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

Adrian Brink, Co-founder of Anoma, dives into the revolutionary concept of cross-chain interoperability and privacy in decentralized applications. He explores how Anoma transforms traditional dApps into an intent-driven model, allowing users to define desired outcomes more easily. The discussion highlights the significance of a modular architecture and the importance of decentralization for resilient infrastructure. Adrian also addresses the challenges and innovations in cryptocurrency privacy, emphasizing user agency amidst regulatory changes.

In a world where everyone chases every basis point of marginal return, core values are often overlooked. The emergence of liquid staking protocols made stake delegation a norm rather than an exception. The hassles of running their own node and dealing with slashing risks were often too much of a burden for regular users. Dappnode offers both hardware and open-source software solutions for home stakers which are as facile to implement as a plug-n-play device. Their newly released Dappnode Smooth aims to offer the advantages of staking pools (via smart contracts), without centralisation risks.Topics covered in this episode:Eduardo’s and Pol’s backgroundsFounding DappnodeDappnode userbaseSupported networksDappnode’s tech stackSetting up DappnodeDappstoreUpdating nodesDappnode hardware usage percentageDappnode SmoothSolo staking vs. liquid stakingDistributed validator technology (DVT)RestakingETH issuanceFuture roadmap for DappnodeEpisode links:Eduardo Antuna on TwitterPol Lanski on TwitterDappnode on TwitterSponsors: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: Chorus One is one of the largest node operators worldwide, supporting more than 100,000 delegators, across 45 networks. The recently launched OPUS allows staking up to 8,000 ETH in a single transaction. Enjoy the highest yields and institutional grade security at - chorus.oneThis episode is hosted by Friederike Ernst.

Dan Held, a notable Bitcoin educator and general partner at Asymmetric, shares his journey from marketing at Kraken to launching a Bitcoin DeFi fund. He discusses how the emergence of Ordinals has unveiled Bitcoin's untapped potential, driving interest in Layer 2 solutions. Held explores DeFi's transformational impact on Bitcoin, the significance of OPCAT for scalability, and the challenges of maintaining decentralization. He also touches on the future of transaction fees and how they relate to network security, painting an optimistic picture for Bitcoin's evolution.

Join Jason Yanowitz, co-founder of BlockWorks, as he reveals the evolution of their crypto media brand and the landscape of cryptocurrency conferences. He discusses how AI and meme coins are reshaping the market, and the challenges of decentralized application technology. The conversation touches on the complexities of stablecoins, including yield distribution and the competitive dynamics of the market. From podcasting strategies to the future of crypto applications, this engaging discussion covers it all!

Konstantin Lomashuk, co-founder of cyber•Fund and Lido DAO, dives deep into the evolution of the cybernetic economy and his entrepreneurial journey. He reflects on early investments in cryptocurrencies like Ethereum and the foundational moments of the Cosmos Network. Konstantin emphasizes the challenges of scaling businesses and the significance of decentralized governance. He also contrasts Solana and Ethereum, discussing their paths to innovation and the integration of AI in crypto, raising concerns about centralization while exploring new investment opportunities.

Ismail Khoffi, a pioneer in blockchain scalability and modularity, teams up with Mustafa Al-Bassam, an expert in rollups and interoperability. They dive into Celestia's revolutionary approach to blockchain with its modular architecture. The duo discusses how Celestia prioritizes data availability and scalability. They also unveil innovations like lazy bridging and Zero-Knowledge proofs that promise enhanced interoperability. Plus, they explore the balance of decentralization and governance, highlighting the potential of sovereign rollups in the evolving crypto landscape.

Trent McConaghy, a pioneer in AI and cryptocurrency, teams up with Richard Craib, an expert on prediction markets, to explore the evolution and impact of prediction markets in crypto. They discuss how AI has transformed these markets through advanced predictive models. The conversation touches on Numerai's unique crypto hedge fund and the collaborative potential with Predictoor. They also delve into the complexities of user dynamics, the future of decentralized prediction markets, and how AI could solve market inefficiencies.

In this discussion, Sam Hart, head of product at Skip Protocol, shares insights on creating seamless cross-chain experiences in the Cosmos ecosystem. He dives into the challenges of interoperability, highlighting the role of Skip’s innovative Go API and Skip:Connect tools. Sam explores the ongoing competition between Ethereum and Cosmos, addressing unique economic behaviors and the impact of Miner Extractable Value. He also discusses the future of cross-chain monetization and the importance of enhancing user experiences through advanced blockchain solutions.

In this day and age, privacy and confidentiality are more important than ever. Advancements in the cryptographic research of zero knowledge proofs (ZKPs), fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) and multi-party computation (MPC) paved the way for computational integrity and confidential computing. While FHE allows for computation to be performed on encrypted data without the need for prior decryption, it is MPC that enables compliance with regulations (e.g. AML). Arcium aims to build a global super computer for parallelised confidential computing, powered by custom MXEs (multi-party computation execution environments).Topics covered in this episode:Yannik’s backgroundConfidentiality & decentralised complianceConfidential computingTEEs (trusted execution environments) & side-channel attacksZKP vs. MPC vs. FHEArcium’s global super computer architectureHow Arcium differentiates itself from other privacy protocolsUse casesCensorship risksEcosystem developmentEpisode links:Yannik Schrade on TwitterArcium on TwitterSponsors: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: Chorus One is one of the largest node operators worldwide, supporting more than 100,000 delegators, across 45 networks. The recently launched OPUS allows staking up to 8,000 ETH in a single transaction. Enjoy the highest yields and institutional grade security at - chorus.oneThis episode is hosted by Sebastien Couture & Felix Lutsch.

The future is multi-chain, scalable and modular. However, while Cosmos’ IBC set the standard for interoperability, Ethereum’s L2 shift revealed a huge problem of liquidity fragmentation across the many rollups fighting for market share. Polymer aims to bridge the two ecosystems and bring the best of both worlds: Ethereum’s native liquidity and Cosmos’ interoperability, through a modular framework using the OP-stack and IBC.Topics covered in this episode:Bo’s background and the evolution of PolymerScaling limits of L1s vs. L2sThe ‘endgame’ for rollup frameworksIBCInteroperability & network topology: 70’s/80’s vs. blockchainsPolymer hubMonomer frameworkPre-confirmation & finality trade-offsCross-rollup interoperabilityBuilding appchains with MonomerModularityEpisode links:Bo Du on TwitterPolymer Labs on TwitterSponsors: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: Chorus One is one of the largest node operators worldwide, supporting more than 100,000 delegators, across 45 networks. The recently launched OPUS allows staking up to 8,000 ETH in a single transaction. Enjoy the highest yields and institutional grade security at - chorus.oneThis episode is hosted by Sebastien Couture.