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

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.

Even though current LLM providers usually charge flat rates regardless if the subscriber is a ‘power user’ or not, as AI agents become the workhorses of the online economy, a dynamic AI-to-AI payments infrastructure would prove crucial for proper remuneration. Nevermined proposes a blockchain-agnostic, AI-agnostic credit system, that each builder can use to implement custom pricing strategies for their users. As the next trillion transactions will be mostly performed by AI agents, a universal payment system would help streamline integrations and economic interactions.Topics covered in this episode:Don’s backgroundIntegrating payment systems in the agentic economyMarketplaces vs. payment systemsAI agentic economyFixed vs. variable pricing strategiesLicense tokenizationSettlement and payment for AI agentsEstimating price and avoiding overchargesNevermined’s tech stack and integrationsValue propNevermined metricsEpisode links:Don Gossen on XNevermined 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.

As more and more protocols compete for marketshare, user acquisition represents one of the most important elements of the GTM strategy. Web3 projects, through their governance tokens, can incentivise users directly to participate in meaningful activities for each protocol, subsidising their revenue generation through vested upside in the project. Turtle Club built the first distribution protocol of Web3, helping its users maximise their rewards they get for meaningful on-chain activities that help bootstrap projects.Topics covered in this episode:Esfandiar’s backgroundThe evolution of DeFiYield sustainability in DeFiDeFi vs. TradFiQuantifying riskMain blockers for DeFi adoptionOn-chain transparency or privacy?What is missing in DeFi?Genesis story of Turtle ClubHow Turtle Club users accrue rewardsEpisode links:Esfandiar Lagevardi on LinkedInTurtle Club 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: 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 Brian Fabian Crain.

Jason Zhao, Co-founder of Story Protocol and a former DeepMind and Stanford researcher, dives into the evolving landscape of intellectual property (IP) in the age of AI. He reveals current IP pain points and discusses how Story Protocol aims to democratize IP management through blockchain, enabling creators to tokenize their work. The conversation highlights innovative applications, the importance of transparency, and the legal frameworks necessary for IP enforcement. Jason also shares future plans for community engagement and collaboration in this transformative journey.

Fernando Martinelli, Co-founder of Balancer Protocol, dives into the evolution and innovation of automated market makers (AMMs) in DeFi. He discusses Balancer's unique features, including the shift to a developer-centric approach and the game-changing launch of Balancer V3. The conversation covers fungible vs non-fungible liquidity strategies, enhanced developer tools, and the innovative hooks for customizable AMMs. Martinelli also addresses MEV mitigation and how Balancer aims to protect users while scaling efficiently.

Laszlo Szabo, co-founder of Kiln, transitions from hospitality to revolutionizing digital assets with his staking-as-a-service platform. He discusses Kiln's impressive achievements, securing over $13 billion in assets without slashing events. Laszlo sheds light on the intricacies of liquid staking and the growing institutional interest in decentralized finance. The conversation also highlights Kiln's mission to simplify staking for businesses through innovative solutions, making value creation more accessible in the crypto space.

David Tse, a Stanford professor and founder of Babylon, dives into the groundbreaking approach of integrating Bitcoin's security with staking to protect other networks. He discusses the challenges and breakthroughs in native BTC staking and how it could revolutionize liquidity in the blockchain ecosystem. The conversation touches on the significance of the OP_CAT upgrade for Bitcoin's scripting capabilities and the ambitious vision of Babylon in bridging Bitcoin with proof-of-stake networks. Could this be a new frontier for Bitcoin's evolution? Tune in to find out!

The DeFi landscape has significantly evolved since 2018 when Chainlink was launched. Recent developments such as L2 rollups, liquid staking, restaking and the rise of BTC DeFi have created huge demand for more customizable, modular oracles that would be able to provide accurate data for countless use cases, crosschain. RedStone set out to do exactly that and are now securing over $6.6 bn worth of assets (1000+ assets), across more than 60 chains, without a single mispricing event.Topics covered in this episode:Marcin’s backgroundEarly oracle landscapeRedStone’s technical architectureNetwork incentivesData aggregation moduleNode operator modulePush vs. Pull oraclesRedStone’s business modelThe role of RedStone tokenPyth vs. RedStoneRestakingOracle extractable valueSynergies between oracles and institutional investorsEpisode links:Marcin Kazmierczak on XRedStone 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: 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 Brian Fabian Crain.

Traditional KYC and AML regulations have often forced companies to comply, without having the right tools to do so. Simply storing users’ personal information led to the creation of security honeypots which haven’t gone unnoticed by hackers. Web3 solutions like Privado ID aim to cryptographically prove certain traits from a user’s personal data, without disclosing it to the enquirer. This is usually made possible through zero knowledge proofs which allow users to store their personal data on their own device and only exchange verifiable credentials with trusted issuers. City of Buenos Aires has adopted a similar implementation through their Quark ID system, a digital trust framework that creates a new digital identity system, giving people control over their information.Topics covered in this episode:Evin’s background and founding DiscoPolygon ID acquisition and blockchain agnostic decentralized IDsDiego’s background, from private to public practicePrivado ID and its registry of reputation issuersUse cases, DevEx and UXKYC and regulationsBuenos Aires digital ID systemReal world applications of Quark IDUX frictions and solutionsZK verificationSocietal impact and adoptionEthical considerations around DIDsThe role of blockchains in other real world applicationsEpisode links:Evin McMullen on XDiego Fernandez on XPrivado ID on XQuark ID 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: 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.

One of the most limited blockchain resources is blockspace. From Bitcoin’s Blocksize Wars to Ethereum’s scaling roadmap, a common denominator seems to have emerged in the form of rollups. Advancements in zero knowledge proofs have enabled trustless bridges, which are a cornerstone to onboarding liquidity to any blockchain. Furthermore, Celestia’s modular approach to blockchain architecture and their recent commitment to gigabyte blocks of data availability marked the beginning of commoditization for rollups. Abundance is the first rollup-as-a-service platform that is able to scale to 1 gigagas/second throughput, finally bringing off-chain applications, on-chain.Topics covered in this episode:Gelato’s pivot to rollup-as-a-service platformSovereign rollupsEnshrined bridges and settlement proofsAbundance and 1 Gigagas/second rollupsModularitySecurity assumptionsSequencer (de)centralisationSocial consensusCelestia’s DA layer bandwidthEthereum native rollupsDecentralisation and censorship-resistanceEpisode links:Hilmar Orth on XGelato Network on XAbundance 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: 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.