Overnight Success

In this episode of Overnight Success, I sit down with Sheldon Hunt, a founding member of EMURGO—one of Cardano’s original entities. We unpack the philosophical and technical rifts between Ethereum and Cardano, trace the evolution from Bitcoin to Ethereum to Cardano, and dive deep into what true decentralization really looks like—especially in Cardano’s approach to governance.If you’ve ever wondered:What really happened when Vitalik pitched Ethereum in Hong KongWhat it takes for blockchains to handle trillions on-chainWhy scarcity matters (and why Ethereum doesn’t have it)—then this episode is a must-listen.Episode Highlights with Timestamps[00:00] – Introduction: Who is Sheldon Hunt & EMURGO’s role in Cardano[00:42] – Vitalik’s original Ethereum pitch in Hong Kong[01:53] – Scarcity wars: Why Cardano caps supply and Ethereum doesn’t[02:40] – Ethereum’s nonprofit roots vs. Charles Hoskinson’s business-first vision[03:30] – Cardano’s community-first design and token distribution[04:25] – Intersect and the shift to decentralized governance[05:20] – The risks of handing over $30B in infrastructure to “the mob”[06:10] – Balancing privacy and mass adoption: Midnight chain + real-world use cases[07:25] – Why Cardano has never gone down (and why it matters)[08:20] – Final thoughts: Security, uptime, and building for trillions on-chainAbout Our GuestSheldon Hunt was part of the founding team at EMURGO—one of Cardano’s three core entities alongside IOG and the Cardano Foundation. Today, he’s building Sundial Protocol, a Layer 2 solution bringing programmability to Bitcoin by bridging it with Cardano. The focus: secure, decentralized, cross-chain interoperability between BTC and ADA.Resources Mentioned:Cardano [https://cardano.org/]Sundial Protocol [https://www.sundialprotocol.com/]​​EMURGO Website [https://www.emurgo.io/]Cardano Foundation [https://cardanofoundation.org/]Midnight Privacy Chain [https://midnight.network/]Intersect: Cardano’s Member-Based Org [https://www.intersectmbo.org/]

Today, I sit down with Esther Wong — Founding Partner @ 3C AGI Partners and former Managing Director at SenseTime.In this conversation, we discuss why AI inferencing could break the grid, the global race for sustainable AI infrastructure, and why DeepSeek completely enabled the rest of the world to catch up in the AI race.If you ever wondered about:• Why AI infrastructure — not applications — is the real opportunity• How unsustainable our electricity usage is if everyone uses AI daily• Why AI models, chips, and data centers must all evolve to scale• And how a 90% pay cut to join a startup could be the best decision of your life— this one’s for you.Episode Highlights with Timestamps[00:00] Esther’s career risk: Green card fears and career advice that changed everything[01:20] Co-founding SenseTime: Raising $6B+ and building China’s largest AI platform[03:00] Betting on a ground-up, proprietary AI vision while pregnant — and taking a 90% pay cut[04:30] Lessons from startup life: Why 2 years in a startup taught more than 20 years in banking[05:50] The coming electricity crisis: Why inferencing will overwhelm today's grid[07:10] What is “sustainable AI”? — 4 buckets for making AI viable long-term[09:00] Why Esther is backing AI infrastructure over applicationsAbout Our GuestEsther Wong is the founder and CEO of 3C AGI Partners, a venture firm focused on global AI opportunities. She was a founding member of SenseTime, where she led capital markets and helped raise over $5B. With 20+ years in finance, she’s held senior roles at Cazenove, CICC, Barclays, and Bocom. Esther holds an Executive MBA from the University of Chicago Booth and serves on youth development boards in Hong Kong.Resources & Links MentionedEsther’s LinkedIn [  / esther-wong-76a6a410a  ] 3C AGI Partners Linkedin [  / 3cagi  ] 3C AGI Partners Website [https://3cagi.vc/]

Today, I sit down with Gabby Dizon, co-founder of Yield Guild Games (YGG).We talk about Gabby’s journey from building the first games in the Philippines to pioneering the concept of play-to-earn and Web3 gaming. Gabby shares the early days of Web3 gaming, how AI and decentralized work models are converging, and why starting with community-first was essential for YGG’s growth.We also discuss the challenges of building a web3 company during crypto cycles, crypto Twitter, and the future of online on-chain work opportunities in emerging economies.If you're interested in the intersection of gaming, blockchain, and the future of work, this episode is a must-listen.Episode Highlights with Timestamps[00:00] Live from Hong Kong — Introducing Gabby Dizon (Yield Guild Games)[01:00] Early passion for technology, gaming, and entrepreneurship in the Philippines[02:15] Discovering Ethereum in 2017 — programmable economies for games[03:30] From CryptoKitties to NFTs — realizing the future of in-game assets[04:45] How Play-to-Earn was invented by the Axie Infinity community[06:00] Building Yield Guild Games — community-market fit and scaling challenges[07:30] The double-edged sword of early liquidity in crypto startups[08:45] Future of Work — expanding YGG beyond gaming into decentralized tasks[10:00] Why on-chain work and community ownership will transform emerging marketsAbout Our GuestGabby Dizon is the co-founder of Yield Guild Games (YGG), the world's largest Web3 gaming guild. A pioneer of play-to-earn gaming, Gabby is passionate about the intersection of community, gaming, and blockchain. He is also an active investor in the decentralized gaming ecosystem and a strong advocate for creating online and on-chain earning opportunities for communities across Southeast Asia, Latin America, and beyond.Resources & Links MentionedGabby Dizon's Twitter [https://x.com/gabusch]Yield Guild Games [https://yieldguild.io/]Axie Infinity [https://axieinfinity.com/] CryptoKitties [https://www.cryptokitties.co/]

Episode SummaryIn this episode, we sit down with Frank Mong to unpack the rise of Helium and what it means to decentralize wireless infrastructure. Frank shares the origin story of Helium, what it took to scale during the crypto boom, building open-source hardware, what it means to truly own infrastructure, and how crypto can be the foundation for everyday consumer experiences—even if they don’t know it.Episode Highlights with Timestamps[00:00] Podcast intro – Frank Mong on scaling Helium[00:42] Discovering Helium through Khosla Ventures[01:27] The unexpected job interview that turned into a partnership[02:14] Why honesty—not IoT expertise—landed Frank the role[02:54] Lessons from corporate life: stock options, politics & promotion[03:39] The original Helium mission: cheap, global IoT connectivity[04:11] 450,000 daily phones, 70K hotspots & 40TB+ daily data[04:50] Vision: flipping the $9T mobile industry to be owned by the people[05:18] Sales advice for technical founders—there’s no magic, just empathy[06:02] Why knowing your audience is the most underrated skill[07:00] The hustle mindset: “this is our year or we’re done”About Our GuestFrank Mong is the COO of Helium, a decentralized wireless network that aims to replace traditional telcos with community-built infrastructure. With over two decades in cybersecurity and enterprise tech, Frank now leads Helium’s mission to democratize mobile infrastructure—starting with IoT and now cellular. Previously, he held leadership roles at companies like Palo Alto Networks and Hortonworks.Resources & Links MentionedFrank’s Twitter [https://x.com/fmong] Frank’s LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankmong/]   Helium’s Twitter [https://x.com/helium]  Helium’s Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/company/heliumnetwork/] Helium’s Website [https://www.helium.com/]  

In this episode, we sit down with Clara Tsao—entrepreneur, former CTO of the US department of Homeland Security, and founding officer of the Filecoin Foundation. Clara dives deep into the role of decentralized storage in preserving critical data, from archiving freedom of information requests to combating link rot. We talk about AI, attribution, and how decentralized infrastructure can help creators and institutions alike build a more transparent internet. This one’s for the builders who care about transparency, digital preservation, and building a better internet from the ground up.Episode Highlights with Timestamps [00:00] Intro — Clara’s family roots and uploading her grandmother’s music to Filecoin [08:00] From tech policy to crypto: The early days [16:00] Joining the U.S. government and working on election security [21:00] Why decentralized storage matters: link rot, public archives, and global data access [32:00] Use cases in war zones and journalism — capturing truth [34:00] Attribution, cold cases, and surfacing lost information with AI [55:00] How to get started building on Filecoin & grants available [56:30] Final thoughts — why great talent flocks to decentralized infrastructureAbout Our GuestClara Tsao is a founding officer at the Filecoin Foundation and former Chief Technology Officer at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. A longtime advocate for a safer and more open internet, Clara has co-founded the Trust & Safety Professional Association, advised global initiatives like Tech Against Terrorism, and worked with Mozilla on emerging tech policy. Her work sits at the intersection of digital rights, open data, and decentralized technology.Resources & Links MentionedClara’s Twitter [https://x.com/tweetclarita]Clara’s LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/claratsao/] Filecoin Twitter [https://x.com/filecoin] Filecoin Foundation Twitter [https://x.com/filfoundation] Filecoin Foundation Website [https://fil.org/] IPFS

Today, I sit down with Ryan Kim, Founding Partner at Hashed, one of the most influential Web3 venture firms in Korea and Asia. With deep roots in the early days of crypto and a front-row seat to the growth of the Asian blockchain ecosystem, Ryan shares unique insights into how the Korean Web3 landscape has evolved—both culturally and technically—and what founders need to understand to succeed in this market. We explore how Hashed grew from a group of early crypto believers into a globally recognized venture fund, and how Korea became a critical node in the Web3 world. From regulatory nuances to shifting consumer behaviors, Ryan unpacks the dynamics shaping the next chapter of decentralized innovation across Asia. Episode Highlights with Timestamps:[00:00] Childhood Mathematics & Working in big data companies.[03:49] Getting started in web3[06:24] David vs Goliath: Web3/Open Source vs Big Tech.[08:54] Venture Syndicates. HODL. [11:29] Kimchi Premium. How Hashed became the #1 platform in South Korea.[15:27] The Hashed team. How they support web3 startup founders.[19:10] The Korean Web3 market. Riding the bear & bull waves.About Our GuestRyan Kim is the Founding Partner of Hashed, a globally recognized Web3 venture fund. What started as a personal experiment in crypto soon grew into a deep belief in the power of decentralization and community-led innovation. That conviction became the foundation for Hashed—a fund dedicated to backing visionary founders in Korea and across the global Web3 ecosystem.Resources & Links Mentioned: Ryan’s Linkedin [⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryansunghokim/⁠⁠]      Ryan’s Twitter/X [⁠⁠https://x.com/0xryankim⁠⁠]   Hashed Linkedin [⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/hashedfund/⁠⁠]    Hashed Twitter/X [⁠⁠https://x.com/hashed_official⁠⁠]  Hashed [⁠⁠https://www.hashed.com/⁠⁠]⁠⁠OVERNIGHT SUCCESS⁠⁠PRESENTED BY ⁠⁠DRAPER UNIVERSITY⁠⁠HOSTED BY ⁠⁠CHRIS JOANNOU

Today, I sit down with Yat Siu, founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands—one of the driving forces behind Web3 gaming and digital property rights. We trace Yat’s journey from hacking together 3D software with ex-Atari developers, to launching some of Asia’s first ISPs and now ultimately defining the future of blockchain-based gaming with Animoca Brands. Yat unpacks the waves of innovation he’s lived through—dotcom busts, pandemics, mobile booms—and the lessons that shaped his vision for Animoca Brands. We dive into the philosophy of digital ownership, the fight for user rights in the internet age, and why Web3 isn’t just about technology—it’s a movement.If you want to understand the roots of Web3 and Animoca Brands' origin story, this episode is for you.About Our GuestYat Siu is the founder and executive chairman of Animoca Brands, a global leader in Web3 gaming and digital property rights. Animoca Brands is pioneering the use of blockchain technology to empower users with true ownership of digital assets, driving innovation across gaming, culture, and finance. Through investments in projects like The Sandbox, Axie Infinity, and OpenSea, Animoca has become a key architect of the open metaverse.Before founding Animoca Brands, Yat was a tech entrepreneur who helped build some of Asia’s earliest Internet ventures, including Hong Kong Online and Outblaze. With deep roots in software, gaming, and internet infrastructure, Yat is a passionate advocate for digital freedom, financial literacy, and the belief that users—not platforms—should own the future of the internet.Episode Highlights with Timestamps:[00:00] Overnight Success: Intro[01:00] Childhood entrepreneurial influences: Compuserve, living in Austria & Hong Kong, extreme communism vs extreme capitalism.[03:37] Atari’s heyday, losing the gaming wars and building his first business with ex-Atari team members.[10:41] Finding product market fit in the 90s. Building ISPs (Hong Kong Online), ASPs (Outblaze) [15:21] Surviving the dotcom downturn, building on Linux, selling in Asia vs the West.[18:25] Biggest learnings: growing a business during SARS, dealing with blackmail and the importance of staying true to your principles as a founder.[23:06] Building Animoca brands, the boom of mobile game development and getting deplatformed[28:12] The opportunity in Web3, NFTs and becoming an early investor in Web3 projects.[31:46] Web3 “aha moment”: Challenging the dominance of internet conglomerates[34:30] The philosophy behind Web3 - digital capitalism, digital property rights, financial literacy[41:30] Crypto X Politics[44:24] Web3 meets AI: attribution for original work, building into the network.Resources & Links Mentioned: Yat Siu’s Linkedin [⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyacarter/⁠]Yat Siu’s Twitter/X [⁠https://x.com/ysiu⁠]Animoca Brands Linkedin [⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/animoca-brands/⁠]Animoca Brands Twitter/X [⁠https://x.com/animocabrands⁠]Animoca Brands [⁠https://www.animocabrands.com/⁠]⁠OVERNIGHT SUCCESS⁠PRESENTED BY ⁠DRAPER UNIVERSITY⁠HOSTED BY ⁠CHRIS JOANNOU

Today, I sit down with Muneeb Ali, co-creator of Stacks and a pioneer in the Bitcoin Layer 2 space. In this episode, we explore Muneeb’s journey from academia and deep computer science research to building one of the most critical infrastructures in Bitcoin's evolving ecosystem.We explore how Stacks brings scalability and programmability to Bitcoin through a secure Layer 2. Muneeb breaks down building on Bitcoin—from early projects like BNS to Ordinals, inscriptions, and the rise of Bitcoin-native NFTs and DeFi. Episode Highlights with Timestamps:[00:00] Intro: Welcome to Overnight Success[00:38] Origins story: Commercializing research, hardcore computer science & Startups[07:30] Web3 ‘Aha moment’ - getting into decentralization[09:37] Building Stacks: the thesis behind Stacks & the problems of Bitcoin Layer1[12:11] Breaking down how building on Bitcoin works - Inscriptions, NFTs  & the future of dApps[17:08] Growing Stacks[19:31] The future of the Bitcoin community. BTC vs ETH, Riding bear-bull markets, the challenges of scaling BTC.About Our GuestMuneeb Ali is the co-creator of Stacks, a Bitcoin Layer 2 platform designed to bring smart contracts and decentralized applications to Bitcoin while preserving its security and decentralization. With a background in computer science and a PhD from Princeton, Muneeb has been at the forefront of Web3 infrastructure, pioneering ways to unlock Bitcoin’s full potential.Before Stacks, Muneeb worked on early decentralized identity and naming systems like BNS (Bitcoin Name System), laying the groundwork for programmable layers on Bitcoin. His mission is to build a user-owned internet on the most secure blockchain in the world, making Bitcoin not just a store of value but a foundation for a new generation of apps, DeFi, and digital ownership.Resources & Links Mentioned: Muneeb’s Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/muneebali/]    Muneeb’s Twitter/X [https://x.com/muneeb] Stacks’ Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/company/stacks-stx/]   Stacks’ Twitter/X [https://x.com/stacks]  Stacks [https://www.stacks.co/]    OVERNIGHT SUCCESSPRESENTED BY DRAPER UNIVERSITYHOSTED BY CHRIS JOANNOU

Today, I sit down with Sandy Carter, COO of Unstoppable Domains, a leader in the decentralized identity space. In this episode, Sandy shares learnings from over 2 decades of being a high level operator at IBM, AWS and Unstoppable domains.We also dive into the growing opportunities for decentralized identity, the role of NFTs in this new paradigm, and how Unstoppable Domains is enabling the future of Web3 through partnerships and innovation. Sandy also shares her passion for diversity in tech and how she's working to empower more women in the Web3 space.Episode Highlights with Timestamps:[00:00] Sandy’s entrepreneurial origin story[03:54] Duke & Harvard: The importance of schooling[06:27] Takeaways from IBM - why it’s the best management school. [09:11] Amazon’s high-performance culture[13:55] Extracurricular community support - the importance of diversity[16:49] Web3 aha moment[20:29] Building unstoppable domains as part of the early team[22:51] Why blockchain changes lives[26:28] Building in a Web2 X Web3 worldAbout our guestSandy Carter is the COO and Head of Business Development at Unstoppable Domains, a company focused on building digital identity for the decentralized web. She’s played a key role in forming over 900 partnerships to help bring traditional companies and communities into the Web3 ecosystem.Before Unstoppable Domains, Sandy held leadership roles at AWS and IBM, working across emerging technologies like AI and blockchain. She also founded Unstoppable Women of Web3, sits on several advisory boards, and is a bestselling author and frequent speaker on tech and innovation. Her work has earned her multiple industry awards, and she holds degrees from Duke and Harvard.Resources & Links Mentioned: Sandy’s Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandyacarter/]   Sandy’s Twitter/X [https://x.com/sandy_carter] Unstoppable Domains Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/company/unstoppable-domains/]  Unstoppable Domains Twitter/X [https://x.com/unstoppableweb] Unstoppable Domains [https://unstoppabledomains.com/]   PRESENTED BY DRAPER UNIVERSITYHOSTED BY CHRIS JOANNOU

Today, I sit down with Sebastien Borget, co-founder and COO of The Sandbox, a leading decentralized gaming platform. In this episode, we dive into the evolution of The Sandbox and why digital ownership is redefining the gaming industry.We discuss the challenges of building an open metaverse, the role of NFTs in empowering creators, and how blockchain is shaping the future of virtual economies. Sebastien also shares insights on interoperability, user-generated content, and the vision for a more decentralized and player-driven internet.If you're curious about the future of gaming, Web3, and the open metaverse, this one’s for you. About Our GuestSebastien Borget is the co-founder and COO of The Sandbox, a leading decentralized gaming platform that empowers creators to build, own, and monetize their gaming experiences using blockchain technology. The Sandbox is a virtual world where users can create, trade, and engage in immersive experiences powered by NFTs and the metaverse.Prior to The Sandbox, Sebastien co-founded Pixowl, a mobile game development studio known for titles like The Sandbox Evolution and Goosebumps HorrorTown. His experience in gaming, blockchain, and digital ownership has positioned him as a key advocate for the open metaverse, where users have control over their digital assets and creative experiences.Resources & Links Mentioned: Sebastien’s Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/borgetsebastien/]Sebastien’s Twitter/X [https://x.com/borgetsebastien]The Sandbox’s Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/company/thesandbox-game/]The Sandbox’s Twitter/X [https://x.com/TheSandboxGame]The Sandbox [https://www.sandbox.game/en/]Episode Highlights & Timestamps[00:00] Sebastien’s entrepreneurial origin story[02:48] Getting acquired by Animoca Brands[03:37] Building a better experience for builders in Web3 & the metaverse[05:58] Why major brands and IPs succeed in the gaming industry[07:49] Convincing major IPs to lean into user-generated content & Web3[11:30] Why competing IPs want to exist side by side in the metaverse[12:50] Educating brands on NFT technology as a communication tool[17:05] Transitioning to Web3[19:58] What’s next for The Sandbox