The Edge Podcast

Brandon Kumar is the CoFounder of Layer3 and former Vice President of Accolade Partners, one of the world's top crypto-specific fund of funds.In this episode, we unpack the mindset that separates crypto’s best investors. Brandon shares why being “long-term greedy” pays off, how to spot the DNA of top founders and top investors, and what it takes to win in evolving token-based capital markets.------🔗 Essential Show Links 🔗► Newsletter: https://the-edge.xyz► Youtube: https://youtube.com/@DeFiDad► Apple: https://tinyurl.com/edgepod► Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/edgepodspotify► Linktree: https://linktr.ee/edge_pod► Follow DeFi Dad: https://x.com/DeFi_Dad► Follow Nomatic: https://x.com/Nomaticcap► Learn DeFi: http://defidad.com/------The Edge Podcast Sponsor Resources🪄 NEWTON | FINANCIAL FREEDOM ON AUTOPILOT🔮 PYTH NETWORK | SMARTER DATA FOR SMARTER CONTRACTS🤙 SKALE NETWORK | THE GAS-FREE INVISIBLE L1 BLOCKCHAIN📊 iYIELD | YOUR FINANCIAL PICTURE, SIMPLIFIED🏦 MANTLE | INNOVATING THE FUTURE OF ONCHAIN FINANCE🐡 PUFFER UNIFI | A BASED ROLLUP TO ETHEREUM WITH NATIVE YIELDS🌔 MOONWELL | THE LEADING LENDING AND BORROWING APP ON BASE⚙️ GEARBOX PROTOCOL | ONCHAIN LENDING REIMAGINED🥞 SYRUP.FI | INSTITUTIONAL-GRADE YIELD------Timestamps0:00 - Intro7:01 - Brandon’s background12:16 - The archetype of the best investors in crypto14:33 - How the crypto investor landscape has changed18:35 - The evolution of capital markets for token-based businesses22:05 - Can TradFi valuation methods be applied to crypto?25:19 - Sponsor break26:00 - What needs to happen to attract more institutional buyers?30:26 - Making sense of memecoins36:07 - Focus on what happens if everything goes right41:14 - The double-edged sword of tokens for early stage teams46:01 - Sponsor break47:40 - What is Layer3?48:29 - Who uses Layer3?51:46 - L3 token utility and design55:56 - Why Layer3 launched new prediction markets57:31 - Closing------🔗 Guest Links 🔗► Layer3 website: https://layer3.xyz/► Layer3 on X: https://x.com/layer3xyz► Brandon Kumar on X: https://x.com/brandon_m_kumar► Brandon's viral post on X: https://x.com/Brandon_M_Kumar/status/1915403560977633348------All opinions expressed by hosts and podcast guests are solely their own opinions. Podcast guests and hosts may have positions in the assets or other matters discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. Do your own research. This is not a recommendation or endorsement to buy any token(s) related to any platform(s) discussed.

Sean Li, CEO and Co-Founder of Magic Labs, discusses revolutionizing the crypto experience with Newton, an AI-driven platform that automates trading and enhances user interfaces. He likens the evolution of crypto wallets to transitioning from manual to self-driving cars, focusing on security and user empowerment. Sean emphasizes the importance of simplifying decentralized finance for newcomers while unlocking innovative use cases. The conversation highlights how AI agents can democratize access to advanced financial tools, reshaping the landscape of cryptocurrency.

Miles Jennings, the Head of Policy & General Counsel at a16z crypto, dives into the shifting tides of U.S. crypto regulation. He highlights the promising bipartisan efforts towards stablecoin regulation and the increasing institutional interest in tokenization and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). The conversation emphasizes the need for clear regulatory frameworks to foster innovation while managing risks. Jennings underscores the growing recognition of cryptocurrency's potential, marking an optimistic turn for the industry's future.

Join TN Lee, Co-founder of Pendle Finance, as he shares his insights on pioneering stablecoin farming strategies. He discusses Pendle's innovative transition to permissionless market listings and the launch of their unreleased leveraged yield trading platform, Boros. The conversation dives into the importance of liquidity and institutional adoption, while exploring the unique strategies involving Principal Tokens and Yield Tokens. With a focus on maximizing yields and navigating the dynamic DeFi landscape, listeners will gain valuable perspectives on the future of cryptocurrency.

Mads Mathiesen, a Research Partner at Maven 11, dives deep into the world of early-stage crypto investments. He talks about how the team identifies high-potential applications, including consumer apps and stablecoin payment systems. Mads discusses the evolving nature of crypto valuations and the necessity for innovative solutions in decentralized finance. He also highlights making early investments more accessible and shares insights on the future landscape of crypto consumer applications that truly resonate with users.

Omnia is the CoFounder of Kinetiq.In this episode, we cover the native liquid staking protocol for Hyperliquid, with the upcoming launch of its LST for HYPE, called kHYPE. We dive into how kHYPE can unlock new utility and yield opportunities across Hyperliquid DeFi, the architecture behind its staking design, and the early institutional demand for exposure to HYPE through Kinetiq’s platform.------🔗 Essential Show Links 🔗► Newsletter: https://the-edge.xyz► Youtube: https://youtube.com/@DeFiDad► Apple: https://tinyurl.com/edgepod► Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/edgepodspotify► Linktree: https://linktr.ee/edge_pod► Follow DeFi Dad: https://x.com/DeFi_Dad► Follow Nomatic: https://x.com/Nomaticcap► Learn DeFi: http://defidad.com/------The Edge Podcast Sponsor Resources🪄 NEWTON | FINANCIAL FREEDOM ON AUTOPILOT🔮 PYTH NETWORK | SMARTER DATA FOR SMARTER CONTRACTS🤙 SKALE NETWORK | THE GAS-FREE INVISIBLE L1 BLOCKCHAIN📊 iYIELD | YOUR FINANCIAL PICTURE, SIMPLIFIED🏦 MANTLE | INNOVATING THE FUTURE OF ONCHAIN FINANCE🐡 PUFFER UNIFI | A BASED ROLLUP TO ETHEREUM WITH NATIVE YIELDS🌔 MOONWELL | THE LEADING LENDING AND BORROWING APP ON BASE⚙️ GEARBOX PROTOCOL | ONCHAIN LENDING REIMAGINED🥞 SYRUP.FI | INSTITUTIONAL-GRADE YIELD------Timestamps0:00 - Intro3:49 - Founding Kinetiq6:04 - Early conviction for Hyperliquid13:24 - Expected yield for kHYPE18:40 - How will kHYPE yield be distributed?22:14 - Sponsor break22:54 - The importance of precompiles for HL and Kinetiq32:17 - Anticipation and audits for upcoming Kinetiq launch37:40 - iHYPE, liquid staking for institutions43:47 - Sponsor break45:26 - Institutional demand for a HYPE LST48:40 - What are builder codes?56:34 - How Kinetiq differentiates as an LST1:01:11 - Closing------🔗 Guest Links 🔗► Kinetiq website: https://kinetiq.xyz/► Kinetiq on X: https://x.com/kinetiq_xyz► Omnia on X: https://x.com/0xOmnia------All opinions expressed by hosts and podcast guests are solely their own opinions. Podcast guests and hosts may have positions in the assets or other matters discussed in this podcast. DeFi Dad and Nomatic are investors in Kinetiq. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. Do your own research. This is not a recommendation or endorsement to buy any token(s) related to any platform(s) discussed.

Zeus is the Founder of Olympus.In this episode, the anonymous DeFi founder Zeus does his first podcast appearance in 4 years to share how Olympus survived the bear market, restructured its vision, and is now scaling the programmatic money OHM with new products like Cooler Loans V2 and a $275M treasury.------🔗 Essential Show Links 🔗► Newsletter: https://the-edge.xyz► Youtube: https://youtube.com/@DeFiDad► Apple: https://tinyurl.com/edgepod► Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/edgepodspotify► Linktree: https://linktr.ee/edge_pod► Follow DeFi Dad: https://x.com/DeFi_Dad► Follow Nomatic: https://x.com/Nomaticcap► Learn DeFi: http://defidad.com/------The Edge Podcast Sponsor Resources🪄 NEWTON | FINANCIAL FREEDOM ON AUTOPILOT🔮 PYTH NETWORK | SMARTER DATA FOR SMARTER CONTRACTS🤙 SKALE NETWORK | THE GAS-FREE INVISIBLE L1 BLOCKCHAIN📊 iYIELD | YOUR FINANCIAL PICTURE, SIMPLIFIED🏦 MANTLE | INNOVATING THE FUTURE OF ONCHAIN FINANCE🐡 PUFFER UNIFI | A BASED ROLLUP TO ETHEREUM WITH NATIVE YIELDS🌔 MOONWELL | THE LEADING LENDING AND BORROWING APP ON BASE⚙️ GEARBOX PROTOCOL | ONCHAIN LENDING REIMAGINED------Timestamps0:00 - Intro5:27 - The founding of Olympus12:29 - Success came so much faster than expected21:27 - Why Olympus was able to scale when every fork failed29:59 - Surviving the bear market38:52 - Sponsor break39:33 - Why Zeus took a break44:22 - What is Range Bound Stability (RBS)?55:01 - Why they disabled RBS?59:42 - Cooler Loans and OHM treasury strategies1:21:01 - Sponsor break1:22:39 - How Olympus compares to the Saylor BTC trade1:43:06 - Olympus’s investment in Berachain1:51:27 - Closing------🔗 Guest Links 🔗► Olympus website: https://www.olympusdao.finance/► Olympus on X: https://x.com/OlympusDAO► Zeus on X: https://x.com/ohmzeus------All opinions expressed by hosts and podcast guests are solely their own opinions. Podcast guests and hosts may have positions in the assets or other matters discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a basis for investment decisions. Do your own research. This is not a recommendation or endorsement to buy any token(s) related to any platform(s) discussed.

In this discussion, Ryan Berckmans, an Ethereum community member and ETH investor, delves into the exciting yet perplexing landscape of Ethereum’s growing fundamentals and stagnant market prices. He explores the importance of decentralization and the competition posed by other blockchain platforms. Ryan highlights metrics indicating Ethereum's strong adoption and the implications of institutional interest. The conversation also touches on real-world applications of Ethereum, signaling potential shifts in market dynamics.

Joe Flanagan, Co-founder of Maple Finance, and Martin de Rijke, Head of Growth, dive into the world of decentralized finance. They discuss how Maple bridges the gap between DeFi lenders and institutional borrowers to create real yields for stablecoin holders. The duo highlights innovative products like Syrup USDC, which offers compounding yields, and explores the dynamic strategies involving fixed and variable rates. They emphasize the potential of institutional interest in DeFi and the importance of adapting to a rapidly evolving financial landscape.

Join Ken Deeter, a General Partner at Electric Capital with a focus on early-stage DeFi, and Rob Montgomery, CEO of InfiniFi Labs, revolutionizing on-chain banking. They discuss how InfiniFi introduces duration matching to unlock sustainable yields for stablecoin holders. Dive into the competition between DeFi and TradFi, and learn about innovative yield optimization strategies. The conversation explores automation in DeFi through Infinifi's solutions and the future integration of real-world assets, catering to both casual and serious investors.