

Lightspeed
Blockworks
Lightspeed is a podcast for those interested in how crypto can solve real problems and create products users love. It's a callback to the garage days of Silicon Valley, where builders pushed the limits of hardware and software to build world-changing products. We interview the projects and founders that will make this same impact today.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 6, 2024 • 50min
Post JUP Clarity: Why Solana Needs to Double Down on Product | Mert Mumtaz, Garrett Harper
Mert Mumtaz and Garrett Harper discuss Solana's recent JUP token launch, the controversy, and the need for Solana to focus on product development. They also delve into user experience issues, the potential of Solana for various applications, and the importance of reliable blockchain platforms. Additionally, they propose a crypto fiction hackathon to promote storytelling in the industry.

Feb 5, 2024 • 32min
How Colosseum Will Accelerate Solana's App Ecosystem | Matty Taylor
Matty Taylor, Founder of Colosseum, the Y-Combinator of Crypto, discusses launching Colosseum to accelerate Solana's app ecosystem. They explore tactical tips for founders, the winning formula for startups, and why Solana is the best ecosystem. They also cover the significance of hackathons in the Solana ecosystem, the value of remote programs in the crypto industry, and Solana's potential for global adoption. They provide details on the upcoming hackathon and give advice on building with crypto.

4 snips
Feb 1, 2024 • 1h 10min
How Firedancer Will Unlock Solana's Scaling Roadmap | Lucas Bruder, Liam Heeger
Lucas Bruder and Liam Heeger, talented Solana developers, discuss Firedancer's impact on Solana, including transaction efficiency, client diversity, validator profitability, and the role of Jito's Stakenet. They also cover Solana's core challenges, network jitter, optimizing performance, client specifications, and predictions for the crypto space.

5 snips
Jan 30, 2024 • 1h 20min
Anatoly Yakovenko: A Deep Dive Into Solana 2.0
Anatoly Yakovenko, an expert on Solana's architecture and roadmap, joins the podcast for a masterclass exploration of Solana 2.0. Topics discussed include fee market optimizations, Jito and MEV, Solana's end game, validator profitability, token extensions, and more!

10 snips
Jan 25, 2024 • 1h 10min
Solana's Flywheel: Why It's Time to Reevaluate Your Solana Thesis | Santiago Santos
Santiago Santos joins us to discuss his crypto investment thesis and conviction in Solana's adoption flywheel. Santiago is a prolific investor, co-host of Empire and one of the most respected minds in crypto. In this episode, we discuss Santi's crypto thesis, Solana's incredible flywheel, scarcity vs abundance, if decentralization matters, Santi's favorite investment themes and more!- -(00:00) Introduction(1:19) Why Crypto Matters(4:42) How to Build and Keep Conviction(15:36) Santi’s Solana Thesis(23:30) Scarcity vs Abundance Mindset(36:57) DAS Promo(37:54) Solana vs Ethereum DeFi(42:27) Does Decentralization Actually Matter?(46:29) Predictions and Investment Themes(53:59) Crypto Banks and Coinbase’s Opportunity(58:58) Running and Life Lessons- -Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED10 to get 10% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there!Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home- -Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroelFollow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/LightspeedpodhqSubscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3SykSubscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgVSubscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PDGet top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - -ResourcesEmpire podcasthttps://spoti.fi/3vFsYh6The Summit by Santihttps://medium.com/@santiago.rs/the-summit-an-exploration-of-goals-and-values-17a7f782dccdHelius' blog post on Firedancerhttps://www.helius.dev/blog/what-is-firedancer- - Disclaimers:Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation.Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Jan 23, 2024 • 1h 7min
The Mind Behind Madden NFL's Hit Stick Explains Game Design | Ian Cummings (Photo Finish)
Ian Cummings, creator of Solana's race horsing game, Photo Finish, discusses the story behind the hit stick in Madden NFL, why he chose the horse racing market, customer retention secrets, winning strategies in Photo Finish, and the partnership with the Kentucky Derby.

Jan 18, 2024 • 57min
Why JUP Is Solana's Most Anticipated Airdrop | Mert Mumtaz, Garrett Harper
Mert Mumtaz and Garrett Harper discuss the eagerly anticipated JUP airdrop, vertical integration on Solana, the size of the validator set, critical thinking, and why more Solana teams haven't released tokens.

Jan 16, 2024 • 1h 10min
Solana Thesis: The Fastest Horse Rises From the Ashes | Ryan Watkins, Wilson Withiam
Ryan Watkins and Wilson Withiam from Syncracy Capital discuss their Solana thesis and various topics including the Bitcoin spot ETF, Ethereum and LDO thesis, MakerDAO opportunity, Solana applications, DA Layer wars, and more. They explore the potential of Solana, concerns about smart contracts and governance, and the importance of feedback and in-house development.

16 snips
Jan 11, 2024 • 1h 19min
Why Crypto Matters: Generative Tech Meets New Capital Formation | Josh Rosenthal
Josh Rosenthal, historian, investor, and founder discusses crypto's key unlock, scarcity vs abundance, history's revolutionary technologies, crypto tribalism, the bidirectional door between the physical and digital world, embracing change, and more in this entertaining podcast.

Jan 9, 2024 • 1h 6min
Solana's Local Fee Markets Aren't Real | Eugene Chen
Eugene Chen, co-founder of Ellipses Labs, Phoenix Protocol, and Umbra Research, discusses the limitations of Solana's local fee markets and proposes potential solutions. They also explore MEV on Solana, app-specific MEV, Solana's DeFi risk, Phoenix's limit order book, and the importance of understanding infrastructure for app developers.


