Bell Curve
Blockworks
Bell Curve breaks down the most important themes in crypto for people who, like us, are confined to the middle of the bell curve. Each season explores a different thesis that we'll test and refine through debate with crypto's best. If you're a crypto native, degen or investooor, this podcast is for you.Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3R1D1D9Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3pQTfmDSubscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3cpKZXHGet top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/Join the Bell Curve Telegram group: https://t.me/+nzyxAvQ0Xxc3YTEx
Episodes
Mentioned books
5 snips
Feb 2, 2024 • 1h 17min
The Return of ETH as Digital Money and Betting on Prediction Markets | Roundup
In this podcast, they discuss the return of ETH as digital money, the growth of prediction markets, and the launches of liquid staking tokens. They also explore trends in L2 liquidity growth, increased demand for spot exposure, and the potential overlap of AI and crypto.
Jan 30, 2024 • 1h 41min
The Multichain Endgame: Modularity, Network Effects, and The Intent Paradigm | Season 7 Episode 1 Ft. Hart Lambur
Hart Lambur, Co-founder of Across Protocol and UMA Protocol, joins Mike to discuss the emerging multichain endgame. They explore interoperability models, an intent-centric blockchain paradigm, and the unbundling of protocols. They also delve into network effects, shared security models, and the use of blockchain for incentivizing human behavior.
Jan 26, 2024 • 1h 7min
Ethereum's Roadmap Dichotomy: Prioritizing the Protocol vs. the Asset | Roundup
The podcast explores the dichotomy between Ethereum the protocol and Ethereum the Asset, discussing stake rates, liquid staking derivatives, and monetary policy. They delve into Ethereum's roadmap, tensions between control and exporting value, and optimizing protocol parameters. The debate on prioritizing Ethereum as a base layer protocol or as an asset is explored, along with the concept of tokens as revenue streams and the multi-chain world. The podcast also reflects on the viability of crypto products and frustrations with the Bitcoin community.
Jan 23, 2024 • 55min
The Solution to Oracle Extractable Value
UMA and Flashbots collaborate on Oval, a new MEV capture mechanism. They discuss Oracle Extractable Value (OEV) and how Oval captures uncaptured MEV. Topics include high volatility trading, liquidations, auctions, programming auctions using oval, and the relevance of MEV in borrow/lend protocols and NFT platforms.
Jan 19, 2024 • 1h 18min
TradFi Embracing Crypto, Private Equity Froth, and Macro Headwinds | Roundup
Two guests from Framework Ventures join the host to talk about macro sentiment, excess in private market deals, BTC ETF flow implications, overturning the Chevron doctrine, liquid staking incentives, and potential addressable markets. They also discuss restaking, election cycles' impact on the crypto market, traditional financial institutions embracing crypto, competition in crypto ETFs, Ethereum gas fees, and industry changes. A partnership with the Wormhole Foundation is mentioned.
Jan 16, 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 Solana's local fee markets, MEV on Solana, app-specific MEV, Solana's DeFi risk, Phoenix's limit order book, and the importance of understanding infrastructure for app developers.
Jan 12, 2024 • 1h 10min
Quantifying Maker Protocol: Revenue Analysis, Risk Frameworks and Stability Levers | Roundup
The podcast discusses Maker Protocol's evolution into a cash flow machine, including its financials, revenue streams, and balance sheet metrics. They also explore Maker's decentralized governance plans, moves into real-world assets, and associated risks and revenue opportunities. The podcast delves into Vitalik's proposal to raise gas limits, Ethereum's role as a settlement layer, and the impact of performance on rollups and value accrual. They also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using native tokens as a primary currency for transactions in Layer 2.
Jan 9, 2024 • 1h 13min
Converging Cosmos & Ethereum: A Restaking & Shared Security Deep Dive | Sreeram & Zaki
Zaki, an expert in Sommelier Finance, and Sreeram, a specialist in Eigenlayer, join the podcast to discuss the converging visions of Ethereum and Cosmos. They delve into restaking as a bridge between the two ecosystems, shared security, attributable versus pooled security, and the optimization of staking models. They also explore the limitations of Ethereum, the potential of Eigenlayer, and the convergence of large capital currencies.
Jan 6, 2024 • 1h 15min
Unpacking Ethereum's Demand Drivers, Commodity Attributes, and Evolving Roadmap | Roundup
This podcast delves into Ethereum's roadmap, demand drivers, and commodity attributes. They discuss rollups, scalability, centralization concerns, and the debate around Ethereum's complexity. They compare Ethereum to Bitcoin, explore if Ethereum can be 'money,' and analyze the demand side. They also cover rollup sovereignty, the economics of native tokens vs ETH, and Stride's liquid staking proposal.
Jan 2, 2024 • 57min
Alluvial: The Enterprise-Grade Liquid Staking Standard | Mara Schmiedt
Mara Schmiedt, co-founder and CEO of Alluvial, discusses the role of liquid staking in the crypto market, the introduction of service level agreements (SLAs), the target customer segment, and the future of liquid staking. They also touch on the significance of KYC in the minting process and the potential expansion of the protocol into other chains and networks.
