#474: Alexander Cutler, Core Contributor at Aerodrome, on Becoming The Largest DEX on Base and The Future of DeFi

Alexander Cutler is a Core Contributor at Aerodrome Finance, the largest decentralised exchange on Base with over $600m TVL. He also serves on the core team at Velodrome Finance, a leading decentralised exchange on the Optimism network. Before entering decentralised finance, Alex built experience across politics, technology, and consulting. His work is driven by a belief in democratising access to liquidity, governance, and ownership opportunities. In this conversation, we discuss:- How Aerodrome started - Bootstrapping growth to become the largest DEX on Base without VC funding - Community ownership and governance through veAERO - What does the Syndicate community-first launch on Aerodrome signal for the future of token launches - DEXs vs CEXs - The distribution rails of the onchain economy - The future of DeFi - Liquidity fragmentation is one of the biggest challenges in DeFi - Long-term ambition for Aerodrome - The case for DeFi on Base and why it’s a unique ecosystem - DeFi maturing beyond speculation toward sustainable financial infrastructure Aerodrome Website: aerodrome.financeX: @AerodromeFiDiscord: discord.gg/aerodromeAlexander Cutler X: @wagmiAlexander---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50

Ian Rogers is the Chief Experience Officer at Ledger, leading the consumer-facing arm of the business. Ian was previously the Chief Digital Officer at LVMH, working with a portfolio of nearly one hundred brands across luxury, including Louis Vuitton, Dior, Sephora, and Hennessy. He also sits on the boards of Dr Martens and Lyst. Ian has a background in music and culture, having spent twenty years bringing digital music to the mainstream, first with Winamp then Yahoo!, Beats, and Apple. He contributed to the 2015 launch of Apple Music, including Beats 1, their digital streaming channel. Ian built some of the earliest music-related websites in the early 90s and has been working with the Beastie Boys since 1993.Ian collaborated closely with Tony Fadell (Godfather of the iPod) to launch Ledger’s latest hardware, Ledger Stax and Ledger Flex. These devices represent the fusion of cutting-edge security technology with an intuitive design that bridges cultural adoption.In this conversation, we discuss:- Crypto is legal now and we have clear rules - Present day crypto market - Permissionless payment rails have proven to be useful - Luxury brands buy solutions to make the consumer exp more seamless - Corporate-issued stablecoins - Ledger Recovery Key - Hardware wallet evolution - The growing importance of user-friendly security infrastructure - The merger of crypto & tradfi - Living in the future is the best form of cheating- Value, Identity and AI = the future LedgerWebsite: ledger.comX: @LedgerLinkedIn: LedgerIan Rogers X: @iancrLinkedIn: ian rogers---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50FollowApple PodcastsSpotifyAmazon MusicRSS FeedSee All

Robinson Burkey is the Co-Founder of the Wormhole Foundation. With an impressive track record spanning nearly a decade, Robinson has consistently excelled in leading growth and go-to-market strategies for startups, making a significant impact in the crypto industry since 2021. Prior to joining the Wormhole Foundation, Robinson held a key position at Acala, where he spearheaded Business Development and Ecosystem efforts within the Polkadot ecosystem. As a co-founder, Robinson is dedicated to accelerating the foundation's growth trajectory and fostering the widespread adoption of Wormhole as the leading interoperability platform powering multichain applications and bridges at scale. Wormhole provides developers, institutions, and users seamless connectivity between over 40 leading blockchain networks. The wider Wormhole network is trusted and used by teams like BlackRock, Apollo Global, VanEck, Google Cloud, Circle, and Uniswap. To date, the platform has enabled over $60 billion in all-time multichain volume, the most of any protocol in the world. In this conversation, we discuss:- NYC is the Silicon Valley of crypto - Interoperability - Wormhole connecting 30+ blockchains with 1B+ messages processed - Fixing the liquidity fragmentation issue - Cross-chain communication - Wormhole’s Native Token Transfer (NTT) - Routing liquidity - Current ecosystem around DATs - Securing the most value between all blockchains - Stablecoins are still crypto’s killer use case WormholeWebsite: wormhole.comX: @wormholeTelegram: t.me/wormholecryptoRobinson BurkeyX: @robinsonLinkedIn: Robinson Burkey---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50

Dan Rysk is the co-founder of Rysk, a DeFi protocol building options strategies as a new financial primitive. He has been focused on options and structured products in DeFi since 2020, beginning with Opyn, one of the first options protocols. Before that, he worked in investment banking at BofAML and founded and exited a web2 startup in online education. In this conversation, we discuss:- The inception story of Rysk - Trading Options on Hyperliquid - What is ‘options trading’ in tradfi? - Options provide volatility exposure, whereas perps do not - DeFi Options Vaults (DOVs) - Volatility yield = the missing yield layer in DeFi - Why Hyperliquid is the right place for Rysk and options to work at scale - What’s next: roadmap, integrations, and how Rysk expands from here RyskWebsite: app.rysk.financeX: @ryskfinanceDiscord: discord.gg/ZH34Fc3D5SDan RyskX: @DanDeFiEdTelegram: @DanDeFiEd---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50

Lorenzo R. is an active leader in the Tether ecosystem with five years of experience in cross-chain liquidity and stablecoin infrastructure. He is currently the co-founder & USDT0, a unified liquidity framework for USDT, allowing for connectivity across blockchain ecosystems without friction. He is also the Co-Founder of Everdawn Labs and a contributor to multiple DeFi DAOs.Previously, Lorenzo spearheaded Alloy by Tether, a groundbreaking Tethered Asset designed to track reference asset prices using Tether Gold (XAU₮) as collateral. This innovation introduces a new level of stability and value to digital assets, with its first token, aUSD₮, serving as a USD-denominated Tethered Asset backed by gold. His passion fuels his commitment to shaping the future of financial interoperability across Web3 ecosystems.In this conversation, we discuss:- USDt0 Stats and Growth - Top 3 on DeFiLlama bridges, $6B+ in volume in 6–8 months - Challenges USDt0 Solves - Lorenzo’s Journey to USDT0 - Do we need more stablecoins? - $1B in Plasma deposits to USDT0 - USDT0’s growth on Hyperliquid - Eliminating third-party bridges - USDT0’s XAUt0, the omnichain evolution of Tether Gold (XAUt) - Omnichain Fungible Tokens USDT0Website: usdt0.toX: @USDT0_toLinkedIn: USDT0Lorenzo R.X: @zeroloreLinkedIn: Lorenzo R---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50

Rekt is the Founder of HyperStrategy. He is a builder and yield farmer with 11 years of experience in crypto. Previously, Rekt was in trad-fi. In this conversation, we discuss:- Why Hyperliquid is the best ecosystem in crypto - HIP-3 - Capturing part of the perp-flow - Hyperliquid’s ecosystem flywheel - What is HyperStrategy? - Onchain treasury protocol on HyperEVM - Acquiring and looping as much HYPE as possible - How do Onchain Convertible Bonds work - HyperStrategy vault - The Hyperliquid looping effect HyperStrategy Website: Hyperstrategy.com X: @Hyper_StrategyTelegram: t.me/Hyper_StrategyRektX: @Iam_rekt_ Telegram: @iam_rekt---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by EMCD.EMCD is a trailblazer in the Web3 fintech space, committed to redefining finance with a human-centered approach. For seven years, EMCD has been building tools that empower a diverse community of miners, traders, investors, digital nomads, and entrepreneurs. What started as a determined startup mining pool has grown into a global force, once ranking among the top 10 Bitcoin mining pools worldwide. Today, EMCD’s mission is broader and bolder: creating innovative Web3 financial solutions that make wealth-building accessible to everyone, no matter where they are. Their platform enables users to grow assets without the stress of chasing volatile market trends or timing every dip and spike. By prioritizing purpose over hype, EMCD is crafting a future where finance serves individuals, not just markets. Dive into their vision and explore their cutting-edge tools at emcd.io.

Humayun Sheikh, Founder and CEO of Fetch.ai. He is an entrepreneur, investor, and a tech visionary who is passionate about technologies such as AI, machine learning, autonomous agents, and blockchains. In the past, he was a founding investor in DeepMind, where he supported commercialisation for early-stage AI & deep neural network technology. Currently, he is leading Fetch.ai as a CEO and co-founder, a start-up building the autonomy of the future. He is an expert on the topics of artificial intelligence, machine learning, autonomous agents, as well as the intersection of blockchain and commodities. In this conversation, we discuss:- AI outlook for the next couple years - The acceleration of AI - AI will unlock two main things: quantum compute and biotech - AI agents in crypto - Providing everyone an agentic system out of the box - Why is $FET undervalued? - The $FET Crypto Treasury News - Decentralized AI agents - AI & jobs Fetch.ai Website: Fetch.aiX: @Fetch_ai Discord: discord.gg/fetchaiHumayun SheikhX: @HMsheikh4 LinkedIn: Humayun Sheikh---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by EMCD.EMCD is a trailblazer in the Web3 fintech space, committed to redefining finance with a human-centered approach. For seven years, EMCD has been building tools that empower a diverse community of miners, traders, investors, digital nomads, and entrepreneurs. What started as a determined startup mining pool has grown into a global force, once ranking among the top 10 Bitcoin mining pools worldwide. Today, EMCD’s mission is broader and bolder: creating innovative Web3 financial solutions that make wealth-building accessible to everyone, no matter where they are. Their platform enables users to grow assets without the stress of chasing volatile market trends or timing every dip and spike. By prioritizing purpose over hype, EMCD is crafting a future where finance serves individuals, not just markets. Dive into their vision and explore their cutting-edge tools at emcd.io.

Ryan Galvankar is the Founder of Plaza Finance, a company at the forefront of decentralized finance (DeFi) innovation and Opt.fun, a decentralized options trading platform. Based in New York, his career began in traditional finance as a trading and investment analyst at The Bank of America and Mangetar Capital. Recognizing the transformative potential of DeFi, Ryan established Plaza Finance to introduce groundbreaking concepts such as programmable derivatives. Ryan's unique background, transitioning from traditional finance (TradFi) to the forefront of decentralized finance (DeFi), has equipped him with critical insights into the potential of blockchain technology to revolutionize financial products. Last month, spurred on by the need to create a unique trading platform that caters to younger audiences, Ryan founded Opt.fun -- a platform that delivers 60-second at‑the‑money options with up to 1000x leverage.  In this conversation, we discuss:- Programmable derivatives - Options on Hyperliquid - Opt . fun - Tokenization of assets - Staked-ETH products (bondETH & levETH) - DeFi integration and infrastructure - Capital markets and equity trends - Trading yields and perpetuals (perps) - Market movements & industry analysis - Lessons learned transitioning from legacy financial institutions Opt.fun Website: Opt.fun X: @opt_funDiscord: discord.gg/d2maM8uhFM Ryan GalvankarX: @unhedged21LinkedIn: Ryan Galvankar---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by EMCD.EMCD is a trailblazer in the Web3 fintech space, committed to redefining finance with a human-centered approach. For seven years, EMCD has been building tools that empower a diverse community of miners, traders, investors, digital nomads, and entrepreneurs. What started as a determined startup mining pool has grown into a global force, once ranking among the top 10 Bitcoin mining pools worldwide. Today, EMCD’s mission is broader and bolder: creating innovative Web3 financial solutions that make wealth-building accessible to everyone, no matter where they are. Their platform enables users to grow assets without the stress of chasing volatile market trends or timing every dip and spike. By prioritizing purpose over hype, EMCD is crafting a future where finance serves individuals, not just markets. Dive into their vision and explore their cutting-edge tools at emcd.io.

Jan Warmus is an experienced sales executive with over 6 years of experience in the cryptocurrency and Bitcoin mining space. Currently serving as Sales Director at EMCD, he specializes in building international sales teams, developing go-to-market strategies for crypto products, and has successfully managed millions in Bitcoin-related sales across European markets, making him a recognized expert at the intersection of traditional finance and digital asset mining.In this conversation, we discuss:- Poland’s economic growth- Mining pools- BTC mining today- How has Bitcoin PoW mining evolved over time into what it is today?- Crypto mining today- EMCD’s history and core mission- Is PoW developing in the same way for other Cryptos in the market?- SHA-25- Electrical demand, eco impact, legislation- Tech advancements in crypto mining tech- RWAs and tokenized ownership for revenue-generating assetsEMCDWebsite: emcd.ioX: @emcd_ioLinkedIn: EMCD: TOP10 Mining pool, Wallet, P2P platform, Coinhold Jan WarmusLinkedIn: Jan Warmus---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50

Sid Powell is the CEO and Co-Founder of Maple, the leading on-chain asset manager for institutional credit. With a background in debt capital markets and structured lending, Sid co-founded Maple in 2019 to build the rails for institutional lending on-chain. Prior to Maple, Sid worked on over $3 billion in corporate bond issuance and served as Treasurer at an Australian commercial lender. Today, Maple has originated over $7 billion in loans and currently manages $2.4b in assets across lending, structured products, and yield strategies. The firm’s mission is to make institutional-grade yield accessible globally while enabling borrowers to access capital with greater speed, transparency, and efficiency than ever before.In this conversation, we discuss:- The convergence of tradfi and crypto- What is private credit- On-chain private credit- How rich people use private credit to stay rich- Bitcoin right now is the same as boomer’s borrowing equity in their houses- BTC will surpass $150,000 this cycle- Institutions are rushing in, and this will be a boon to DeFi- The growth of Bitcoin DeFi- The 4 ways to earn BTC yield- Current regulatory landscape of cryptoMapleWebsite: maple.financeX: @maplefinanceTelegram: t.me/maplefinanceSid PowellX: @syrupsidLinkedIn: Sid Powell---------------------------------------------------------------------------------This episode is brought to you by PrimeXBT.PrimeXBT offers a robust trading system for both beginners and professional traders that demand highly reliable market data and performance. Traders of all experience levels can easily design and customize layouts and widgets to best fit their trading style. PrimeXBT is always offering innovative products and professional trading conditions to all customers.  PrimeXBT is running an exclusive promotion for listeners of the podcast. After making your first deposit, 50% of that first deposit will be credited to your account as a bonus that can be used as additional collateral to open positions. Code: CRYPTONEWS50 This promotion is available for a month after activation. Click the link below: PrimeXBT x CRYPTONEWS50