
Validated
When it comes to blockchain, the thing people talk about most — the price — is actually the least interesting part. Crypto conversations are too often about who’s up and who’s down, what to buy and what to sell, and today’s drama on Twitter. Most conversations about crypto miss how it’s going to change ... everything.
On VALIDATED, we’ll be talking to the people who are rethinking the internet — and our world. No hype cycles. No financial advice. Just conversations on the biggest ideas shaping the future of the internet.
Web3 is complicated, but never boring.
Latest episodes

6 snips
Jan 2, 2024 • 47min
Why Payment Processing Companies Need to Start Thinking About Blockchain w/ Nabil Manji (Worldpay)
Nabil Manji from Worldpay discusses the integration of blockchain in payment processing, including the adoption of USDC. They explore reducing fees, navigating regulatory challenges, the evolution of stablecoins, and facilitating transfers into accounts.

Dec 12, 2023 • 52min
Is Bitcoin Still Relevant in a Smart Contract World? w/ Matt Luongo (Thesis)
In this episode, Austin chats with Matt Luongo (Thesis) about the role of decentralized custodial solutions for Bitcoin such as Threshold's tBTC. Beyond the technical details of how tBTC works and what its holders can do, the conversation often digresses into Bitcoiner views of the world in the context of a crypto industry now dominated by smart contracts. What should the role of BTC be in DeFi? What are the cultural implications of the flippening if it happens too early? How will the BTC network remain "relevant" for decades to come? Austin and Matt exchange views on these questions and more. DISCLAIMERThe content herein is provided for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only, and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, options, futures, or other derivatives related to securities in any jurisdiction, nor should not be relied upon as advice to buy, sell or hold any of the foregoing. This content is intended to be general in nature and is not specific to you, the user or anyone else. You should not make any decision, financial, investment, trading or otherwise, based on any of the information presented without undertaking independent due diligence and consultation with a professional advisor. Solana Foundation Foundation and its agents, advisors, council members, officers and employees (the “Foundation Parties”) make no representation or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy of the information herein and expressly disclaims any and all liability that may be based on such information or any errors or omissions therein. The Foundation Parties shall have no liability whatsoever, under contract, tort, trust or otherwise, to any person arising from or related to the content or any use of the information contained herein by you or any of your representatives. All opinions expressed herein are the speakers’ own personal opinions and do not reflect the opinions of any entities.

Nov 21, 2023 • 44min
An Open-Source Toolset for Token Infrastructure w/ Tommy Johnson
In this episode, Tommy Johnson discusses Armada, a collaborative project between PsyFi and HXRO that provides an open-source toolkit for launching tokens from inception to full decentralization. He and Austin reflect on the historical pain points of token launches, the evolution of tokenomics over the last several years, "governance-light" vs. "governance-heavy" DAO models, and more. DISCLAIMERThe content herein is provided for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only, and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, options, futures, or other derivatives related to securities in any jurisdiction, nor should not be relied upon as advice to buy, sell or hold any of the foregoing. This content is intended to be general in nature and is not specific to you, the user or anyone else. You should not make any decision, financial, investment, trading or otherwise, based on any of the information presented without undertaking independent due diligence and consultation with a professional advisor. Solana Foundation Foundation and its agents, advisors, council members, officers and employees (the “Foundation Parties”) make no representation or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy of the information herein and expressly disclaims any and all liability that may be based on such information or any errors or omissions therein. The Foundation Parties shall have no liability whatsoever, under contract, tort, trust or otherwise, to any person arising from or related to the content or any use of the information contained herein by you or any of your representatives. All opinions expressed herein are the speakers’ own personal opinions and do not reflect the opinions of any entities.

12 snips
Nov 7, 2023 • 1h 2min
How Justin Bons Reconsidered His Thesis About Solana
Justin Bons, early critic of Solana, discusses his change of heart and now seeing it positively. They talk about improving Solana, challenging assumptions in crypto investing, evaluating Ethereum's Layer Two solutions, changing the code and Bitcoin governance, perfect information in the crypto market, and the intersection of science, philosophy, and programming in blockchain.

Nov 4, 2023 • 29min
Live from Breakpoint: Conversation w/ Rune Christensen (MakerDAO)
In this episode live from BP 2023, Austin sits down with Rune Christensen to discuss MakerDAO's Endgame plan. Rune outlines how the concept of subDAOs will fix the current problems faced by DAOs, why SVM architecture is best suited to carry out his Endgame vision, the toxicity of tribalism, and more. DISCLAIMERThe content herein is provided for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only, and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, options, futures, or other derivatives related to securities in any jurisdiction, nor should not be relied upon as advice to buy, sell or hold any of the foregoing. This content is intended to be general in nature and is not specific to you, the user or anyone else. You should not make any decision, financial, investment, trading or otherwise, based on any of the information presented without undertaking independent due diligence and consultation with a professional advisor. Solana Foundation Foundation and its agents, advisors, council members, officers and employees (the “Foundation Parties”) make no representation or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy of the information herein and expressly disclaims any and all liability that may be based on such information or any errors or omissions therein. The Foundation Parties shall have no liability whatsoever, under contract, tort, trust or otherwise, to any person arising from or related to the content or any use of the information contained herein by you or any of your representatives. All opinions expressed herein are the speakers’ own personal opinions and do not reflect the opinions of any entities.

6 snips
Oct 24, 2023 • 49min
Crypto's Killer App Is Already Here: Stablecoins w/ Dante Disparte (Circle)
Dante Disparte, Stablecoin expert, discusses the future of stablecoins and their potential as the 'killer app' for the crypto industry. Topics include the rapid growth and success of stablecoin innovation, the need for change in the payment system, contrasting reactions to stablecoin bills, the value chain in the cryptocurrency market, and the evolution of stablecoins and regulatory frameworks.

Oct 10, 2023 • 47min
The Toly Episode
In this episode, Austin has a freeform conversation with Anatoly Yakovenko about the state of Solana. Beyond the cliches of the past, present, and future of the network, Austin and Toly explore higher level ideas such as design philosophy, hardware limitations, balancing new features with network performance, AI and blockchain, and much more. DISCLAIMERThe content herein is provided for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only, and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, options, futures, or other derivatives related to securities in any jurisdiction, nor should not be relied upon as advice to buy, sell or hold any of the foregoing. This content is intended to be general in nature and is not specific to you, the user or anyone else. You should not make any decision, financial, investment, trading or otherwise, based on any of the information presented without undertaking independent due diligence and consultation with a professional advisor. Solana Foundation Foundation and its agents, advisors, council members, officers and employees (the “Foundation Parties”) make no representation or warranties, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy of the information herein and expressly disclaims any and all liability that may be based on such information or any errors or omissions therein. The Foundation Parties shall have no liability whatsoever, under contract, tort, trust or otherwise, to any person arising from or related to the content or any use of the information contained herein by you or any of your representatives. All opinions expressed herein are the speakers’ own personal opinions and do not reflect the opinions of any entities.

5 snips
Oct 3, 2023 • 51min
What Decentralized Credit Means for Emerging Markets w/ Thomas Bohner
Blockchain expert Thomas Bohner discusses how Credix utilizes blockchain technology to improve the private credit market in emerging markets. They explore the rise of DeFi, the Brazilian economy, and the distinction between DeFi and fintech. Additionally, they discuss expanding into the Colombian market, decentralized credit's returns and efficiency gains, and the future of stablecoins in Latin America.

Sep 19, 2023 • 52min
How Pyth Is Changing the Oracle Game w/ Jayant Krishnamurthy
Jayant Krishnamurthy, Co-founder of Duoro Labs, discusses how Pyth is revolutionizing blockchain oracles by addressing challenges and expanding to over 30 blockchains. They explore the PITH Network, optimizing multi-chain protocols with miracle trees, the evolution of DeFi, bridging limitations, and the challenges and design space for oracles. They also discuss operating Pith in a bear market and compare Solana and Ethereum ecosystems.

Sep 5, 2023 • 46min
Why Multisigs are Becoming the Default Security Paradigm
This podcast discusses the increasing adoption of multisig wallets in the Solana ecosystem and the crypto space, exploring their use cases and the importance of a security-first mindset. They also cover topics such as formal verification, approaches to monetization, and the significance of multi-signature technology in ensuring blockchain security.