
The Delphi Podcast
Conversations with Crypto Gigabrains. Hosted by Tommy, Co-Founder and Founding Partner at Delphi Ventures
Latest episodes

Sep 2, 2021 • 53min
Star Atlas: Using the Blockchain to Create a Unique Play-to-Earn Metaverse
The Delphi Podcast Host Jeremy Parris is joined by Michael Wagner (founder of Star Atlas). In this episode we explore not only what Star Atlas hopes to achieve in the future, but what they’ve already accomplished to date. We dive deep into the P2E weeds and imagine what a future looks like where someone could be a “space pirate” for a living. Beyond that we touch upon their upcoming TGE (token generation event) and what to expect next from the project.
Star Atlas Twitter
Star Atlas Website
Star Atlas Whitepaper
Star Atlas Economics Paper
We would like to thank our sponsors for making this podcast possible.
Cosmos: Cosmos is on a mission, link one million blockchains. Name brand projects like Terra, Band, Kava, and Secret use Cosmos and the Cosmos Hub to connect to every other chain in our network. Learn more at cosmos.network.
Kava: Kava connects the world's largest cryptocurrencies on DeFi’s most trusted platform. Mint stablecoins, lend, borrow, earn and swap safely across the top crypto assets with a simple user experience and the confidence of institutional-grade security. To learn more visit kava.io
Celo: Celo is a mobile-first platform that makes financial dApps and crypto payments accessible to anyone with a mobile phone. Celo supports over 1000 projects who are everyday building applications and issuing digital currencies from 100+ countries around the world. Learn more at Celo.org.
Every Delphi Podcast is dropped first as a video interview for Delphi Digital Subscribers. Our members also have access to full interview transcripts. Join today to get our interviews, first.
Show Notes:
(00:00:00) - Introduction.
(00:03:59) - First Question: Star Atlas overview.
(00:10:15) - What players might be able to vote on in Star Atlas DAOs.
(00:12:41) - Start Atlas feature releases.
(00:15:33) - The challenge of crypto game design.
(00:19:11) - What gameplay for Star Atlas will look like.
(00:26:02) - Michael's thoughts on the future of Star Atlas.
(00:27:14) - The story behind Star Atlas.
(00:30:50) - On the community that has evolved around Star Atlas.
(00:34:04) - Star Atlas poster sale.
(00:38:45) - $ATLAS and $POLIS token sale.
(00:41:49) - What's on the roadmap for Star Atlas.
(00:45:05) - In-game high stakes PvP.
(00:49:19) - How to get involved in Star Atlas.
Resources:
Star Atlas Twitter
Star Atlas Website
Star Atlas Whitepaper
Star Atlas Economics Paper
More
Our Video interviews Can Be Viewed Here:

Sep 1, 2021 • 1h 2min
SuperRare: Enabling User-Driven Curation of NFT Art and Differentiating from OpenSea
The Delphi Podcast Host and GP of Delphi Ventures Tom Shaughnessy sits down with John Crain, Founder & CEO of SuperRare, a marketplace to collect and trade unique, single-edition digital artworks. The two discuss SuperRare, decentralizing the platform through community-driven curation and the RARE token, differentiating from OpenSea, and much more!
We would like to thank our sponsors for making this podcast possible.
Cosmos: Cosmos is on a mission, link one million blockchains. Name brand projects like Terra, Band, Kava, and Secret use Cosmos and the Cosmos Hub to connect to every other chain in our network. Learn more at cosmos.network.
Kava: Kava connects the world’s largest cryptocurrencies on DeFi’s most trusted platform. Mint stablecoins, lend, borrow, earn and swap safely across the top crypto assets with a simple user experience and the confidence of institutional-grade security. To learn more visit kava.io
Celo: Celo is a mobile-first platform that makes financial dApps and crypto payments accessible to anyone with a mobile phone. Celo supports over 1000 projects who are everyday building applications and issuing digital currencies from 100+ countries around the world. Learn more at Celo.org.
Every Delphi Podcast is dropped first as a video interview for Delphi Digital Subscribers. Our members also have access to full interview transcripts. Join today to get our interviews, first.
-
Show Notes:
(00:00) – Introduction.
(02:53) – First Question: John’s Background.
(07:48) – SuperRare overview.
(12:38) – What gets John excited about NFTs now and in the future.
(16:10) – Curating despite NFT abundance.
(18:06) – How SuperRare is differentiated.
(22:00) – John’s thoughts on curation.
(31:09) – John’s thoughts on royalties for artists on SuperRare and other platforms.
(34:38) – SuperRare’s Sovereign Smart Contracts.
(43:59) – How SuperRare helps unknown artists achieve success.
(47:58) – Biggest hurdle for $RARE.
(50:00) – Biggest setback John overcame in SuperRare’s history.
(52:51) – John’s advice for the people entering the NFT space now.
(54:53) – John’s advice for artists.
(56:31) – John’s thoughts on giving curation to the community.
Resources:
John’s Twitter
SuperRare Website
More
Our Video interviews Can Be Viewed Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Yy99ZlQIX9-PdG_xHj43Q
Access Delphi’s Research Here: https://www.delphidigital.io/
Disclosures: This 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 may personally own tokens 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. Delphi’s transparency page can be viewed

Aug 25, 2021 • 2h 29min
150 Minutes of NFTs with Jake Brukhman
The Delphi Podcast Host and GP of Delphi Ventures Tom Shaughnessy sits down with Jake Brukhman, Founder & CEO at CoinFund, a blockchain-focused investment firm based in Brooklyn, New York. The two spend over two hours discussing all things NFTs, including NFT liquidity, judging NFT communities, CryptoPunks, fractionalization, scarcity, DAOs, pricing NFT assets, the future of NFTs, and much more!
We would like to thank our sponsors for making this podcast possible.
Cosmos: Cosmos is on a mission, link one million blockchains. Name brand projects like Terra, Band, Kava, and Secret use Cosmos and the Cosmos Hub to connect to every other chain in our network. Learn more at cosmos.network.
Kava: With a proven track record of delivering successful projects safely, the Kava Platform is DeFi’s most trusted, scalable and secure institutional grade cross-chain engine. Learn more at kava.io.
Celo: Celo is a mobile-first platform that makes financial dApps and crypto payments accessible to anyone with a mobile phone. Celo supports over 1000 projects who are everyday building applications and issuing digital currencies from 100+ countries around the world. Learn more at Celo.org.
Every Delphi Podcast is dropped first as an audio interview for Delphi Digital Subscribers. Our members also have access to full interview transcripts. Join today to get our interviews, first.
-
Show Notes:
(00:00:53) Jake’s background and interest in NFTs.
(00:03:24) What is an NFT?
(00:12:35) Judging NFT communities.
(00:15:44) CryptoPunks and long-term resilience.
(00:21:05) Complexity of NFTs / cultural difference between the DeFi and the NFT communities.
(00:24:00) Nouns DAO is auctioning off a new noun every day.
(00:36:36) How PartyDAO works / crowdfunding capital.
(00:41:47) Jake’s thoughts on scarcity of NFTs and fractionalization.
(01:02:59) Upshot is a more efficient way to price NFTs.
(01:16:35) The NFT exchange market and importance of GTM strategies.
(01:21:00) Rarible Protocol serves as a back end for NFT applications.
(01:36:36) How the success of each marketplace benefits Rarible token holders.
(01:45:46) Jake’s thoughts on NFT metadata storage and on-chain vs. off-chain assets.
(01:54:22) Jake’s thoughts on regulation in the NFT space.
(01:56:34) Where we’re at now in the NFT cycle.
(02:12:17) Founders in the NFT space.
(02:14:40) The royalty aspect of NFT drops.
(02:21:48) The category of NFT projects Jake is most excited about.
Resources:
Jake's Twitter
CoinFund website
Past interview with Jake
FIRSTEDITION.XYZ
"Appraisal games and the NFT liquidity problem"
More
Our Video interviews Can Be Viewed Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Yy99ZlQIX

Aug 6, 2021 • 1h 18min
Tom Lombardi: Catalyzing DeFi & The Beauty of Incentive Systems
The Delphi Podcast co-host and co-founder of Delphi Digital, Kevin Kelly, sits down with Tom Lombardi, Managing Director at 3iQ and adjunct professor of Finance at Pepperdine University, to get his take on several important trends in crypto and markets. The two discuss a wide array of topic areas ranging from the rise of DeFi and its growing popularity among institutional investors to the evolution of liquidity mining programs and how proper token incentives can better align stakeholders to create more valuable products than their centralized counterparts.
We would like to thank our sponsors for making this podcast possible.
Cosmos: Cosmos is on a mission, link one million blockchains. Name brand projects like Terra, Band, Kava, and Secret use Cosmos and the Cosmos Hub to connect to every other chain in our network. Learn more at cosmos.network.
Kava: With a proven track record of delivering successful projects safely, the Kava Platform is DeFi’s most trusted, scalable and secure institutional grade cross-chain engine. Learn more at kava.io.
Celo: Celo is a mobile-first platform that makes financial dApps and crypto payments accessible to anyone with a mobile phone. Celo supports over 1000 projects who are everyday building applications and issuing digital currencies from 100+ countries around the world. Learn more at Celo.org.
Every Delphi Podcast is dropped first as an audio interview for Delphi Digital Subscribers. Our members also have access to full interview transcripts. Join today to get our interviews, first.
-
Show Notes:
(03:32) – Updates from Tom.
(03:56) – Iron Finance stablecoin debacle.
(08:03) – dYdX’s promotion / thoughts on the incentives and leverage in crypto.
(12:35) – Thoughts on Uniswap’s AMM model.
(16:58) – Tom’s thoughts on incentives – right or wrong?
(20:03) – Token models and incentives.
(24:44) – Tom’s thoughts on global adoption.
(30:58) – What institutional investors really care about.
(37:56) – Uneducated narratives against crypto.
(48:34) – Tom’s students versus institutional investors.
(01:02:13) – Tom’s thoughts on NFTs.
(01:06:38) – Thoughts on current developments and the future of crypto.
(01:15:42) – Where to find Tom and 3iQ.
Resources:
Tom Lombardi’s Twitter
Referenced Kraken blog post on self-custody
Pepperdine class syllabus
3iQ’s website
More
Our Video interviews Can Be Viewed Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Yy99ZlQIX9-PdG_xHj43Q
Access Delphi’s Research Here: https://www.delphidigital.io/
Disclosures: This 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 may personally own tokens that are mentioned on the pod

Aug 3, 2021 • 46min
Beta Finance is a Permissionless Money Market Enabling the Short-Selling of the Long Tail of Crypto Assets
The Delphi Podcast Host and GP of Delphi Ventures Tom Shaughnessy sits down with Allen Lee, Founder at Beta Finance, the first permissionless money market protocol for shorting any crypto asset. The two discuss Beta’s use cases, shorting long tail assets, being part of the Alpha Launchpad Incubator, and more.
We would like to thank our sponsors for making this podcast possible.
Cosmos: Cosmos is on a mission, link one million blockchains. Name brand projects like Terra, Band, Kava, and Secret use Cosmos and the Cosmos Hub to connect to every other chain in our network. Learn more at cosmos.network.
Kava: With a proven track record of delivering successful projects safely, the Kava Platform is DeFi's most trusted, scalable and secure institutional grade cross-chain engine. Soon, USDC is coming to Kava! Learn more at kava.io.
Celo: Celo is a mobile-first platform that makes financial dApps and crypto payments accessible to anyone with a mobile phone. Celo supports over 1000 projects who are everyday building applications and issuing digital currencies from 100+ countries around the world. Learn more at Celo.org
Every Delphi Podcast is dropped first as a video interview for Delphi Digital Subscribers. Our members also have access to full interview transcripts. Join today to gain exclusive early access to every new interview before it's published.
-
Show Notes:
(2:40)- First Question: Allen's Background and how he got in crypto.
(8:50)- Allen's thoughts on AI.
(10:14) - Most compelling use cases.
(13:43) - Beta's focus.
(15:09) - How Beta works / how assets get listed on the platform in a secure way.
(18:26) - Filtering assets by parameter in Beta.
(22:50) - Beta's isolated collateral model / how Beta differentiates from other platforms.
(28:00) - Beta's interest rate model.
(32:07) - Allen’s thoughts on the culture of shorting assets.
(36:52) - Experience launching out of the Alpha Finance Incubator.
(40:00) - Allen's thoughts on value accrual / Beta's token.
(42:20) - Beta Finance roadmap.
Resources:
Allen’s Twitter
Beta Finance Website
More
Our Video interviews Can Be Viewed Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Yy99ZlQIX9-PdG_xHj43Q
Access Delphi's Research Here: https://www.delphidigital.io/
Disclosures: This 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 may personally own tokens that are mentioned on the podcast. Lets Talk Bitcoin is a distribution partner for the Chain Reaction Podcast, and 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 an

Jul 28, 2021 • 1h 8min
Jimmy McNelis: Nameless is Powering NFT Experiences for Brands Through an Expert Partner Program
The Delphi Podcast Host and GP of Delphi Ventures Tom Shaughnessy sits down with Jimmy McNelis, Co-founder and CEO at nft42, the company that built Nameless, a platform empowering brands and creators to launch professional, custom NFT projects in a completely visual way with zero code. The two discuss other NFT platforms, partner networks, traditional brands and NFT experiences, and more.
We would like to thank our sponsors for making this podcast possible.
Cosmos: Cosmos is on a mission, link one million blockchains. Name brand projects like Terra, Band, Kava, and Secret use Cosmos and the Cosmos Hub to connect to every other chain in our network. Learn more at cosmos.network.
Kava: With a proven track record of delivering successful projects safely, the Kava Platform is DeFi's most trusted, scalable and secure institutional grade cross-chain engine. Soon, USDC is coming to Kava! Learn more at kava.io.
Celo: Celo is a mobile-first platform that makes financial dApps and crypto payments accessible to anyone with a mobile phone. Celo supports over 1000 projects who are everyday building applications and issuing digital currencies from 100+ countries around the world. Learn more at Celo.org
Every Delphi Podcast is dropped first as a video interview for Delphi Digital Subscribers. Our members also have access to full interview transcripts. Join today to gain exclusive early access to every new interview before it's published.
-
Show Notes:
(4:23)- First Question: Jimmy's Background and how he got up to nft42 and Nameless.
(13:47) - How Jimmy got into CryptoKitties.
(19:42) - Goal of Nameless / what Jimmy’s trying to do differently / Nameless' target market.
(26:58) - Minting an NFT on Nameless vs OpenSea.
(28:47) - How the partner program works.
(36:40) - Issues with current NFT space.
(42:58) - How Jimmy out innovates.
(44:21) - The most important forms of NFTs for businesses.
(46:27) - How far away we are from NFT’s being ubiquitous / does it matter or it is all going to be crypto native.
(51:56) - Jimmy's thoughts on customer’s feedback.
(57:55) - Where to find Nameless.
(01:00:44) - Jimmy's thoughts on brands and enterprises giving up control to the community.
Resources:
Jimmy McNelis: Co-Founder and CEO at nft42
nft42 Website
Nameless Website
More
Our Video interviews Can Be Viewed Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Yy99ZlQIX9-PdG_xHj43Q
Access Delphi's Research Here: https://www.delphidigital.io/
Disclosures: This 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 may personally own tokens that a

Jul 26, 2021 • 1h 12min
World Mobile Chain: Cardano’s First Killer App?
Jose Maria Macedo sits down with Micky Watkins, Alan Omnet and Andrew Soper from World Mobile. World Mobile is seeking to tackle one of the biggest challenges globally: connectivity. This is not your typical crypto native project, but rather a new kind of telecoms network which leverages and combines a range of technologies like mesh networking, hybrid spectrum, and renewable energies, with blockchain being used to grow and distribute its infrastructure. It also happens to be the first token on Cardano supported by IOHK itself.
In this conversation, we’ll dive into World Mobile: what it is, why it matters and their experience building on Cardano so far.
We would like to thank our sponsors for making this podcast possible.
Cosmos: Cosmos is on a mission, link one million blockchains. Name brand projects like Terra, Band, Kava, and Secret use Cosmos and the Cosmos Hub to connect to every other chain in our network. Learn more at cosmos.network.
Kava: With a proven track record of delivering successful projects safely, the Kava Platform is DeFi's most trusted, scalable and secure institutional grade cross-chain engine. Learn more at kava.io.
Celo: Supporting over 1000+ projects from builders, developers, and even artists, who everyday create new applications and issue digital currencies from 100+ countries around the world, Celo’s mission is to build a financial system that creates the conditions of prosperity for everyone. Learn more at Celo.org.
Every Delphi Podcast is dropped first as an audio interview for Delphi Digital Subscribers. Our members also have access to full interview transcripts. Join today to gain exclusive early access to every new interview before it's published.
-
Show Notes:
(3:22) (First Question) – Andrew, Mickey, Alan’s Background.
(9:45) – The problem / almost half the world is still unconnected.
(11:25) – How WMC’s solution works / how legacy infrastructure & solutions work.
(20:08) – What is World Mobile Network.
(27:17) – What infrastructure will WMC be putting down versus working with others and being kind of an aggregator.
(34:00) – Thoughts on MMOs.
(35:30) – Thoughts on Telecom.
(42:30) – Why WMC choose to use blockchain / what is it that it enables that WMC couldn’t achieve without it.
(47:50) – Why did WMC settle on Cardano / how WMC blockchain implementation works.
(52:43) – Customer acquisition strategy / when WMC will start to roll this network out.
(59:53) – WMC’s long-term vision.
(1:08:40) – Where to find WMC.
Resources:
World Mobile Website
World Mobile Interview With Charles Hoskinson
World Mobile Documentary
More
Our Video interviews Can Be Viewed Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Yy99ZlQIX9-PdG_xHj43Q
Access Delphi's Research Here: https://www.delphidigital.io/

Jul 23, 2021 • 1h 20min
Crypto Venture Capital Series Ep. 5: Santiago Santos of Parafi Capital
Santiago Santos of Parafi Capital discusses game theory, psychology in crypto, finding fund-returning play, decentralization, governance tokens, investment strategies, token incentives, community engagement, mental health strategies, communication challenges, investing in Aave, game theory, and gratitude in conversation.

Jul 22, 2021 • 59min
Crypto Venture Capital Series Ep. 4: Andrew Kang of Mechanism Capital
The Delphi Podcast Host and GP of Delphi Ventures Tom Shaughnessy sits down with Andrew Kang, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Mechanism Capital, a fund interested in all aspects of the crypto ecosystem with a focus in DeFi. The two discuss token economics, value accrual, incentives for teams, and more.
We would like to thank our sponsors for making this podcast possible.
Cosmos: Cosmos is on a mission, link one million blockchains. Name brand projects like Terra, Band, Kava, and Secret use Cosmos and the Cosmos Hub to connect to every other chain in our network. Learn more at cosmos.network.
Kava: With a proven track record of delivering successful projects safely, the Kava Platform is DeFi's most trusted, scalable and secure institutional grade cross-chain engine. Soon, USDC is coming to Kava! Learn more at kava.io.
Celo: Celo is a mobile-first platform that makes financial dApps and crypto payments accessible to anyone with a mobile phone. Celo supports over 1000 who are building applications and issuing digital currencies from 100+ countries around the world. Learn more at Celo.org.
Every Delphi Podcast is dropped first as a video interview for Delphi Digital Subscribers. Our members also have access to full interview transcripts. Join today to gain exclusive early access to every new interview before it's published.
-
Show Notes:
(2:50)- First Question: Andrew's Background and Mechanism Capital overview.
(5:42)- How Andrew allocates his time for projects.
(12:12) - Andrew's thoughts on community investing and party rounds.
(14:17) - How Andrew builds conviction in a team as a retail investor.
(16:50) - Founders / red flags / anonymous founders.
(23:17) - Andrew’s biggest miss or loss and what he learned from it.
(26:00) - Andrew's biggest edge as an investor in crypto.
(30:47) - Projects that crushed their token economics from the get-go.
(32:43) - Thoughts on token economics and incentives.
(35:00) - Andrew's thesis on PleasrDAO and NFTs.
(41:22) - DAOs maintaining their decentralization long-term.
(46:25) - Thoughts on the future of VC investing in crypto.
(50:29) - When Andrew thinks crypto will be not as interesting.
(52:25) - Andrew's best advice.
(55:23) - Who Andrew looks up to in the crypto space.
Resources:
Andrew Kang: Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Mechanism Capital
Mechanism Capital Website
More
Our Video interviews Can Be Viewed Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Yy99ZlQIX9-PdG_xHj43Q
Access Delphi's Research Here: https://www.delphidigital.io/
Disclosures: This 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 may personally own tokens that are mentioned on the podcast. Lets Talk Bitcoin is a distribution partner for the Chain React

Jul 21, 2021 • 48min
Crypto Venture Capital Series Ep. 3: Michael Jordan of Galaxy Digital
The Delphi Podcast Host and GP of Delphi Ventures Tom Shaughnessy sits down with Michael Jordan, Vice President at Galaxy Digital, a diversified financial services and investment management innovator in the digital asset, cryptocurrency, and blockchain technology sector. The two discuss types of investments, adding value to portfolio companies, token economics, and more.
We would like to thank our sponsors for making this podcast possible.
Cosmos: Cosmos is on a mission, link one million blockchains. Name brand projects like Terra, Band, Kava, and Secret use Cosmos and the Cosmos Hub to connect to every other chain in our network. Learn more at cosmos.network.
Kava: With a proven track record of delivering successful projects safely, the Kava Platform is DeFi's most trusted, scalable and secure institutional grade cross-chain engine. Soon, USDC is coming to Kava! Learn more at kava.io.
Celo: Celo is a mobile-first platform that makes financial dApps and crypto payments accessible to anyone with a mobile phone. Celo supports over 1000 who are building applications and issuing digital currencies from 100+ countries around the world. Learn more at Celo.org.
Every Delphi Podcast is dropped first as a video interview for Delphi Digital Subscribers. Our members also have access to full interview transcripts. Join today to gain exclusive early access to every new interview before it's published.
-
Show Notes:
(2:42) First Question: Michael’s Intro and what does he do at Galaxy.
(6:27) Michael’s thoughts on traditional funds getting access to equity deals in crypto.
(9:33) Differences between crypto equity plays today vs. a couple of years ago.
(12:04) Whether projects like the OpenSeas, the Fireblocks to IPO in the NASDAQ or decentralize the community in some way.
(16:40) Michael’s thoughts on party rounds vs. Galaxy taking all of a deal.
(22:38) Retail vs. Institutional / what they see when they look at a project.
(24:41) Michael’s thoughts on the value flows between the equity and the token.
(29:19) Are we going to go completely crypto native with tokens? / will the stock exchange go away? / Michael’s thoughts on old traditional financing methods and where we’re going with crypto.
(32:09) Founding teams / the spectrum of due diligence Michael does on a founder / how Michael diligences founders on the qualitative basis.
(39:00) What Michael thinks is the most important sector within crypto to invest in – from a retail perspective.
(41:06) Michael’s advice on diversification versus concentration.
(43:54) The best advice Michael’s ever gotten.
Resources:
Michael Jordan: Vice President at Galaxy Digital
Galaxy Digital Website
Interview with Mike Novogratz, CEO and Chairman at Galaxy Digital
More
Our Video interviews Can Be Viewed Here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Yy99ZlQIX9-Pd