The Delphi Podcast

Join Tommy Shaughnessy as he sits down with Mike Dudas, Managing Partner at 6th Man Ventures, to discuss one of the most successful seed investments in crypto history. Mike shares the inside story of backing Pump.Fun years before it became a cultural phenomenon, generating over $800 million in fees and reaching a $5.5 billion FDV. From cold DMs to billion-dollar outcomes, this conversation explores venture capital strategy, founder evaluation, and navigating the intersection of AI and crypto investing.6th Man Ventures: https://6thman.ventures🎯 Key Highlights▸ The untold story of Pump.Fun's seed round: from cold outreach to billion-dollar success▸ Why regulatory risk-taking paid off in the Trump administration▸ How to evaluate crypto founders differently than traditional startups▸ The creator economy revolution: streaming meets tokenomics▸ Digital Asset Trusts (DATs): the new MicroStrategy wave▸ AI's impact on venture capital processes and decision-making▸ Why attention spans are killing crypto Twitter's excitement▸ From Bonk to Pump: lessons in meme coin investing▸ Building conviction in contrarian bets during bear markets▸ The importance of speed and decisiveness in early-stage investing💡 Subscribe for more crypto & AI insights! 🔔🧠 Follow the Alpha▸ Mike's Twitter: @mdudas▸ 6MV's Twitter: @6thManVentures🔗 Connect with Delphi🌐 Portal: https://delphidigital.io/🧠 Intelligence: https://www.delphiintelligence.io🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/delphi_intel🎧 Listen onSpotify: Apple Podcasts: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Yy99ZlQIX9-PdG_xHj43QTimestamps00:00 — Intro: Mike Dudas, 6th Man Ventures00:30 — The Pump.Fun origin story: cold outreach and magical moments03:45 — Regulatory risk-taking and the Trump administration impact06:30 — Why other VCs backed out over legal concerns08:15 — Being hands-on with portfolio companies without being pushy10:30 — Pump.Fun's evolution: from bonding curves to creator streaming14:00 — The Bonk vs Pump competition and market dynamics17:00 — How AI and AGI are changing venture capital investing20:15 — Digital Asset Trusts: the new wave of crypto investment vehicles26:00 — Why crypto Twitter seems less excited despite regulatory clarity32:15 — Using AI in venture processes: market research and founder support38:45 — The most common path from DM to investment42:00 — Founder evaluation: red flags and green flags47:15 — When to tell portfolio companies it's time to move on51:15 — Decision-making under pressure: the "hell yes" principle54:00 — Staying entrepreneurial as a fund grows and succeedsDisclaimerThis podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The host and members at Delphi Ventures may personally own tokens or art that are mentioned on the podcast. Our current show features paid sponsorships which may be featured at the start, middle, and/or the end of the episode. These sponsorships are for informational purposes only and are not a solicitation to use any product, service or token.

Michael Egorov, co-founder of Curve Finance and a DeFi pioneer, discusses his innovative Yield Basis protocol aimed at tackling impermanent loss in liquidity provision. He explains how this solution could create sustainable yields for Bitcoin without the risks of traditional AMM strategies. The conversation covers market dynamics, alternative tokenomics, and the expansive potential of Yield Basis across cryptocurrencies. Michael emphasizes the ability to achieve substantial APR on Bitcoin while navigating the challenges of decentralized finance.

Anil Lulla and Yan Liberman host Sapijiju, co-founder of Pump.fun. Sapijiju shares Pump.fun’s bigger vision: beyond meme coins, it’s aiming to be the most rewarding social platform, revolutionizing creator monetization, and building a $2B-backed financial ecosystem.Pump.fun: https://pump.fun🎯 Key Highlights▸ Pump.fun’s vision: TikTok + Robinhood + Twitch in one▸ Streamers earning 100–300x more than on traditional platforms▸ 9 failed products before finding product-market fit▸ Why most crypto firms are just riding Bitcoin▸ New fee model: $2.4M to creators on day one▸ Mobile-first: beating desktop crypto apps▸ $2B balance sheet for smart capital moves▸ 100% revenue buybacks (Hyperliquid/Binance playbook)▸ Roadmap: stablecoin + full financial stack▸ Young founders vs. traditional finance▸ Why social media’s incentives are broken▸ Targeting 16–24s ignored by incumbents▸ Stats: 70 staff, $1.6B locked, billion+ daily volumes▸ Aggressive M&A, Facebook-style💡 Subscribe for more crypto & AI insights! 🔔🧠 Follow the Alpha▸ Sapijiju's Twitter: @sapijiju▸ Pump.fun Twitter: @pumpdotfun🔗 Connect with Delphi🌐 Portal: https://delphidigital.io/🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/delphi_digital💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/delphi-digital/🎧 Listen onSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/62PR1RigLG2YN5Pelq6UY9?si=18ac7ccf36ab4753&nd=1&dlsi=50105fd66e6c4124Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-delphi-podcast/id1438148082Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Yy99ZlQIX9-PdG_xHj43QTimestamps00:00 – Intro & Sapijiju’s crypto journey04:45 – 9 failed products → Pump.fun success07:15 – Product-market fit & anti-rug mechanism09:15 – Scaling team to 7010:30 – Vision: social trading super-app13:00 – $2.4M to streamers on launch day14:15 – Why social platforms fail creators16:45 – 300x better monetization18:15 – DMs, streaming & mobile-first19:30 – Competing vs. Coinbase/Binance21:45 – User patterns: TikTok + finance24:30 – Network effects via creator rewards26:30 – $500k creator starter kits28:00 – Mobile strategy for viral growth29:15 – Zora vs. Pump.fun (content vs. coin)31:15 – Small changes → 5x streaming growth33:30 – Sandbox for creator freedom35:15 – Telegram + crypto-native tools36:30 – Democratized ICOs38:15 – $1.6B locked, billion+ daily volumes39:15 – Stablecoin vision40:15 – Long-term: global takeover42:30 – $2B balance sheet strategy44:30 – ROI-driven capital deployment45:15 – M&A playbook46:15 – DAT & institutional access47:15 – Revenue buybacks model49:15 – VCs missing meme culture51:15 – Story Protocol critique53:30 – Meme coins vs. infra “scams”54:30 – Generational wealth cycles57:45 – Crypto as last frontier59:15 – TradFi as modern slavery1:01:30 – Black Mirror & moderation1:02:30 – Mobile growth engines1:03:30 – Scaling to $200M daily revenue1:04:30 – Post-token comms lessons1:05:30 – Open DMs & next episode1:06:15 – Closing thoughtsDisclaimerThis podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The host and members at Delphi Ventures may personally own tokens or art that are mentioned on the podcast. Our current show features paid sponsorships which may be featured at the start, middle, and/or the end of the episode. These sponsorships are for informational purposes only and are not a solicitation to use any product, service or token.

José Macedo, Co-Founder at Delphi Labs, and Pondering Durian, Lead at Delphi Intelligence, dive into the launch of Delphi Intelligence, focusing on AI research. They discuss the shift from crypto to AI, emphasizing high-quality collaboration and emerging technologies. The duo explores the phases of AI scale and debate open-source versus proprietary models. They share insights on AI's connection to geopolitics, compare U.S. and China’s strategies, and highlight the exciting landscape for early-stage AI startups amidst technological innovation.

Discover how Dev.Fun is revolutionizing app creation with AI-powered vibe coding, making it accessible to everyone, even non-techies. Founders Devlord and Robi share their journey and the exciting possibilities of generating decentralized applications. Learn about their innovative monetization strategies, user-engagement tactics, and why they've chosen Solana for their platform. They also discuss the balance between moderation and freedom, and how live streaming could drive crypto adoption while fostering authenticity in digital interactions.

Harry Dewhirst, co-founder and CEO of 375ai, is revolutionizing data collection with a decentralized network of sensors designed for real-time, monetized insights from the physical world. He shares his journey from a crypto investor to innovator, and how 375ai's technology turns unstructured video into valuable data while emphasizing privacy. The launch of the compact 375 Street device and its impact on data accuracy is explored. Dewhirst also discusses challenges in manufacturing and the intriguing connections of his company's name to Area 51.

Discover how Taofu is revolutionizing funding for Bittensor subnets as co-founders Mitch and Mikel share their journey from DeFi to AI. They explore the challenges of subnet registration costs, and how Dynamic TAO reshapes power dynamics. Learn about the innovative Tau Private Network's role in decentralized VPN services and the rewarding model for miners. The conversation also delves into the future of AI, addressing its potential to enhance industries and extend human lifespan. Join a fascinating discussion on technology’s impact on our lives!

David Choi and Conor Moore, co-founders of USD.AI, delve into their innovative project—a synthetic dollar backed by AI and DeepEnd hardware assets. They share insights on their transition from traditional finance to DeFi, highlighting unique financing strategies for infrastructure projects. The discussion includes their three-pillar approach, the revolutionary QEV model for liquidity management, and how leveraging hardware can enhance yields. They also explain mechanisms to protect depositors and the potential impact of USD.AI on token emission rates.

Logan Allen, founder of Zorp and Nockchain, dives into the groundbreaking journey of creating a new proof-of-work blockchain. He introduces the innovative ZK Powell consensus mechanism that leverages zero-knowledge proofs for mining. Allen discusses the unique challenges in building a decentralized ecosystem while ensuring security and privacy. The potential for specialized ZK ASICs and engaging applications like the KnockApp framework is highlighted. He also shares insights about an upcoming mining competition, paving the way for new opportunities in the blockchain landscape.

Join Piers Kicks as he hosts BEN.ZZZ, founder of Cambria, for an insightful conversation about building high-stakes, risk-to-earn MMOs inspired by Runescape. Cambria is pioneering unique game worlds like Duel Arena and Gold Rush, recently concluding a season with a $1.5 million prize pool.Cambria: https://cambria.gg🎯 Key Highlights▸ Ben's origins in the Runescape private server scene and the journey to founding Cambria.   ▸ Cambria's "risk-to-earn" MMO model with massive on-chain stakes.   ▸ Deep dive into Duel Arena (high-stakes 1v1) and Gold Rush (risk-to-earn MMO).   ▸ How Season 2 generated a $1.5M+ prize pool and saw massive player engagement.▸ The emergent player behavior, guild strategies, and exploits seen in high-stakes environments.   ▸ Challenges of managing on-chain game economies: botting, exploits, and security.   ▸ Cambria's approach to balancing casual vs. hardcore players and "pay-to-win" mechanics.   ▸ Roadmap insights: Season 3 plans, Duel Arena V2, and the strategy for a potential token launch.   ▸ Cambria's multi-chain strategy and experiences deploying on different ecosystems.   ▸ The long-term vision for significant, high-stakes on-chain game economies and guild wars.   💡 Want to stay updated with the latest in crypto & gaming? Hit subscribe and the notification bell! 🔔🧠 Follow the Alpha▸ Piers' Twitter: @pierskicks▸ Ben's Twitter: @cyberpunk▸ Cambria's Twitter: @playcambria 🔗 Connect with Delphi🌐 Portal: https://delphidigital.io/🐦 Twitter: https://twitter.com/delphi_digital💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/delphi-digital🎧 Listen onSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/62PR1RigLG2YN5Pelq6UY9?si=18ac7ccf36ab4753Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-delphi-podcast/id1438148082Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Yy99ZlQIX9-PdG_xHj43QTimestamps00:00 - Introduction to Ben & Cambria   01:00 - Origins in Runescape Private Servers   03:00 - Discovering Crypto & Early Web3 Gaming   05:00 - Cambria Overview: Duel Arena & Gold Rush   06:30 - Thesis Formation: Player Archetypes & Appeal   09:30 - Duel Arena Launch & Success ($100M+ Volume)   12:00 - Season 2 Deep Dive: Mechanics & $1.5M Prize Pool   16:00 - Season 2 Player Stats & Engagement   17:30 - Emergent Behavior & Exploits in Season 2   22:30 - Challenges: Botting, Dupes & Managing On-Chain Economies   29:00 - Balancing Risk/Reward, Casual vs. Hardcore, and Pay-to-Win   32:00 - Roadmap: Season 3, Dungeons, Scaling   34:30 - Duel Arena V2 & Excalibur   36:30 - Token Launch Strategy & Considerations   39:30 - Multi-Chain Approach (Ronin & Blast/Abstract)   42:30 - Vision for the Future of On-Chain Game Economies   47:45 - Evolving Thesis & Learnings   51:00 - Most Impactful Digital Experience (Runescape)   53:00 - Favorite Games & Recommended Reads/MediaDisclaimerThis podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The host and members at Delphi Ventures may personally own tokens or art that are mentioned on the podcast. Our current show features paid sponsorships which may be featured at the start, middle, and/or the end of the episode. These sponsorships are for informational purposes only and are not a solicitation to use any product, service or token.