In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Anthony Day, head of strategy and marketing at Midnight, a Layer 1 protocol developed by Input Output (IOHK). Join them as they discuss: The importance of data protection and privacy more broadly and on-chain Why Web3 needs to be professionalized for mass adoption The v…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Ganesh Swami, CEO and co-founder of Covalent. Join them as they: Explore the three facets of AI in blockchain: decentralized training, inference, and data Analyze Covalent's role in bridging Web2 and Web3 technologies Discuss the evolution of blockchain data needs from …

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by JP Thor, Founder of THORChain, a network that facilitates native asset settlement between Bitcoin, Ethereum, BNB Chain, Avalanche, Cosmos Hub, Dogecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Litecoin. Join them as they discuss: How THORChain is building a more interconnected DeFi ecosystem…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Fabian Gompf, Chief Executive Officer of the Web3 Foundation, created to nurture and steward technologies and applications in the field of decentralized web software protocols, particularly those that utilize modern cryptographic methods to safeguard decentralization fo…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Ken Timsit, head of Cronos Labs, a Web3 startup accelerator focusing on decentralized finance and blockchain games, and on developing the Cronos chain ecosystem. Join them as they discuss: Crypto as a viable solution to modern banking The relationships between centraliz…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Rebecca Liao, co-founder and CEO of Saga, a protocol designed to simplify blockchain integration for game developers. Join them as they discuss: The challenges of onboarding Web2 indie game developers into the Web3 space How Saga's 'Indie Summer' initiative supports gam…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Laurent Benayoun, CEO of Acheron Trading, a financial services company that builds liquid markets for digital assets. Join them as they discuss: The rise of crypto-backed ETFs and their impact on the market The shift from trading pairs against Bitcoin to stablecoins lik…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Kurt Hemecker, CEO of the Mina Foundation, the entity tasked with growing the ecosystem of the “world's lightest ZK blockchain.” Join them as they: Discuss the evolution of information and money-sharing protocols from Web0 to Web3 Explore Kurt's journey through the tech…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Max Hillebrand, CEO of zkSNACKs, a development team dedicated to building and implementing privacy solutions in the Bitcoin ecosystem. Join them as they: Shine a light on the importance of privacy in Bitcoin Unpack the cypherpunk ethos Delve into why and how cypherpunks…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Matt Leising, Co-founder of DeCential Media, a publication committed to telling the stories of founders, builders, and visionaries in the decentralized economy. Join them as they: Shine a light on the power of personal narratives in blockchain innovation Explore Matt’s …

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Pavel Sinelnikov, Developer Relations Lead at ZKM, a network focusing on zero-knowledge virtual machines (ZKVM) for universal settlement. Join them as they: Discuss lessons learned in Ethereum growth and applying them to Bitcoin Analyze the importance of Proof of Work (…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Meg Lister, General Manager of Grants Labs at Gitcoin, a platform that has helped to disseminate grant funding to more than 4,000 projects within the blockchain and cryptocurrency sectors. Join them as they: Discuss the catalytic effect of transparent funding mechanisms…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Alejo Pinto, Co-Founder and Chief Growth Officer at Pontem, a product studio working toward global financial inclusion powered by blockchains. Join them as they: Discuss Pontem’s contribution to the evolving DeFi landscape Unpack the suite of products under the Pontem N…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Caspar Sauter, the Co-founder of Quantena and D8X Exchange, a perpetual futures decentralized exchange. Join them as they: Explore D8X’s mission and the importance of building decentralized financial machines Discuss why D8X chose to focus on perpetual futures Delve int…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Rowland Graus, Director of Product Management & Developer Relations at Agoric, a smart contract platform designed to enhance the usability of blockchain networks for end users. Join them as they: Explore Agoric's approach to blockchain and smart contracts Discuss Agoric…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Jon Trask, CEO and founder of Dimitra, an AgTech company that leverages cutting-edge technology to help farmers increase yields, reduce expenses, and mitigate risks. Join them as they: Unpack how Dimitra leverages blockchain to empower farmers Discuss the various techno…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Andreas Brekken, the Founder of SideShift, a non-custodial exchange dedicated to seamless onboarding and user privacy. Join them as they: Unpack the evolution of exchanges in the past 10 years Discuss Andreas’ foray into crypto and building his first exchange Delve into…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Philippe Schommers, the Head of Infrastructure at Gnosis, an entity that has been at the forefront of building decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem since its inception in 2015. Join them as they: Unpack the history of the Gnosis ecosystem and its vari…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski speaks with Peyman Momeni, CEO and Co-Founder of Fairblock, to uncover the vital role privacy plays in decentralized systems. They delve into the urgent need for privacy solutions to combat the negative perceptions surrounding this technology. Peyman shares his unique perspective sh…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Sunny Lu, Co-Founder and CEO of VeChain Foundation, the Foundation tasked with growing VeChainThor, an enterprise-grade L1 public blockchain platform, aiming to spearhead a digital revolution through sustainable and highly scalable smart contract technologies. Join them…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Parker McCurley, Co-Founder and CEO of DecentDAO, a builder collective creating DAO, DeFi, and other Web3 toolings and services for institutional and retail clients. Join them as they: Discuss lessons learned from navigating multiple crypto cycles Examine the inner work…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Nathan Windsor, the CEO and Co-Founder of Landslide Network, an IBC-enabled Avalanche subnet that allows any Cosmos-based dApp to run natively on the Avalanche network. Join them as they: Unpack the differences between Avalanche and Cosmos at a protocol level Shine a li…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Matt Bell, the CEO and Co-Founder of Turbofish, a team working on Nomic, a layer one blockchain that offers a decentralized, non-custodial Bitcoin bridge into the Cosmos ecosystem. Join them as they: Shine a light on Nomic’s mission Weigh in on the issue with Bitcoin’s …

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Matthew Commons, President of the Verified USD Foundation, an independent entity accountable for USDV, dedicated to nurturing a stablecoin ecosystem that enables equitable value-sharing of benefits among its community of contributors. Join them as they: Weigh in on the …

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Gabe Frank, the Founder of Arcade.xyz, a DeFi protocol on Ethereum that specializes in NFT lending. It operates as a non-custodial Web3 application and financial “super app” for NFTs and other unique on-chain assets. Join them as they: Weigh in on the current state of t…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Austin Federa, Head of Strategy at Solana Foundation, an organization dedicated to the decentralization, growth, and security of the Solana network. Join them as they: Discuss Solana’s resilience in the face of adversity Shine a light on the unique features of the Solan…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Fig, Co-Founder of Squid, a cross-chain liquidity and messaging router built on Axelar, that enables seamless transactions between different blockchains , and allows applications to implement fast, secure, and seamless cross-chain logic into their products. Join them as…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Michael O'Rourke, Co-Founder & CEO of Pocket Network and CEO of Grove. A powerful gateway to the decentralized world, Grove is a blockchain data platform built on top of Pocket Network, providing apps with reliable, performant, and cost-effective access to blockchain da…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Bonart Mati, Chief Growth Officer of Obligate. Obligate allows companies to issue on-chain bonds and commercial paper to receive funding from investors in a regulated DeFi environment. Join them as they: Shine a light on the unstoppable nature of DeFi and blockchain tec…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Rich Rines, Contributor at Core DAO, the official decentralized organization developing the Core blockchain network, a Bitcoin hash-powered and EVM-compatible blockchain. Join them as they: Discuss Rich’s journey from working at Coinbase to joining Core DAO Shine a ligh…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Chen Zhuling, CEO and Founder of RockX, Asia’s leading enterprise-grade blockchain infrastructure and non-custodial staking provider. Join them as they: Talk about the early days of Bitcoin in Asia Delve into building a delegated proof of stake blockchain network Explor…

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Rusty Matveev, Chief Strategy Officer at Calaxy. Join them as they: Talk about Rusty’s journey to Calaxy Weigh in on the rise of Web3 and the resurgence of the Metaverse Delve into how Calaxy is building a platform to empower creators Shine a light on the importance of …

In this episode of The Smart Economy Podcast, host Dylan Grabowski is joined by Andrew Lawrence, CEO and Co-Founder of Censo. Join them as they: Talk about Andrew's background and early interest in blockchain Weigh in on self-sovereignty in holding digital assets Delve into Censo's self-custody and key management approach Shine a light on hierarchi…

Episode Notes In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Zac Townsend, CEO and co-founder of Meanwhile, the first and only life insurance company denominated in Bitcoin. Discussion topics include using technology to improve institutional processes, how life insurance can ensure Bitcoin’s longevity, the product Meanwhile offers and …

Episode Notes In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Jesper Johansen, CEO and co-founder of Northstake, which builds streamlined and regulatory-compliant staking products for institution-grade investors and clients. Topics include the significance of MiCA legislation in Europe, building businesses off Proof-of-Stake blockchain …

Episode Notes In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Tama Churchouse, COO of Cumberland Labs, a global blockchain incubator comprised of blockchain developers, product managers, researchers, traders, and former founders. Topics discussed include getting Bitcoin in 2013, lessons learned as a VC in the EOS ecosystem, the four P’s…

Episode Notes In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Holly Wood, Director of Business Development at Boson Protocol. Topics discussed include working with grassroots creatives and big brands, how Web3 launches have similar vibes to brand launches for verticals like streetwear, the prevalence of in-house Web3 teams and staff at …

Episode Notes In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Oliver Linch, CEO of Bittrex Global. Topics discussed include the difference between Bittrex Global and Bittrex, Bittrex Global’s forthcoming conversations with US regulators, and various different regulatory guidelines across different jurisdictions in the world. To stay in …

Episode Notes In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Aaron Kaplan, founder and co-CEO of Prometheum. Topics of discussion include wanting to build a regulatory-compliant exchange in 2013, how he felt like a crazy person talking about securities laws during the ETH ICO, incubating Prometheum, how Prometheum is posed to be the fi…

Episode Notes In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Lars Seier Christensen, Chairman at Concordium Foundation. Topics discussed include building an online trading platform in the early days of the internet, new technology and adoption cycles, the importance of digital identification, discovering Bitcoin, and how Concordium see…

Episode Notes In this special episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, Dylan talks to ecosystem representatives at the Neo booth during Consensus 2023. It was Neo’s second consecutive year exhibiting at the event, which is among the premier North American events for the blockchain industry. The main attraction at the booth was the OneBand ring, which …

Episode Notes In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Joseph Ziolkowski, CEO and co-founder of RELM Insurance. Topics discussed include the role alternative insurance providers play in cutting edge industries from crypto to psychedelics to eSports to longevity, how regulatory bodies can help establish unique insurance opportunit…

Episode Notes In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Gregor Žavcer, Executive Director of Swarm. Topics discussed include what the blockchain space was like in 2015, the importance of decentralized storage in Web3, data ownership and privacy, interesting use cases, and how Swarm operates. To stay in the loop, subscribe to our Y…

Episode Notes In this special edition of the Smart Economy Podcast, where we take you on a journey through ETH Denver 2023, held Colorado, USA. For this this episode, we visited the ETH Denver event and spoke with a diverse group of people in the blockchain space. Throughout our conversations, we explore various perspectives on the current state of…

Episode Notes In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Jackson Zeng, CEO of Caleb & Brown. Topics discussed include getting into crypto through game item marketplaces, starting a company in a blossoming industry without a clear regulatory outlook, how Caleb & Brown offer personalized services for their clients, and the types of a…

Episode Notes In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Brendan Sullivan, CPO of Dacoco - the creator of Alien Worlds. Topics discussed include how his professional journey through tech and product management led to building DAO technology at Dacoco, the democratization of content, the various use cases for DAOs, and the grants fo…

Episode Notes In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Sarah Thiam, a developer advocate for Filecoin VM at Protocol Labs. Topics discussed include lessons learned from her previous experience in both the government and enterprise, the significance of combining smart contracts with decentralized storage, supporting teams that are…

Episode Notes In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Sakhib Waseem, CTO of Astra Protocol. Topics discussed include how his background in banking impacted his perspective on blockchain, where the financial industry is today with regards to implementing blockchain technology into their tech architecture, and the role Astra plays…

Episode Notes In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Al Morris, founder of Koii Network. Topics discussed include empowering users by giving them control over their data, building a decentralized internet, rewarding users for contributing resources, the various iterations of the Koii Network, and upcoming releases. To stay in t…

Episode Notes In this episode of the Smart Economy Podcast, we speak with Sid Powell, CEO and co-founder of Maple Finance. Topics discussed include his background in debt capital markets at a bank and conversely on the client side at a lending business, the conceptualization of Maple Finance to its 2021 launch, the types of institutional clients Ma…