Traditionally, maps have been built by centralized entities like governments and tech companies. But in this episode, Ariel Seidman discusses the potential of Hivemapper, a decentralized mapping protocol, to completely disrupt the space. When it comes to building a global map, Hivemapper claims that decentralized, community-owned infrastructure can produce a higher quality of service with more granular data than a centralized network. DISCLAIMER The content herein is provided for educational, in...
Jun 06, 2023•49 min
In this episode, Austin talks with Kevin Bowers, Chief Science Officer at Jump Trading. Kevin and his team are the brains behind Firedancer, Solana's second independent validator client. As Kevin describes the process of building Firedancer, it's clear that this episode is not only about building a validator client; it's about Kevins unique perspective on the 1% of computer science focused on making things as fast and efficient as possible. Throughout his interdisciplinary career, Kevin has agai...
May 30, 2023•1 hr 10 min
In this episode, David Hoffman (Bankless) and Austin have an honest and multi-faceted conversation about the differences between Solana and Ethereum’s decisions, community, and future. David makes the case for an Ethereum-dominant future, and in doing so, illuminates much about Ethereum's philosophy of design and the culture of its most fervent believers. Naturally, Austin makes a similar case on behalf of Solana. This is a conversation between two people who have mutual respect for each other, ...
May 23, 2023•1 hr 34 min
DeFi is defined as, “smart contracts that can execute trustless financial transactions," but beyond that, understanding what’s actually going on under the hood of DeFi protocols and how to use them is still a very narrow area of expertise. Wrapped assets, bridges, automated market makers––these are new tools foreign to the world of traditional finance. In this episode, Cindy Leow offers a primer on how both the technical and practical features of DeFi work. She also shares thoughts on the direct...
May 16, 2023•46 min
One of the things holding back crypto from mass adoption is bad UX. According to Ori Kwan (Orca), crypto's history of bad UX isn’t just because of blockchain’s software constraints. It’s also because of the underrepresentation of designers’ voices. In this episode, Ori helps us understand how she thinks about building web3 products that are desirable, feasible, and viable, all from a designer's point of view. DISCLAIMER The content herein is provided for educational, informational, and entertain...
May 09, 2023•46 min
In this live taping of Validated from NFT.NYC, Austin has an informal chat with his Solana Foundation colleagues Amira Valliani and Pedro Miranda. They discuss how web3 x web2 partnerships are evolving, the pros and cons of Central Bank Digital Currencies, and the disconnect between crypto Twitter and conversations among crypto regulators. DISCLAIMER The content herein is provided for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only, and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solic...
May 02, 2023•52 min
In this episode, Austin, Amira (Head of Policy at the Solana Foundation), and two ex-OFAC lawyers discuss regulation in web3 as it pertains to national security. Naturally, they discuss OFAC's sanction of Tornado Cash and consider other ways in which the government could have handled the situation. While the Tornado Cash sanction may be old news at this point, thoughtful conversations about the intersection of blockchain, national security, and technology ethics are always relevant. The recent W...
Apr 25, 2023•54 min
Will mobile-first applications be a driving force of mass adoption during the next crypto bull run? With over 5 billion smart phone users around the globe, Chris Osborn, founder and CEO of Dialect, thinks that's a solid bet. In this episode, Chris discusses some of the innovative features that will set web3 messaging platforms like Dialect apart from their Web 2 counterparts. He also shares thoughts on why crypto has taken so long to embrace a mobile-first mindset, the difficulties of dealing wi...
Apr 18, 2023•52 min
Self-sovereignty is one of the foundational promises of crypto, but without self-custody, that promise simply falls flat. In this episode, Charles Guillimet (CTO of Ledger) discusses topics like the importance of self-custody and the role of security, in addition to the the evolution of Ledger's product offerings as the crypto industry has changed over the last decade. DISCLAIMER The content herein is provided for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only, and does not constitu...
Apr 11, 2023•48 min
When Meta Angels launched in 2021, it branded itself as an NFT community using web3 to "harness real world opportunities." In late 2022, Meta Angels was acquired by Hug, an NFT curation platform, and their respective communities merged. In this episode, Meta Angels co-founder Alex Cavoulacos discusses how a values-driven NFT project can be sustainable and what it's like for an NFT community to undergo a merger. As the current Head of Product at Hug, Alex also shares insights on scaling a web3 or...
Apr 04, 2023•51 min
During the last bull run, legacy fashion brands raced to incorporate web3 into their strategy. Now, with consumer demand for web3 in hibernation, where does that leave marketers in the traditional fashion space who are still bullish on web3? In this episode, Lisa Pillette (CMO of Fossil Group) discusses Fossil's venture into NFTs and how the company's attitude toward web3 has changed in the last year. Lisa remains bullish on the implementation of web3 strategies for both Fossil and other legacy ...
Mar 28, 2023•34 min
To skeptics, blockchain-based AI may sound like a solution in search of a problem. But to Humayun Sheikh, founder and CEO of Fetch, decentralized AI has the power to revolutionize how we transact on the Internet by creating truly peer-to-peer information systems. That sounds straightforward enough, but consumer-facing AI is still in its infancy, and the industry faces many hard questions in the years to come. Humayun navigates these questions with nuance and diligence as he shares his compelling...
Mar 21, 2023•48 min
Crypto venture investing has plummeted from all time highs, but maybe perceiving this as a "crypto" problem is the wrong way of looking at it. Through the lens of seasoned investors, Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal (Acquired) help us make sense of the present moment of crypto venture and the future conditions under which investing in crypto will become attractive again. DISCLAIMER The content herein is provided for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only, and does not constit...
Mar 14, 2023•49 min
Running a blockchain network requires sophisticated hardware and software working together. The term "blockchain infrastructure" refers to any component of this system that actually facilitates the existence of a blockchain. In this episode, we talk with Aaron Henshaw, co-founder of Bison Trails, a pioneering blockchain infrastructure platform that was later acquired by Coinbase. Aaron shares his perspective on building infrastructure for different blockchains, running blockchain infrastructure ...
Mar 07, 2023•43 min
In 2019, Li Jin was a tech VC and evangelist for specialized Web 2 platforms and marketplaces. Now, she's all in on web3. From Li's point of view, many of the "passion economy" businesses that were hard to scale in Web 2 are actually more viable in web3. Her current thesis is that ownership - not just revenue - is the next big opportunity in tech, and the best way to facilitate that is on web3. DISCLAIMER The information on this podcast is provided for educational, informational, and entertainme...
Feb 28, 2023•46 min
Zero-knowledge proofs are one of the most compelling and counterintuitive technologies in crypto today. How can you prove something with zero knowledge of the thing you're proving? This episode examines the current and future use cases of zero-knowledge systems while having an honest dialogue about both their challenges and promise. DISCLAIMER The information on this podcast is provided for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only, without any express or implied warranty of an...
Feb 21, 2023•35 min
Black Dave is a multi-disciplinary artist best known for his music NFTs. Unlike many artists who migrate to web3 from Web 2, web3 is where Black Dave got his start. Dave's web3 origin story is not only unique, but also a crucial part of his success. Dave shares his thoughts on digital culture, community building, the intersection of web3 with the mainstream music industry, and more. DISCLAIMER The information on this podcast is provided for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes ...
Feb 14, 2023•42 min
A century ago, infrastructure was synonymous with big things, like bridges, roads, and electrification projects financed by nation states or the world’s largest corporations. But today, the nature of infrastructure is changing. Thanks in large part to the introduction of tokens, infrastructure can now be decentralized, deployed by individuals to solve real-world problems. This is exactly what Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) are doing In this episode, Messari researcher Sam...
Feb 07, 2023•42 min
Permanent information storage is not just a means of preserving data, but a way to resist the grip of authoritarian regimes. According to Sam Williams, co-founder of Arweave, immutable storage systems are a revolutionary movement that will make a more objective truth accessible forever. DISCLAIMER The information on this podcast is provided for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only, without any express or implied warranty of any kind, including warranties of accuracy, compl...
Jan 31, 2023•48 min
Being a crypto journalist - a good crypto journalist - is hard work. When it comes to reporting, no other sector requires the same level of technical proficiency, an understanding of financial markets, and a primer in digital anthropology. In this conversation, Austin and Danny navigate a lot of complicated topics including conflicts of interest within crypto native media, reporting in an industry where everyone has a hidden objective, citizen journalism on Twitter, and more. DISCLAIMER The info...
Jan 24, 2023•52 min
Ryan Selkis, founder of Messari, has been a crypto investor, writer, and advocate since 2013. As someone who has witnessed multiple market cycles firsthand, Ryan is as optimistic as ever about the future of blockchain. Throughout this episode, Austin and Ryan find paradoxical silver linings in the tumult of 2022. Looking forward, they discuss how DC's views of crypto are changing, exciting new sectors within crypto like DeSoc and DePIN, and more. DISCLAIMER The information on this podcast is pro...
Jan 17, 2023•44 min
Introducing Validated, a new podcast where host Austin Federa talks to people who are rethinking the internet — and our world. No hype cycles. No financial advice. Just conversations on the biggest ideas shaping the future of the internet.
Jan 10, 2023•1 min
0:00 - Intro 1:19 - Web3 School in Sierra Leone 10:53 - An Artist and Monke Go to Washington 25:25 - How Compression Will Decimate Network Costs on Solana DISCLAIMER The information on this podcast is provided for educational, informational, and entertainment purposes only, without any express or implied warranty of any kind, including warranties of accuracy, completeness, or fitness for any particular purpose. The information contained in or provided from or through this podcast is not intended...
Nov 29, 2022•40 min•Ep. 77
0:00 - Intro 1:17 - Introduction to panelists 1:54 - How Solana’s infrastructure allows for scalability 4:45 - What creators are looking for in NFT platforms 5:53 - Glass.xyz and the future of video NFTs 7:25 - Overview of participants in the NFT space 8:30 - What does future growth of the NFT market look like? 10:12 - The impact of tech behemoths on the NFT space 15:31 - Solana’s low network costs 16:40 - Panelists’ favorite NFT projects DISCLAIMER The information on this podcast is provided fo...
Nov 22, 2022•19 min•Ep. 76
0:00 Intro 0:50 Intro to panelists and overview of the browser wars 2:25 How do lessons from the browser wars apply to the wallet market? 3:12 Differences between browsers and wallets 6:00 The roles of wallets in the crypto ecosystem 10:50 Will there be one wallet to rule them all? 16:04 How the dominant mobile platforms will impact wallets 18:55 Lessons from Web 2 applicable to Web3 projects 25:25 What the future of wallets looks like DISCLAIMER The information on this podcast is provided for e...
Nov 15, 2022•30 min•Ep. 75
0:00 Overview of ReFi 3:13 Intro to Emma, Ethan, and Shine Capital 4:37 Why Shine sees ReFi as a sound business investment 7:10 Overview of how traditional carbon markets work 8:03 Breakdown of pricing in current carbon markets 12:09 Shine’s thesis on how increased demand will impact carbon credit prices 12:51 Where increased demand will come from 13:53 More on how increased demand will impact carbon credit prices 15:13 More on Shine’s confidence in ReFi’s economic viability 17:57 Recap of discu...
Oct 25, 2022•34 min•Ep. 74
0:00 Overview of Carbon Markets and Crypto 2:45 Intro to Brendan and Patch 4:02 Intro to Matthew and Cerulean 6:05 What is a carbon credit? 7:25 Who are carbon credits for? 9:00 Voluntary/compliance market recap 10:40 Innovation in the voluntary carbon market 12:00 Why are carbon credits so hard to acquire? 13:34 Inefficiencies in the current OTC markets 14:17 Examples of carbon credit projects 15:15 Why do carbon credit prices vary so widely? 17:00 More on inefficiencies in the current voluntar...
Oct 11, 2022•35 min•Ep. 73
0:09 - Episode overview 2:17 - Rolf Skar introduction and Greenpeace’s mission 4:39 - Daniel Hwang introduction 6:54 - Greenpeace’s history with energy-intensive crypto 8:24 - The Change the Code Coalition 12:32 - Why changing Bitcoin’s code might be feasible 15:49 - What changing the code would entail 19:27 - What self-interested incentives are needed in order to change the code 24:49 - How institutions with climate commitments address Bitcoin investments 26:19 - The Blockchain Infrastructure W...
Sep 27, 2022•33 min•Ep. 72
Amir Haleem (CEO, Nova Labs & Founder, Helium) talks with Austin about the Helium story and the current proposal to move Helium to the Solana blockchain. 0:00 - Introduction 1:05 - Origins of the Helium network 5:24 - Early challenges for Helium 7:19 - Helium’s unique growth and economic models compared to other blockchains 11:35 - The geo-specificity of Helium’s rewards 14:18 - Why Helium started on its own L1 16:55 - Current disadvantages of Helium running on its own L1 20:46 - Why the tim...
Sep 15, 2022•46 min•Ep. 71
Anatoly welcomes Jason Keats (Founder & Chief Hooligan, OSOM) to the podcast to talk about his epic career building hardware, the Solana Saga phone and all things mobile and web3. Pre-order the Saga now at solanamobile.com 00:09 - Intro 00:25 - Background 03:27 - Working at Apple 08:07 - The Gem Phone 10:15 - Privacy at Essential 12:24 - Building for Mobile 15:52 - Hardware he wants to build 17:07 - Crypto x Cars 19:02 - Do Apple or Google care about hardware and crypto? 21:08 - Innovation i...
Jul 12, 2022•37 min•Ep. 70
