RECENT EPISODES
Tue 7 JulThe Future of Onchain Collateral | Misha PutiatinMisha Putiatin, co-founder of Symbiotic and former head of StateMind, a security audit firm that secured roughly 22 billion dollars of TVL, joins to discuss how Symbiotic's Core v2 overhauls onchain collateral infrastructure. The conversation covers how Core v2 eliminates the mandatory 14-day capital return delay from v1, keeps committed collateral productive between obligation events, and enables a single vault to serve multiple DeFi applications simultaneously.Thu 2 JulThe Next Battle for Crypto TradingThe SpaceX IPO generated notable early trading volume across Hyperliquid perpetuals and Solana spot markets, with Backpack and Sunrise coordinating a day-one listing and memory stocks including Micron and Sandisk following shortly after. Backpack is deliberately pacing listings at five to ten stocks per week to maximize headline impact and avoid spreading market maker liquidity too thin.Tue 30 JunThe Future of Finance Starts Onchain | Armani FerranteArmani Ferrante, who joined Solana in September 2020 before the associated token account standard existed, built foundational infrastructure including Anchor and the first central limit order book on a decentralized blockchain before founding Backpack Securities. He describes Backpack as the only post-FTX exchange to make regulatory compliance central from its first trade, spending three to four years securing licenses across Japan, Europe, the UAE, and Australia.Thu 25 JunIs DePIN Entering Its Next Growth Phase?Helium's carrier offload business is posting its highest daily revenue in over a year, and host Nick Carpignato explains that a drop from roughly 50,000 dollars to 10,000 dollars per day in early June reflected a governance-driven subsidy removal rather than falling data volumes, with AT&T and T-Mobile partnerships now driving the majority of network traffic.Tue 23 JunFuture-Proof Money on Solana | Hardhat ChadHardhat Chad joins to explain ORE Protocol, a native Solana smart contract he built as a reimplementation of Bitcoin's core program, designed to give Solana a fixed-supply, proof-of-work-mined asset without the trust assumptions introduced by bridged Bitcoin custodians.Thu 18 JunFrom Memecoins to Markets: Solana’s Next TradeSolana is emerging as the primary venue for tokenized equity trading, with Backpack and Daylight generating roughly fifteen million dollars in SpaceX spot volume on day one of post-IPO trading and tokenized equity activity on Solana representing approximately 98 percent of all crypto activity in that category.Tue 16 JunFlash Trade Is Reinventing Perps on Solana | Anas KhaderFlash Trade founder Anas Khader joins to explain how his fully on-chain perpetuals exchange on Solana is challenging central limit order book venues through a pool-to-peer model that lets ordinary liquidity providers earn market making fees across more than 500 markets including equities, commodities, and forex.Fri 12 JunBlockworks Acquires MessariBlockworks announced its acquisition of Messari on an unscheduled Thursday episode, describing the deal as the capstone of a four-year transition from media and events into data. The combined entity claims the largest crypto dataset by a wide margin, merging Messari's broad quantitative coverage of 40,000 assets with Blockworks' deep qualitative vertical research, and serves issuers and underwriters of on-chain assets while identifying AI agents as the fastest-growing customer segment.Thu 11 JunSolving Sol Value AccrualSolana's value accrual debate centers on SIMD 553, which proposes burning 0.5 lamports per compute unit requested rather than relying on priority fee burns that SIMD 96 eliminated entirely in February 2025. At current usage levels Carlos estimates the mechanism would burn roughly 7,000 to 9,000 SOL per day, offsetting around 12 to 15 percent of daily issuance against an annualized inflation rate of approximately 3.8 percent.Tue 9 JunThe Era of Tokenized Yield Strategies | Ben NadareskiBen Nadareski joins the show to explain how Solstice, built out of Deus Ex Capital and carrying over 500 million dollars in combined TVL and AUM on Solana, is building what he calls the yield infrastructure layer of the chain.Thu 4 JunUS Crypto Perps Arrive, Solana Rethinks FeesThe CFTC approved Kalshi's bitcoin perpetual futures contract in a single day, a turnaround that suggests the outcome was coordinated in advance, and a separate no-action letter allows Coinbase to offer perps through its Deribit acquisition, effectively opening the door for any US centralized platform to list the product. Coinbase and Robinhood could activate perps for US users quickly, representing a significant revenue opportunity given how profitable the product category is.Tue 2 JunBuilding the Onchain Brokerage: Glider's Vision for Investing | Brian HuangBrian Huang, co-founder of Glider, joins to explain his vision for building the first onchain brokerage experience comparable to Fidelity, a product he says does not yet exist.Thu 28 MayWhy Crypto Needs Interest Rate Swaps | Thomas LefortThomas Lefort, co-founder of the Solana-based interest rate swap protocol Exponent, explains why the absence of fixed-rate lending products on Solana left portfolio managers exposed to borrowing rates that reached 30 percent during the 2023 to 2024 DeFi renaissance with no way to hedge.Tue 26 MayRaiku’s Vision for Solana Markets | RobinRobin, founder of Raikou Labs, joins to explain how his firm is making transaction execution on Solana predictable for institutional and professional trading participants. Raikou's pre-confirmation service compresses the standard 1.2-second timing window down to 40 or 50 milliseconds by reserving compute units within blocks through validator partnerships, and its ahead-of-time product lets users pre-reserve block space for future transactions.Fri 22 MayThe Institutional Era of Crypto Has Arrived | Christopher PerkinsChristopher Perkins, soon to lead crypto at Franklin Templeton following its acquisition of CoinFund and 250 Digital Asset Management's liquid strategies, argues that the passage of the Genius Act and a near-final market structure bill have created the regulatory durability institutions need to build real businesses in crypto, because it takes an act of Congress to change a law in a way that earlier guidance never required.Wed 20 MayJupiter’s Push Beyond Crypto Trading | Kash DhandaKash Dhanda lays out Jupiter's ambition to become a single platform for all financial activity, attacking verticals from DEX aggregation and perpetuals into lending, tokenized equities, a stablecoin, and a spend card live in 60 to 70 countries. He argues the total addressable market for savings, remittances, and access to US equities dwarfs the TAM for crypto trading alone, drawing a parallel to Revolut discovering unexpected consumer demand beyond its original FX exchange function.Thu 14 MayInside JTX: Jito’s New Trading Platform | Lucas BruderLucas Bruder joins to explain JTX, Jito's new trading platform built for prosumer and professional retail traders on Solana, covering spot, perpetuals, and prediction markets. Bruder frames the primary competitive target as centralized exchanges and high-performance perp DEXs like Hyperliquid, arguing Solana already offers cheaper execution on SOL, ETH, and BTC than centralized venues but that the advantage has stayed confined to crypto Twitter.Tue 12 MayAgentic Finance for Everyday Users | ChrisLoyal is a non-custodial agentic finance platform built on Solana that uses smart account policies enforced entirely on-chain to let AI agents automate financial tasks without requiring users to surrender custody of their funds. Founder Chris argues that granting an agent access to a private key is too dangerous, citing a real incident where an OpenAI agent miscalculated a token amount and sent roughly half a million tokens to the wrong address.Sat 9 MayInside Jito’s New Solana Plugin Strategy | Eric & HaydenJito's new Maker Priority Plugin gives market makers a dedicated transaction processing unit on BAM nodes separate from the standard validator client, scheduling transactions in 50-millisecond batch auctions that deduplicate sequential quote updates so only the most recent lands on chain, cutting priority fee costs by up to 10x in some scenarios.Fri 8 MayInside Jito’s New Solana Plugin Strategy | Eric & HaydenThe discussion centers on Jito's new Maker Priority and BAM plugins for Solana, designed to improve transaction processing speed and reliability, thereby boosting market maker confidence. The plugins enhance transaction scheduling and microstructure, enabling better conditions for trading, particularly in decentralized markets. Additionally, the potential for broader applications, including tokenizing real-world assets and addressing global market dynamics, showcases Solana's evolving capabilities in AI, cryptocurrencies, and blockchain technology.Tue 5 MayInside Upshift: Building the Future of Onchain Vaults | Aya KantorovichThe conversation highlights the importance of vaults in blockchain technology, emphasizing their role in asset management and risk mitigation amidst rising acquisition discussions among providers. Aya Kantorovich discusses Upshift's innovative multi-chain vault infrastructure, targeting decentralized and traditional finance integration. Security remains paramount as vaults adapt to market demands, addressing issues like instantaneous settlement and user trust. With growing institutional interest, the future of on-chain markets looks promising, fueled by technological advancements and evolving financial products.Thu 30 AprSolana Was Too Late to PerpsThe discussion highlights Solana's struggle to establish itself in perpetual (perps) trading despite recent successes in spot trading and an increase in on-chain activities. Emphasis is placed on the rise of tokenized assets and real-world asset (RWA) deposits, indicating a shift toward diversifying investment opportunities beyond cryptocurrencies. Additionally, concerns regarding token value and transparency emerge in relation to projects like PumpFond, reflecting broader challenges in the meme coin market.Wed 29 AprLPing Is Trading: Rethinking DeFi Strategies | Dann & MiirThe podcast discusses the evolving role of liquidity provision (LPing) in the cryptocurrency space, emphasizing its integration with trading strategies and community building among retail users, referred to as the LP Army. It highlights Meteora's innovative approach to managing liquidity on Solana, including the development of dynamic liquidity pools and fee structures. Additionally, it examines the shift toward active trading strategies in liquidity farming, as well as the importance of selecting appropriate pools to maximize earnings in an increasingly competitive market.Fri 24 AprTokenizing Private Markets: Inside the Rise of PreStocks | Xavier EkkelIn this discussion, Xavier Ekkel addresses the rise of “pre-stocks,” tokenized pre-IPO assets that enhance liquidity and access for retail investors in an $8 trillion market dominated by inefficiencies. He advocates for blockchain integration, particularly on the Solana network, to streamline trading and minimize barriers. Additionally, Ekkel emphasizes the importance of regulatory changes and innovative liquidity solutions, like Automated Market Makers, to improve market dynamics and support retail demand for private company investments, such as those in the cryptocurrency sector.Wed 22 AprThe KelpDAO Hack and DeFi’s Stress Test | Ian UnsworthThe podcast covers the KelpDAO hack, where North Korea exploited the RSEath restaking token, leading to significant financial losses and heightened scrutiny of DeFi security measures. It highlights the rapid withdrawal of $1.9 billion from Aave, reminiscent of the FTX collapse. The discussion emphasizes the need for improved risk management in DeFi protocols, particularly concerning Layer 2 solutions, and explores potential avenues for stablecoin innovation amidst ongoing market volatility and security vulnerabilities.Thu 16 AprDoubleZero Edge: Democratizing the Speed Advantage | Austin FederaDouble Zero Edge is poised to democratize high-speed data access for traders by leveraging Solana validators, eliminating biases in price access. With a significant market transition to validators financing services, the platform enhances trading capabilities across cryptocurrencies, equities, and commodities. The discussion highlights innovations like the Alpenglow consensus mechanism and the importance of fast data sourcing in decentralized finance (DeFi), advocating for equitable data access while addressing risks like sandwich attacks in crypto trading.Tue 14 AprHow Institutions Are Moving Onchain | Catherine GuThe discussion focuses on how institutions are transitioning to on-chain solutions through Solana, which aims to integrate rather than replace traditional financial systems. Catherine Gu emphasizes the importance of financial infrastructure evolution, particularly in central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and tokenization efforts, such as partnerships with Mastercard and Western Union. Solana's innovative technologies, like the Solana Developer Platform and the Noor programming language, enhance compliance and privacy, positioning the platform as a leading option in the blockchain ecosystem.Thu 9 AprTitan's Solution to Onchain Pricing | defipancakesThe episode discusses Titan’s innovative product "dart," which introduces on-chain pricing solutions to enhance market execution and combat price gouging. It highlights the increasing adoption of on-chain routing by major aggregators and underscores security concerns following a major exploit in the crypto ecosystem. The rising trend of tokenized assets and the importance of competitive pricing strategies for retail users are also emphasized, alongside regulatory developments shaping the future of on-chain trading.Thu 2 AprThe Institutional Shift Driving Crypto ForwardThe discussion highlights an impending institutional shift in finance, with large banks increasingly moving on-chain and exploring innovations like tokenization and stablecoins. Institutional interest is buoyed by regulatory developments, particularly regarding the classification of digital assets. Additionally, the evolving role of decentralized exchanges and the integration of traditional financial systems with blockchain technology underpin significant opportunities for growth in the crypto space.Tue 31 MarThe Future of DeFi Trading: Routers, Perps, and MCP | Eugene ChenThe discussion centers on three key topics: the Market Change Protocol (MCP) as a solution for Solana's deteriorating sequencing issues, the evolution of DeFi trading with tools like Phoenix Spot and Phoenix Perps that enhance liquidity and competitive pricing, and the interplay between regulatory frameworks and blockchain innovation. The conversation emphasizes the need for blockchain-native DeFi solutions over traditional finance adaptations.Thu 26 MarDesigning the Future of Payments Systems | Konstantin Richter & Tom ZschachThe discussion focuses on three key topics: the evolution of payment systems with a focus on agentic payments, which leverage AI for algorithm-driven transaction decisions while addressing accountability and compliance issues; the integration of cryptocurrencies and traditional finance through innovative infrastructure and regulatory clarity; and the ongoing importance of established networks like Swift, highlighting the necessity for interoperability alongside emerging digital assets and stablecoins to enhance efficiency in financial transactions.Tue 24 MarInvestor Relations in the Onchain EraMichael Ippolito discusses the launch of Blockworks Investor Relations (IR) to meet evolving institutional investor expectations in the crypto market, highlighting the need for transparency and standardization distinct from traditional markets. He addresses trust issues related to excessive token supply and unclear value accrual and emphasizes leveraging on-chain data to enhance communication and engagement. The interview foresees a transformative shift in investor relations practices, focusing on real-time data and innovative storytelling to attract new capital in the blockchain space.Tue 24 MarMaking Privacy the Default | Kru & CalIn the podcast, Kru and Cal emphasize the importance of making privacy the default in the cryptocurrency sector, particularly on the Solana platform. They discuss Umbra's innovative use of Multi-Party Computation and Zero-Knowledge technology to enable private transactions, addressing institutional needs for confidentiality. The conversation also explores the challenges of integrating privacy within user-friendly crypto experiences while navigating regulatory landscapes and enhancing institutional adoption of blockchain technology.Thu 19 MarThe Future of Digital Assets | Regulation, Value Accrual, and Token DesignThe discussion highlights the crucial distinction between digital commodities and digital securities, as defined by SEC guidance, impacting regulatory frameworks in the crypto industry. It emphasizes the need for a regulatory technology layer for improved KYC compliance and the ongoing ambiguity in token classification that affects valuation and business models. Additionally, the evolving landscape of digital assets hints at increased market access and potential shifts in regulatory approaches, shaping future value accrual and token design strategies.Tue 17 MarHarmonic Fires Back in Solana’s Block Building Wars | Ben CoverstonThe episode emphasizes the importance of competition in Solana's network, warning against monopolization that could harm decentralized principles. Ben Coverston, CEO of Harmonic, discusses their innovative block building solution on Solana and its commitment to transparency and scalability. The conversation also addresses potential challenges of protocol changes that may affect transaction privacy and block builders' roles, advocating for a decentralized approach to enhance Solana's DeFi market structure.Thu 12 MarMetaDAO's Permissionless LaunchpadMetaDao's launch of Futur.io marks a crucial development in permissionless capital formation while safeguarding token holder rights. Despite a slow start with only two projects funded, there's potential for increased engagement as institutional interest in cryptocurrencies grows, evidenced by $54 million in ETF inflows for Solana. Additionally, the partnership between NASDAQ and Kraken to offer tokenized equities signals significant advancements in integrating traditional finance with blockchain technology, amid ongoing challenges in liquidity and market dynamics.Tue 10 MarCrypto’s Rebirth Moment | Tushar, Shayon and SpencerThe podcast discusses the cyclical rebirth of the crypto industry, marked by transformative themes like FinTech 4.0, decentralized finance (DeFi), and the significance of neutral blockchains for sustainable growth. MultiCoin Capital's investment thesis emphasizes the potential of crypto as state-free money and open finance, while highlighting upcoming opportunities from the integration of DeFi with traditional financial systems. The discussion also addresses the importance of innovation and collaboration in enhancing crypto market infrastructure.Thu 5 MarTokenized Equities, Kamino RWAs and zachXBT InvestigationThe podcast discusses the rise of tokenized equities, boasting $250 million in Total Value Locked, and their role in democratizing access to investments. It highlights Kamino's developments in Real World Assets (RWAs), which now account for 35% of its market, offering significant yields from tokenized private credit. Additionally, the investigation by Zach XBT into insider trading at Axiom raises concerns about ethics and user confidence in the crypto space.Thu 5 MarIntroducing: Inflection Point | The Crypto-TradFi ConvergenceThe podcast "Inflection Point" examines the convergence of traditional finance (TradFi) and cryptocurrencies, highlighting the rapid institutional adoption of blockchain technologies. Experts discuss the potential for all assets to transition on-chain soon and the pivotal role of spot Bitcoin ETFs in this shift. Additionally, the intersection of crypto and AI is emphasized, with regulators facing challenges in DeFi, regulatory compliance, and the market dynamics that influence Bitcoin's price movements.Tue 3 MarSolana’s Institutional Moment | Nick DucoffThe episode highlights Solana's significant growth in institutional adoption and Real World Assets (RWA), with over $1.7 billion in assets since 2023. Nick Ducoff emphasizes the network's resilience and innovative privacy features that attract institutional investors amidst concerns about centralized chains. The discussion on the tokenization of RWAs and financial products hints at a "neo-finance revolution," where blockchain technology facilitates global access to assets, aligning with trends in cryptocurrencies and the evolving crypto market landscape.