Guest: Brett Li (Twitter: @composeus) Host: Rex (Twitter: @LogarithmicRex) To run Ethereum effectively, you need a dedicated computer with sufficient capabilities, an always-on power supply, and an internet connection. Additionally, you require a substantial amount of Ethereum at least 32 ETH (currently valued at around $75k), which presents a significant barrier to entry. The future looks even more challenging, with protocol upgrades likely increasing node requirements and Ethereum prices potentially rising further. However, there's optimism due to developments like Distributed Validator Technology (DVT), which promises to revolutionize Ethereum's decentralization by facilitating distributed validation. Brett Li, Chief Growth Officer at Obol Labs, discusses DVT's significance, highlighting its potential to address concerns and advance Ethereum's evolution into a modular blockchain paradigm.

Guest: Danno Ferrin (Twitter: @shemnon) Host: Rex (Twitter: @LogarithmicRex) In today's podcast, the discussion delves into the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), the computational environment where smart contracts reside and transactions are processed. Danno Ferrin, an EVM expert with 5 years of experience, talks about the upcoming major upgrade to the EVM called EVM Object Format (EOF). The conversation explores the technical aspects of this update, providing insights into how code is packaged and shedding light on the evolution of the EVM. A disclaimer is also emphasized, cautioning against taking financial advice from the podcast.

Guest: Steve Pack (Twitter: @zk_sjp) Host: Rex (Twitter: @LogarithmicRex) The podcast discusses the significance of ZK cryptography in the blockchain ecosystem, particularly its transformative impact in 2024. ZK cryptography enables the verification of specific computer program outputs through proofs generated during program execution, offering a computationally efficient way to validate results. In the context of blockchains, which are inherently resource-limited, ZK cryptography allows for the augmentation of computing power and modern resources. But this insight is not new, in fact the team at O1 Labs has been building Mina Protocol with these insights built directly into the DNA of the Mina blockchain. Today’s guest, Steve Pack, head of Product at O1 Labs, shares insights into Mina Protocol emphasizing its potential for growth alongside Ethereum and its integration with Optimism and the OP stack.

Host: Rex (Twitter: @LogarithmicRex) Hey, it's Rex, host of the Strange Water Podcast. I want to express my gratitude for the incredible support over the past year. The conversations with Ethereum and ZK project contributors have been enlightening, and I've learned something new from every episode. As a thank you to the audience, I'm thrilled to announce that throughout February, we'll be releasing two new episodes every week instead of our usual once-a-week format. Your feedback is crucial, so please leave comments or reviews wherever you listen, and feel free to reach out directly. Subscribing, sharing, and continued support from all of you will help the show grow. Thanks for being part of the first 44 episodes, and here's to a podcast-filled February and a fantastic 2024! See you on Monday!

Guest: Norton Wang (Twitter: @floatfloatboat) Host: Rex (Twitter: @LogarithmicRex) In March 2022, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) initiated a series of over 10 interest rate hikes after years of near-zero rates in the crypto space. This shift affected various industries, with US treasury bills yielding significant returns for the first time in decades, attracting liquidity. Despite the crypto market experiencing losses, some innovators, like Norton Wang, CTO of the Cogito protocol, recognized an opportunity. Cogito aims to bring traditional financial investments onto the blockchain, starting with treasury bills and expanding to a green bond fund. The protocol also integrates AI for advanced on-chain trading strategies, highlighting its commitment to making blockchain technology relevant to the real world and the principles of De-Fi (decentralized finance).

Guest: Steven Gates (Twitter: @stvngts) Host: Rex (Twitter: @LogarithmicRex) In today's episode, Steven Gates, the founder of GoGoPool, a prominent staking service for Avalanche, is featured. The episode delves into GoGoPool's role in the Avalanche ecosystem, not only as a staking service for AVAX but also as a key player in supporting builders deploying sovereign app-chains secured by the Avalanche protocol. The conversation covers fundamental topics such as the structure of the Avalanche protocol-subnet and explores nuanced questions about the blockchain industry, addressing implications of hyper financialization and contemplating the endgame state of major blockchain ecosystems. The episode highlights the value of cross-ecosystem conversations in an industry marked by tribalism, emphasizing the enriching experience of understanding diverse perspectives within the blockchain space.

Guest: Scott Dykstra (Twitter: @ChiefBuidl) Host: Rex (Twitter: @LogarithmicRex) Try out Space and Time at app.spaceandtime.ai In the realm of Zero-Knowledge Cryptography, recent research is reshaping the role of cryptography beyond mere encryption, making it a pivotal tool for decentralized computing. ZK rollups, exemplifying this shift, address the trustless but costly nature of Ethereum's computations by allowing inexpensive off-chain computation with results recorded on-chain. Ethereum faces challenges not only in execution but also in storing data, where conventional approaches are prohibitively expensive. Zero-Knowledge Cryptography emerges as a transformative solution, illustrated by Space and Time, a cryptography company using it to prove SQL queries off-chain, revolutionizing both execution and storage in the Ethereum ecosystem. This is a wide ranging conversation with Scott Dysktra, Co-Founder and CTO of Space and Time, on all things crypto and decentralized computing!

Guest: Kartin Wong (Twitter: @0xKartin) Host: Rex (Twitter: @LogarithmicRex) ZK cryptography enables the projection of computation across diverse computing environments, particularly in the context of blockchains that prioritize credible neutrality and trustlessness over performance. Prior to ZK, basic computation was limited within the blockchain environment, but ZK allows the use of high-performance computers, with the results and proofs then incorporated into the blockchain. The integration of ZK with blockchain is seen as transformative, bridging the gap between conceptual ideas and an integrated, automated distributed system. The conversation introduces Kartin Wong, co-founder of Hyper Oracle, a company leveraging the latest ZK technology to revolutionize the capabilities of the world computer, with a focus on zkAutomation and zkML, showcasing Hyper Oracle's broader contributions to modern computation and adoption.

Guest: Kobi Gurkan (Twitter: @KobiGurk) Host: Rex (Twitter: @LogarithmicRex) Geometry Research was established as a research and investment firm to catalyze the growth of the ZK community. The author expresses excitement about Geometry's role in funding innovative ZK-based projects and interviews Kobi Gurkan, Geometry's co-founder and head of research, discussing the state of the ZK industry, technological developments, and areas of promising innovation. The conversation also explores the challenges of building in a rapidly evolving field and the importance of designing systems with upgradability in mind.

Host: Leo Fan (Twitter: @leofanxiong) Guest: Rex Kirshner (Twitter: @LogarithmicRex) Despite the optimism and entrepreneurial energy surrounding zero knowledge cryptography (ZK), there are challenges, including the complexity of concepts, difficulty in finding and using tools, and integration issues with existing primitives. The episode introduces Leo Fan, founder of Cysic, a company addressing ZK's performance problem by creating hardware with embedded ZK primitives. The discussion delves into the challenges of achieving efficient ZK proofs and explores how Cysic's hardware aims to accelerate ZK systems, drawing parallels to the transformative potential akin to Moore's Law in the field.