From Rock Bottom to Success: How Bitcoin Saved Dylan Kawalec's Life

Hart Lambur, co-founder of Across Protocol and UMA, discusses Across’s mission to enable fast, low-cost asset transfers between Ethereum layer twos, with a focus on creating a seamless user experience. He explains how the protocol’s “intent architecture” leverages third-party solvers to improve cross-chain interactions, offering a cohesive way for users to transfer assets and execute transactions across different Ethereum networks. Lambur also emphasizes the importance of Ethereum’s upcoming account abstraction upgrades in achieving a unified ecosystem, allowing actions on any Ethereum chain from a single wallet. He envisions a future by 2025 where Ethereum feels like a unified network, improving user experience significantly. Chapters 00:04 - Introduction to Hart Lambur 00:14 - Hart’s Background and Motivation for Building Across Protocol 00:50 - Integration with Uniswap 10:34 - Challenges in Ethereum Interoperability and Gas Fees 12:03 - Ethereum’s Scalability Achievements and New Issues 18:04 - Account Abstraction: ERC-7702 and Its Role in Ethereum 27:02 - Intents Architecture 41:00 - Current User Experience Issues in Ethereum and Solutions 52:32 - Hart’s Vision for Ethereum as a Unified Network by 2025 57:08 - Closing Thoughts on Ethereum’s Future and Overcoming Fragmentation This episode was sponsored by: NEAR: https://redactedbangkok.ai/?utm_source=thedefiant&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=defiant&utm_content=newsletter Stellar: https://stellar.org/soroban?utm_source=defiant&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=defiant_podcast ✨ Check out our new website ✨ https://thedefiant.io/ 🚀 Sign up to our newsletter 🚀 https://thedefiant.io/go-premium#pricing?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=signup 🤑 Find DeFi investment opportunities & educational primers here https://thedefiant.io/promo?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=alpha ✊ Follow The Defiant Twitter: https://twitter.com/defiantnews Discord: https://discord.com/invite/3SdRdEs5ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedefiant.io/ Telegram: https://t.me/DefiantNews 📬 Contact our Newsroom [email protected] 🤝 Sponsorships & Partnerships [email protected] #TheDefiant​ #DeFi​ #Decentralized​ #Finance​ #Blockchain #Web3

Nana Murugesan, President of Matter Labs and former VP of Business Development at Coinbase, joins Camila Russo in this week’s podcast to discuss the latest updates from ZKsync, including the recently launched Elastic Chain. He explains how ZKsync’s approach to interoperability and customization aims to make Web3 infrastructure as seamless as Web2, emphasizing the importance of user-friendly experiences for mainstream adoption. Nana also highlights Matter Labs' partnership with Buenos Aires to bring ZK-backed digital identity to millions of citizens, showcasing a promising model for government and Web3 collaboration. Finally, he shares upcoming milestones for ZKsync, with new chains and collaborations in Latin America, gaming, and the creator economy. Chapters 0:00 - Introduction 0:17 - ZKsync and Elastic Chain 2:57 - Evolution of ZKsync 5:22 - Interoperability and Customizability in Web3 7:30 - User Experience 10:16 - The Role of Governments in Blockchain Adoption 14:41 - Digital Identity on the Blockchain 17:18 - Why Zero-Knowledge Proofs Matter 21:02 - Cost and Throughput Advantage of ZKsync 25:07 - UX and Interoperability Challenges 27:05 - ZKsync in Latin America 30:05 - Upcoming Projects on Elastic Chain 32:39 - Future Focus for Matter Labs 33:46 - Closing Remarks This episode was sponsored by: NEAR: https://redactedbangkok.ai/?utm_source=thedefiant&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=defiant&utm_content=newsletter Stellar: https://stellar.org/soroban?utm_source=defiant&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=defiant_podcast ✨ Check out our new website ✨ https://thedefiant.io/ 🚀 Sign up to our newsletter 🚀 https://thedefiant.io/go-premium#pricing?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=signup 🤑 Find DeFi investment opportunities & educational primers here https://thedefiant.io/promo?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=alpha ✊ Follow The Defiant Twitter: https://twitter.com/defiantnews Discord: https://discord.com/invite/3SdRdEs5ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedefiant.io/ Telegram: https://t.me/DefiantNews 📬 Contact our Newsroom [email protected] 🤝 Sponsorships & Partnerships [email protected] #TheDefiant​ #DeFi​ #Decentralized​ #Finance​ #Blockchain #Web3

In this week’s podcast, Dylan Kawalec, Head of Developer Relations at Goat Network, discusses the Goat Founders Club, which is a new initiative aimed at empowering developers and entrepreneurs to build on the Bitcoin Layer 2 ecosystem. He explains how the program incentivizes builders through a unique points reward system that can be converted into tokens, fostering a more developer-centric community. Dylan also dives into the technical aspects of the Goat Network, including its decentralized sequencer model and use of zero-knowledge rollups, to enhance Bitcoin's scalability and interoperability. Lastly, he shares his personal story of how Bitcoin transformed his life, highlighting his unwavering passion and optimism for the future of the network. Chapters 00:00 - Dylan Kawalec and GOAT Network 00:16 - What is the GOAT Founders Club? 03:46 - About GOAT Network: Bitcoin Layer 2 Overview 05:12 - Differentiation from Other Layer 2s 07:00 - Founders Club Tracks for Developers 11:03 - Governance Token: Future Role of GOAT Token 12:28 - Role of Bitcoin on GOAT Network 15:07 - Sequencer Model and Bridging to Other Chains 21:00 - Dylan’s Personal Bitcoin Story 24:56 - Inspiration Behind Founders Club 42:11 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts ✨ Check out our new website ✨ https://thedefiant.io/ 🚀 Sign up to our newsletter 🚀 https://thedefiant.io/go-premium#pricing?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=signup 🤑 Find DeFi investment opportunities & educational primers here https://thedefiant.io/promo?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=alpha ✊ Follow The Defiant Twitter: https://twitter.com/defiantnews Discord: https://discord.com/invite/3SdRdEs5ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedefiant.io/ Telegram: https://t.me/DefiantNews 📬 Contact our Newsroom [email protected] 🤝 Sponsorships & Partnerships [email protected] #TheDefiant​ #DeFi​ #Decentralized​ #Finance​ #Blockchain #Web3

Adeniyi Abiodun is the co-founder of Mysten Labs and a major contributor to the Sui blockchain. In this week’s podcast, he discusses Sui's unique positioning as a "global coordination layer for the internet," emphasizing its decentralized nature and its technical advancements such as parallel execution and the use of the Move programming language. He highlights the expertise of the team behind Sui, their focus on scalability, and the potential for Sui to revolutionize payments and digital asset ownership. Abiodun also addresses challenges like decentralization concerns and outlines future growth areas, including gaming and DeFi. Chapters 0:00 - Introduction with Adeniyi Abiodun, Co-founder of Mysten Labs 0:42 - What is Sui and how it's different from other L1s 1:50 - Addressing the centralization problem of the internet 3:52 - Scalability and throughput advantages of Sui 5:24 - How Sui solves scalability and throughput challenges 7:31 - Move language: A better approach for Web3 development 10:33 - Object-based model vs account-based model in blockchains 16:00 - Sui token's recent price surge and adoption trends 19:16 - Native USDC launch and its impact on DeFi growth 22:11 - Sui's low latency and fast transaction speeds 33:19 - Expanding Web3 adoption and onboarding billions of users 45:37 - Sui’s vision for the future This episode was sponsored by: NEAR: https://redactedbangkok.ai/?utm_source=thedefiant&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=defiant&utm_content=newsletter Stellar: https://stellar.org/soroban?utm_source=defiant&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=defiant_podcast ✨ Check out our new website ✨ https://thedefiant.io/ 🚀 Sign up to our newsletter 🚀 https://thedefiant.io/go-premium#pricing?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=signup 🤑 Find DeFi investment opportunities & educational primers here https://thedefiant.io/promo?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=alpha ✊ Follow The Defiant Twitter: https://twitter.com/defiantnews Discord: https://discord.com/invite/3SdRdEs5ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedefiant.io/ Telegram: https://t.me/DefiantNews 📬 Contact our Newsroom [email protected] 🤝 Sponsorships & Partnerships [email protected] #TheDefiant​ #DeFi​ #Decentralized​ #Finance​ #Blockchain #Web3

John Avlon is a congressional candidate for New York, advocating for bipartisan support of emerging technologies like cryptocurrency. In this week's podcast, John emphasizes the need for clear and reasonable regulation to foster innovation without stifling it, while warning against making technology a partisan issue. Avlon critiques the current regulatory landscape, including the approach of figures like Gary Gensler, and highlights the potential risks of pushing innovation overseas. He advocates for Democrats to embrace technology as a key driver of U.S. competitiveness, underscoring that this election will shape the trajectory of the nation's future. Chapters 0:00 Intro to John Avlon 1:02 Pivotal Moment For Crypto 3:50 US Crypto Policy 8:40 Regulatory Framework 17:40 Trust In Kamala Harris 26:30 Crypto Lobby 31:21 Balance In Regulation 44:05 John Avlon's Bags 47:12 Threat To Democracy This episode was sponsored by: NEAR: https://redactedbangkok.ai/?utm_source=thedefiant&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=defiant&utm_content=newsletter Stellar: https://stellar.org/soroban?utm_source=defiant&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=defiant_podcast ✨ Check out our new website ✨ https://thedefiant.io/ 🚀 Sign up to our newsletter 🚀 https://thedefiant.io/go-premium#pricing?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=signup 🤑 Find DeFi investment opportunities & educational primers here https://thedefiant.io/promo?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=alpha ✊ Follow The Defiant Twitter: https://twitter.com/defiantnews Discord: https://discord.com/invite/3SdRdEs5ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedefiant.io/ Telegram: https://t.me/DefiantNews 📬 Contact our Newsroom [email protected] 🤝 Sponsorships & Partnerships [email protected] #TheDefiant​ #DeFi​ #Decentralized​ #Finance​ #Blockchain #Web3

Jack Booth is the co-founder of TON Society, a grassroots initiative driving community engagement in the Ton blockchain ecosystem, closely integrated with the Telegram messaging app. Booth explained how TON is evolving as a Web3 super app, bringing decentralized applications and financial tools to a global audience. He discussed the ecosystem’s unique structure, built on Telegram’s open mini-apps platform, enabling users to seamlessly access crypto services. Booth also emphasized TON's vision of onboarding millions of new users into crypto by creating simple, user-friendly applications and fostering mass adoption outside the U.S. 00:00 - Introduction & TON's Relationship with Telegram 02:35 - TON's Vision for Web3 & Telegram Mini Apps 05:15 - The History of TON and Regulatory Challenges 07:22 - Telegram Integrates TON Wallet 09:56 - TON’s Focus on Emerging Markets 13:07 - TON Society & Community Building 17:30 - TON Blockchain's Sharding Model 21:11 - Scaling Challenges 24:20 - TON’s Deflationary Potential 29:25 - Pavel Durov's Arrest & Impact on TON 39:31 - Power of Telegram's Announcement Channels 44:01 - Centralization vs. Decentralization in TON 49:01 - TON as a Web3 Super App 53:19 - Tap-to-Earn Apps & Airdrops This episode was sponsored by: NEAR: https://redactedbangkok.ai/?utm_source=thedefiant&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=defiant&utm_content=newsletter Stellar: https://stellar.org/soroban?utm_source=defiant&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=defiant_podcast ✨ Check out our new website ✨ https://thedefiant.io/ 🚀 Sign up to our newsletter 🚀 https://thedefiant.io/go-premium#pricing?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=signup 🤑 Find DeFi investment opportunities & educational primers here https://thedefiant.io/promo?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=alpha ✊ Follow The Defiant Twitter: https://twitter.com/defiantnews Discord: https://discord.com/invite/3SdRdEs5ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedefiant.io/ Telegram: https://t.me/DefiantNews 📬 Contact our Newsroom [email protected] 🤝 Sponsorships & Partnerships [email protected] #TheDefiant​ #DeFi​ #Decentralized​ #Finance​ #Blockchain #Web3

Paul Frambot, co-founder and CEO of Morpho Labs, explains how Morpho is a decentralized and permissionless lending protocol that allows users to create customized lending and borrowing pools. Unlike traditional DeFi platforms like Aave, Morpho externalizes risk management, giving users control over their risk exposure and liquidity. Frambot shares how Morpho started as a rate-optimizing solution and evolved into Morpho Blue, a more scalable protocol with over $1 billion in deposits. He discusses the advantages of building in Europe, Morpho's vision to make financial infrastructure a public good, and how fintech partnerships could drive future DeFi adoption. We also touch on Morpho's upcoming token launch and its long-term strategy to compete with other major DeFi protocols. 0:00 - Intro to Paul Frambot 0:30 - What is Morpho and How it Differs from Competitors 2:00 - Paul's Background and Entry into DeFi 3:30 - Early Development of Morpho Optimizer 5:00 - Transition to Morpho Blue and Permissionless Lending 8:00 - Managing Risk, Liquidity, and Customization 11:00 - Real-World Assets and New Use Cases in DeFi 14:00 - Challenges and Advantages of Building in Europe 18:00 - Morpho's Long-Term Vision: Financial Infrastructure as a Public Good 23:00 - Future of DeFi: Fintech Integration and Token Launch 28:00 - Competition with Aave and Growth Strategy 33:00 - The Role of Fintech in Scaling DeFi 38:00 - Long-Term Vision for DeFi and Fintech 43:00 - Morpho's Upcoming Tokenomics and Governance 48:00 - Future Trends and Adoption in DeFi 52:00 - Closing Thoughts and Paul's Outlook on DeFi This episode was sponsored by: NEAR: https://redactedbangkok.ai/?utm_source=thedefiant&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=defiant&utm_content=newsletter Stellar: https://stellar.org/soroban?utm_source=defiant&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=defiant_podcast ✨ Check out our new website ✨ https://thedefiant.io/ 🚀 Sign up to our newsletter 🚀 https://thedefiant.io/go-premium#pricing?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=signup 🤑 Find DeFi investment opportunities & educational primers here https://thedefiant.io/promo?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=alpha ✊ Follow The Defiant Twitter: https://twitter.com/defiantnews Discord: https://discord.com/invite/3SdRdEs5ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedefiant.io/ Telegram: https://t.me/DefiantNews 📬 Contact our Newsroom [email protected] 🤝 Sponsorships & Partnerships [email protected] #TheDefiant​ #DeFi​ #Decentralized​ #Finance​ #Blockchain #Web3

Joe Lubin, co-founder of Ethereum and Consensys, explores the evolution of blockchain technology and the expanding role of the Ethereum ecosystem in this episode. He discusses Consensys' pivotal work in building foundational infrastructure, such as MetaMask and Infura, while outlining the strategic direction for future applications and decentralized technologies. Joe delves into Layer 2 solutions, regulatory challenges with the SEC, and the broader implications for the industry. He offers a forward-looking perspective on the maturation of Ethereum, emphasizing scalability, decentralization, and the development of Web3. 0:00 - Evolution of Consensys 3:00 - Growth of Ethereum Infrastructure 6:30 - Scaling Ethereum & Layer 2 Solutions 9:00 - Joe Lubin's Beliefs 11:00 - Regulatory Challenges & SEC Lawsuit 14:30 - Future of Ethereum & Regulation 18:00 - Decentralizing Consensys and Network States 21:30 - Ethereum's Layer 1 & Layer 2 Architecture 28:00 - Impact of Layer 2 on Ethereum Mainnet 36:00 - Transitioning Products to On-chain Governance 39:00 - Network States and Decentralization 43:00 - Preparing for the Next Wave of Applications This episode was sponsored by: NEAR: https://redactedbangkok.ai/?utm_source=thedefiant&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=defiant&utm_content=newsletter Stellar: https://stellar.org/soroban?utm_source=defiant&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=defiant_podcast ✨ Check out our new website ✨ https://thedefiant.io/ 🚀 Sign up to our newsletter 🚀 https://thedefiant.io/go-premium#pricing?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=signup 🤑 Find DeFi investment opportunities & educational primers here https://thedefiant.io/promo?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=alpha ✊ Follow The Defiant Twitter: https://twitter.com/defiantnews Discord: https://discord.com/invite/3SdRdEs5ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedefiant.io/ Telegram: https://t.me/DefiantNews 📬 Contact our Newsroom [email protected] 🤝 Sponsorships & Partnerships [email protected] #TheDefiant​ #DeFi​ #Decentralized​ #Finance​ #Blockchain #Web3

Alex Cutler, Co-Founder of Aerodrome, shares the story behind Aerodrome, a decentralized exchange (DEX) built on Base, an Ethereum Layer 2 ecosystem. He explains how Aerodrome incorporates the best features from existing DEXs, such as Uniswap and Curve, to create a more efficient, unified platform for liquidity providers, traders, and token holders. Cutler emphasizes the strategic choice to focus on Ethereum L2s, predicting their growth as faster, cheaper alternatives to Layer 1 while maintaining Ethereum's ecosystem benefits. He also highlights Aerodrome's tokenomics, where protocol revenue is fully redistributed to participants who lock tokens and vote to direct emissions. 00:00 - Aerodrome Founding Story 03:26 - The Move to Layer 2 and Partnership with Coinbase 05:22 - Layer 2s vs Layer 1s 11:01 - Combining the Best Features from DEX Models 14:07 - Improving Tokenomics and Incentivization 20:22 - Revenue Distribution and Protocol Emissions 41:05 - Base’s Exponential Growth and Long-Term Vision 45:47 - Coinbase’s Role in Building the Future of Decentralization 58:00 - The Role of DEXs and the Coming Use Cases for On-Chain Activity This episode was sponsored by: NEAR: https://redactedbangkok.ai/?utm_source=thedefiant&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=defiant&utm_content=newsletter Stellar: https://stellar.org/soroban?utm_source=defiant&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=defiant_podcast ✨ Check out our new website ✨ https://thedefiant.io/ 🚀 Sign up to our newsletter 🚀 https://thedefiant.io/go-premium#pricing?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=signup 🤑 Find DeFi investment opportunities & educational primers here https://thedefiant.io/promo?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=alpha ✊ Follow The Defiant Twitter: https://twitter.com/defiantnews Discord: https://discord.com/invite/3SdRdEs5ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedefiant.io/ Telegram: https://t.me/DefiantNews 📬 Contact our Newsroom [email protected] 🤝 Sponsorships & Partnerships [email protected] #TheDefiant​ #DeFi​ #Decentralized​ #Finance​ #Blockchain #Web3

Sebastian Serrano is the Co-Founder and CEO of Ripio, one of the largest crypto asset platforms in Latin America. In this episode, Sebastian discusses Ripio's evolution from a retail wallet to a comprehensive crypto platform that includes an exchange, OTC desk, and B2B services. Serrano also highlights Ripio's strategic partnerships with major companies in the region and the development of a stablecoin for Mercado Libre. He shares his insights on the future of crypto adoption in Latin America, emphasizing the potential of tokenization and real-world assets. 0:00 Ripio.com 2:56 Sebastian Serrano 6:41 Retail to B2B 14:21 Latin America 28:54 Argentina As A Crypto Hub 35:45 Future Outlook This episode was sponsored by: NEAR: https://redactedbangkok.ai/?utm_source=thedefiant&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=defiant&utm_content=newsletter Stellar: https://stellar.org/soroban?utm_source=defiant&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=defiant_podcast ✨ Check out our new website ✨ https://thedefiant.io/ 🚀 Sign up to our newsletter 🚀 https://thedefiant.io/go-premium#pricing?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=signup 🤑 Find DeFi investment opportunities & educational primers here https://thedefiant.io/promo?utm_source=YT&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=alpha ✊ Follow The Defiant Twitter: https://twitter.com/defiantnews Discord: https://discord.com/invite/3SdRdEs5ag Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedefiant.io/ Telegram: https://t.me/DefiantNews 📬 Contact our Newsroom [email protected] 🤝 Sponsorships & Partnerships [email protected] #TheDefiant​ #DeFi​ #Decentralized​ #Finance​ #Blockchain #Web3