Look for any podcast host, guest or anyone

Shows

The InteropThe InteropIs It Time for Cosmos to Rebrand as Interchain? Sunny AggarwalSunny Aggarwal sits down with Sebastien Couture to discuss Cosmos’s evolving identity and why it might be time to rebrand the ecosystem as “Interchain.” Together, they explore the challenges Cosmos faces around liquidity, EVM compatibility, and the risks of having too many competing innovations. Sunny also shares insights on Osmosis’s next big moves, including Polaris, the new bridge and DEX aggregator, and ideas on integrating AI within blockchain. From interoperability to community focus, this episode captures the big questions shaping Cosmos and DeFi’s future.Consider staking with Interop Ventures by clicking the following link - https...2024-11-2537 minEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesBlockworks: The Future of Crypto = AI, Memecoins and DePIN - Jason Yanowitz Live @PermissionlessFrom a cross-platform media company, to launching their own conference and, more recently, an advisory branch, Blockworks has seen and done it all. We couldn’t miss Permissionless III, one of the largest crypto conferences in the US, where we sat down with Jason Yanowitz to discuss emerging trends in the industry and where the attention might shift over the coming months.Topics covered in this episode:Blockworks’ evolutionThe crypto conference landscapeBlockworks advisoryApps & infrastructureRegulationsZK & AIStablecoinsPodcastingEpisode links:Jason Yanowitz on TwitterBlockworks on TwitterPermissionless on TwitterEmpire Podcast on TwitterSponsors:Gnosis: Gnosis builds dece...2024-10-1459 minEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - 10-Year Anniversary Livestream10 years ago, Adam B Levine, the host of ‘Let’s Talk Bitcoin!’, decided that it was time to encourage other voices to step onto the crypto podcast scene. Among many applicants, Sebastien and Brian were the only 2 Europeans, so Adam suggested that they teamed up in order to record the pilot episode. On December 20th 2013, Sebastien and Brian released ‘Regulation and the Future of Bitcoin’, which marked the beginning of a 10-year (and counting) long journey. The rest is history.On this anniversary episode, our hosts were joined by special guests and friends of Epicenter, to share their favo...2023-12-232h 25The InteropThe InteropATOM IS MONEY with Sunny Aggarwal of OsmosisConsider staking with Interop Ventures https://interop.ventures Osmosis is an Interchain DEX that lets you swap, earn, and build on the leading decentralized Cosmos exchange. Building Interchain-native apps and smart contracts, as well as analyzing assets and liquidity, are all made possible by Osmosis's tools. ------------------------------------ TOPICS 00:00:00 Intro 00:02:38 The Mars-Neutron merger 00:12:10 Sunny’s take on Mars leaving Osmosis 00:17:01 Competition & stealing liquidity 00:21:33 Osmosis and Umee’s merger 00:23:05 Appchains merging & becoming rollups 00:25:03 Proposal #858 & AEZ 00:33:27 Community’s reaction to the proposal 00:34:40 Atom is money 00:44:46 What’s the vision & the plan? 00:50:18 Views on Atom1 & LSDs 00:57:07 Osmosis 2.0 - CL hooks & smart accounts 01:04:48 Exciting Osmosis applicat...2023-12-131h 08Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter – Looking Back on 10 Years of Crypto. AI Doom & Gloom? SPECIALAs Epicenter hits the 500 episode milestone, our hosts look back on almost 10 years of crypto developments, analysing the good, the bad and the ugly. What projects & narratives have surprised our hosts? Has Bitcoin failed in becoming a reliable store of value? Will ZK proofs provide the much needed solution to AI’s alignment problem? Last but not least, are we still early? Get ready for a fascinating discussion, albeit gloomy for this special occasion.Thank you for being part of this amazing journey! We wouldn’t have made it so far without your continuous support! Looking forward to t...2023-06-161h 21Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEmin Gün Sirer: Avalanche – The Future of Crypto: From Gaming to LLM-Powered Smart ContractsAs the second Avalanche summit drew to a close, Sebastien Couture and Sunny Aggarwal sat down with Emin Gün Sirer for a fascinating conversation exploring future innovation narratives in crypto. Longtime friend of Epicenter, Ava Labs' founder and CEO shared his unique insights on the industry, from both a founder, as well as a former academia perspective.Given Avalanche's consensus & architecture, it boasts high TPS and scalability properties, incentivising founders to build better products in the AVAX ecosystem.One of the most controversial narratives is that of LLMs (i.e. ChatGPT) powering smart contract development b...2023-05-111h 03The InteropThe InteropOsmosis Mesh Security & Permissioned CosmWasm with Sunny Aggarwal00:Consider staking with Interop Ventures https://interop.ventures ------------------------------------ TOPICS 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:24 - Cosmoverse 00:03:43 - ATOM 2.0 00:06:12 - Intro to Mesh Security 00:14:03 - Validator centralization 00:18:19 - Mesh Security flow 00:25:45 - Incentives 00:27:04 - Impact on less secure chains 00:30:45 - Liquid staking 00:37:13 - Permissioned CosmWasm 00:47:38 - Osmosis Beaker 00:50:31 - Permission vs Permissionless 00:54:30 - MEV - Osmosis vs ATOM 2.0 01:00:45 - The scheduler GUESTS Sunny Aggarwal: https://twitter.com/sunnya97 LINKS Mesh Security Flow: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/13JrSdzodhAGRj59-P5e9sxyoDPvVm7ZVvw1GzR8OilQ/edit#slide=id.g15d37737ae2_0_336 CosmWasm/mesh-security: https://github.com/CosmWasm/mesh-security ------------------------------------ SOCIAL MEDIA Sebastien Couture...2022-10-211h 07Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesCryptocito: Cosmoverse – Where Cosmonauts UniteWe caught up with Cosmoverse co-founder and YouTuber Cryptocito, for a chat from this year's event in Medellin. We look back on the 2nd edition of the conference and how the ecosystem has grown since last year. We also dive into some of the announcements, notably, ATOM 2.0.Topics covered in this episode:Cosmoverse in MedellinCryptocito's background and how Cosmoverse was bornHighlights from the conferenceMesh security systemsCosmos community growthThoughts on Interchain Foundation (ICF)ATOM 2.0Episode links: CosmoverseCrytpocito's youtubeCosmoverse on TwitterCryptocito on TwitterSponsors: Omni: Access all of Web3 in one easy-to-use wallet! Earn...2022-10-0556 minEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter – The Hosts Look Back on 20212021 was an exciting year for the crypto space. We've seen all time market highs, dramatic regulatory shifts, and some use cases hit the main stream. 4 of our hosts got together to dissect the standout events of this year, and share their predictions for what is coming next.Topics covered in this episode:The NFT explosion of 2021The DeFi bluechip declineLayer 1 wars & bridgesDAO proliferation, tooling, and emergence of new organization paradigmsReturn of DogecoinBitcoin in El SalvadorLooking ahead - crypto and its tax implicationsThe future of MEVUrbitEpisode links:Episode 374 - The Great Epicenter Host Extravaganza 2021...2021-12-101h 32Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesVitalik Buterin: Ethereum - Can It Go Beyond DeFi?Vitalik Buterin joins us for an in-depth conversation at EthCC 4 in Paris. During his keynote presentation, he expressed his hope for Ethereum to go beyond DeFi as he wishes to see more non-financial applications built on the platform. From better social media platforms to novel approaches for funding public goods, from his perspective, Ethereum has the potential to change the world for the better, beyond financial applications.Topics covered in this episode:How has the past year been for Vitalik and EthereumThe state of crypto todayWhat interesting experiments are in crypto now defining membershipHas Ethereum gone...2021-07-2954 minEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesAlex Masmej: Showtime – Building the Open Social Graph With NFTsNon-fungible tokens (NFTs) are tokens that we can use to represent ownership of unique items. They let us tokenize things like art, collectibles, even real estate. They can only have one official owner at a time and they're secured by the Ethereum blockchain. And they have taken the crypto space by storm is recent months. Showtime is a NFT social media network where creators & collectors showcase their digital art. It reads all marketplaces and instead of buying and selling, you can comment, share and like. It's been described as the Instagram for NFTs.We were joined by...2021-06-021h 07Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesJulien Bouteloup: Stake Capital/Rekt – Uncovering the Dark Side of DeFiJulien Bouteloup is a serial entrepreneur, Ethereum developer and addict of crazy innovative ideas. He started his entrepreneurial career building websites and selling hardware technologies at age 14. Today he is involved with many projects including Stake Capital, Rekt, Curve Finance, and he advises several crypto companies.Julien strives to bring to light the dark side of crypto. As DeFi grows, so do the number of questionable projects and ethical concerns around certain practices. Julien joins us to talk about the excesses in the DeFi space and how the ecosystem should cope with them.Topics covered...2021-03-031h 23Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesTieshun Roquerre: Namebase – Decentralizing DNS and Certificate AuthoritiesNamebase is a top-level domain (TLD) name registrar that operates on the Handshake blockchain. It creates an ecosystem of TLDs that may be bought and sold using an on-chain auction mechanism. It takes a different approach to other decentralized domain name systems as Namebase is compatible with the ICANN namespace, the organization governs domain names globally. Users may register TLDs that don't yet exist in the ICANN namespace, like .epicenter or .ethereum, for example, creating the opportunity for new niche domain registrars to emerge. Tieshun Roquerre, CEO of Namebase, joins us to discuss his vision for Namebase...2021-02-231h 24Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesHarsh Rajat: Ethereum Push Notification Service – The Decentralized Notification ProtocolEthereum Push Notification Service (EPNS) emerged from the Indian startup scene in 2020. It's a decentralized notification protocol that enables DApps to send push notifications to Ethereum wallet users. EPNS also provides incentives to users that opt-in for push notifications, creating the possibility for an ecosystem communities around topic-centric channels.We are joined by Harsh Rajat, Project Lead and Co-founder of EPNS. We chatted about why and how the protocol was built, its technical structure, the purpose of incentivizing users to receive notifications, and how they tackle spam.Topics covered in this episode:Harsh's background...2021-02-021h 07Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesThe Great Epicenter Host Extravaganza 2021The new year has brought with it a new bull run. This is great news for crypto holders, but at what cost? Will this bring with it a number of negative implications such as regulatory push back and privacy battles? Listen as the five hosts of Epicenter come together for an in-depth chat to share their predictions for the crypto space in 2021.Topics covered in this episode:Each of our hosts share how 2020 went for themIn-depth individual predictions on where things are headed with the current bull marketPublic backlash to the crypto systemRegulatory and tax related...2021-01-121h 08Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesSam Bankman-Fried: FTX & Project Serum – The World's First Decentralized Derivatives ExchangeAlameda Research is a quant trading fund founded in 2017. Today it manages over $100 million in digital assets and trades $600 million to $1.5 billion per day across thousands of products: all major coins and altcoins, as well as their derivatives. Whilst running this fund, the team thought there was space for a robust crypto derivatives exchange build for traders which solves some of the issues they saw in derivatives trading. FTX is the crypto derivatives trading platform which came out of Alameda. In just under two years of existence, it has grown to become one of the top trading platforms for...2020-10-271h 19Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesTarun Chitra: Gauntlet – The Simulation Platform for Blockchain ProtocolsGauntlet is a simulation platform for building financial models of blockchain protocols and applications. Their platform uses machine learning methods to simulate different environments with various user behaviors and see how the system holds up in those conditions. They perform analysis on things like core mechanisms to test for liveness, block propagation, and at higher layers like simulating markets. Their offering is complementary to security audits as their analysis goes beyond code functionality and looks at how systems may behave in real-life conditions. Tarun Chitra, CEO & Founder of Gauntlet, talks about his previous life in chip manufacturing...2020-09-091h 13Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesJack O'Holleran: SKALE Labs – An Ethereum Scaling Solution Using App Specific BlockchainsSKALE Network's modular protocol is one of the first of its kind to allow developers to build application specific blockchains. These are interoperable and compatible with the Ethereum mainchain, and the entire Ethereum ecosystem. They provide the benefits of decentralization without compromising on computation, storage, or security.The focus of SKALE Network is slightly different to other scaling solutions, many of which we have had on the show in the past. SKALE Network aims to scale smart contracts, not necessarily transaction throughput. Think of it as a highly performant Ethereum as a service side chain, where developers...2020-08-111h 09Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesGabriel Jiménez: Petro – The Crypto Project That Tried to Free VenezuelaIn late 2017, Gabriel Jimenez was approached by the Venezuelan presidency and asked to create a national digital currency, the Petro. Although very much against the regime, Gabriel saw this as a chance to save his country which was on the brink of economic collapse. A new currency that would move freely over an open network, like Bitcoin. And the government would not be able to control it. So he agreed. Things didn’t go as Gabriel had envisioned. Months later, Gabriel almost paid with his life when he was held at gunpoint by military guards in the Pr...2020-06-101h 22Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesDavid Vorick: On Skynet and Trusted SetupsToday, half of the internet is built on top of Amazon S3. Although the cloud has allowed Internet applications to scale, centralized infrastructure means less control over one's own data. And when it goes down, so does half of the internet.Sia CEO David Vorick is back on the podcast to talk about a new product recently released by their team: Skynet. Skynet builds on Sia and enables web applications to be developed and deployed over a decentralized data storage infrastructure. David also shares his thoughts on Trusted Setups, why he thinks they're "busted," and how the...2020-05-2255 minEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesDavid Hoffman: Eth Is Money?In this episode we are joined by David Hoffman, Chief of Operations at RealT, a company which tokenizes realestate assets into security tokens. He is also well known for numerous pieces he has written on Ethereum and DeFi and is co-host of the POV Crypto podcast. Hear us as we talk about his writings, how tokenizing real estate assets works, Bitcoin on Ethereum, the feedback loop problem and effects of the USD in DeFi, and a debate on whether Ether is an asset.Topics covered in this episode:What RealT is and how tokenizing real estate...2020-03-241h 15Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesJacob Arluck: TQ Tezos – Meet the Independent Driving Force Behind the Growth of TezosWe are joined by founder of TQ Tezos, Jacob Arluck. TQ Tezos is a company that works to advance the Tezos ecosystem by creating open source software and other public goods. It's been over two years since we last did an episode about Tezos and this was a good refresher on how that project is shaping up. We hear about the decentralized and permissionless nature of the Tezos infrastructure, the protocol development of Tezos, and how TQ is working to make Tezos more accessible.Topics covered in this episode:Decentralized nature of Tezos development and the...2020-03-101h 08Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesKevin Wang: Nervos – Scaling Smart Contact Blockchains With Proof of Work and Generalized UTXOWhile recent blockchain launches seem to leverage various Proof of Stake consensus mechanisms, some believe Satoshi’s consensus mechanism is optimal for distributed protocols. As decentralized ledgers jockey to become the chain of choice for enterprises looking to leverage blockchain technology, projects are looking to offer a solution that maximizes security, decentralization, and transaction throughput. Kevin Wang, a Co-founder of Nervos, joins us to discuss why Proof of Work was implemented as the consensus mechanism for the network. To enable greater flexibility for application developers, Nervos created a Common Knowledge Base (CKB) to focus on the security of...2020-02-111h 24Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesDillon Chen: Edgeware – Coordinating Distributed Communities With On-Chain GovernanceGovernance within any community has been a work in progress for humanity's history. The blockchain ecosystem continues to develop and offer an alternative to today's centralized powers. With this, distributed projects and technologies will need to enact clear governance to ensure viable competition with the streamlined decision-making processes present in today's institutions. The absence of codified governance in Bitcoin may be one of its most significant traits, signaling to the world its predictability due to its inability to change drastically. New projects like Edgeware, however, hope to encode the rules of governance on-chain and ensure a transparent...2020-01-1558 minEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesCharlie Shrem: The Untold Story of a Bitcoin Pioneer and RenegadeCharlie Shrem became fascinated with Bitcoin in 2011 but grew frustrated with the hassle of buying it from the leading exchange at the time, Mt. Gox. To make the process faster and more convenient, Charlie created BitInstant in 2012. BitInstant quickly grew and by 2013 became responsible for processing a third of all Bitcoin transactions. This was with the help of Roger Ver and the Winklevoss twins, who were his seed investors, and Erik Voorhees, who led their marketing efforts. The success of BitInstant was short-lived. In a time where Bitcoin's primary applications were price speculation and buying things on...2020-01-081h 18Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesDavid Vorick: Sia – Creating a P2P Marketplace for Data Storage to Disrupt the Cloud IndustryMuch of the digital world now operates in the cloud. A handful of companies are responsible for the massive market, and the centralization makes many people worry about censorship, privacy, and network resilience. David Vorick’s passion for distributed file storage had him start Sia in 2014. He’s been working fervently ever since to develop a viable competitor to the centralized solutions that are responsible for much of the content on the internet today. David aim’s to create a more private, resilient, and secure alternative to Amazon Web Services while also outperforming it.Topics covere...2019-12-171h 23Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEli Ben-Sasson: StarkWare – Productizing zk-STARKs to Provide Blockchain Scalability and PrivacyThis past year, we have witnessed what some are calling a “Cambrian Explosion” in zero-knowledge proof systems. New proof systems based on a variety of cryptographic assumptions are popping up every week. And while zero-knowledge systems are known for their privacy-preserving characteristics, they have proven particularly useful for scaling blockchains through off-chain computations.We're joined by Eli Ben Sasson, Co-founder and Cheif Scientist in the East at Starkware. His company is developing a full proof-stack, which leverages STARKs. Pioneered by Eli, STARKs are zero-knowledge cryptographic proofs, which are succinct, transparent, and post-quantum secure. StarkWare has demonstrated how zkST...2019-10-221h 17Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesAnthony Sassano & Eric Conner: EthHub – Ethereum Education and the Quest for Ether DominanceWe’re joined by Eric Conner and Anthony Sassano, founders of EthHub. Started in January of 2019, EthHub’s goal is to provide a trusted, objective source of information for the Ethereum ecosystem. The platform is made up of an open-source documentation website, a weekly newsletter, and a podcast, “Into the Ether” hosted by Eric and Anthony. Both active and vocal members of the Ethereum community, they are known to embody what some consider to be Ethereum Maximalism. Topics covered in this episode: What is EthHub and why they decided to start the organization Eric and Anthony’s view on...2019-08-271h 40Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesBonus 1/2: “Epicenter Live” and a Chat with Jae Kwon of Cosmos – Interchain Conversations BerlinThis is part one of a two-part bonus series. These sessions were recorded at the first Interchain Conversations conference which took place in Berlin on June 13th and 14th, 2019. The first part of this episode is “Epicenter Live,” a live podcast recorded on stage at the event. It features hosts Meher Roy, Sunny Aggarwal, Brian Fabian Crain, and Sebastien Couture. In this conversation, we discuss the topic of blockchain interoperability. We look at how different projects address interoperability and seek to form a picture of how these projects might interact in a multi-blockchain future. We also discuss how...2019-06-211h 35Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesDan Robinson: Rainbow Network – Off-Chain Synthetics Exchange or “Multicolored Lightning”We’re joined by Dan Robinson, a research partner at Paradigm, and the author the “Rainbow Network” paper. The paper describes an off-chain decentralized synthetics exchange which leverages payment channels. The Rainbow Network is based on the idea that “rainbows are basically just multicolored lightning,” borrowing from the concepts used in the Lightning Network. The protocol relies on trusted oracles and allows participants to trade any type of liquid asset off-chain. All that is necessary to complete a transaction is an on-chain payment channel collateralized by a single asset. Though it is still at the idea stage and has yet to be...2019-05-281h 12Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesJill Carlson: Open Money Initiative – Free Access to Finance as a Human RightA common meme in the cryptocurrency space is that it has the potential to help people in countries where only the rich and powerful access to global financial markets. But ten years after the Bitcoin white paper was released, just how many “unbanked” people has cryptocurrency helped? Some see crypto as a tool to empower vulnerable populations in places where hyperinflation and strict capital controls make day-to-day survival a nearly impossible challenge. We’re joined by Jill Carlson. Previously at Chain and Tezos, Jill has been writing about the cryptocurrency industry for several years. In 2016 she published a pape...2019-05-221h 27Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesGriff Green: Giveth – Creating the New Economic Model of GivingWe're joined by Griff Green, one of the founders at Giveth. The organization, which emerged out of the ashes of the DAO, aims to create a better model for charitable work. Operating as a Dapp, Giveth aims to bring new governance models in the nonprofit space. The goal is to create better incentives for donors and charity workers, in all types of social good projects. Topics covered in this episode: Griff's background as a gold-hodling digital nomad His time spent at Slock.it and his involvement in the aftermath of the DAO collapse How traditional charity...2019-04-231h 21Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEthan Buchman & Sunny Aggarwal: Cosmos – Launching the Internet of BlockchainsThe shipping container brought standardization to the way we move goods around the world. Similarly, TCP/IP packets normalized how information transits over computer networks. Today, blockchains remain siloed ecosystems and interoperability is practically non-existent. A new wave of third-generation blockchain protocols aims to change this. In this new paradigm, blockchains communicate natively and value moves seamlessly from one network to another. One of those projects is Cosmos. We’re joined by Ethan Buchman and Sunny Aggarwal of Cosmos. With its recent mainnet launch, we discuss how the network is running and address potential issues relating to go...2019-04-031h 26Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesJackson Palmer: Dogecoin – wow! so meme. such community. very charity. much story.Dogecoin was born from the association of two browser tabs: one was an article about the popularity of the doge meme, and the other, CoinMarketCap. The idea quickly gained traction on Twitter, and before long, a new cryptocurrency was born. Dogecoin gained adoption as a tipping currency, the community took part fundraising for charities and other causes, perhaps most notably sending the Jamaican bobsled team to the Sochi Winter Olympics. We’re joined by Jackson Palmer, co-creator of Dogecoin. Though he has left the project, Jackson shares the story of how he created the most popular meme cr...2019-03-271h 21Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesBrian Hoffman & Washington Sanchez: OpenBazaar – Growing a Permissionless MarketplaceIn the early days of Bitcoin, much of the community’s focus was around payment and getting merchants to adopt cryptocurrencies. Although the technology and narratives have evolved, some projects continue to embrace that original vision of peer-to-peer business, where merchants and their customers interact directly, and if they so wish, anonymously. We’re joined by Brian Hoffman and Washington Sanchez of OpenBazaar. Since we last interviewed Brian in 2015, the project has grown to become a mature decentralized marketplace where people come together to buy and sell products and services anonymously with crypto. Its polished interface and repu...2019-03-191h 31Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesLooking Back on 5 Years of EpicenterEpicenter turned 5 years old this month – that’s a long time in the blockchain space! When the podcast began in January 2014, the entire ecosystem was made up of only Bitcoin and a handful of altcoins. Soon after, the Ethereum white paper was published which ushered in a new era of crypto assets and decentralized applications. Since then, we have released 270 episodes and interviewed some of the leading thinkers, entrepreneurs, and engineers in the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry. Needless to say, we have learned a lot about the blockchain industry, but also what it takes to run a successful podcast in t...2019-01-1555 minEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesNick Sullivan: Cloudflare – The Internet’s (De)centralized Security BlanketWe enter dozens of trust relationships ever time we interact with the Web. Browsers, ISPs, DNS providers, cloud hosting companies, all the way down to the handful of people who control certificate root keys; we rely on the integrity of these intermediaries to serve reliable, and accurate information. The concentration of power by any one of these actors threatens to compromise the very foundational principles of the Web. Decentralized technologies, like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tor, and IPFS seek to reverse this trend. We’re joined by Nick Sullivan, Chief Cryptographer at Cloudflare. Founded less than 10 years ago, the co...2018-12-041h 20Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesGuy Zyskind: Enigma – Providing Scalable Privacy-Preservation to Smart ContactsPrivacy and scalability are arguably the most challenging issues blockchains face. Scalable privacy-preserving state machines are inherently difficult. While cryptocurrencies like Zcash have proven trustworthy for simple transactions, privacy in smart contract platforms is an entirely different animal. We’re joined by Guy Zyskind, CEO of Enigma, a platform for scalable decentralized apps which preserves privacy. The Enigma network treats Ethereum smart contracts as “secret contracts” and can perform computations on encrypted data. Inputs are broken into pieces and distributed to network nodes which perform computations on a segment of the full data. Once returned to the Ethreu...2018-08-021h 05Epicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesEpicenter - Learn about Crypto, Blockchain, Ethereum, Bitcoin and Distributed TechnologiesAnthony Lusardi: Ethereum Classic Cooperative – Accelerating the Growth of ETCThe 2016 Ethereum hard fork left us with two distinct Ethereum chains. While the main Ethereum chain dwarfs Ethereum Classic in terms of market cap, ETC has sustained its position as a significant actor in the broader blockchain ecosystem. ETC’s recent listing on Coinbase demonstrates its credibility as a significant industry player. We’re joined by Anthony Lusardi, Director of the Ethereum Classic Cooperative, an organization who’s goal is to promote the development of the Ethereum Classic Network. Similarly to other industry organizations, The Cooperative invests in core development of the ETC blockchain, community building, marketing, and br...2018-07-171h 04