The Smart Economy Podcast: Real-World Blockchain Applications with Crypto, DeFi, NFTs, and DAOs

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Matthew Commons, President of the Verified USD Foundation, an independent entity accountable for USDV, dedicated to nurturing a stablecoin ecosystem that enables equitable value-sharing of benefits among its community of contributors.Join them as they:Weigh in on the Verified USD Foundation’s vision of building a next-generation stablecoinDelve into the inner workings of the Verified USD FoundationExamine the impact of permissionless stablecoins on the next wave of usersUnpack the technical aspects of the ColorTrace algorithmShine a light on the Verified USD Foundation’s mission to bridge centralized and decentralized financeDiscuss Matthew’s journey into the crypto spaceAnd much more!Matthew Commons is President of the Verified USD Foundation, Founder and President of Commons Partners, and the Co-Founder of Cambridge Blockchain. His experience as a successful founder, CEO, and CFO includes leading global expansion, raising capital, and building strategic partnerships with institutions such as PayPal, Goldman Sachs, Digital Currency Group, Foxconn, and Kleiner Perkins. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAOStaking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockXThe Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of ObligateAttention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guestThe Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Gabe Frank, the Founder of Arcade.xyz, a DeFi protocol on Ethereum that specializes in NFT lending. It operates as a non-custodial Web3 application and financial “super app” for NFTs and other unique on-chain assets.Join them as they:Weigh in on the current state of the NFT spaceDiscuss Gabe’s journey into cryptoDelve into the mechanics of NFT lending on ArcadeExplore the technical infrastructure and integration of Arcade’s platformWeigh up the importance of KYT and transaction monitoringExamine the role of the Arcade DAO Shine a light on the future of NFT lending And much more!Gabe Frank is the Founder of Arcade.xyz and the Co-Founder and CEO of Non-fungible Technologies. He has been involved in the crypto space since 2018 and has experience in custodial services and institutional digital asset wallets, having previously worked at BitGo and Curve. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAOStaking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockXThe Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of ObligateAttention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guestThe Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Austin Federa, Head of Strategy at Solana Foundation, an organization dedicated to the decentralization, growth, and security of the Solana network. Join them as they:Discuss Solana’s resilience in the face of adversity Shine a light on the unique features of the Solana ecosystemWeigh in on the recent Validator Health ReportDelve into Solana’s growing network performanceExplore Solana’s recent partnerships with Visa and ShopifyWeigh up the importance of social consensus and governance Examine the future of Solana and the blockchain industryAnd much more!Austin Federa is the current Head of Strategy at the Solana Foundation. He is also the host of the Solana Foundation’s podcast, Validated. Austin previously served as Head of Communications at Solana Labs.If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAOStaking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockXThe Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of ObligateAttention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guestThe Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Fig,  Co-Founder of Squid, a cross-chain liquidity and messaging router built on Axelar, that enables seamless transactions between different blockchains , and allows applications to implement fast, secure, and seamless cross-chain logic into their products.  Join them as they:Discuss how cross-chain infrastructure enhances the resiliency of blockchainsExplore Fig’s journey into blockchainDelve into the challenges and opportunities of multi-chain user experiencesUnpack Squid's role in connecting different chainsShine a light on the value of security and speed in cross-chain transactionsWeigh in on Squid’s futureAnd so much more!Fig is the Co-Founder of Squid, a cross-chain infrastructure platform in the Axelar ecosystem. Prior to building Squid, Fig was initially drawn to a career in medicine due to its intricate systems and the chance to positively impact lives, but he quickly realized that its stringent oversight dampened his innate creative spirit. Seeking an avenue to channel his artistic and technical inclinations, he ventured into music and coding. In the world of crypto, Fig found a harmonious blend of intricate systems, boundless creativity, and an environment that valued merit and innovation. The decentralized ethos of the blockchain space appealed to his sensibilities, guiding him to the forefront of the industry.If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAOStaking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockXThe Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of ObligateAttention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guestThe Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Michael O'Rourke, Co-Founder & CEO of Pocket Network and CEO of Grove. A powerful gateway to the decentralized world, Grove is a blockchain data platform built on top of Pocket Network, providing apps with reliable, performant, and cost-effective access to blockchain data. Backed by 20,000+ independent, globally distributed nodes, Grove enables teams to deliver a multi-chain user experience at scale.Join them as they:Discuss how decentralized infrastructures empower users and companiesDelve into the importance of decentralization in combating nation-state attacks on networksExplain the need for decentralized systems to differentiate supply and demand to enable businesses to build on both sides of the infrastructureUnpack the intricacies of the Grove infrastructure and RPC nodesShine a light on the DePIN revolution and its impact on the future of the industryWeigh in on Grove and Pocket Network’s role in the DePIN ecosystemDiscuss Michael’s journey into scalable, decentralized infrastructureAnd so much more!Michael O'Rourke is the Co-Founder & CEO of Pocket Network and CEO of Grove, a blockchain data platform built on top of Pocket Network, providing apps with reliable, performant, and cost-effective access to blockchain data. Prior to building Pocket Network, he owned and operated a blockchain development agency, and was on the ground level of Tampa Bay’s largest Bitcoin/Crypto meetup and consultancy, Blockspaces, with a focus on teaching developers Solidity. Michael first got into Bitcoin in 2013, and his interests quickly grew much deeper. In 2016, writing smart contracts and making discoveries in API services for Ethereum gave Michael a unique perspective on what is required to provide a vertically and horizontally scalable infrastructure service in a decentralized manner.If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAOStaking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockXThe Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of ObligateAttention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guestThe Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Bonart Mati, Chief Growth Officer of Obligate. Obligate allows companies to issue on-chain bonds and commercial paper to receive funding from investors in a regulated DeFi environment.Join them as they:Shine a light on the unstoppable nature of DeFi and blockchain technology Discuss Bonart’s journey from fintech to DeFiWeigh in on the importance of regulation and legal frameworks in the DeFi spaceDelve into tokenization and its potential to revolutionize capital marketsExplore the potential of on-chain bonds for regulated decentralized applications (dApps)Discuss the future of the blockchain and crypto industryAnd so much more!Bonart Mati is currently the Chief Growth Officer of Obligate, a platform and marketplace that helps companies issue on-chain bonds and commercial paper to obtain funding from a variety of different investors. With a background in fintech and finance, Bonart has extensive experience in the industry, including working at Deutsche Bank and GE. He joined Obligate in 2021 and is passionate about leveraging blockchain technology to solve real-world problems and make finance more inclusive.If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAOStaking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockXThe Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of ObligateAttention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guestThe Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAO, the official decentralized organization developing the Core blockchain network, a Bitcoin hash-powered and EVM-compatible blockchain. Join them as they:Discuss Rich’s journey from working at Coinbase to joining Core DAOShine a light on the importance of account abstraction and self-custody for mainstream crypto adoptionTouch on the blockchain trilemma Explore the Satoshi Plus consensus protocol, which combines proof of work and proof of stake to prioritize decentralizationWeigh in on the multi-chain thesis and the interoperability of different blockchain networksDelve into Core DAO's dedication to building a decentralized communityAnd much more!Rich Rines is currently a Contributor at Core DAO, which is at the forefront of blockchain innovation by crafting the Core blockchain network. He is also the Founder of AutoReach, a game-changing sales dialer that augments connect rates by over 30% and multiplies talk time by more than 300%, ensuring enriched interactions with prospects. Rich previously led engineering initiatives surrounding money movements at Coinbase. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAOStaking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockXThe Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of ObligateAttention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guestThe Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Chen Zhuling, CEO and Founder of RockX, Asia’s leading enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructure and non-custodial staking provider.Join them as they:Talk about the early days of Bitcoin in Asia Delve into building a delegated proof of stake blockchain networkExplore the evolving market driven by dApp usageShine a light on the role of staking in securing blockchain networksWeigh in on the opportunities and constraints of liquid staking Discuss how institutional clients can join a distributed validator networkDiscuss the future of staking as a serviceChen Zhuling is the CEO and Founder of RockX, a non-custodial staking and access node API provider. He is also the Co-Founder of Aelf, a cloud-powered public blockchain for businesses. With a background in engineering and strategy consulting, Zhuling has been involved in the crypto space since 2017 and is passionate about building infrastructure for the blockchain industry.If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAOStaking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockXThe Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of ObligateAttention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guestThe Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy.Join them as they:Talk about Rusty’s journey to CalaxyWeigh in on the rise of Web3 and the resurgence of the MetaverseDelve into how Calaxy is building a platform to empower creatorsShine a light on the importance of user experience in Web3Unpack how Calaxy is contributing to the future of the creative economy Discuss network characteristics for social media platformsExplore what’s on the horizon for CalaxyRusty Matveev is the Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy, a next-generation social marketplace revolutionizing creator monetization and fan engagement by connecting them through curated content, communication forums, and digital collectibles. Rusty has a background in entrepreneurship, investing, and software development.If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAOStaking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockXThe Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of ObligateAttention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guestThe Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo.Join them as they:Talk about Andrew's background and early interest in blockchainWeigh in on self-sovereignty in holding digital assetsDelve into Censo's self-custody and key management approachShine a light on  hierarchical key management Explore the role of mobile phones and biometrics in Censo’s ecosystem Discuss the pros and cons of building open-source solutions Delve into the future of self-sovereign digital asset managementAndrew Lawrence is the CEO and Co-Founder of Censo, a pioneering FinTech company that provides self-custody and private key management solutions for organizations to better manage and protect their digital assets. Andrew has a diverse background in financial markets and has been involved in the crypto space since 2012.If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts; instructions on how to do this are here.To stay in the loop, subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter/X, TikTok, and LinkedIn.Episode Highlights:[00:02:12] Recognizing the Power of Blockchain - Andrew’s journey into the world of blockchain began in 2012 when he stumbled upon the Bitcoin whitepaper. As a veteran of the financial markets, he immediately recognized the potential of blockchain technology. He saw a powerful parallel between the organization of blockchains and the mutual balances and credit systems used in traditional finance. This realization sparked his interest and set him on a path to explore the possibilities of blockchain technology. [00:10:44] The Importance of Self-Sovereignty - Andrew strongly believes that the core principles of self-sovereignty and decentralization are imperative for the success and longevity of the crypto ecosystem. Historically, value was stored in tangible entities like gold or food, under the custody of a centralized entity. Today, digital assets offer inherent self-sovereignty. Yet, many organizations still opt for centralized solutions to manage their digital assets, due to regulatory constraints and the complexities surrounding key management. Although central custodians provide an easier, though potentially risky, solution, many choose them for their convenience. To truly harness the potential of the crypto movement, Andrew believes in the need for decentralization and self-sovereignty.[00:25:04] Seedless Sovereignty in Key Management - Censo gives users and organizations total sovereignty over their keys and assets, while eradicating the complexities and vulnerabilities traditionally associated with key management. Their solution is built on open-source, decentralized software that runs on clients' hardware, ensuring full control and non-extractability of keys. This system interacts with on-chain policy engines and establishes a secure trust connection between keys and users' mobile devices, with encryption safeguarded by the phones' hardware security modules. The unique feature of Censo's approach is its seedless key management. If a user loses a key, it can be cryptographically reconstructed via a multi-approver transaction. [00:29:09] The Pivotal Role of Mobile Phones and Biometric Authentication -  The Censo ecosystem integrates mobile phones as the core of its security approach. According to Andrew, mobile phones are the most secure individual computing devices available due to their hardware security modules from which keys cannot be extracted. The Censo system ties a user's identity to key signing through biometric authentication. It operates in two parts: a web app for initiating transactions and mobile phones for signing and approving them. The biometric gating of the phone's secure enclave ensures the keys remain inaccessible and secure. This entire mechanism guarantees that sensitive activities demanding trust are controlled by the users via their phones or contracts.Previous guests include: Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy; Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo; Zac Townsend, CEO and Co-Founder of Meanwhile; Jesper Johansen, CEO and Co-Founder of Northstake; Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs; Holly Wood of Boson Protocol; Sid Powell of Maple Finance; Chad Barraford of THORChain; and many others.Check out our three most downloaded episodes:Laying the Groundwork for a Billion-User Blockchain with Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAOStaking the Future: From Blockchain Beginnings to Institutional Innovations with Chen Zhuling of RockXThe Unstoppable Nature of Blockchain: A Conversation with Bonart Mati of ObligateAttention all blockchain, crypto, and Web3 professionals! If you're a founder, CEO, or expert doing something innovative in this space, we're interested in speaking to you! Apply to be a guest on our platform and connect with our vibrant community of blockchain professionals:  https://fame.so/nnt-guestThe Smart Economy Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at fame.so