372: The Security Mistakes Every Web3 Founder Makes (And How to Avoid Them) with Guest Speaker Johnathon Claudius from Asymmetric Research

I sat down with Jonathan Claudius from Asymmetric Research to talk about the security landscape in Web3. We covered the new vulnerabilities emerging from LLMs and AI agents, the easy wins every founder should implement today, and why security can't be confined to a two-week audit window. Jonathan shares real examples from their work with the Interchain Foundation, explains how to balance shipping speed with security rigor, and gives practical advice on building defense in depth. If you're building in this space, this conversation will change how you think about security. • [01:03] How Asymmetric Research started from Jump Crypto and their shift to commercial engagements• [04:52] Real incident: Preventing a DPRK hacking group infiltration at Interchain Foundation• [08:18] New security threats from LLMs and AI agents - the offense vs defense arms race• [10:08] Bug bounty programs seeing high-quality submissions from LLM-enabled attackers• [13:46] Easy wins: Branch protection, security keys, linting, and static analysis tools• [16:24] Balancing speed and security through defense in depth strategies• [18:35] OpenClaw and AI agents creating new attack vectors like prompt injection• [22:14] Laptop security basics: MDM and EDR solutions every team needs• [25:19] Why Asymmetric focuses on human connection over productization• [29:14] Founder lessons: Building finance and BD systems earlyAsymmetric Research Website: https://asymmetric.reAsymmetric Research Careers: https://asymmetric.re/careerWeb3 with Sam Kamani: https://www.web3pod.xyz/Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend. Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

In this episode, I sit down with William Quigley, co-founder of WAX and co-founder of Tether. We go deep into what is actually happening in crypto right now. We talk about stablecoins, gaming, startup strategy, market cycles, and why founders need insight more than hype. William shares hard-earned lessons from building early crypto products and explains where real value may come from next.This is a must-listen for founders, builders, and anyone trying to understand where Web3 is heading. We unpack why stablecoins matter, why most internal innovation fails, why altcoin speculation looks weaker this cycle, and what kinds of businesses still have a real shot at winning.Key points00:00 — Intro to the episode and why this conversation matters for founders01:24 — William’s path into crypto through virtual item trading in gaming04:23 — Why gaming platforms resist asset portability and user ownership05:26 — Why blockchain gaming adoption has been slower than expected07:26 — Prediction markets, speculation, and why they are still niche10:31 — How Tether started and the problem stablecoins were built to solve13:28 — Why Tether’s model worked and why algorithmic stablecoins failed17:07 — The future of stablecoins and the three models William sees winning20:30 — Will non-USD stablecoins grow over time?23:35 — Why FX fees are massive and how stablecoins can reduce that pain27:06 — What recent crypto events reveal about institutional vs retail interest29:14 — Why this cycle feels different and why altcoin season never fully arrived34:32 — Sam’s view on AI helping chains build actual apps, not just more infra37:42 — Why most internal innovation fails without real market insight44:28 — How to think about fear, greed, and crypto sentiment46:38 — If William started again today, what kind of business would he build?50:26 — Sam on AI, quantum computing, and selling tools in the next tech wave54:22 — Why timing matters as much as the idea itself56:09 — Institutional capital, long-term adoption, and what may come nextDisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on ApplePodcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.Be a guest on the podcast or contact us -⁠ https://www.web3pod.xyz/⁠

I sat down with Guy and Kate from Fhenix to talk about something that's been missing from crypto since day one: real privacy. They're building a privacy co-processor using Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) that lets you compute over encrypted data without ever exposing it. We covered why privacy is finally getting product-market fit, how institutions need confidentiality for payments and DeFi, and why AI agents will need private transactions. Guy shared his journey from Intel's Trusted Execution Environments to building Fhenix, and Kate explained why encryption should be the default, not an afterthought. We also talked about their shift from L2 to co-processor, their integration with Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Base, and what's next for confidential smart contracts. If you've ever wondered why everything in crypto is public by default and how that's about to change, this episode is for you. CONNECTFhenix Website: https://fhenix.ioFhenix Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/fhenixioWeb3 with Sam Kamani - Be a Guest: https://www.web3pod.xyz/KEY POINTS Guy's background at Intel building Trusted Execution Environments and his transition to founding FhenixKate's journey from cybersecurity engineering to crypto and why she sees it as the new Wild WestWhy Fhenix pivoted from building an L2 to a privacy co-processorWhat Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE) is and how it enables computation over encrypted dataPrivacy use cases in payments, DeFi, dark pools, and sealed-bid auctionsWhy institutional adoption requires confidentiality, not just anonymityHow AI is improving FHE performance and lowering barriers to entry for builders• [00:00] The importance of private agent-to-agent payments in the AI era• [00:00] Why developers should learn fundamentals even in the age of AI coding tools• [00:00] Fhenix's roadmap: faster cryptography, more chain integrations, and enterprise partnerships• [00:00] Their incubator program and call for builders to experiment with privacy-first smart contractsDisclaimer:Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend. Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

I sat down with Adebola from the Tezos Foundation at ETH Denver to explore what's new in the Tezos ecosystem. We covered Etherlink, their EVM Layer 2 rollup that brings Solidity developers into the Tezos world. We talked about Uranium.io, their tokenized uranium project that gives retail investors access to alternative assets. And we went deep on AI agents, how they're changing development, and why now is the perfect time to be a builder. If you're interested in Layer 2s, real-world assets, or AI-powered development, this conversation is packed with insights. CONNECTUranium.io: https://uranium.io Tezos Foundation: https://tezos.foundation Etherlink: https://etherlink.com Web3 with Sam Kamani: https://www.web3pod.xyz/ Tezos Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/tezos KEY POINTSIntroduction to Tezos and Adebola's work at the FoundationEtherlink: Tezos's EVM Layer 2 rollup for Solidity developersUranium.io: Tokenizing uranium as an alternative asset class for retail investorsWhy RWA adoption beyond stablecoins has been limited (liquidity, understanding, accessibility)What makes Etherlink unique and why EVM compatibility mattersDeveloper adoption in crypto and the constant developer count problemHow AI agents are changing software development and blockchain buildingAgent-to-agent payments and the future of autonomous transactionsBuilding an AI asset manager using n8n, Claude, and workflow automationThe future of apps is chats: AI agents managing your entire financial lifeWhat Tezos is looking for: builders, institutions, and family officesDisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend. Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

I sat down with Sydney Huang from Human API to explore a completely novel concept—AI agents hiring humans, not the other way around. We dive into how they're solving the last mile problem for AI agents, why data collection is their first focus, and how you can actually get paid for contributing voice data and other tasks. Sydney shares her journey from buying Ethereum in 2017 to building Eclipse (a Solana VM L2 on Ethereum) to now creating an agent-native marketplace. We discuss the challenges of building a two-sided marketplace, the growing demand for AI training data, and why now is the perfect time to build in this space. KEY POINTS WITH TIMESTAMPS• [00:00] Introduction to Human API and the concept of AI agents hiring humans• [02:30] Sydney's journey from buying ETH in 2017 to working in VC to building in crypto full-time• [04:15] Eclipse explained: Building a Solana VM L2 on Ethereum and the modular blockchain thesis• [06:45] The last mile problem for AI agents and why human tasks are still needed• [09:20] How Human API differs from traditional workflow automation tools• [11:00] Current use cases: Conversational audio data collection for training voice AI• [14:30] Future expansion into health wearables data and other data types• [18:45] Why people are willing to work for AI agents and contribute data• [21:00] Building a better UX than Fiverr and Upwork with reputation systems• [25:15] The chicken-and-egg challenge of balancing supply and demand• [28:30] Why now is the perfect time to build in the AI data space• [31:00] Roadmap: App launch and making the agent experience seamless• [32:45] How to become a contributor at thehumanapi.comCONNECTHuman API Website: https://thehumanapi.comSydney Huang LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sydney-huangEclipse Website: https://eclipse.xyzWeb3 with Sam Kamani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samkamani/DisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend. Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

I sat down with Kat from Space and Time to talk about what real institutional adoption actually looks like. While crypto Twitter feels bearish, banks like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs are hiring entire teams focused on digital assets. Space and Time has already onboarded over 100,000 students in Southeast Asia for verifiable education credentials, shipped a zero-knowledge proof for databases, and is working with major institutions on tokenized assets and compliant stablecoin reward distribution. We dive into AI-powered vibe coding, why surviving the bear market matters more than anything else, and why the next wave of builders will have access to on-chain data like never before. --- CONNECT ---Space and Time: https://spaceandtime.io/https://www.linkedin.com/company/space-and-time-db/https://discord.com/invite/spaceandtimeDBTwitter/X - Space and Time: https://twitter.com/SpaceandTimeDB--- KEY POINTS WITH TIMESTAMPS ---• [00:00:00] Space and Time has onboarded over 100,000 students in Southeast Asia for verifiable education credentials• [00:02:00] Major university partnerships expanding in both Southeast Asia and the US• [00:03:00] Dream Space - AI vibe coding platform allowing non-developers to build apps and smart contracts• [00:04:00] Institutional adoption is the biggest growth area - stablecoin issuers, tokenized assets, major banks• [00:06:00] Despite bearish sentiment on crypto Twitter, institutions like JP Morgan, US Bank, Fidelity, and Goldman Sachs are more bullish than ever• [00:07:00] Banks are hiring entire teams of digital asset specialists, not just single roles• [00:09:00] 98% of stablecoin market is USDT/USDC, but new categories will emerge as adoption expands• [00:11:00] Marketing in crypto changes dramatically between bull and bear markets - focus on real value proposition and real customers• [00:14:00] Space and Time invented a patented zero-knowledge proof specifically for databases, making data computations fast and efficient• [00:18:00] Nearly $2 trillion of institutional capital waiting on the sidelines to enter crypto over next 2-5 yearsDisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend. Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

I sat down with Dewey and Igor from Function Space at ETHDenver to discuss how they're building something fundamentally different in prediction markets. They're not creating another venue like Polymarket or Kalshi. Instead, they're building the primitive layer underneath - enabling developers to create numerical range forecasting markets for anything from Tesla's quarterly revenue to Apple's iPhone sales. We explore why they believe prediction markets can become a superset of all financial instruments, the challenges of building in such a competitive space, and why being at the protocol level might be the smartest play. If you're interested in the infrastructure powering the next generation of prediction markets, this conversation reveals what's happening beneath the surface. • [00:00] Function Space is building the primitive layer for prediction markets, not another venue• [02:00] The team's background from BankSA and their transition into prediction markets• [03:00] Function Space enables numerical range forecasting vs binary yes/no contracts• [06:00] The business model centers on native token demand for market resolution• [09:00] Emerging trends: Pre-ICO TGE markets and yield hedging for DeFi protocols• [13:00] Why building at the protocol level consolidates liquidity better than fragmented venues• [18:00] Prediction markets becoming primitives themselves - like Condo Finance using positions as collateral• [21:00] The challenge of being novel: communicating concepts that don't exist yet• [23:00] Prediction markets divorced from crypto cycles - volumes up even when crypto's down• [26:00] Actively seeking builders and advanced traders for their private trial programConnect with FunctionSpace:https://www.functionspace.dev/ https://x.com/functionspaceHQhttps://t.me/+pUEOlfRhHspiNmRlDisclaimer:Nothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend. Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

In this episode, I speak with Phil from Augur about why prediction markets still matter and why decentralization in crypto still matters even more. We unpack Augur’s long history as one of the earliest projects in crypto, why it lost momentum during high-fee Ethereum days, and why the team believes now is the right time to return. Phil explains how Augur is rebuilding around a modular oracle, how prediction market resolution really works, and why security at the oracle layer is the real game.We also dive into Augur’s new white paper, the idea of making truth profitable, and how their escalation game and algorithmic fork are designed to make manipulation expensive. This is a deep but important conversation for anyone building in Web3, following prediction markets, or thinking about the future of decentralized infrastructure.Key points00:01:00 — Augur’s early historyAugus explains that Augur was one of the earliest crypto projects, the first ICO, and the first ERC20 token. He also shares how it helped bring prediction markets and decentralized oracles into crypto.00:02:00 — Why Augur lost momentumAugus talks about how DeFi summer and high Ethereum L1 gas fees made Augur harder to use, especially for smaller wagers.00:03:30 — What crypto got wrong about decentralizationWe discuss how many projects promised to decentralize later, but often never followed through. Augus explains why Augur’s original design stood apart.00:04:30 — The revival of AugurAugus explains how leftover treasury funds were used to restart development and how the new foundation was formed in 2025 to continue Augur’s mission.00:06:30 — What prediction market users are really betting onAugus explains that users are not only betting on an outcome. They are also trusting how that outcome will be resolved.00:08:30 — Why resolution design mattersWe break down why trusting a multisig or centralized team becomes risky when prediction markets get large.00:09:30 — Augur’s oracle designAugus explains that Augur’s core innovation is a decentralized oracle that allows open participation in market resolution.00:12:00 — Making truth profitableAugus explains Augur’s core design principle: align incentives so honest participants make money by supporting the truth.00:15:30 — The limit of escalation gamesAugus explains that escalation alone is not enough because a very large attacker could still outspend everyone else.00:16:00 — Augur’s algorithmic forkAugus introduces Augur’s key innovation: an algorithmic fork that forces dishonest attackers into the wrong universe.00:17:00 — How the fork works in practiceAugus explains how REP holders migrate into the universe they believe will retain economic value, which pushes honest users toward the truthful outcome.00:19:30 — How attackers lose moneyWe discuss how attackers may win a specific market but still lose overall because their tokens become worthless in the false universe.00:21:15 — How Augur makes moneySam asks about the business model, and Augus explains that Augur is not run for profit. Fees stay inside the protocol to pay for research and participation.00:24:00 — The next 12 months for AugurAugus shares that Augur is separating the oracle from the prediction market front end and focusing on oracle-as-a-service.00:26:00 — What Augur is looking forAugus says they are not fundraising. Instead, they want strong developers, aligned talent, and partnerships with prediction market platforms.Connect with Augurhttps://augur.net/ https://augur.net/blog/the-augur-lituus-whitepaper/https://x.com/AugurProjectDisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on ApplePodcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

I sat down with Shady from HUMAN.TECH during Consensus Week in Hong Kong. We talked about how he entered Web3 through neuroscience, why HUMAN.TECH is focused on putting humans at the center of technology, and what digital rights should look like in an AI-driven world. This episode goes deep into self custody, decentralized identity, wallet infrastructure, sustainable token economies, and why timing matters so much when building in Web3.We also explored what it takes to build products that last. Shady shared how HUMAN.TECH thinks about revenue, long-term incentives, and real utility beyond hype. We also discussed AI agents, identity delegation, and why founders need to answer one simple question: why does what they are building actually matter for the world?Key pointsIntro from Consensus Week in Hong Kong and welcome to Shady from HUMAN.TECHHow Shady entered Web3 through a neuroscience data-sharing problemDiscovering IPFS and the path into decentralizationWhy Holonym evolved and how HUMAN.TECH was bornBuilding technology with digital rights embedded by designWhy sustainability is still one of Web3’s biggest problemsThe gap between crypto hype and real-world utilityHow HUMAN.TECH plans to monetize identity proofs and wallet infrastructureCreating sustainable economic loops through node staking and network demandWhy self custody is the guiding star for HUMAN.TECHHow AI changes the conversation around ownership, identity, and private keysA future where AI agents may need delegated human identityWhy timing matters in startups and how to tell if a market is readyWhy crypto is still early, especially for self custodyThe next 12 months for HUMAN.TECH and the upcoming token launchWhat developers can build today with HUMAN.TECH and WAPThe vision for easier multichain wallet experiencesThe one question every Web3 founder should be askedConnect https://www.linkedin.com/in/shadyeldamaty/ https://human.tech/https://x.com/humntech https://linktr.ee/human.tech DisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on ApplePodcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

In this episode, I sit down with Shresth Agrawal, co-founder of Pod Network, to unpack why the world needs yet another Layer 1.We go deep into MEV, front-running, and why today’s blockchain markets are still unfair. Shresth explains how Pod is building a purpose-built L1 designed for high-performance, MEV-free markets. We break down how auctions replace traditional transaction ordering, how Pod can process 300,000 orders per second, and why sub-second settlement changes everything.We also talk about product-market fit in Web3. Are payments and markets the only real use cases? What can founders learn from Ethereum, Hyperliquid, and newer L1s? And what’s Pod’s go-to-market plan?If you care about fair markets, decentralized finance, or the future of on-chain trading, this episode is for you.🔑 Key Learnings (with timestamps)00:57 – Shresth’s crypto journey. From Bitcoin whitepaper to building consensus systems.02:01 – Why consensus innovation still matters in 2026.04:23 – What is Pod Network? A purpose-built L1 for MEV-free markets.06:16 – What is MEV? Simple explanation with real trading examples.11:32 – How Pod removes ordering where it doesn’t matter.14:36 – 300,000 orders per second. Sub-second confirmations explained.16:51 – Why Pod focused only on markets. The power of niche L1s.18:21 – Trade-offs: Less general-purpose, more performance.22:36 – Go-to-market strategy for a new L1.24:25 – Users vs builders: The real growth engine.27:21 – The biggest ask: Early user feedback.28:20 – Do only payments and markets have real product-market fit in Web3?32:18 – Why instant settlement will disrupt traditional finance.Connect with POD Networkhttps://pod.network/ https://x.com/poddotnetwork https://discord.com/invite/ZTFERarfnm⚠️ DisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on ApplePodcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/