Expansion

Latest Episodes:

The Unasked Questions of Blockchain Interop | Jon Kol Jul 24, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of Expansion, Rex and Jon sit down with Jon Kol, co-founder of Hyperlane, to unpack interop solutions today. Kol shares his journey from traditional finance to crypto, explaining the vision behind Hyperlane's open-source approach to crosschain communication. The conversation delves into the challenges of building sustainable infrastructure in a rapidly changing environment, the potential impact of z proofs, and the future of blockchains. Thanks for tuning in!

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Join us at Permissionless III Oct 9-11. Use code: EXPANSION10 for a 10% discount: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iii

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:47) What's Wrong with Banking

(06:15) Inevitable Need for Interop

(14:57) Permissionless III Ad

(16:17) Where is the Value of Bridging?

(25:27) Are Fees a Race to $0?

(32:45) Differentiation of HyperLane

(40:45) Why Enable Interop?

(45:45) End Game of Communities

(57:20) Impact of ZK

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Disclaimer

Expansion was kickstarted by a grant from the Celestia Foundation.

Nothing said on Expansion is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Rex, Jon, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Is Crypto Really Just Financial Infrastructure? | David Hoffman & Michael Ippolito Jul 17, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, David Hoffman, co-founder of Bankless, and Michael Ippolito, co-founder of Blockworks, join Rex to dissect the current state of crypto. They dive into insights from EthCC and the Modular Summit, debating the industry's shift from apps to infrastructure, the role of VCs, and the challenges of user adoption. The conversation explores crypto's identity crisis and its path towards real-world utility beyond speculation. Join us on the search for crypto's killer app, enjoy!

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Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

Join us at Permissionless III Oct 9-11. Use code: EXPANSION10 for a 10% discount: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iii

Timestamps:

(00:00) EthCC & Modular Summit Reflection

(04:15) The Crypto Conference Industry

(8:20) Evolution of Ownership

(12:30) Future of Crypto Funding

(16:50) Is Crypto Not for Apps?

(23:20) What is Crypto Securing?

(29:40) Infra vs Apps

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Disclaimer

Expansion was kickstarted by a grant from the Celestia Foundation.

Blockchain's Race to $0 Fees | Kyle Samani Jul 10, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Kyle Samani of Multicoin Capital discusses his integrated blockchain thesis, challenging popular narratives around modular blockchain design. He delves into the nature of blockchains as financial systems, the importance of MEV in value capture, and the potential for near-zero transaction costs. Samani also explores the trade-offs between integrated and modular approaches, the future of AppChains, and the questionable role of blockchain beyond finance. Enjoy!

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Although our guest this week is a Managing Partner of a registered investment adviser, nothing in this podcast should be considered an offer of Multicoin’s investment advisory services or should otherwise be confused for investment, tax, legal or other financial advice.

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Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@expansionpod

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Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

Join us at Permissionless III Oct 9-11. Use code: EXPANSION10 for a 10% discount: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iii

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:48) The Integrated Thesis

(10:26) Permissionless III Ad

(17:53) Purpose of Blockchains

(19:12) ZK Based AI

(25:18) Limits of Solana

(36:42) Trade Offs of Modular Stack

(43:05) Monetization in Modular System

(56:07) App Chain Thesis

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Disclaimer

Expansion was kickstarted by a grant from the Celestia Foundation.

Is the EVM Holding Crypto Back? | Dino, Rushi & Jarry Jul 03, 2024

Show notes

This episode dives deep into the world of alternative blockchain virtual machines (VMs), exploring how new designs are addressing limitations of the EVM. Dino, Rushi and Jarry discuss the technical distinctions between VMs and execution environments, the challenges of fragmentation and interoperability, and strategies for building developer and user communities. Stay tuned for all of this and much more!

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:09) What are Blockchain VMs?

(07:16) Next Gen VM Solutions

(15:04) Blended Execution Vision

(16:25) Permissionless III Ad

(25:57) Why an L2?

(30:46) Culture & Ecosystem Objectives

(32:19) Fragmentation of Liquidity

(43:27) Cultural Network Effects

(52:57) VM End Game

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Disclaimer

Expansion was kickstarted by a grant from the Celestia Foundation.

Inside the Modular Mullet Era of Crypto Scaling | Olaf Carlson-Wee & Nick White Jun 26, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Olaf Carlson-Wee and Nick White explain the shift from monolithic to modular blockchain architectures. They explore the origins of modular thinking in blockchain, the advantages of modular design, and its potential to solve scalability issues. The conversation closes out by discussing the various layers of the modular stack, emerging applications, and the importance of abstracting complexity for improved user experience. Enjoy!

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Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(09:26) Permissionless III Ad

(10:46) Lazy Ledger Origins

(19:31) Modular vs Monolithic

(32:39) Layers of Moduler Stack

(39:13) Next-Gen Modules

(46:37) Rise of Applications

(52:40) Abstracting Complexity

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Disclaimer

Expansion was kickstarted by a grant from the Celestia Foundation.

What It Will Take to Bring the World Onchain | Jesse Pollak Jun 19, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Jesse Pollak, head of Base at Coinbase, discusses how Base is building a global onchain economy to usher in the next era of the internet. He explains how the modular blockchain architecture of L2s and L3s on Base enables faster, cheaper, and better applications than anything online today. Jesse shares real-world examples of how businesses like restaurants are using Base to dramatically reduce costs, and how social media apps like Farcaster are leveraging open protocols to drive innovation. To close our he touches on the importance of the Stand With Crypto movement in advocating for clarity and common-sense crypto regulation. Enjoy!

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Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:06) What is Retail in Crypto?

(04:04) Onchain is the New Online

(10:45) Base GTM Strategy

(16:59) Permissionless III Ad

(18:40) Base User Adoption

(28:26) Marketing to Businesses

(33:50) L3 Strategy

(42:44) Social Media Onchain Success

(49:29) Stand With Crypto

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Disclaimer

Expansion was kickstarted by a grant from the Celestia Foundation.

How ZK Accounts Expand dApp Limits | John, Uma, & Zaki Jun 12, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of ZK accounts and their potential. Uma, Zaki, and John, unpack ZK accounts, the trade-offs involved in design decisions, and the political landscape. We explore how ZK accounts enable trustless interoperability, enhance scalability, and unlock a dimension for dApps. The conversation also touches upon the convergence of blockchain design and the shift from infrastructure development to application-focused innovation, as ZK technology becomes more accessible and user-friendly.

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Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:11) ZK Accounts Overview

(10:26) Why ZK?

(18:05) Permissionless III Ad

(19:25) Trade-offs of Design Decisions

(31:36) What ZK Accounts Unlock

(42:22) Endgame Convergence

(50:37) ZK Application Unlock

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Disclaimer

Expansion was kickstarted by a grant from the Celestia Foundation.

The Modular Integration Spectrum | Keone & Zon Jun 05, 2024

Show notes

In this episode, Keone from Monad and Zon from Initia to discuss the spectrum between modular and integrated blockchain designs. They explore the tradeoffs in decentralization, performance and scalability between the two approaches. They explore AppChains, rollups, composability challenges in modular systems, EVM compatibility, and when to scale blockchains horizontally vs vertically. To close out Keone and Zon also share valuable insights on building Web3 communities organically. Thanks for tuning in!

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(03:01) Modular vs Integrated

(11:24) Who are Appchains for?

(28:35) Composability in Modular World

(35:52) Monad's Endgame

(39:24) Importance of Decentralization

(47:42) Building Web3 Community

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Disclaimer

Expansion was kickstarted by a grant from the Celestia Foundation.

Introducing: Expansion May 31, 2024

Show notes

Expansion is a podcast exploring the intersection of modular blockchain design and abundant blockspace. Be sure to follow so you don't miss our first episode on Wednesday!

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