slotsRunning validators on PolkadotEpisode links:Polkadot WebsiteKusama WebsiteThe Polkadot launchPolkadot TwitterDieter Fishbein TwitterJoe Petrowski TwitterThis episode is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain & Sunny Aggarwal. Show notes and listening options: epicenter.tv/347