Lightspeed

Latest Episodes:

Airdrop Season: Can Solana Handle The Surging Demand? | Mert Mumtaz, Garrett Harper Nov 24, 2023

Show notes

Did Pyth's airdrop overwhelm the Solana network? Was the degraded user experience an application fault, the result of a crude fee market or a stability issue? Garrett and Mert answer these questions in today's roundup. We also cover the SEC's attack on crypto, Solana's airdrop season, the changing L2 sentiment, Bonk's meteoric rise and more!

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Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use BLACKROCKLIGHTSPEED to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month and the discount code expires November 27th!

Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home

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Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction

(00:23) The SEC vs Kraken, SOL and Airdrops

(6:03) Pyth’s Airdrop and Solana’s Network Stability

(13:46) Priority Fees, Jito and Out-Of-Network Payments

(17:33) The Changing L2 Sentiment

(26:08) Coinbase Continues to Ignore Solana

(29:31) Will L2s Ever Be Immutable?

(33:48) Durable Nonces and Preconfirmations

(39:18) Product vs Decentralization

(44:20) Bonk’s Meteoric Rise

(47:18) Gameable Metrics, Onchain Identity & Competition

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Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_

Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_

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Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk

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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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Resources

Dune's Headmaster

https://twitter.com/andrewhong5297

A Guide to Solana for Ethereum Analysts

https://read.cryptodatabytes.com/p/a-guide-to-solana-for-ethereum-analysts

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Disclaimers:

Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation.

Nothing said on Lightspeed 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. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Finding Solana's Next Killer App | Emon Motamedi (Solana Labs) Nov 23, 2023

Show notes

Emon Motamedi joins us to discuss how Solana Labs hopes to find the next killer app. Emon leads product at Solana Labs and is the founder of Reddit's Digital Currency team. In this episode, we discuss Solana Labs' new incubator, finding the next killer app, multichain strategies, what crypto teams get wrong and more!

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Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home

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Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction

(00:41) What is Solana Labs?

(02:16) Solana Labs Product Incubator

(23:25) What Teams Often Get Wrong

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Follow Emon: https://twitter.com/EmonMotamedi

Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_

Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_

Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq

Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk

Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV

Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD

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

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Resources

Application for Solana Labs Incubator

https://incubator.solanalabs.com/

Solana Labs

https://twitter.com/solanalabs

https://solanalabs.com/

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Disclaimers:

Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation.

Teleport: Breaking Big Tech's Network Effect | Paul Bohm Nov 21, 2023

Show notes

Paul Bohm joins us to discuss how decentralized marketplaces, like ride-sharing, can leverage crypto's coordination tools to compete against today's incumbents. Paul is a visionary, crypto OG and founder of Teleport. In this episode, we discuss Paul's core insight, Teleport's design, go-to-market strategies, how to ensure quality in decentralized services, why AirBnB onchain isn't a thing and more!

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Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home

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Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction

(01:16) Paul’s Core Insight that Lead to Teleport

(10:32) How Teleport Works

(19:25) Why Build Teleport on Solana?

(21:32) DAS LDN Plug

(22:17) How Governance Plays a Role

(25:02) Go-to-Market and Market Forces

(36:08) How Drivers, Users and Dispatchers Get Started on Teleport

(41:55) How to Ensure Consistency and Quality of Service

(45:34) What Teleport Means for Solana

(47:59) Biggest Learnings as a Founder

(51:03) Why Not Onchain AirBnB?

(57:07) Rapid Fire

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Follow Paul: https://twitter.com/paulbohm

Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_

Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_

Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq

Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk

Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV

Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD

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

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Resources

Teleport

https://twitter.com/TeleportXYZ

https://www.teleport.xyz/

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Disclaimers:

Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation.

The Solana Rally: What Everyone Overlooked | 0xResearch Nov 17, 2023

Show notes

Today's episode is from our other favorite podcast, 0xResearch. Garrett joins the team to explain this month's Solana rally! We dive into Solana's developer traction and documentation quality, the sustainability of low fees, comparisons to Ethereum L2s, and upcoming major ecosystem upgrades and catalysts like Firedancer. To close out the team touches on governance updates on inflation and incentive programs from Synthetix, Arbitrum, and dYdX. Enjoy!

As always remember this podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice.

Subscribe to 0xResearch on:

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3foDS38

Apple: https://apple.co/3SNhUEt

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3NlP1hA

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Follow Sam: https://twitter.com/swmartin19

Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy

Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/MattFiebach

Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_

Follow Blockworks Research: https://twitter.com/blockworksres

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

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Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use 0X20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there!

Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home

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Timestamps

(0:00) Introduction

(1:36) The Solana Accusatory Audit

(6:25) What is there to do on Solana?

(14:38) Does SOL not being money hurt DeFi?

(22:01) Hexens Ad

(22:48) Lack of Protocol Documentation

(26:13) Are there New Users?

(30:25) L2 Framework is Overrated

(46:24) DAS London Ad

(47:20) ACP 13 Reducing Barrier of Subnet Validator Sets

(55:38) Arbitrum Governance Updates

(1:01:57) 1inch Selling ARB Airdrop

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Check out Blockworks Research today! Research, data, governance, tokenomics, and models – now, all in one place

Blockworks Research: https://www.blockworksresearch.com/

Free Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter

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Disclaimers:

Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation.

Crypto’s Next Cycle: Solana’s Comeback vs Ethereum’s Head Start | Qiao Wang Nov 16, 2023

Show notes

Qiao Wang from Alliance DAO (a web3 accelerator) joins us to discuss the applications and protocols that are primed to dominate crypto's next cycle. Qiao reviews thousands of crypto startups every year, has an uncanny ability to predict future narratives and is one of my favorite thinkers in the space! In this episode, we discuss why RWAs and payments are crypto's massive opportunity, how speculation is crypto's killer feature, Solana's comeback vs Ethereum's headstart, Coinbase's giant opportunity, where the developers are building and more!

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Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use LIGHTSPEED20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there!

Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home

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Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction

(00:45) Two Massive Opportunities: RWAs + Payments

(18:40) Why DePIN Works

(21:01) Speculation is Utility

(24:28) DAS LDN Plug

(25:26) Where Are Developers Building?

(28:57) Why Price Leads Everything

(32:13) DeFi Apps and Horizontal Integration

(34:53) The SuperApp Thesis

(39:32) Coinbase and Onchain Identity

(46:56) Cosmos’ Problem

(49:46) L2 Competition and Fragmentation

(57:29) What it Takes to Be a Great Crypto Founder

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Follow Qiao: https://twitter.com/QwQiao

Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_

Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_

Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq

Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk

Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV

Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD

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

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Resources

Good Game podcast

https://spoti.fi/3MKMLRQ

Alliance DAO

https://alliance.xyz/

https://twitter.com/alliancedao

What does it take to be a good crypto founder?

https://medium.com/alliancedao/what-does-it-take-to-be-a-good-crypto-founder-6c2600a99770

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Disclaimers:

Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation.

The SOL Bull Case: VanEck | Matthew Sigel, Patrick Bush Nov 14, 2023

Show notes

Matthew Sigel and Patrick Bush join us to discuss their recent report that predicts SOL to hit $335 by 2030. Matthew (head of crypto research) and Patrick (senior investment analysts) lead VanEck's crypto division. VanEck is a prolific TradFi asset management firm founded in 1955, but that hasn't stopped them from building one of the best research teams in crypto. In this episode, we discuss their Solana bull case, how to value L1s, if DCF valuations are a meme, Solana's biggest challenges, Cosmos vs Ethereum vs Solana, macro's impact and more!

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Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home

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Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction

(00:48) VanEck’s Path to Investing in Crypto

(03:53) Investing in Smart Contract Platforms

(06:39) The Solana Bull Case

(17:53) Firedancer Questions

(24:18) Integrated vs Modular Ecosystems

(31:09) DAS London Plug

(32:06) What Metrics Matter?

(34:12) ETF Approvals and VanEck’s Philosophy

(37:28) How to Value an L1: The DCF Meme

(42:16) What About Cosmos?

(48:36) Macro and a Multipolar Future

(54:02) Favorite Verticals in Crypto

(58:00) Rapid Fire

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Follow Matthew: https://twitter.com/matthew_sigel

Follow Patrick: https://twitter.com/Patrick_Bush_VE

Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_

Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_

Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq

Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk

Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV

Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD

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

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Resources

VanEck’s Base, Bear, Bull Case: Solana Valuation by 2030

https://www.vaneck.com/us/en/blogs/digital-assets/matthew-sigel-vanecks-base-bear-bull-case-solana-valuation-by-2030/

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Disclaimers:

Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation.

Has Solana Earned The Hype? | Mert Mumtaz, Garrett Harper Nov 10, 2023

Show notes

Welcome to Lightspeed's third "Roundup" episode, where Mert and Garrett discuss the top stories of the week and trends they are seeing in crypto. In this episode, we discuss why all eyes are on Solana, hype vs reality, Bankless' Ethereum vs Solana episode, the significance of Solana projects launching tokens and our takeaways from Breakpoint.

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Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home

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Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction

(00:35) Why Are Prices Pumping Right Now?

(03:15) The Ethereum vs Solana Philosophy

(37:37) Focus On Product and Finding PMF

(49:33) Solana Projects Launching Tokens

(55:38) Horizontal Integration and DeFi Competition

(57:53) The Big 3 and Crypto’s Ecosystems

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Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_

Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_

Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq

Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk

Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV

Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD

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

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Resources

Bankless' Ethereum vs Solana episode

https://spoti.fi/3QzTD5K

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Disclaimers:

Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation.

Why Solana Needs Privacy For Mass Adoption | Elusiv, Light Protocol Nov 09, 2023

Show notes

Jorrit Palfner and Yannik Schrade join us to discuss why privacy is required for crypto to go mainstream. Jorrit (Light Protocol's co-founder) and Yannik (Elusiv's co-founder) are building Solana's leading privacy protocols. This discussion is more technical than usual, but the insights are incredible. We discuss the implications of private computation, how Light and Elusiv bring privacy onchain, the risks of zero-knowledge proofs, why build privacy on Solana and not an SVM rollup and more!

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Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home

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Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction

(00:44) Privacy is Required for Mass Adoption

(04:36) Why Privacy Isn't the Default

(12:37) What is a ZK Proof?

(14:47) How Light and Elusiv Bring Privacy Onchain

(32:17) DAS London Plug

(33:14) Will ZK Complexity Increase a Protocol's Risk?

(37:21) How Will Privacy Work With Public Applications?

(47:44) Homomorphic Encryption and Multiparty Computation (MPC)

(53:33) Token2022 and Why Build On Solana

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Follow Jorrit: https://twitter.com/ananas_light

Follow Yannik: https://twitter.com/yrschrade

Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_

Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_

Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq

Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk

Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV

Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD

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

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Resources

Light Protocol

https://twitter.com/LightProtocol

https://shield.lightprotocol.com/

Elusiv

https://twitter.com/elusivprivacy

https://www.elusiv.io/

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Disclaimers:

Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation.

Solana: The Global State Machine | Anatoly, Dan Albert, Amira Valliani, Noah Prince, Mert Mumtaz Nov 07, 2023

Show notes

This episode is the opening presentation from Breakpoint 2023! You'll hear from Solana's top talent, including Anatoly, Dan Albert, Amira Valliani, Noah Prince and Mert Mumtaz. This is the Solana ecosystem deep dive you won't want to miss!

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Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home

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Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction

(00:52) Anatoly: The Solana Thesis

(12:58) DAS 2023 Promo

(13:55) Dan Albert: Firedancer Is Live On Testnet!

(20:03) Amira Valliani: Client Diversity and Decentralization

(27:35) Noah Prince: Only Possible On Solana

(35:29) Mert Mumtaz: Now Is The Time to Build

(42:18) Austin Federa and Anatoly: What's Next?

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Follow Anatoly: https://twitter.com/aeyakovenko

Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/DanPaul000

Follow Amira: https://twitter.com/amiravalliani

Follow Noah: https://twitter.com/redacted_noah

Follow Austin: https://twitter.com/Austin_Federa

Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_

Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_

Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq

Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk

Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV

Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD

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

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Resources

Link to all Breakpoint panels

https://www.youtube.com/@SolanaFndn

Breakpoint 2023

https://solana.com/breakpoint

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Disclaimers:

Although our guests this week are managing partners 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.

Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation.

What Metrics Matter for Internet Native Money? | Tushar Jain Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

Tushar Jain joins us to discuss how he identifies crypto applications that both create AND Tushar Jain joins us to discuss how he identifies crypto applications that create AND capture value. Tushar co-founded Multicoin Capital and is one of the most prolific investors in the space, known for his contrarian [and often correct] theses. In this episode, we cover Solana's rise from the ashes, how L1s accrue value, what crypto metrics matter, Solana's consumer chain narrative, the DePIN opportunity and more!

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Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home

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Timestamps

(00:00) Introduction (01:31) The Solana Thesis

(06:37) Internet Native Money and L1 Value Accrual

(12:28) Qualities of an Investable Application

(18:45) DePIN and New Methods of Token Distribution

(25:14) Why TVL is a Harmful Metric

(28:44) Solana’s Consumer Chain Narrative

(32:09) DAS London Plug

(33:18) Metrics That Matter