Proof of Coverage

Latest Episodes:

Enabling User-Owned Data to Create User-Owned AI with Vana | Anna Kazlauskas Apr 21, 2025

Show notes

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Connor sits down with Anna Kazlauskas, co-founder of Vana, to explore the intersection of AI and user-owned data. They discuss the resurgence of the crypto scene in San Francisco, fueled by advancements in AI, and the impact of DeepSeek on model training efficiency and data privacy. Anna shares her journey from MIT to co-founding Vana, a layer one blockchain enabling programmable data rights for AI. She introduces the concept of data DAOs—user-owned data collectives that negotiate better terms with platforms—highlighting the shift toward self-sovereign digital identities. The conversation also covers Vana’s tokenomics and its mission to address AI’s data shortage by empowering users with control and incentives.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:45 - Impact of DeepSeek on AI and User Privacy

04:22 - User Awareness and Data Storage Concerns

06:28 - The Shift in AI Narrative

07:14 - Anna's Journey into User-Owned Data

10:45 - Vana's Technical Framework and Privacy

12:20 - The Need for Data Sovereignty in AI

13:27 - Building a Layer 1 Blockchain

15:51 - Data DAOs: A New Approach to Data Ownership

17:15 - Understanding Data DAOs and Their Function

22:47 - The Role of Data Ownership in Social Platforms

24:51 - Negotiating Better Terms for Data Ownership

26:40 - Bringing Data to Vana and AI Applications

28:09 - Privacy-Preserving Compute Solutions

29:22 - Tokenomics of Vana

30:55 - Data DAO Specific Tokens and Their Role

31:22 - Final Thoughts on Vana's Vision

32:30 - Where to Find More Information

Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.

Bringing the World’s Vehicles Onchain with DIMO | Rob Solomon Apr 14, 2025

Show notes

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Connor chats with Rob Solomon, co-founder of DIMO, about the project’s steady evolution through the crypto market’s ups and downs. Rob explains how DIMO enables cars to access and share their data securely—unlocking use cases like EV owners monetizing charging data via carbon offsets. They discuss how blockchain powers trustless data sharing, the user experience of representing cars as NFTs, and the growing developer ecosystem with nearly 200 licenses issued. Rob also previews upcoming enterprise partnerships and invites users and builders to explore the DIMO platform.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:00 - Market Cycles

02:26 - Vision and Progress Over Two Years

03:40 - Use Cases and App Ecosystem

06:42 - Real-World Value Beyond Crypto

07:25 - Web2 Integrations and User Benefits

10:02 - On-Chain Data and User Permissions

11:01 - Explaining DIMO to Crypto Users

14:09 - Developer Engagement and Access to Data

15:58 - User Opt-In and Data Monetization

18:31 - Revenue Generation and DIMO Token Dynamics20:05 - Enterprise Customer Insights

22:16 - Go-to-Market Strategies and Supply Growth

23:42 - Call to Action for Users and Developers

Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.

How to Raise Crypto VC, Investing in DePIN, Network States, and the Electro Dollar with Anirudh Pai | Dragonfly Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

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Connor speaks with Anirudh Pai, partner at Dragonfly Capital, about what it takes to build a successful crypto project and attract top investors. Anirudh highlights the importance of long-term demand strategies, demonstrating real customer engagement, and standing out in a competitive market. They explore the evolution of decentralized technologies, particularly in the energy sector, and the concept of commodity currencies like electrodollars, emphasizing the role of clean energy in technological progress. Anirudh also shares his insights on balancing learning, founder meetings, and supporting portfolio companies, along with his involvement in the Praxis project, which focuses on creating innovative living environments rooted in community and shared values. This conversation offers a wealth of insights into the crypto space, decentralized technologies, and the future of innovation.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:09 - Getting on the Radar of Investors

02:59 - Preferred Communication Channels for Founders

04:08 - Balancing Workload and Learning

06:21 - Embracing Serendipity in Investing

08:13 - Avoiding Pattern Matching in Investment Decisions09:34 - The Evolution of DePIN

15:13 - Commodity Currencies and Their Future

18:09 - The Role of Energy in Economic Growth

19:53 - Challenges in Decentralized Energy Markets

22:33 - Roadblocks to DePIN Advancement

26:04 - Innovations in the Medallion System

27:05 - The Future of Energy and Wireless DePIN’s

29:44 - Updates on Praxis and Community Living

32:37 - Closing Thoughts

Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.

Announcing DePIN Summit 2025 with EV3, Threefold, and Share Apr 03, 2025

Show notes

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Connor is joined by Sal Gala (EV3), Florian Fournier (Threefold), and Jose Aycart (Share) to announce the DePIN Summit 2025 in Africa and discuss its significance. They explore the region’s potential for technological disruption, the importance of local engagement and government collaboration, and the role of decentralized internet networks in driving innovation. With Africa already leading in digital payments and primed for new advancements, the Summit aims to connect global and local tech communities at a crucial moment for growth. The conversation highlights DePIN as a framework for new business models and the transformative opportunities ahead.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

03:01 - DePIN: A Global Perspective

05:55 - The Significance of Africa in the DePIN Movement

08:49 - Building Infrastructure: Local Engagement and Government Relations

12:11 - Innovations in Internet Connectivity in Africa

15:09 - The Future of DePIN: Vision for the Summit

18:02 - Excitement for the Upcoming DePIN Summit

20:51 - Conclusion

Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.

Building the Infrastructure for Onchain Fixed Income Products with Treehouse Finance | Brandon Goh Mar 24, 2025

Show notes

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Connor and co-host James Lovely, an expert in structured financial products, welcome Brandon Goh, CEO and Co-founder of Treehouse Finance, to explore the intersection of traditional finance (TradFi) and decentralized finance (DeFi). Goh shares his journey from Morgan Stanley to crypto, discussing how innovations like Uniswap reshaped his perspective. The conversation covers risk and return in borrowing rates, Ethereum’s proof-of-stake system as a crypto equivalent to the risk-free rate, and the differences between Ethereum and Bitcoin. Goh introduces Treehouse’s T-Asset product, which enhances liquid staking yields through arbitrage strategies, and highlights the importance of decentralized benchmark rates like the Decentralized Offered Rate (D.O.R). They also examine risks such as rehypothecation and the need for reliable data in DeFi, concluding with a discussion on institutional adoption and the infrastructure required for its growth.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

03:09 - Brandon's Transition from TradFi to Crypto

05:12 - Core Concepts of Borrowing Rates in TradFi

07:59 - On-Chain Rates and Their Implications

09:05 - Comparing Bitcoin and Ethereum as Risk-Free Rates

12:22 - Staking Yield as a Risk-Free Rate Analogy

14:08 - Liquid Staking Explained

21:34 - Treehouse's T-Asset Product Overview

23:46 - Decentralized Finance and Risk Considerations

29:30 - Institutional Involvement in DeFi

31:12 - Expanding to Other Chains and Market Strategy

32:34 - Introduction to Decentralized Offered Rates (DOR)

41:34 - Building a Decentralized Benchmark Rate

48:09 - Incentives and Accuracy in the DOR Framework

Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.

Vinny Lingham: Sourcing the Solana Seed Round, Why Decentralized AI Will Win, Making America Healthy Again Mar 20, 2025

Show notes

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Connor and Mahesh welcomed Vinny Lingham, a prominent figure in crypto and tech. Vinny discussed his latest ventures, including Animal, a film exploring the benefits of the carnivore diet, and shared his personal health transformation. He reflected on the challenges of the 2018-2019 crypto winter, the evolving regulatory landscape, and his work with Civic, a decentralized identity protocol aimed at enhancing trust in digital transactions. The conversation also covered AI and decentralized computing, with Vinny highlighting projects like Render and Vast.ai as potential disruptors to traditional data centers. Throughout the discussion, he encouraged listeners to challenge conventional narratives in both health and technology, wrapping up with an invitation to connect with him on Twitter for further insights.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:27 - Upcoming Movie: Animal

02:56 - Misconceptions About Diets

06:42 - Challenging Established Narratives

08:06 - Civic and Decentralized Identity

10:42 - Regulatory Challenges in Crypto

13:11 - Transparency in Elections

14:15 - Bear Market Experience

17:15 - Investing in Solana and Filecoin

20:27 - AI Video Conferencing Platform: Rumi

21:11 - DePIN Strategy and AI Development

25:06 - Future of Decentralized GPUs

26:44 - Closing Thoughts

Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.

Building Decentralized AI Compute in Public with io.net | Tory Green Mar 10, 2025

Show notes

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Connor sits down with Tory Green to discuss how Io.net is revolutionizing AI infrastructure with affordable, decentralized compute power. They explore the challenges of centralized cloud providers, how DeepSeek underscores the need for decentralized AI solutions, and why Solana’s speed and community support make it the ideal foundation for Io.net. Tory also breaks down the network’s transparency, staking mechanisms, and competitive edge against AWS, GCP, and Azure, along with Io.net’s plans for product launches, partnerships, and mainstream adoption.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

02:50 The Impact of DeepSeek on AI

06:04 The Journey to Decentralized AI

08:46 Understanding Io.net's Core Problem

12:00 Io.net's Solution and Market Position

15:09 Overcoming Latency Challenges

18:04 Choosing Solana for Io.net's Infrastructure

21:03 Token Utility and Community Engagement

23:55 Future Aspirations for Io.net

Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.

Santiago Santos: DePIN is the Frontier, Why It’s Earlier than Ever for Crypto, Building the First Crypto PE Fund Mar 05, 2025

Show notes

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Connor and Mahesh welcome Santiago Santos, a prominent figure in the crypto space and co-host of the popular Empire podcast. Santiago shares his vision for the future of private equity and crypto, highlighting the transformative potential of open-source systems and the rapid movement of capital in the crypto world. He discusses his approach to leveraging crypto to drive value in private equity portfolios and emphasizes the importance of integrating stablecoins with decentralized infrastructure networks (DePIN) to accelerate technology adoption. Additionally, he explores the readiness of the tech industry to support large-scale crypto initiatives and stresses the need for the industry to aim higher.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:25 - Santiago's Podcast Experience

01:45 - The Need for Crypto Education

04:01 - Architecting Society with Crypto

06:57 - The Beauty of Open Source Systems

07:44 - The Challenges and Opportunities in Crypto

09:56 - Investing with a Broader Perspective

12:51 - Personal Motivation and Meaning in Work

13:36 - The Role of Technology in Daily Life

15:17 - Convincing Others About Crypto's Value

18:30 - The Shift from Investor to Founder

20:34 - Headwinds Facing Traditional Private Equity

24:09 - The Future of Private Equity and Crypto

25:34 - Onboarding Users into the Crypto Space

27:55 - The Vision for Inversion Capital

29:11 - The Role of Helium in the Crypto Ecosystem

36:09 - The Importance of Consumer Experience

37:32 - Assumptions for Inversion's Success

39:57 - The Role of Technology in Crypto's Future

41:03 - Helium Improvement Proposal and Inversion

44:05 - Conclusion and Future Outlook

Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.

Data Privacy by Default with Nillion | Miguel de Vega Mar 03, 2025

Show notes

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Connor welcomes Miguel from Nillion to discuss the company's latest endeavors. Miguel shares insights into Nillion's motivation for launching an internal podcast designed to provide builders and developers with a platform to showcase their projects. The conversation explores the benefits of open-sourcing AI models, highlighting how Nillion leveraged DeepSeek's R1 model to develop a privacy-preserving "blind guru" chatbot. Additionally, the episode examines the broader implications of DeepSeek's open-source approach and the ongoing challenges surrounding privacy and security in AI development.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

00:40 - Privacy-Preserving AI: The Impact of DeepSeek's Model

04:13 - Trust and Privacy in AI Agents

10:17 - How Web3 Can Benefit from Seamless Privacy Integration

18:31 - The Connection Between Web2, Web3, and Privacy with ZkTLS

22:17 - A Look at Privacy Solutions

26:00 - Unique Use Cases for Nillion Technology

30:54 - Ways to Get Involved with the Community

Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.

[Meet Monad] Crypto-Native Growth Strategies, the Intern Mindset, and Why Memes are Underrated with Kevin McCordic Feb 26, 2025

Show notes

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Connor speaks with Kevin McCordic, Head of Growth at Meet Monad, about the latest developments in the Monad ecosystem as they prepare for their Testnet launch. They discuss the volatile crypto market, likening it to a high-stakes game similar to Squid Game, where investor sentiment shifts unpredictably. Kevin shares his journey from venture investing to Monad, highlighting his evolving role in marketing, community building, and product strategy. The conversation explores Monad’s mission to make blockchain development more accessible through EVM integration, fostering innovation and expanding its developer base. Kevin also emphasizes the importance of community engagement in driving growth and previews exciting projects within the ecosystem. The episode concludes with a call for listeners to follow Monad on Twitter and stay tuned for the Testnet launch, marking a pivotal moment for the platform’s future.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

00:39 - Market Sentiment and Development Challenges in Crypto

03:23 - Exploring Monad

04:44 - Evolution of Roles at Monad: From Branding to Testnet Launch

07:10 - Building the Ecosystem and Preparing for Testnet Launch

10:33 - From Security to Opportunity in the Crypto Space

11:56 - From Angel Investing to Joining the Team at Monad

20:01 - The Impact of Fast Blockchains on Crypto Development

25:22 - Leveraging Twitter and Memes for Growth in Crypto

36:13 - Monad's Growth Strategies and Community Engagement

Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.