Maple's Sidney Powell explains how DeFi is making institutional yield more accessible

Luke Youngblood is a former Coinbase employee and one of the founding contributors to the onchain finance protocol Moonwell. Recently, Moonwell became one of the first apps to integrate Coinbase's new smart wallet. In this episode, Youngblood explains how smart wallets solve major crypto onboarding pain points — and could be the key to bringing over a billion people onchain. OUTLINE 00:59 Moonwell Overview 02:21 Youngblood's Background 04:56 DeFi Summer 07:42 Smart Wallets 09:54 Smart Wallet Security 13:58 Onchain Economy 17:12 Crypto App Developers 24:40 Moonwell's Mission 32:36 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Sidney Powell is the CEO and co-founder of Maple Finance — a decentralized finance platform that facilitates loans. In this episode, Powell discusses the evolution of crypto's decentralized lending market, the challenges faced by centralized exchanges, and the strategic vision behind Maple's new permissionless lending product, Syrup. OUTLINE 00:53 Maple Overview 02:06 Permissionless DeFi 04:00 DeFi 2.0 06:12 Derisking DeFi 09:44 DeFi Creditworthiness 11:19 DeFi Lending Robustness 13:48 Crypto Lending Market 19:04 Maple's Strategy 21:12 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Monica Long is the President at Ripple. In this episode, Long discusses the growth and expansion of Ripple's business, the impact of the SEC's decision on XRP, the upcoming launch of a stablecoin, and more.  OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 00:50 Ripple Updates 02:55 Regulatory Status of XRP 04:46 Ripple Product Offerings 08:14 Ripple & Payments 09:06 Ripple's Stablecoin 19:30 Ripple & RWAs 21:41 Institutional Paradigm Shift 24:52 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

This is the second installment of a miniseries sponsored by Axelar and featuring co-host Sergey Gorbunov, co-founder of Axelar — you can find part 1 with Eigen Layer's Sreeram Kannan here. In this episode, Chaparro and Gorbunov are joined by Mysten Labs co-founder and chief cryptographer Kostas Chalkias to discuss the potential of zero-knowledge (ZK) proofs to revolutionize the blockchain space. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 04:27 ZK-proof overview 08:45 Adoption of zk-proofs 15:33 Standardizing zk-proofs 22:27 Advice for builders 27:57 ZK & AI 35:55 How ZK improves UX 45:00 Predictions This episode is brought to you by our sponsor, Axelar. Axelar is scaling interoperability to connect hundreds of new blockchains anticipated in the Ethereum L2 ecosystem. Find out more at axelar.network/layer2 The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Matthew Graham is the founder and managing partner of Ryze Labs — the crypto VC firm formerly known as Sino Global.  In this episode, Chaparro and Graham discuss the state of the stablecoin market and the potential impact of stablecoins on the global financial system. Graham also highlights the importance of stablecoins in emerging markets and the potential for stablecoins to enhance financial inclusion. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 00:47 Ryze Portfolio Positioning 03:25 Stablecoin Opportunities 10:17 Stablecoins & Emerging Markets 13:00 Stablecoins & US Dollar Dominance 18:08 Financial Inclusion 20:21 Remittances 22:03 Political Paradigm Shift 26:42 Stablecoin Risks 28:20 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Stani Kulechov is the founder and CEO of Avara — the software development company behind some of web3's biggest projects, including Aave and Lens. In this episode, Kulechov gives an overview of the modular architecture underpinning the recently announced Lens Network and explains how a modular design is essential to helping Web3 social applications scale. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 02:00 Onchain Media 03:40 Lens Scaling Research 07:17 Security Considerations 09:42 Lens Network Architecture 12:58 Tech Stack Considerations 18:42 Web3 Social App Developers 20:36 Lens Network Migration 22:52 Developments in Web3 Social 26:36 Web2 vs. Web3 29:15 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Ric Edelman is the founder of the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals (DACFP). In this episode, Edelman discusses the importance of financial advisors in the crypto space and emphasizes the need for advisors to understand and embrace crypto to serve their clients' best interests. OUTLINE 0:00 Introduction 04:46 Financial Advisors & BTC 09:38 Bitcoin Adoption Curve 14:02 Shifting FA Perspectives 22:44 Logistics of BTC Allocation 30:51 Updating Portfolio Thoery 34:30 Ric's BTC Price Target 38:01 Residual Skeptics 42:28 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Jeff Dorman is Arca's Chief Investment Officer. In this episode, Chaparro and Dorman discuss the recent approval of the spot ether ETFs and how it opens the door for institutional investors to engage with the Ethereum ecosystem. The discussion also highlights the importance of regulatory clarity and the shifting sentiment towards crypto in Washington.  OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 02:34 ETH ETF Approval 06:02 Wall Street Onchain? 12:05 ETH ETFs & Market Structure 17:53 ETH Headwinds & Underperformance 21:28 Altcoin ETFs? 25:27 Crypto's Crowded VC Landscape 34:32 Liquid Crypto Funds 41:47 Traditional Hedge Funds & Crypto This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Kristin Smith is the CEO of Blockchain Association and Anthony Scaramucci is the founder and managing partner of SkyBridge Capital. In this episode, Smith and Scaramucci discuss the impact of crypto policy and politics on recent events, including the ETH ETF win, bipartisan support, and the influence of Trump and Biden. The discussion highlights the significance of the crypto voter, the evolving stance of the White House, and the potential impact on elections. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 00:38 Political Paradigm Shift 05:57 Biden WH Crypto Policy 08:09 Crypto 'Voting Bloc' 13:02 Trump's Crypto Flip Flop 16:33 Biden's Crypto Strategy 23:17 Closing Thoughts This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens to stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Kain Warwick is the co-founder of the DeFi protocol Synthetix, and a partner at the crypto VC firm Bodhi Ventures. In this episode, Warwick discusses the brokenness of the traditional venture capital model and how it has led to the emergence of new fundraising mechanisms in the crypto space. OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 00:41 Warwick's Crypto Journey 02:37 Synthetix History 04:47 RWA Trends 11:42 Tokenized Commodities 15:15 Crypto VC Trends 25:19 Airdrop Mechanism Design 27:56 Points 31:12 Early-Stage Inefficiencies 40:49 Deal Flow This episode is brought to you by our sponsor Polkadot Polkadot is the blockspace ecosystem for boundless innovation. To discover more head to polkadot.network The Block Community The Block is launching a new community experience for fans of The Scoop! Follow us on Lens on stay in the loop: hey.xyz/u/theblockcommunity The Block Newsletters The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters