The DCo Podcast

In this episode, Luca Netz shares how he took a failing NFT collection and turned it into one of the fastest-growing Web3 brands. We dive into his three-pillar model of ecosystem, attention, and revenue; and explore how Pudgy has sold over 1.5M toys through Walmart and Target, signed 45+ licensing deals, and built a business where culture and cash flow compound.In the episode, talk about: • How 80% of Pudgy’s revenue comes from licensing (45+ active deals) • Why arcade machines, toys, and games beat token drops in driving brand value • What “tokenized culture” actually means—and how it becomes a moat • The future of consumer crypto and Luca’s bet on Abstract’s Portal • Why the next big crypto success might not feel like crypto at all • How to fix crypto’s broken consumer journey • How to turn IP into retail + social currency without losing the core community. Chapters 0:00 – Intro 2:45 – Tokenising Culture, Memes & Influence 10:48 - The role of speculation 15:30 – The Three Pillars of Crypto Value: Ecosystem, Attention & Revenue 21:55 – The Pudgy Playbook: Community, Marketing & $50M Revenue 27:56 – What Luca knew when he bid $2.5 million on Pudgy IP 30:45 – What's Broken in Consumer Crypto 38:20 – Fixing Onboarding: Abstract Portal & The Future of Adoption 49:43 – Building for Gen Z & Gen Alpha 51:10 – Lessons from $PENGU Airdrop 54:09 – Is Token a Product? If you want to know more about Luca, we recently published a story on him here — https://www.thetokendispatch.com/p/the-luca-netz-story 👥 Guest: Luca Netz – CEO at Pudgy Penguins and Igloo Twitter: https://x.com/LucaNetz 🎙️ Host: Saurabh Deshpande – DCo Podcast Twitter: https://x.com/desh_saurabh 📬 Stay Updated: Subscribe to DCo Newsletter → https://www.decentralised.co/subscribe Follow DCo on Twitter → https://x.com/Decentralisedco This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.decentralised.co

We sit down with Androo and Andy from HypurrFi who are building at the intersection of on-chain credit and real-world usability.While most DeFi protocols treat borrowing as a one-time action, HypurrFi is making debt dynamic. Think refinancing, real-time spending, and routing capital across markets—without closing your position.We cover:— Why HypurrFi is focused on active debt management— How they're using USDXL (a synthetic dollar) as a programmable debt rail— Why their on-chain card integration changes how crypto holders can spend— How they’re thinking about traders, tax-advantaged holders, and capital efficiency— Why building on Hyperliquid gives them a unique edge, and what the challenges are— What “debt servicing” really means (and how it differs from basic lending)Timestamps —00:00: Introduction01:30 Backgrounds02:00: The Hyperliquid Ecosystem10:20: "Everyone Is Coming" Thesis20:00: HyperFi's Core Products & Vision32:00: The Card & The Philosophy of Debt46:00: Debt Servicing58:00: Competition👥 Guest:Androo Lloyd – Co-Founder at HypurrFiTwitter: https://x.com/androolloydAndy – Head of Growth at HypurrFiTwitter: https://x.com/andyhyfi🎙️ Host: Saurabh Deshpande – DCo PodcastTwitter: https://x.com/desh_saurabh📬 Stay Updated:Subscribe to DCo Newsletter → https://www.decentralised.co/subscribeFollow DCo on Twitter → https://x.com/Decentralisedco This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.decentralised.co

Kinetiq co-founder and Hyperliquid contributor Omnia joins to unpack how Hyperliquid evolved from a DEX into a liquidity layer, what HIPs unlock, and why apps like Phantom and Kinetiq are treating it as default.Chapters —00:00 Podcast Opening & Disclaimer00:19 Kinetic's Launch & Market Context03:20 Hyperliquid's Core Thesis11:33 Hyperliquid Technical Architecture20:30 Understanding Hyperliquid Improvement Proposals (HIPs)36:10 Kinetiq's Staking Solutions & Platform Decentralisation46:06 Custody and Compliant Staking on Hyperliquid01:01:24 Builder Codes and On-Chain Asset Growth👥 Guest: Omnia – Co-founder at Kinetiq Twitter: https://x.com/0xOmnia🎙️ Host: Saurabh Deshpande – DCo Podcast Twitter: https://x.com/desh_saurabh📬 Stay Updated: Subscribe to DCo Newsletter → https://www.decentralised.co/subscribeFollow DCo on Twitter → https://x.com/Decentralisedco This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.decentralised.co

While everyone's been copying MicroStrategy's Bitcoin strategy, Sol Strategies took a different approach. CEO Leah Wald and CTO Max Kaplan join me to discuss why they're building actual infrastructure around Solana instead of just holding tokens. Sol Strategies is a publicly listed company (CSE: HODL) - formerly Cypherpunk Holdings - that transformed from one of the first Bitcoin treasury vehicles in North America into a comprehensive Solana infrastructure company.Sol Strategies now manages more than $500 million worth of SOL through its validators.🎯 Inside the Episode:• Why Sol Strategies chose Solana over Bitcoin & Ethereum• How they generate yield through staking & validators• Why native yield changes everything for crypto treasury companies• Why premium to NAV won't last forever (and what comes next)• The future of tokenised stocks and Solana DeFi• Why institutional investors are finally paying attention• Breakdown of Solana's performance vs. Hyperliquid• What will change with new Solana validator clients like Firedancer & AlpenglowTimestamps —0:00  Introduction & The Vision for Solana Investment5:40  Sol Strategies’ Journey and Investment Thesis11:58  Market Dynamics and Fundraising19:16 Why Sol Strategies is Bullish on Solana 27:10 Hyperliquid vs Solana30:33 How is Solana going to get better?34:39  The Future of On-Chain Assets & Revenue Diversification👥 Guest:Leah Wald – CEO at SOL Strategies Twitter: https://x.com/leahwaldMax Kaplan – CTO at SOL Strategies Twitter: https://x.com/maxekaplan🎙️ Host: Saurabh Deshpande – DCo PodcastTwitter: https://x.com/desh_saurabh📬 Stay Updated: Subscribe to DCo Newsletter → https://www.decentralised.co/subscribeFollow DCo on Twitter → https://x.com/Decentralisedco This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.decentralised.co

What actually happens after you hit “swap”?In this episode, Saurabh is joined by Nikita Ovchinnik, founder of BarterSwap, to break down the mechanics of routing, MEV, solvers, and the invisible infrastructure that powers billions in DeFi volume.They explore:– Why AMMs leak value and how orderbooks are making a comeback– The role of solvers, searchers, and market makers in intent-based trading– How MEV is created, who captures it, and whether it can ever be eradicated– BarterSwap’s new product, Superposition — liquidity without TVL– Why most liquidity providers lose money, and what alternatives could work better– Expansion to Solana, L2s, and building infrastructure that scales across chainsBarterSwap has routed over $11B in trades. But its model isn’t extractive — it’s about giving users more control over execution, pricing, and outcomes. This episode will make you understand how DeFi works behind the scenes.00:18 Introduction to MEV and BarterSwap03:52 AMMs vs Order Books07:15 The Role of Liquidity Providers in DeFi13:31 Exploring MEV19:29 Barter's Approach to MEV27:50 Liquidity Management with Barter's Superposition31:14 Barter's Multi-Chain Strategy33:40 MEV - Good or Bad?33:51 How Barter is Tackling MEV34:30 How Superposition Allows Users to Provide Liquidity Without Deploying Assets into a Pool36:18 Future Plans to Integrate Solana?40:47 Barter's Business Model👉 Related reading:The Inevitability of MEV👥 Guest: Nikita Ovchinnik – Co-founder at BarterSwapTwitter: https://x.com/novaovchinnik🎙️ Host: Saurabh Deshpande – DCo PodcastTwitter: https://x.com/desh_saurabh📬 Stay Updated: Subscribe to DCo Newsletter → https://www.decentralised.co/subscribeFollow DCo on Twitter → https://x.com/Decentralisedco This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.decentralised.co

Most discussions about crypto UX revolve around decentralisation and ease of use. Mats Olson, co-founder and CTO of Dune, dives deeper into the overlooked importance of real-time data infrastructure. Mats explains why blockchains, built as write-optimised databases, make data retrieval challenging and how Dune is solving this critical problem.We explore:• Why Dune’s community-driven approach to analytics succeeded without incentives• The pragmatic trade-offs between decentralisation and usability• How their latest product, SIM, provides real-time cross-chain data• What separates crypto teams that thrive from those that struggle with data strategyChapters — 00:00 Introduction to Dune and Its Evolution02:56 User-Generated Content and Community Engagement05:59 Expanding Beyond Analytics08:58 The Role of Data in Crypto (Retail vs. Institutional Usage)11:58 Challenges of On-Chain Data and Infrastructure15:03 Acquisitions and Future Directions for Dune17:47 The Future of AI in Data Analytics21:12 Decentralisation vs. Pragmatism in Crypto Applications👥 Guest: Mats Olsen – Co-founder & CTO at Dune Twitter: https://x.com/mewwts 🎙️ Host: Saurabh Deshpande – DCo Podcast Twitter: https://x.com/desh_saurabh 📬 Stay Updated: Subscribe to DCo Newsletter → https://www.decentralised.co/subscribe Follow DCo on Twitter → https://x.com/Decentralisedco This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.decentralised.co

Forecasting and prediction tools are missing links in DeFi and Mode Network is trying to fill that gap.In this episode, James Ross (co-founder of Mode and Synthdata) talks about building smarter forecasting systems for DeFi. We dig into how Mode is using BitTensor’s decentralised AI network to power real-time risk analysis, how agents could drive most on-chain activity in the future, and why better decision-making tools are critical for DeFi’s next evolution.We also cover:• Why forecasting short-term volatility matters• How Synthdata's subnet incentivises accurate predictions• The behavioural challenge of trusting agents with capital• What still needs to be proven before these systems can scale👥 Guest: James Ross – Founder, Mode Network and SynthTower Twitter: https://x.com/jrosstreacher 🎙️ Host: Saurabh Deshpande – DCo Podcast Twitter: https://x.com/desh_saurabh 📬 Stay Updated: Subscribe to DCo Newsletter → https://www.decentralised.co/subscribe Follow DCo on Twitter → https://x.com/Decentralisedco This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.decentralised.co

Stablecoins are crypto’s biggest product-market fit—$230B and growing. But the pipes that move them? Broken.In this episode, Saurabh speaks with Jay Kurahashi-Sofue (CMO) and Ryne Sachs (CEO) of Eco, who are building something surprisingly rare in crypto: infrastructure that actually works. Not another stablecoin—but a liquidity layer that coordinates capital intelligently across chains.We dive into:• Fragmented across venues and pools• How Eco’s “crowd liquidity” model lets users earn yield without impermanent loss• Eco's GTM and incentive mechanisms🎙️ Guests:Ryne Saxe – CEO, Eco Inc.Twitter: https://x.com/rynesaxeJay Kurahashi-Sofue – CMO, Eco Inc.Twitter: https://x.com/jayks🎧 Host:Saurabh Deshpande – DCo PodcastTwitter: https://x.com/desh_saurabh📬 Stay Updated:Subscribe to DCo Newsletter → https://www.decentralised.co/subscribeFollow DCo on Twitter → https://x.com/Decentralisedco This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.decentralised.co

From regulatory battles that forced him out of DeFi, to the conviction that drew him back, Andre opens up about the unseen cost of innovation in a space that now rewards safety over experimentation.This isn’t a retrospective of Yearn or a breakdown of his past projects. It’s a look at why composability collapsed, how decentralisation became a UX burden, and why most builders today are creating walled gardens instead of primitives.We explore:• The psychological and legal toll of building in public• Why upgradability killed trust and composability in DeFi• Ethereum’s missed opportunity: 2% utilisation and a path to 8x throughput• The paradox of building secure, decentralised systems for users who don’t want to deal with either• Why Andre thinks you shouldn’t build in crypto and what to do if you still want toThis episode isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about reckoning with the systems we’ve created, and the incentives we’ve chosen.If you’ve ever asked yourself whether it’s still worth building in this space, this is the episode to watch.Timestamps — 00:00 Introduction 01:34 Navigating Regulatory Challenges in Crypto03:09 Legal Battles and SEC Interactions09:23 The Shift in Market Participants and Decentralization13:59 Innovation Stagnation in DeFi18:00 Balancing User Experience and Decentralization34:00 Scalability and the Limitations of Ethereum41:17 Innovations in DeFi Primitives44:10 Advice for Builders👥 Guest: Andre Cronje – CTO, Sonic LabsTwitter: https://x.com/andrecronjetech 🎙️ Host: Saurabh Deshpande – DCo Podcast Twitter: https://x.com/desh_saurabh 📬 Stay Updated: Subscribe to DCo Newsletter → https://www.decentralised.co/subscribe Follow DCo on Twitter → https://x.com/Decentralisedco This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.decentralised.co

Recorded just before the market was hit by tariff chaos, this episode captures a rare quiet moment—and uses it to unpack the deeper mechanics of how crypto actually works.From the Hyperliquid–JELLY saga to the evolving reality of intents, solvers, and Ethereum’s fragmentation, Jose brings sharp, grounded perspective without the fluff.This isn’t a polished panel or pitch deck walkthrough. It’s a low-pressure, free-flowing conversation that cuts through the noise—from Solana’s competitive shift to stablecoin strategies and the quiet rise of Pendle. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.decentralised.co