In this episode, Kash Dhanda of Jupiter shares his crypto career journey and his unique role blending content creation with product strategy. He delves into Jupiter's unconventional organizational structure, explaining how it fuels their rapid product development and acquisition strategy. Kash highlights the reasoning behind key initiatives such as the Drip House acquisition and Jupiter Lend, underscoring their commitment to long-term growth. The conversation also addresses the challenges of ser...
Jun 18, 2025•51 min•Ep. 83
In this episode, Austin and Peter Van Valkenburgh Coin Center's mission and the critical role of educating policymakers. The discussion spans over Coin Center's inception, its efforts in shaping sound crypto regulations, and its battles against adverse policies. Peter sheds light on Coin Center's ongoing lawsuits, the implications of recent DOJ guidance, and the controversy surrounding meme coins in American politics. Peter also provides insights into future challenges and opportunities in crypt...
Jun 03, 2025•1 hr 7 min
In this episode, Austin chats with Ouriel Ohayon (Zengo) about the evolving landscape of crypto wallets and wallet security. The conversation dives into the history and challenges of crypto custody solutions, from the problems with centralized custodians and self-custody methods to the sophistication of hacking groups. Ouriel discusses how Zengo is tackling these issues with their MPC wallets where there's "nothing to give away". He provides insights on the unique security features of Zengo, suc...
May 20, 2025•33 min
In this episode of Validated, host Austin talks with Chaofan Shou about building Solayer, high-performance side chain for Solana. Chaofan describes the specifics of Solayer's hybrid model, which sits between a traditional Layer 1 and Layer 2, offering faster execution environments for market makers and reducing high priority fees. They get into its technical architecture, including the use of specialized hardware like FPGA and SDN for optimized transaction processing and state management. The co...
Apr 29, 2025•32 min
In this episode, Austin speaks with Brennan Watt, VP of Core Engineering at Anza, about the evolution of Solana’s validator clients. The conversation centers on Agave, originally developed at Solana Labs and now, by Anza. Brennan offers perspective on the critical role validator clients play in overall network performance, recounting challenges encountered in 2022 and 2023 and the improvements that have shaped the current landscape. They dive deep on topics such as memory allocation optimization...
Apr 15, 2025•42 min
In this episode, Austin sits down with Lei Yang of MegaLabs to explore the architecture behind MegaETH and its unique approach to enabling real-time blockchain applications. By specializing node roles and optimizing for high-frequency transactions, MegaETH tackles technical challenges like network latency and state propagation head-on. The conversation also delves into data flow models and the practical implementation of a scalable, high-performance Ethereum Layer 2 solution—designed to outperfo...
Apr 01, 2025•49 min
In this episode, Austin chats with Avery Ching (Aptos Labs) about the latest developments and future vision for Aptos. Avery recounts his early involvement with Libra/Diem at Meta, his journey into the crypto space, and the technical challenges and solutions that Aptos is tackling. The episode dives into the architectural framework of Aptos, dynamic parallelism, and the concept of Shardines. Avery details the project’s aim to optimize scalability, latency, and cost-efficiency, while highlighting...
Mar 18, 2025•52 min
In this episode, Austin chats with Ilmoi and Richard Wu about Vector, a social trading app that combines elements of Robinhood and Twitter. They delve into the core functionality of Vector, its community-building strategies, and the sophisticated technical infrastructure underpinning its seamless experience. The discussion also addresses broader topics including the relationship between timing and PMF and the nuances of moderation policies in web3. DISCLAIMER The content herein is provided for e...
Mar 04, 2025•41 min•Ep. 82
In this episode of Validated, Austin discusses his new venture DoubleZero with co-founders Andrew McConnell and Matteo Ward. They discuss the necessity of creating high-performance networking specifically tailored for blockchains, comparing it to the traditional internet and private networks. They delve into their backgrounds and how their experiences in telecom and high-frequency trading influence the development of Double Zero. This episode covers various technical topics including the limitat...
Feb 25, 2025•1 hr•Ep. 81
In this episode, Austin chats with Anna Yuan about the founding of QuineCo, the company behind Perena, a new protocol designed to support the liquidity, interoperability, and capital efficiency of stablecoins. The conversation covers the comprehensive value chain of stablecoins, the existing inefficiencies in current stablecoin ecosystems, and the potential transformative impact of "PayFi" on global finance. The discussion also touches on the regulatory landscape, the evolving role of stablecoin...
Dec 03, 2024•45 min
In this episode, Austin chats with Yannik Schrade (Arcium) about the current state of zero knowledge technology. The conversation delves into various aspects of zero knowledge proofs, secure multi-party computation (MPC), and fully homomorphic encryption (FHE). Yannick explains the historical development of these technologies, their applications, and how they differentiate from traditional encryption methods. The discussion also covers challenges in the field, such as computation complexity and ...
Nov 12, 2024•40 min
In this episode, Austin chats with Chris Burniske and Joel Monegro from Placeholder, a cryptocurrency venture capital firm. They delve into the firm's unique approach to investments, combining venture capital structures with public market practices. The conversation covers the formation of Placeholder, their investment strategies focusing on long-term holds, and how they developed conviction in Solana. Chris and Joel discuss the importance of managing valuations, the role of market cycles, and t...
Oct 01, 2024•1 hr 9 min
In this episode of Validated, Austin chats with Brian Long (Triton One) about the significance and functionality of RPC (Remote Procedure Call) services in blockchain. They delve into the complex roles RPCs play in enhancing blockchain usability, data retrieval, and transaction processing. Brian shares insights from his experience during the early adoption phase of Solana's network and discusses the operational challenges and hardware requirements for RPC nodes. They also touch on topics such as...
Sep 17, 2024•58 min
In this episode, Austin chats with Jon Wong (Solana Foundation) and Chris Osborn (Dialect) about the development of and use cases for Blinks and Solana Actions. Blinks, short for "blockchain links," allow users to take direct "Actions" on the Solana blockchain such as swapping tokens, donating, or voting on governance directly from a link on platforms like X. This technology integrates with Chrome extension wallets like Phantom and Backpack, rendering these interactions seamlessly in the browser...
Sep 03, 2024•49 min
In this episode, Austin chats with Justin Wang (Zeus Network) about bringing Bitcoin onto Solana. Unlike previous BTC x Solana integrations, Zeus has built a new communication layer, termed as "Layer 1.5," to enable programmability for Bitcoin and other non-programmable UTXO chains on Solana. Justin shares Zeus' security model and other technical details about how Zeus manages transactions. He ultimately shares a vision for the future of web3 applications that could leverage Zeus to build more i...
Aug 20, 2024•26 min
In this episode, Austin chats with Tristan Frezza about Zeta Markets, a decentralized perps trading platform on Solana. Tristan shares insights on Zeta's inception in early 2021 and their mission to bring Nasdaq-like derivatives markets on-chain. The conversation delves into the technical challenges of building such a platform in a fully decentralized manner, the benefits and drawbacks of different trading mechanisms, and the ongoing development of Zeta Markets' L2 solution optimized for high-sp...
Aug 13, 2024•50 min
In this episode, Austin chats with Davis Hard (Solana Labs) to talk about GameShift, a new API designed to streamline blockchain integration for game developers on Solana. GameShift aims to simplify the process of incorporating blockchain elements into games by providing a Rust-based API that intermediates between the game and the blockchain, reducing the need for developers to manage keys and do blockchain development themselves. Davis explains but the technicalities and practicalities of Games...
Aug 06, 2024•37 min
In this unconventional episode, Austin talks with Austin Adams of Anagram and Metaplex about his decision to leave urban life behind. Unlike most of his peers who work in major tech hubs, Adams has settled in rural Texas, where he spends his free time farming and operating his tractor. Their conversation explores the benefits and challenges of working on cutting-edge technology from a remote location, contrasting the ironic loneliness of city life with the sense of community found in rural livin...
Jul 30, 2024•56 min
In this episode, Austin chats with Kollan House, cofounder of MetaDAO, the first project to put the concept of futarchy into practice since its conception in the early 2000's. Put simply, futarchy is a system of governance that uses market mechanics to make decisions. MetaDAO provides a platform to create, manage, and participate in futarchies, and is itself governed by a futarchy. Kollan breaks down how market-based governance works, gives real-world examples of futarchic voting proposals, and ...
Jul 23, 2024•45 min
In this episode, Austin chats with Ray Jacobson (Audius) about what decentralization unlocks for the music streaming ecosystem. In contrast with legacy streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, Audius leverages blockchain to increase accounting transparency for artists. The platform allows artists to have more control over monetization methods, helping to build deeper and more direct relationships with fans through tools like remix competitions, pre-release options, and more. The convers...
Jul 16, 2024•46 min
In this second episode on CBDCs, Austin and Amira return to chat with Congressman Bill Foster (D-IL). Foster recently voted against the CBDC Anti-Surveillance Act. Unlike Congressman Emmer, Foster believes in the importance of controlled privacy, distinguishing between continuous government surveillance and the ability to de-anonymize transactions under specific legal circumstances. He elaborates on his point of view, suggesting that traceable wallets will prove to be a cornerstone of fighting f...
Jul 10, 2024•46 min
In this episode, Austin and Amira (Head of Policy, Solana Foundation) chat with Congressman Tom Emmer (R-MN), a champion of the the recently passed CBDC Anti-Surveillance Act. Congressman Emmer details his concerns about government surveillance through CBDCs, emphasizing his beliefs in individual privacy and financial freedom. They also discuss topics such as the development of CBDCs in other global economies, the importance of stablecoins for the US dollar, and the need for regulatory clarity f...
Jul 09, 2024•29 min
According to Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), being pro-crypto is being pro-American. In this conversation, Austin and Senator Hagerty discuss the many partisan divides on crypto and the industry's global implications. Hagerty explains his views on regulatory overreach, CBDCs, repatriating American crypto founders, and much more. DISCLAIMER The content herein is provided for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only, and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an ...
Jul 05, 2024•55 min
In this episode, Austin chats with FP Lee (Sanctum) about the liquid staking landscape on Solana. They discuss the architectural differences between staking on Solana and other blockchains, such as Ethereum, and how seemingly trivial implementation details have profound downstream implications for builders. FP breaks down Sanctum's product suite and the full range of LSTs that the ecosystem currently utilizes - Validator LSTs, Project-based LSTs, Individual LSTs, No-Loss Lottery LSTs, and more. ...
Jun 25, 2024•50 min
In this episode, Austin chats with Tarun Chitra (Gauntlet) about the history of markets and the evolution of the math which underpins them. Over the course of their free-form conversation, they cover everything from the ancient history of futures (literally) to the impact of computers on finance in the 80's to the creation of financial products on blockchain that couldn't exist in TradFi. According to Tarun, DeFi will succeed in the long run not by emulating TradFi instruments onchain, but by fo...
Jun 18, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 80
In this episode, Austin visits Jump Crypto's office in Chicago (The Pit) to talk about Firedancer, Solana's second independent validator client. They discuss its roadmap, its rollout, and the ways in which it will optimize and improve upon the architecture of Solana's existing client. Kevin elaborates on his unconventional views on programming languages, scaling solutions, data flow optimization, and much more. DISCLAIMER The content herein is provided for educational, informational, and enterta...
Jun 05, 2024•1 hr
In this episode, Austin chats with Stephen Hess about the evolution of the Solana NFT ecosystem from the summer of 2021 to the present. Starting from the initial creation of the Solana NFT standard, Austin and Stephen reflect on recent technological advancements such as compressed NFTs, programmability, and the introduction of the "Core" standard. According to Stephen, the creation of "Core" represents a shift away from NFT standards toward more of a "digital asset protocol". The conversation al...
May 28, 2024•47 min•Ep. 79
In this episode, Austin chats with Itai Turbahn (Dyanmic) about the future of wallet onboarding. Dynamic is building web3 authentication that allows crypto-enabled companies to seamlessly serve web3 natives and crypto novices alike. Over the course of the conversation, they discuss things like user management for multi-wallet users, tokenizing KYC, and the role of passkeys in web3 authentication. DISCLAIMER The content herein is provided for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes...
May 21, 2024•40 min
In this episode, Austin chats with Andrey Falaleyev, CTO of Neon, an EVM that lets devs build and deploy dApps from EVM chains to Solana, all while maintaining compatibility with the EVM opcode set. Andrey discusses Neon's decentralization and security, elucidating technical details around how Neon's parallelization works. He also sheds light on the kinds of teams interested in building on or migrating over to Neon.
May 14, 2024•39 min
In this episode, Austin chats with Nitesh Nath of DFlow, a protocol that protects DEX liquidity against toxic order flows on Solana. According to Nitesh, users of DFlow will gain benefits such as tighter spreads, lower volatility, and more efficient price discovery, among others. He explains DFlow's unique system of "endorsers" for identifying types of order flow, presenting a long-term vision of sustainability for the protocol. DISCLAIMER The content herein is provided for educational, informat...
May 07, 2024•40 min
