Home of the best crypto conversations
Hosted by Connor Lovely and EV3 Ventures | Built by Proof of Coverage
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Home of the best crypto conversations
Hosted by Connor Lovely and EV3 Ventures | Built by Proof of Coverage
Copyright: © Escape Velocity Ventures, Connor Lovely, Sami Kassab
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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.
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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.
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Connor sits down with Evan Tong from Monad to discuss the evolving intersection of crypto and AI agents. They explore how agents could become the new websites, democratizing digital interactions much like WordPress did for website creation. Evan highlights Monad's mission to build a high-performance, EVM-compatible Layer 1 blockchain, enabling smoother experiences for developers and users. The conversation delves into the importance of parallel execution environments for multi-agent systems, predicting a future with billions of on-chain agents before billions of human users. They also discuss the role of ecosystem building, flexibility in adapting to the crypto industry's rapid changes, and supporting founders and innovative projects.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:33 - Exploring AI-Driven User Experiences in Crypto
08:19 - Performance and Compatibility in the EVM
11:36 - Lessons in Ecosystem Building in Crypto
14:42 - Comparing Early Blockchain Experiences
16:13 - Bringing Professional Standards to Crypto
18:47 - Building a Founder-Friendly Ecosystem at Monad
20:35 - Innovations in DeFi, Consumer Tech, and AI
25:26 - Engaging Founders and Communities
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
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Connor and Sal talk with Diego de Tomas, co-founder and CEO of Over the Reality (OVR), about building one of the world’s most extensive 3D mapping platforms. Diego shares how OVR has generated over 100,000 3D maps since 2020, accumulating 55 terabytes of data through a community-driven process using their app and advanced AI. He explains the groundbreaking Visual Positioning System (VPS), offering centimeter-level accuracy for AR, robotics, and ride-sharing applications. Diego also discusses OVR’s shift beyond crypto into Web2 markets, launching a subscription model for businesses, and the exciting potential of spatial computing to transform how we interact with our environment.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:22 - Meet Diego de Tomas and OVR Overview
01:10 - OVR's Ambitious Goals and Achievements
02:06 - Comparison with Niantic and Data Quality
03:52 - User Experience: Mapping with OVR
05:00 - Backend Process of Creating 3D Maps
06:47 - The Need for Visual Positioning System (VPS)
08:22 - Use Cases for VPS Technology
10:38 - VPS vs. GPS: Understanding the Differences
14:10 - User Involvement in OVR Mapping
15:26 - Factors Influencing Location Value in OVR
19:45 - Recent Funding and Future Plans
25:21 - Investment Thesis Behind OVR
28:10 - Future Directions and Business Model Expansion
30:59 - Training Large Geospatial Models
35:15 - Open Source Plans for the Model
36:24 - Conclusion 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.
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Connor and Mahesh speak with Roy, founder of Up Network, about the evolving landscape of AI, consumer devices, and crypto. Roy shares insights on building user incentives for technologies like the Agentic OS, which simplifies the crypto experience, and explores the competitive dynamics between the U.S. and China in AI, emphasizing market-driven invention and open-source collaboration. Drawing from his background in gaming and advertising, Roy discusses UpNetwork’s vision to integrate software and hardware, focusing on device-agnostic solutions that enhance smartphones and smart glasses with Web3 capabilities. He highlights the importance of accessible technology and rewards for user engagement, touching on the potential of a token within the Movement ecosystem to connect users, developers, and manufacturers. Roy’s forward-thinking perspective makes this a compelling exploration of the future of AI, crypto, and consumer tech.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:40 - DeepSeek
02:59 - AI Innovation and Open Source Trends
08:29 - Up Network and the Evolution of Crypto and AI
13:46 - Exploring the Shift from Smartphones to Smart Glasses
14:22 - The Evolution of Smartphones and AI
20:27 - Exploring Device-Agnostic Web3 Integration
28:41 - Connecting Users and Data in a Decentralized Ecosystem
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
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Connor welcomed back Jeffrey Manner, co-founder of Roam, to discuss their latest advancements in Wi-Fi and decentralized identity. Jeffrey detailed Roam’s live pilot program, where users earn points by contributing to the network, validating Wi-Fi connections, and adding public hotspots. They explored the concept of Open Roaming, an initiative under the Wireless Broadband Alliance that aims to create seamless Wi-Fi experiences akin to mobile network roaming, with Roam positioned as a Web3 identity provider enabling secure connections across millions of hotspots. The conversation delved into Roam’s hardware strategy, including their Wi-Fi routers and onboarding existing Open Roaming nodes, as well as their unique approach to decentralized identity and verifiable credentials. Jeffrey also shared plans for monetization, potential telco partnerships, and expanding services within their distributed network.
Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction
00:34 - Pilot Burning Pool and Token Mechanics
02:32 - Earning Points in the Roam Network
04:28 - Understanding Open Roaming
07:34 - Roam's Hardware Strategy
10:44 - OpenWRT and Community Upgrades
11:48 - Building on Solana
13:25 - Decentralized Identity and Verifiable Credentials
15:42 - Monetization Strategies and Demand Side
18:28 - Future of Telcos and Roam's Role
20:24 - Coordination and Incentivization in Open Roaming
25:24 - Looking Ahead to 2025
26:15 - Where to Find Roam Online
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
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In this episode, Connor speaks with Doug Petkanics from Livepeer about the evolution of open video infrastructure. They discuss Livepeer’s transition to Arbitrum, how it leverages idle GPUs for cost-effective video transcoding, and its expansion into AI-powered video processing, which is driving new revenue. Doug also shares insights on Ethereum’s ecosystem, competition from Solana, and Livepeer’s growing $7M treasury, fueled by community governance.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:30 - Vitalik Buterin and Ethereum Developments
02:46 - Livepeer's Technical Overview
03:21 - Understanding Video Processing
08:30 - Livepeer's Market Position
10:15 - Cost Structure and User Experience
11:30 - Success Stories with Livepeer
12:30 - Cost Reduction Mechanisms
15:42 - Current State of the Livepeer Network
20:17 - AI Integration in Livepeer
22:12 - Advice for Founders in Crypto
25:22 - Go-to-Market Strategy
27:29 - AI Video Editing Potential
30:51 - Livepeer's Treasury and Funding
34:34 - Community Engagement and Call to Action
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
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Connor sits down with Travis Kling, a prominent crypto hedge fund trader, about the intersection of faith, culture, and cryptocurrency. They discuss the recent surge in Bible sales, which Travis attributes to global instability driving a renewed interest in faith, as well as the decline of religious affiliation in America amid the rise of the internet and challenges like Christian nationalism. Travis shares his views on societal trends, including a potential spiritual resurgence, and explores the concept of spiritual warfare in the context of the 2024 election, linking cultural issues like gender identity and abortion to broader moral struggles. He reflects on his personal faith journey, recounting how challenges and a move to New York City deepened his spirituality. The conversation concludes with Travis’s thoughts on the future of cryptocurrency, including the potential for a strategic Bitcoin reserve under a new administration and its implications for the financial landscape.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:04 - Exploring the Decline of Faith in Modern America
06:51 - Faith and Science
11:31 - Reevaluating New Atheism
16:26 - Political Polarization
24:02 - Future of Bitcoin in U.S. Politics
35:26 - Finding Faith and Purpose
56:16 - Journey of Faith: Deconstruction and Reconstruction
01:24:48 - Exploring Tokenomics and AI Agents in Emerging Technologies
01:30:10 - Hybrid Intelligence - The Intersection of Human Oversight and AI
01:37:16 - Exploring the Impact of Religion on Human Advancement
01:43:37 - Christianity and Human Advancement
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
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Connor speaks with Hal Smith Stevens, CEO of Rilla Network, about their mission to revolutionize live streaming with peer-to-peer technology. Hal shares insights from Rilla's recent $3.5 million seed round and his experiences as a third-time founder, highlighting the importance of building strong networks and finding the right investors. They discuss Rilla's decentralized content delivery network, which leverages unused upstream bandwidth from viewers to reduce costs for broadcasters and transform passive audiences into active contributors. Hal explains how this approach enhances engagement and reduces expenses, offering examples like cost savings for sports broadcasters. The conversation also touches on Rilla’s plans for a token to distribute value within their ecosystem, showcasing the potential of blockchain and peer-to-peer technology to shape the future of live streaming.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:35 - Seed Round Experience
01:58 - Advice for First-Time Founders
05:41 - The Importance of Networking
07:24 - Understanding Real Networks
07:36 - Decentralized CDN Concept
08:00 - Core Technology Overview
09:05 - Live Streaming Use Case
12:55 - Transforming Passive Audiences
14:03 - Explaining the Peer-to-Peer Model
19:41 - Concrete Example of Live Streaming
20:59 - Value Attribution and Redistribution
26:25 - Supply Side and Hardware Requirements
29:43 - Blockchain Choice Discussion
30:58 - Future Use Cases Beyond Sports
32:01 - Building a Protocol vs. Application
33:38 - Token Design and Future Plans
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Follow Proof of Coverage Media: https://x.com/Proof_Coverage Connor explores the world of cloud gaming and decentralized computing with Jeff from YOM, uncovering how the company transforms idle GPU cycles into revenue for gamers. With cloud gaming user numbers tripling from 2021 to 2023 and projected revenues of $143 billion by 2032, Jeff explains how YOM addresses high costs and latency issues, enabling high-quality gaming without dedicated consoles. They discuss YOM’s use of blockchain for payments via a deflationary token model, their strategies to attract gamers and studios, and the potential for AAA titles in crypto gaming. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:42 - The Growth of Cloud Gaming 02:48 - The Future of Gaming Consoles 03:09 - Cloud Gaming vs. Traditional Gaming 05:33 - Seamless Gaming Across Devices 07:12 - Building in the Solana Ecosystem 09:01 - Partnerships and Multi-Chain Strategies 11:24 - Demand and Supply Strategy 13:20 - Market Demand for Cloud Gaming 15:28 - Current Node Signups and Future Plans 16:23 - Attracting GPU Owners to the Network 19:03 - 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.
In the first episode of our new podcast, Connor and Nic Carter explore the implications of the upcoming Trump presidency and recent political shifts on the crypto industry. Nic shares insights from his recent trip to Washington, where he met with key members of Congress to discuss their legislative priorities with respect to crypto and technology broadly. The episode explores the implications of ending "Chokepoint 2.0," the potential for a stablecoin bill, and the need for crypto-friendly legislation. Nic also touches on challenges with the SEC, the Strategic National Bitcoin Reserve, and the future of Bitcoin and the broader crypto market. They discuss the role of corporate investments, the evolution of CoinMetrics, the founding of Castle Island Venture along with Nic’s personal journey in faith and combat sports.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
05:43 - Key Priorities for Crypto Regulation and Banking Access
08:52 - Critique of the Hagerty Bill and Discussion on Financial Thresholds
13:57 - Assessing Bitcoin's Future Amid Political Discourse
16:14 - Future of Crypto Regulation and Priorities
18:27 - Shifting Sentiments in Crypto Regulations
20:13 - Tax Incentives and Global Bitcoin Mining Dynamics
23:07 - Bitcoin Mining and Sovereign Nations' Strategies
24:53 - Startups, Bitcoin, and Market Dynamics: Insights on Crypto Trends
34:28 - Building Crypto Infrastructure: The Genesis of Castle Island
38:48 - Startups and Wiffio Moments
39:45 - Evolution of Coinmetrics: From Small Funds to Institutional Focus
41:36 - Finding Purpose Through Bitcoin and Venture Capital
43:15 - Maintaining Focus with a Small Team in VC
46:39 - Supporting Founders: The Evolving Role of Venture Capitalists
50:58 - Building a Career Through Media and Writing
53:18 - Finding Your Voice in the Digital Age: The Power of Content Creation
55:42 - Specialization and Evolution in Crypto Investing
01:00:06 - Impact of Real-Time Payments on Stablecoin Adoption
01:16:10 - From Fanboy Moments to Faith and Future Ventures
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Follow Building in Public Podcast: https://x.com/builtnpublicpod Connor and Sal sit down with Luis Ramirez, founder of Mawari, to explore the future of augmented and virtual reality. Luis shares how Mawari is shaping AR as a tool for immersive, social experiences rather than dystopian futures, emphasizing the importance of presence in AR interactions. They discuss advancements like Meta's Orion AR glasses, Mawari's focus on content delivery over hardware, and the integration of AR and VR into multifunctional devices. Luis also shares insights on distributed computing networks for immersive experiences and Mawari’s shift into Web3, leveraging underutilized hardware for decentralized 3D rendering. The conversation dives into challenges, opportunities, and monetization paths for developers, offering a compelling look at how Mawari is paving the way for the 3D internet. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:34 - Online Presence 01:43 - Meta's Orion AR Glasses 02:46 - The Future of AR and VR Hardware 03:43 - Haptic Feedback Suits: A Niche Technology 06:30 - Power of Vision in Immersive Experiences 09:04 - Opportunities in XR Development 10:30 - Compute Needs for XR Experiences 12:51 - The Role of Edge Computing in XR 15:11 - Content Creation in XR 16:37 - Transitioning from Web2 to Web3 18:43 - Building a Decentralized Network 21:22 - AR/VR and AI Cloud Architectures 23:32 - Go-to-Market Strategy 25:50 - Utilizing Existing Hardware for XR 27:14 - Current Revenue Model 32:47 - Call to Action Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
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Connor and Sal sit down with Sandeep Nailwal of Polygon. Sandeep reflects on challenges faced by founders, including tough decisions around layoffs, project management, and preserving company culture during rapid growth, emphasizing the importance of character-building in difficult times. The conversation explores the Polygon ecosystem's evolution, addressing regulatory hurdles, market shifts, and the critical role of the AggLayer in enabling a trustless internet with up to a million interconnected chains. Sandeep also shares insights on the potential of decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN) and their place within Polygon’s strategy, expressing optimism about their future despite industry challenges. This episode offers an in-depth look at blockchain’s dynamic landscape, adaptability in leadership, and Polygon’s vision for a decentralized future.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:14 - Reflections on Building Character Through Adversity
01:45 - The Impact of Regulatory Changes on the Crypto Ecosystem
03:40 - Polygon's Journey and Internal Challenges
05:46 - Leadership Transition: Finding the Right CEO
12:13 - Focusing on Growth: The Role of the Chairman
13:44 - The Evolution of Polygon's Product Strategy
19:09 - Understanding Polygon's Core Products
29:29 - The Vision for a Trustless Internet
36:37 - Competition Landscape: Who is Polygon Up Against?
41:24 - The Future of DePIN and Its Importance to Polygon
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
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Mahesh and John Wu, President of Ava Labs, are joined by J. Paul Meyer, founder of Collar Network, to explore innovative solutions in decentralized finance (DeFi). J. Paul shares how Collar Network, a smart contract-based lending protocol, helps crypto investors borrow against their holdings in a hedged, non-liquidatable manner—addressing challenges like tax implications and liquidity. Drawing from his Goldman Sachs background, J. Paul discusses the need for financial services tailored to crypto's emerging wealthy class and the risks of replicating traditional finance's mistakes. They also touch on regulation, market behavior, and the future of Bitcoin, AI in finance, and Web3 value capture.
Check out Collar's beta platform at beta.collarprotocol.xyz
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:16 - The Role of ETFs in Tokenization
03:10 - Discussion on Goldman Sachs and Its Relevance
06:35 - The Impact of Technology on Financial Services
08:51 - The Consolidation of the Banking Sector
10:19 - Competing with Large Financial Institutions
13:27 - Weaknesses of Large Financial Institutions
17:02 - Overview of Collar Networks and Its Mission
20:32 - Comparison with Traditional Margin-Based Borrowing
22:44 - User Experience in Financial Products
24:51 - Future Product Development at Collar
26:20 - Finding Liquidity in DeFi Markets
28:10 - Working with Major Financial Institutions
30:57 - Concerns About Repeating Past Financial Mistakes
33:02 - Future Strategies for Collar Network
36:54 - Political and Regulatory Considerations
38:27 - Lightning Round: Quickfire Questions
41:02 - Closing Remarks
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
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Mahesh welcomed back Ash Ahmed, founder of Axal, to discuss exciting developments at his company and the broader implications of AI agents in crypto. Ash highlighted Axal’s rapid growth, the launch of their new product, Gekko—a virtual agent for trading—and its integration with the Autopilot platform to simplify crypto portfolio management. He emphasized the importance of a "fair launch" for the Gekko token, with no team allocation, to build trust and align value with functionality. The conversation also explored AI agents as a new asset class, the role of community engagement in Axal's growth, and Ash’s advice for founders to act boldly and prioritize transparency.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:11 - Overview of Axal's Vision and Team Growth
02:49 - Diverse Team and Guerrilla Marketing Strategies
03:41 - Podcasting and Content Creation Efforts
05:25 - Introduction of Gecko and Its Purpose
08:34 - Understanding the Value of Agents
09:22 - Fair Launch Concept Explained
10:16 - Community Engagement and Investor Reactions
12:15 - Utility and Future Plans for Gecko
14:21 - The Future of Agent Tokens in the Market
17:06 - Launching Gekko: Technical Insights
20:28 - Advice for Founders Considering Token Launches
22:46 - Navigating Investor Relations and Legalities
25:50 - Conclusion and Final 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.
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Connor spoke with Harry Dewhirst, CEO and co-founder of 375ai, formerly known as Zeppelin, about his journey from founding a data company sold to Singtel to leading 375ai’s efforts in building decentralized networks for data collection. Harry shared insights into the company’s ambitious goal of identifying over 10 million vehicles daily through their AI-powered hardware, the 375 Edge, and their partnership with Outfront Media. They also discussed the launch of 375ai’s incentivized testnet, allowing users to earn tokens through the 375Go app by contributing passive data. Harry explained the significance of the company’s name, linked to Nevada’s extraterrestrial highway, and how the data could be used by hedge funds for market analysis. Additionally, they explored 375ai’s decision to build on the Solana blockchain and their tokenomics.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:00 - Harry's Background and Entrepreneurial Journey
02:40 - Transition from Zeppelin to 375ai
04:20 - Zeppelin's Initial Mission and Partnerships
06:30 - Deployment Strategies and Learning Experiences
08:40 - Significance of the Name 375ai
09:50 - Testnet and Community Engagement
12:00 - 375 Edge Devices and Their Functionality
15:00 - Future Plans for 375 Street Devices
17:00 - Real-World Applications of Collected Data
19:00 - Building on the Solana Ecosystem
21:00 - Tokenomics and Incentive Structures
24:00 - Quality Control and Data Demand Strategies
25:30 - Call to Action 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.
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Connor and Sal spoke with Robin from Wingbits, a company revolutionizing the aviation and drone industries with advanced flight data solutions. Robin discussed the $22 billion ADS-B market, Wingbits' innovative hardware for tracking flights and drones, and plans for a token-incentivized model to enhance data quality. With 2,000 live stations globally and an upcoming mainnet launch, the conversation also highlighted their partnership with Geodnet to improve location data and their vision of integrating Web3 principles into a sustainable business model.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:38 - Exploring Productivity with Wearable Tech
02:28 - Winter Sports Brand and VC Discussions
04:54 - Understanding Wingbits Impact on Aviation Data
07:40 - Advanced Flight Data Technologies
11:09 - Incentivizing Flight Data Contributions
15:40 - Targeting the Web3 Community in Flight Tracking
21:47 - Future of ADS-B Technology in Aviation
26:00 - The Wingbits Network Expansion
27:12 - Update on Wingbits Network and Upcoming Launch
Disclaimer:
The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Follow Building in Public Podcast: https://x.com/builtnpublicpod Mahesh and guest host John Wu sit down with Austin King, CEO of Omni Labs, to explore the future of cryptocurrency and decentralized finance (DeFi). Austin shares his journey from Harvard College to building and selling his first company to Ripple, reflecting on the lessons from the 2017 crypto boom that shaped his vision for blockchain interoperability. He discusses innovative design trends like "intents and solvers," which simplify cross-chain transactions for users, and Omni Labs’ mission to abstract blockchain complexities, enabling seamless participation in the on-chain economy. Austin also opens up about leadership challenges, including pivoting after significant fundraising, and emphasizes the value of transparency, collaboration, and a strong support network. The conversation concludes with insights into the evolving crypto landscape and Austin's vision for a neutral and open economic system.
Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:31 - Introduction to Omni and Solvernet 01:30 - Austin King's Journey from Harvard to Crypto 03:02 - Identifying the Need for Interoperability 05:20 - The Ripple Acquisition Story 06:43 - Understanding the XRP Community 10:19 - Misunderstandings About XRP and Ripple 14:24 - Cults and Communities in Crypto 16:21 - Building Omni and Its Vision 20:56 - The Importance of Interoperability 23:24 - Pivoting After Fundraising 28:01 - Support Networks for Founders 30:33 - Conviction in Decision-Making 33:37 - Overview of the Omni Token and Network 39:04 - Defining Success in the Crypto Space 41:34 - Long-Term Vision for Crypto Development Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
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Sal sits down with Alexandra from Staex, a company redefining IoT through a trusted, decentralized network. They discuss the inefficiencies of traditional network protocols for modern IoT and how Staex’s approach re-architects infrastructure to reduce overhead and enhance security. Alexandra highlights Staex’s impact, including saving a U.S. client with 2,000 charging stations $100,000 annually by optimizing data transmission. She also shares use cases like anchoring battery data on-chain for regulatory compliance and using drones to measure electromagnetic fields. The conversation reveals Staex’s shift from a decentralization-first pitch to a focus on efficiency and cost savings, and Alexandra invites builders to join the evolution of DePIN and the machine economy. This episode offers a compelling look at how IoT, blockchain, and regulatory compliance are converging to reshape industries.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:31 - Overview of Staex and IoT Challenges
01:40 - Alexandra's Background in IoT Networking
05:26 - The Monolithic Approach of Staex
08:09 - Evolving the Pitch to Enterprises
10:33 - Understanding Cost Savings in IoT
12:12 - Industrial Use Cases for Staex
15:19 - Regulatory Challenges and Opportunities
17:19 - Current Stage and Future Plans for Staex
20:16 - Alexandra's Aspirations Beyond Staex
21:47 - Call to Action for Builders and Collaborators
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
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Connor welcomes Sami, former co-host of the Building in Public podcast, to explore Bittensor, a decentralized AI platform revolutionizing how intelligence is developed and shared. They discuss Bittensor’s potential to challenge centralized AI models like OpenAI, its unique decentralized approach with specialized subnets, and the importance of financial incentives for open-source innovation. Sami highlights the challenges of emission distribution and the community's dedication to improving the protocol, expressing optimism about Bittensor’s future.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:19 - Recap of Previous Bittensor Episode
02:05 - Sami's Experience with Bittensor
03:03 - What Bittensor Means for the Average Person
05:17 - Importance of Decentralized AI
06:36 - Open Source and Financial Incentives
08:43 - The Power of Open Source Innovation
10:07 - Crowdsourcing Intelligence in AI
12:33 - Comparing Kaggle and Bittensor
14:32 - Incentives for Contributors in Bittensor
15:14 - Challenges and Improvements in Bittensor
18:00 - Community Commitment to Bittensor
20:16 - The Future of Bittensor and AI
21:11 - Sami's Journey and Conviction in Bittensor
25:47 - Closing Remarks and Resources
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Follow Building in Public Podcast: https://x.com/builtnpublicpod Sal sits down with Nils, founder and CEO of Auki Labs, to explore the future of spatial intelligence, machine perception, and augmented reality. Nils shares how his journey began with a vision for AR overlays in tabletop games like Warhammer, ultimately leading to breakthroughs in spatial computing. They discuss the potential of DePIN to make AI more accessible, drawing parallels between AR's evolution and human language. Nils addresses the limitations of current AR tech, such as battery life and processing power, and proposes new types of wearable devices as a solution. The conversation also delves into Auki's token system, which incentivizes contributions to a decentralized machine perception network. This episode offers a compelling look at the future of AR, robotics, and human-machine interaction. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:37 - Sponsor Message: Polygon 01:00 - Introduction to Nils and Auki Labs 02:02 - Inspiration Behind Auki and Spatial Computing 05:36 - DePIN: AI and Its Resources 06:52 - Terence McKenna and the Evolution of Language 09:58 - Augmented Reality as Humanity's Oldest Project 10:50 - The Future of Robotics and Human Language 14:32 - Decentralized Mapping and Positioning 15:57 - The Inevitable Global Movement of DePIN 16:27 - Memetic Engineering: A Career Overview 20:27 - The Concept of Memes and Their Impact 25:41 - Auki's Business Model and Go-to-Market Strategy 27:30 - AR Notes and Communication in Retail 30:53 - AI's Role in Retail Efficiency 33:44 - Form Factors for Spatial Computing 40:03 - Decentralized Collaborative Spatial Computing 41:51 - Auki's Token and Crypto Strategy Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Sal talks to Al, the founder of Koii, about their platform that lets users run decentralized apps on personal computers. They discuss Koii’s new feature allowing token staking and rewards, creating an open marketplace for developers and users. Al shares his journey from blockchain education to building Koii, driven by a passion for technology’s impact, particularly in medicine. The conversation highlights how Koii simplifies decentralization, making it accessible even to those with little technical knowledge. Al emphasizes Koii's mission to lower barriers for developers and promote community-driven projects.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:15 - Background and Journey to Koii
06:07 - User Experience and Node Installation
08:55 - Financial Incentives vs. Community Engagement
12:57 - Developer Token Integration and Ecosystem
13:36 - Comparison with Other Crypto Projects
18:57 - Decentralization and Node Sales Discussion
24:52 - Closing Thoughts and Future of Decentralized Products
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
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Sal sat down with Alireza and Ulrich from Natix to explore their groundbreaking work with VX360, a 360-degree camera system designed to generate near-miss driving scenarios for autonomous vehicle testing. With over 190,000 registered drivers and 100 million kilometers of road covered, Natix focuses on dynamic, real-time data rather than static mapping. Alireza shared insights on AI, deep learning, and the growing importance of real-world data in autonomous driving, while Ulrich detailed how VX360 captures critical video data for scenario generation and object detection. The conversation also covered Natix’s first paying client, collaborations within the autonomous driving space, and a call-to-action for Tesla owners to become early adopters of VX360.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:34 - Sponsor Message: Polygon Labs
00:55 - AI and DePIN: A New Frontier
02:07 - Dash Cam Footage: Use Cases and Applications
04:22 - Current Status: Drivers and Road Coverage
05:55 - Dynamic Data vs. Unique Kilometers
06:48 - Collaboration with Other Mapping Companies
08:52 - Overview of VX360 Product and Its Purpose
09:22 - Scenario Generation for Autonomous Vehicles
11:24 - Importance of 360 Video Data
12:22 - Tesla's Role and Compatibility with VX360
14:22 - Monetization and Target Customers
16:30 - Messari Copilot Ad
17:23 - Token Economics and Revenue Accrual
20:11 - Scenario Focus Over Kilometers Driven
21:35 - Monetizing Street Level Imagery
22:13 - First Paying Client and Future Prospects
25:28 - Scaling Demand and Product Development
28:00 - Revenue Accrual to the Token
29:52 - Closing Remarks and Call to Action
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
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This episode features Reffo, co-founder of Puffpaw, a project blending vaping with blockchain technology to create a "vape-to-earn" model that helps users monitor nicotine intake and incentivizes quitting through rewards. Reffo discusses Puffpaw's smart vaporizers, which track puff count and nicotine levels via a Bluetooth-connected app, promoting healthier habits and community engagement. The conversation covers Puffpaw's team expertise, their choice to build on Berachain, and their $6 million seed round. Reffo also shares insights on fundraising and the potential impact of Puffpaw’s health data on vaping research, emphasizing user privacy and control.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:26 - The Problem with Current Vaping Practices
02:00 - Founders' Background and Inspiration
04:00 - Overview of Genesis Pods and Smart Vape
05:30 - Features of the Smart Vape Device
08:00 - Social Engagement and Gamification
10:00 - Challenges in the Vape Industry
11:00 - Token Utility and Revenue Model
14:00 - Health Data and Research Opportunities
17:00 - Advertising Potential on Vape Screens
19:00 - Building on Berachain
22:00 - Fundraising Experience and Investor Reactions
25:00 - Advice for First Movers in Fundraising
28:00 - The Role of Angel Investors
30:00 - Closing Thoughts and Invitation for Discussion
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
We were joined by Deniz from Soarchain, a company revolutionizing the mobility industry through innovative data solutions. Deniz discusses the oligopolistic nature of the automotive sector, challenges with data ownership, and how Soarchain empowers car owners to reclaim and monetize their vehicle data using a secure hardware device connected to the OBD2 port. He highlights the importance of decentralized data management, Soarchain’s progress with nearly 20,000 cars on their testnet, partnerships with major companies, and the upcoming transition to the Solana blockchain. This conversation showcases how Soarchain is transforming mobility with blockchain technology.
Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
00:26 - Sponsor Message: Polygon Labs
00:54 - Challenges in Mobility and Connectivity
04:19 - Data Ownership and Siloing Issues
06:10 - Soarchain’s Approach to Data Utilization
09:14 - User Empowerment and Data Monetization
12:13 - Connecting Cars to the Network
14:07 - Comparison with DIMO
18:38 - Data Privacy and User Experience
19:45 - Current Scale and Testnet Success
21:05 - Revenue Potential and Customer Profiles
23:10 - Innovative Use Cases and Applications
25:47 - Transition to Solana and Token Launch
29:55 - 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.
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In this episode of Building in Public, Rich and Shaan from XNET discussed their progress as a decentralized neutral host mobile operator. They explored the XIP-10 proposal to reduce token supply and its benefits for the community. Rich highlighted XNET’s demand-side GTM, enabling millions to connect via existing carriers, with growth potential in the U.S. market. They covered MNOs vs. MVNOs, international expansion, and the Solana ecosystem’s supportive culture. Updates included funding milestones, Sphere Pay and Kamino integrations, and plans to onboard millions of users to Solana, showcasing XNET’s vision for decentralized mobile networks.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:41 - Discussion on XIP-10 and Token Burns
03:56 - Understanding XNET's Business Model
06:25 - Customer Segments: MNOs vs. MVNOs
10:09 - International Expansion and Roaming Opportunities
12:29 - Wi-Fi and Cellular Spectrum in Global Deployments
14:05 - Transition from Polygon to Solana
16:50 - Community Growth and Social Engagement
18:31 - Exciting Developments with XNET Foundation
20:49 - Meme Coins and Retail Engagement
22:31 - Scaling Supply Side through Brownfield Deployments
28:37 - Upcoming Features and Integrations
30:18 - Where to Find More Information on XNET
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
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In this episode, Kai Wawrzinek, co-founder of Impossible Cloud Network, shared his vision for decentralized cloud services. Drawing on his experience building $B+ Goodgame Studios, he highlighted the demand for scalable cloud solutions. Kai discussed the challenges of competing with AWS and emphasized decentralization’s benefits, like lower latency and resilience. He detailed Impossible Cloud’s enterprise-grade object storage, already serving 1,000+ customers, and the success of their testnet with 100,000 users. With a token launch planned for Q1 2025, Kai stressed building a collaborative ecosystem for decentralized cloud innovation.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:32 - Sponsor Message: Polygon Labs
01:06 - Goodgame Studios and Goodgame Empire
01:29 - Building a Gaming Studio: Lessons Learned
04:18 - Transitioning to Cloud Services in Gaming
04:42 - The Need for Decentralized Cloud Services
08:29 - Benefits of a Decentralized Network
10:43 - Impossible Cloud Network's Vision
12:43 - Focus on Demand Side and Initial Use Case
14:54 - Testnet Results and Community Engagement
15:43 - B2B Approach and Compliance Requirements
20:07 - Revenue Pipeline and Growth of Object Storage Product
22:10 - Token Launch Plans and Chain Selection
24:11 - Tokenomics and Utility in the Network
29:34 - Conclusion and How to Get Involved
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
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In this episode, Aldo de Pape, the founder of GenomesDAO, discussed the challenges facing the genetic testing industry and how his organization is addressing them. He highlighted concerns around privacy and security, particularly in light of the increasing number of healthcare data breaches. GenomesDAO's approach prioritizes the safety and ownership of genomic data, contrasting their model with companies like 23andMe by ensuring individuals retain control over their biological samples and data via blockchain technology and partnerships with companies like AMD. Aldo also explained how GenomesDAO’s consent protocol allows individuals to be compensated for sharing their data with research partners, such as pharmaceutical companies. He discussed the value of genomic data and the ways users can engage with the platform, either by ordering a genetic testing kit or transferring data from other platforms. The episode also covered the demand side of GenomesDAO's business model, where the platform serves as secure infrastructure for genomic research, with growing interest from pharmaceutical companies. Through its focus on data ownership, security, and user empowerment, GenomesDAO is reshaping the genetic testing landscape.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:32 - Genomic Data and Privacy Concerns
02:20 - Challenges in the Genetic Testing Industry
03:58 - GenomesDAO's Mission and Approach
04:18 - Security Measures Compared to Traditional Companies
07:39 - Monetization and Data Ownership Issues
08:27 - Consent and User Engagement
10:42 - Getting Involved with GenomesDAO
12:21 - Point System and Health Reports
18:13 - Token Launch and Blockchain Details
19:13 - Building on BASE and Ecosystem Synergies
20:58 - Demand Side and Research Partnerships
25:08 - 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.
Follow Building in Public Podcast: https://x.com/builtnpublicpod In this episode, Connor and Greg Osuri (Founder of Akash Network) explore the changing landscape of American governance, focusing on the generational shift towards crypto and decentralized technologies. The guest highlights recent legislative changes, such as the passing of Bill 521, which reclassifies crypto as a commodity and shifts jurisdiction from the SEC to the CFTC, marking a significant moment for the industry. The conversation touches on the pro-crypto stance of the incoming administration and the potential for decentralized technologies to improve government efficiency, including through the proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Attention is also given to challenges in the AI space, especially energy consumption, and the role of Akash in providing decentralized cloud computing resources to meet growing demand. The episode wraps up with insights into Akash's onboarding process for data centers and the company's growth, driven by the need for affordable, accessible computing power in AI development. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:39 - Sponsor Message 00:58 - Regulatory Clarity in Crypto 03:41 - Crypto as a Commodity vs. Security 05:41 - Pro-Crypto Administration 07:38 - Impact of Government Adoption of Crypto 12:02 - Decentralized Tech in Government 14:01 - AI Regulation Perspectives 20:06 - Countermeasures for AI Threats 28:10 - Trends in AI and Energy Consumption 30:23 - Akash's Role in Decentralized AI 35:40 - Supply Constraints and Incentives 46:20 - Onboarding Process for Data Centers 48:33 - Customer Profiles and Use Cases Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In today’s episode Dylan G. Bane, an analyst at Messari, shared his insights on the evolving crypto landscape, focusing on decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN). He discussed the potential for institutional stigma around crypto to fade, unlocking investment in projects with real utility, especially those with tangible business models and cash flows. Dylan highlighted DePIN as a frontier for innovation, particularly in energy and wireless sectors, and emphasized the opportunities for entrepreneurs in these areas. He also reflected on his journey into crypto and offered advice for newcomers, stressing the importance of research, networking, and reputation-building. In a lightning round, he shared candid thoughts on crypto’s political future and the potential of projects like Glow.
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:36 - Sponsor Message
00:58 - Introduction to Dylan
01:26 - DePIN as the Frontier
02:54 - Saturation of Traditional VC Markets
04:04 - Dylan's Journey into DePIN
07:21 - Transitioning from RWA to DePIN
08:18 - Impact of Political Changes on Crypto
09:31 - Institutional Investment in DePIN
10:45 - Meme Coins vs. Utility Coins
12:55 - Valuations and Market Dynamics
14:05 - Identifying Promising DePIN Projects
16:40 - Evaluating Founders and Markets
18:32 - Tokenomics and Go-to-Market Strategies
20:00 - Challenges in DePIN Data
21:14 - Researching DePIN Investments
23:06 - Breaking into Crypto
25:35 - Lightning Round
27:01 - Closing Remarks
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
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Today we’re breaking DePIN news about a partnership between Daylight and Natix, with founders Jason Badeaux and Alireza Ghods joining the show to share the news. Jason explains how Daylight transforms homes and buildings into power plants, creating a clean and resilient energy system, while Alireza highlights Natix's AI-driven camera infrastructure, which supports autonomous driving and dynamic mapping. Together, they aim to integrate electric vehicles (EVs) into the energy grid, enabling users to share energy from their homes and cars. This episode showcases the innovative strides both companies are making in decentralized energy and mobility and the transformative potential of their collaboration.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:19 - Overview of Daylight's Mission
00:51 - Introduction to Natix and Its Vision
02:39 - Details of the Partnership Between Daylight and Natix
03:20 - How Daylight Integrates with Existing Energy Devices
05:02 - The Importance of Electric Vehicles in the Energy Market
06:05 - Call to Action for Listeners
07:20 - Closing Remarks
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Connor and Sal sat down with Cynthia Huang, founder of DTravel, a peer-to-peer vacation rental platform that offers a low 3% fee structure compared to the 20-30% typically charged by traditional platforms. Cynthia explained DTravel’s three key products: DTravel Direct, for host-managed direct bookings; DTravel Search, a listing discovery platform; and the Night Protocol, a decentralized data layer standardizing rental data. She shared insights into her journey into Web3 and the value of tokenization in fostering community and engagement. The discussion also covered DTravel’s role in decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN) and announced a $150 million TRVL token program to incentivize community growth.
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:33 - Overview of DTravel Ecosystem
03:03 - Cynthia's Founder Journey
08:22 - Connecting the Dots in Web3
10:59 - DePIN Ecosystem and Market Dynamics
15:18 - Tokenization and Community Focus
18:50 - Data Ownership and Migration
23:38 - Future Plans and Partnerships
24:44 - Building Through Market Cycles
27:47 - Community Growth Incentive Program
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In today's episode, Mahesh sat down with Neuratic, COO of Anyone, to discuss internet privacy and how current solutions lag behind growing awareness. Neuratic explained "privacy washing," where companies claim to protect data while exploiting it for profit, with Google as an example. We explored how the Anyone Network tackles these issues through decentralization, fragmenting user data across relay operators for enhanced privacy, unlike traditional VPNs. The team also shared insights into their unique pseudonymous structure, their rebranding from ATOR after tensions with the Tor Project, and plans for the Anyone Router hardware. We wrapped up with thoughts on tokenomics, Bittensor, OpenAI, and the cultural impact of The Matrix, highlighting Anyone’s commitment to a safer online world.
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:30 - Sponsor Message
01:00 - Guest Introduction
01:40 - Importance of Privacy
05:30 - Privacy Washing
06:30 - Global Privacy Rights
07:30 - Founders' Qualifications
08:30 - Anonymity in the Team
09:30 - Anyone Network Overview
11:40 - Protocol and VPN Use
13:30 - Emerging Applications
15:30 - Relationship with Tor
18:30 - Rebranding to Anyone
20:30 - Community and Trust
22:30 - Token Utility
24:30 - Fair Launch Concept
26:30 - Hardware Introduction
36:00 - Lightning Round
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In this episode, Sal interviews Leonard from Peaq, a layer-1 blockchain aimed at revolutionizing global infrastructure through decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN). Leonard shares Peaq’s journey from a Berlin-based IoT consultancy in 2017 to a vast ecosystem with millions of onchain devices and $25 million in tokenized machines. They discuss Peaq’s appeal to DePIN builders, driven by its scalable architecture, enterprise connections, and a robust toolbox supporting machine IDs, data access, payments, rewards, and more. With over 50 projects on Peaq, Leonard envisions a community that emphasizes real-world applications over speculative projects, tackling trillion-dollar industries like energy, mobility, and robotics. Key timestamps cover topics such as Peaq’s DePIN toolbox, modular architecture, and an upcoming token launch. Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 01:35 - Origins of Peaq 05:25 - Why DePIN Builders Choose Peaq 08:23 - Peaq’s DePIN Toolbox 10:40 - Modular vs Monolithic Architecture 12:50 - DePIN vs RWAs 17:20 - Machine DeFi 18:10 - Peaq’s Upcoming Token Launch 21:00 - DePIN Energy
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In this podcast, Sal interviewed Carlos Herrera, co-founder of Petastic. They discussed how Petastic’s decentralized identity network for pets aims to transform the pet care industry through a tokenized ecosystem. He highlights the platform’s ability to predict pet owners’ needs, streamline customer engagement, and support shelters with sustainable revenue models, ultimately benefiting pets and their owners. Carlos also shares his vision for expanding personalized pet care and enhancing animal welfare worldwide.
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:32 - Introduction to Petastic and Market
Overview
02:05 - Petastic's Vision and Unique Approach
07:17 - Building Relationships with Shelters and Rescues
11:00 - Understanding Customer Needs and Predictive Analytics
14:41 - Future Goals and Expansion Plans
17:27 - Upcoming Initiatives 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.
In this podcast, Connor and Sal spoke with David Vorick, co-founder of Glow, about the company's innovative model for funding new solar infrastructure using donations to build solar farms that generate revenue for further projects. Focused on large-scale solar installations in cost-effective regions like India, Glow emphasizes the additionality of carbon credits, ensuring contributions actively reduce emissions. David also highlighted Glow’s robust audit system for carbon credits and discussed its growth trajectory, hinting at future government interest in Glow’s decentralized, sustainable energy approach.
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Glow and Its Mission
00:30 - Explaining Glow to the Unfamiliar
02:11 - Focus on Large-Scale Solar Farms
03:51 - The Shift from Residential to Industrial Solar
04:41 - Cost Efficiency and Competitive Advantage
05:45 - New Solar vs. Existing Solar
06:27 - The Importance of Additionality in Carbon Credits
08:30 - Carbon Credits as a Revenue Model
10:42 - Why Solar is a Good Fit for Crypto
12:18 - Low Operational Costs of Solar Farms
13:23 - DePIN Verification and Audit Process
20:18 - Scaling the Supply Side and Incentives
24:14 - Demand Side and Revenue Insights
26:30 - Revenue Accrual to Token Holders
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In today’s episode, Connor is joined by Mark Rydon, a key figure in the decentralized infrastructure space, particularly focusing on Aethir and its innovative approach to DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks). They discussed how Aethir has built a robust revenue-generating model centered around enterprise-grade AI and gaming solutions.
Mark shared insights into the growing importance of GPUs in the AI landscape, highlighting the global compute scarcity and how Aethir addresses this challenge by allowing enterprises to reconnect idle compute resources. This model is akin to Airbnb, where companies can monetize their unused GPUs, creating a win-win situation for both suppliers and consumers.
They also discussed the recent success of Aethir's checker node sale, which generated nearly $130 million, showcasing the strong community support and the utility of these nodes in maintaining trust within the network. Mark explained how these nodes act as the "police" of the network, ensuring that contributors are providing the resources they claim.
Additionally, they explored Aethir's focus on enterprise clients, which has led to impressive revenue growth, with $36 million in annual recurring revenue and a steady month-over-month increase. Mark emphasized the importance of this enterprise focus, contrasting it with the challenges faced by other DePIN projects that target consumer equipment.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Building a Revenue-Generating Machine
00:35 - Understanding DePIN
00:57 - The Evolution of DePIN
04:49 - Aethir's Value Proposition
09:15 - Tapping into Latent Supply
10:04 - AethirEdge Devices
14:37 - Checker Node Sale Success
20:13 - Revenue Growth and Customer Profiles
26:56 - Keeping Up with Aethir
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Connor sat down with Alec Wilson, the COO of Spexi Network, a groundbreaking drone mapping company that is revolutionizing the earth imaging space. They spoke about how Spexi is leveraging the vast number of underutilized drones to create an ultra-high-resolution base layer of earth imagery, which is significantly more detailed than what satellites and planes can provide.
Alec explained the mechanics of the Spexi Network, where drone pilots can easily capture imagery by using a mobile app that guides them through a hexagon-based system called "Spexagons." This innovative approach not only allows for high-quality data collection but also provides an opportunity for drone enthusiasts to earn money while doing something they love.
They discussed the current state of the network, including the onboarding process for pilots and the demand from various sectors, such as municipalities, government agencies, and even metaverse and AI companies. Alec shared insights into how they are currently compensating pilots with cash and points, with plans for a future token distribution.
The conversation also touched on the challenges of coordinating a decentralized network of drone pilots and the importance of regulatory clarity as they navigate the evolving landscape of crypto economics. Overall, it was an enlightening discussion about the potential of Spexi Network to create a new data set that can benefit both drone pilots and customers seeking high-resolution earth imagery.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:28 - Sponsor Message
01:02 - Explaining Spexi to the Average Person
01:30 - The Earth Imaging Market
02:43 - The Role of Drones in Earth Imaging
03:48 - How the Spexi Network Works
05:01 - Benefits of Spexi for Drone Pilots
06:17 - Creating New Data Sets
07:32 - Growing the Supply Side
09:13 - Spexi’s Pilot Selection Process
10:57 - Payment Structure for Spexi Drone Pilots
12:36 - Integrating Token Economics into the Spexi Network
14:55 - Demand Side Overview
16:00 - Customer Segments
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Connor welcomes back old co-host Sami Kassab (now a Partner at OSS Capital) and guest Josh Benaron, founder of Irys, a next-generation data provenance and storage L1. They delved into the evolution of Irys from its origins as Bundlr, an L2 solution for Arweave, to its current status as a programmable data chain. Josh shared his insights on the importance of storytelling and writing for founders, emphasizing how effective communication can significantly impact hiring, fundraising, and overall success.
They explored Josh's unique journey, including his decision to drop out of university to pursue his entrepreneurial ambitions in the crypto space. He discussed the vision behind Irys, which aims to unify data services on-chain and support applications that rely heavily on data. Josh also addressed the differences between Irys and other projects like Filecoin, highlighting how Irys enables programmability at the data level, which he believes is crucial for mass adoption.
As they wrapped up, they touched on the future of decentralized applications (dApps) and the potential of DePIN networks. Josh expressed his bullish outlook on the DePIN space, noting its significant market fit despite being less hyped compared to other sectors like AI. They also discussed the upcoming token for Irys, with Josh hinting at a thoughtful approach to tokenomics that prioritizes community strength and sustainability.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:23 - The Importance of Writing and Storytelling for Founders
04:11 - Josh's Decision to Drop Out of University
06:54 - Transition from Bundler to Irys
10:04 - Irys vs. Filecoin: Differentiating Approaches
14:05 - Incentivizing Builders on Irys
16:57 - The Future of DeFi and Deepin
19:32 - Unified Layer for Permanent and Non-Permanent Data
21:14 - Tokenomics and Future Plans for Irys
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Co-hosts Connor and Mahesh discuss the rapidly evolving world of DePIN and the broader implications for the crypto sector. They discuss whether they should be concerned about the proliferation of projects labeling themselves as DePIN and whether it's time to create more specific subcategories within the sector.
Connor shares insights from a recent real-world DePIN event hosted by IoTeX, highlighting the excitement and attendance that reflects the growing interest in this space. They explore the current landscape, noting that while the number of projects is booming, the quality of founders entering the space is becoming more varied. This shift is reminiscent of the early days of DeFi, where the barrier to entry lowered, leading to a surge of new projects.
They also touch on the importance of maintaining a big tent approach for the DePIN community, allowing for inclusivity and self-definition among founders. As DePIN transitions from subculture to pop culture, they recognize the need for a unified term like DePIN to attract attention and investment.
The conversation shifts to the physical versus digital aspects of DePIN projects, with a debate on the merits of hardware-based solutions versus software-centric models. They agree that both have their advantages and that the future will likely see a blend of both approaches.
Finally, they discuss the upcoming election and its potential impact on the crypto landscape. While there are concerns about the political climate, they remain optimistic about the future of DePIN and crypto as a whole, emphasizing the importance of innovation and community support.
00:00 - Introduction
00:26 - Sponsor Message: Polygon Labs
00:45 - The Boom of DePIN
02:08 - Quality and Quantity in DePIN Projects
03:34 - DePIN’s Transition from Subculture to Pop Culture
04:05 - IoTeX's Real World DePIN Event
05:30 - DePIN Terminology
07:56 - The Big Tent Philosophy10:03 - Physical vs. Digital DePIN
15:07 - Market Dynamics and Token Launches
16:10 - Election Concerns and Market Impact
17:32 - Political Predictions and Crypto
20:52 - The Future of Governance and Crypto
Connor had the pleasure of speaking with Shaan Chaudhari, his college friend and Chief Growth Officer at XNET. They reminisce about their early days in the DePIN space, particularly during the challenging bear market when investor interest was low and token prices were down. Shaan shared his journey and his pivot from potentially attending dental school to fully committing to the crypto industry, motivated by PoC co-hosts Sal and Mahesh, who encouraged him to take risks while he was young.
They discussed the importance of community building in crypto, especially during tough times. Shaan emphasized that showing conviction and leadership is crucial for inspiring others to join you on the journey, regardless of market conditions. He highlighted the sacrifices made by founders and the need for authenticity when reaching out to industry leaders, especially for newcomers looking to break into the space.
As they wrapped up, Shaan reflected on the growth of the DePIN community over the past few years and expressed excitement for the future.
00:00 - Introduction
00:36 - Taking Risks in Your Career
01:59 - The Excitement of DePIN
02:51 - Lessons from the Bear Market
03:44 - Building a Convicted Community
04:34 - Advice for Newcomers to Crypto
06:04 - Reflections 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.
In today’s episode, Sal and Connor had an insightful discussion with Mike from Geodnet about their recent move to become a multi-chain platform. They explored the motivations behind this decision, particularly how it allows Geodnet to tap into different Web3 communities and enhance adoption of their utility token, GEOD. Mike shared that Geodnet is already wrapped on IoTeX and is set to expand onto Solana, which he believes has a strong DeFi ecosystem.
They delved into the benefits of going multi-chain, including the ability to meet Web3 users where they are and the potential for increased liquidity. Mike emphasized that while some may worry about fragmenting liquidity, established projects like Geodnet can successfully navigate this challenge.
The conversation also touched on Geodnet's impressive on-chain revenue generation, which ranks among the top in the DePIN space. Mike explained how their B2B focus has led to significant customer adoption across various industries, including automotive and agriculture. They discussed the competitive advantages Geodnet has, such as its extensive global RTK network, which offers unmatched accuracy and ease of use compared to existing solutions.
They also explored the tokenomics of Geodnet, where every dollar spent on their services directly contributes to buying back GEOD tokens, with a significant portion being burned to create a deflationary effect. Mike highlighted their goal of decentralization, aiming to establish Geodnet as a fully decentralized protocol for high-accuracy data.
Towards the end of the episode, they discussed Geodnet's plans for a mobile app that will enhance consumer GPS navigation and improve accuracy in challenging environments like tunnels. Mike explained the technology behind this, including sensor fusion techniques that combine GPS with inertial measurement units for better performance.
Overall, this episode provided a comprehensive look at Geodnet's innovative approach to high-precision location services and their commitment to building a decentralized future.
00:00 - Introduction
00:32 - Introduction to Multi-Chain Strategy
02:00 - Geodnet's Multi-Chain Expansion
04:30 - On-Chain Revenue Generation
06:30 - Adoption Drivers for Geodnet
08:30 - Cost Savings with Geodnet
10:30 - Tokenomics and Revenue Accrual
14:00 - Decentralization Goals
17:00 - Scaling Supply Side
20:30 - Geodnet Token Incentives for Miners
22:30 - Mobile App Development
24:30 - Enhancing GPS Accuracy
28:00 - 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.
Connor had the pleasure of sitting down with Omar Ramadan, a former big tech entrepreneur who transitioned into the world of crypto and DePIN. They delved into the concept of Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and how they play a crucial role in enhancing user experience by caching website data closer to users geographically. Omar shared his background, including his involvement in projects like Magma and OpenCellular, which aimed to provide connectivity to remote communities.
They discussed the limitations of traditional CDNs, particularly in live streaming scenarios where multiple users access the same content. Omar highlighted the inefficiencies of unicast-based CDNs and introduced the idea of multicast CDNs, which can significantly reduce bandwidth usage by allowing multiple users to share the same stream.
The conversation also touched on the challenges faced by streaming giants in deploying CDN infrastructure in high-demand areas, as well as the potential of decentralized infrastructure and blockchain technology to incentivize individuals to run their own CDN nodes. Omar explained how DePIN’s could help overcome the cold start problem and facilitate a more efficient and cost-effective CDN model.
Overall, this episode provided valuable insights into the future of content delivery, the role of decentralization, and the exciting possibilities that lie ahead in the intersection of technology and crypto.
00:00 - Introduction
00:38 - Omar's Transition from Big Tech to Crypto
02:54 - Understanding CDNs: A User's Perspective
03:32 - How CDNs Work: Caching and Latency
05:01 - Challenges for Remote Areas and Streaming Giants
06:25 - The Role of Locality in CDN Performance
08:24 - CDNs and the Future of the Metaverse
10:19 - Multicast CDNs: A New Paradigm
10:41 - Incentives and Blockchain in CDN Infrastructure
12:30 - 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.
Today Connor and Dave Grantham dive deep into the concept of real-world verification and its critical role in scaling DePINs. Dave shares insights on how AI can enhance the governance and reputation systems within these networks.
They discuss the importance of functional verification, which allows us to build a reputation graph that helps distinguish reliable nodes from newcomers. Dave explains Reppo's dual approach: leveraging AI specialists to create models that detect gaming behaviors and optimizing resource allocation, while also providing a marketplace for monetizing these models.
The conversation highlights the potential of AI to act as an immune system for DePIN’s, identifying anomalies and bad actors by analyzing vast amounts of data. They explore how AI can automate governance, price risk, and even assist in capital investment decisions, making DePIN’s more resilient and efficient.
Additionally, they touch on the current state of review systems, emphasizing their vulnerabilities to manipulation and the need for verifiable reputation mechanisms. Dave argues that AI can significantly improve the integrity of these systems by detecting patterns of gaming and ensuring honest reporting.
Overall, this episode sheds light on the transformative potential of AI in the DePIN space, paving the way for more robust and scalable decentralized networks.
00:00 - Introduction
00:32 - The Real World Verification Problem
01:02 - Reppo's Approach to Real World Verification
02:52 - Augmenting Physical Verification
04:48 - Community Involvement in Verification
05:27 - AI in Reputation Systems
09:04 - Current State of Reviews
10:11 - Verifiable Reputation Systems
11:23 - Reppo as the DePIN Doctor
12:07 - Governance and Regulation in DePIN’s
14:28 - AI's Role in Risk Assessment
15:34 - Conclusion and Future of AI in DePIN’s
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Connor had the pleasure of speaking with Adam Feiler from Minima, a pioneering company in the blockchain space. They delved into the evolving landscape of technology, particularly the shift from cloud-based solutions back to on-device processing. Minima positions itself as an embedded blockchain that allows for data attestation at the source, which is crucial for ensuring the integrity of information generated by IoT devices.
They discussed the importance of peer-to-peer communication and how Minima's lightweight protocol enables machine-to-machine payments and autonomous agents to validate and utilize data effectively. This innovation is set to create a new economic model for the data we produce, enhancing trust and verification in real-time.
The conversation also touched on the longevity of crypto startups, with insights on how to build projects that can withstand market volatility. Minima has been operational since 2018 and has successfully launched its token, boasting a network of 50,000 node operators. The emphasis was on creating long-term value and fostering a community based on trust.
Additionally, they explored the relationship between IoT and decentralized finance (DeFi), with Minima's upcoming partnership with a major chip manufacturer to embed blockchain functionality directly into devices. This advancement aims to make blockchain technology seamless for users, allowing devices to operate as blockchain nodes without requiring user intervention.
Overall, this episode highlighted the exciting potential of combining IoT with blockchain technology, paving the way for a future where devices autonomously interact and transact, all while maintaining a high level of trust and security.
00:00 - Introduction
00:32 - The Shift From Cloud to On-device Computing
01:06 - Minima as an Embedded Blockchain
02:05 - Real World Verification Challenges
03:01 - Trust, Node Equality and Data Validation
04:05 - Lasting Multiple Cycles as a Crypto Startup
05:57 - IoT vs. DePIN
07:08 - Embedding Blockchain Functionality in Devices
07:50 - Autonomous AI Agents and Machine-to-Machine Payment Systems
08:14 - 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.
Connor is joined by Jiahao Sunof Flock, a project that aims to revolutionize the AI landscape through decentralization. They discussed the growing trend of open-source AI models catching up to their closed-source counterparts, raising the question of whether closed-source AI is becoming obsolete. Jiahao emphasized the importance of community-driven development and the need for individuals to have control over their own data and AI models, rather than relying solely on tech giants like Google and Microsoft.
They explored Flock's unique approach, which combines federated learning with blockchain technology to ensure user data remains local while still allowing for collaborative training. This model not only promotes privacy but also addresses the biases that can arise from centralized evaluations, as highlighted by past controversies in the industry.
Looking ahead, they speculated on the future of AI agents and how everyday people might interact with them. Jiahao predicted a surge in personal AI agents that could operate locally on devices, enhancing privacy and user control. They also touched on the challenges posed by centralized AI systems and the importance of developing decentralized solutions that empower users.
Overall, it was an insightful conversation about the future of AI, the role of decentralization, and the potential for individuals to harness their own AI agents.
00:00 - Introduction
00:02 - Empowering the Community with AI
00:20 - The Rise of Open Source AI01:30 - Flock's Vision for Decentralized AI
02:45 - Quality Data Over Quantity
03:56 - The Need for Decentralized AI
05:04 - Future of AI Agents
06:31 - Privacy and Local AI Models07:06 - Closing Remarks
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Connor welcomes Samer Bishay, founder of Karrier One, who recently acquired Cellular Spectrum in Canada. This acquisition marks a significant milestone for Karrier One, allowing them to transition from a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) to a mobile network operator (MNO). This change not only gives them a seat at the table among major players in the telecom industry but also enhances their ability to communicate and collaborate with other MNOs.
They discussed the importance of owning spectrum and how Karrier One plans to leverage this acquisition to address infrastructure challenges, particularly in rural and remote areas. The conversation also touched on the various approaches to building cellular networks, including CBRS and Wi-Fi offload, and how Karrier One's spectrum-agnostic strategy empowers spectrum holders to monetize their assets.
Additionally, they explored Karrier One's inclusive approach to partnerships, emphasizing the importance of cultivating a community of deployers and contributors. Samer highlighted the excitement surrounding the potential of their technology, likening it to the early days of the internet.
Overall, this episode provided valuable insights into the evolving landscape of the telecom industry and Karrier One's innovative strategies to enhance connectivity for underserved populations.
00:00 - Introduction
00:47 - Acquisition of Cellular Spectrum
01:52 - MNO vs. MVNO
02:30 - Building Cellular Networks
03:54 - Challenges of Wi-Fi Offload
05:08 - Inclusive Network Building
05:50 - Cultivating Community of Deployers
07:19 - Creating Infrastructure Equity
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In this episode, Connor had the pleasure of speaking with Garrett of Nodle, a groundbreaking startup that utilises smartphones to create a decentralized network for various applications. They discussed how Nodle began its journey seven years ago, initially focusing on building mesh networks to facilitate communication in areas without internet access. Today, Nodle has evolved into a powerful tool for verifying reality, enabling users to prove the authenticity of images and data through a new app called Click.
Garrett highlighted the importance of citizen journalism in the current digital landscape, where anyone with a smartphone can capture significant events. We explored the potential of Nodle's technology to collect and incentivize these insights, making it a valuable resource for media companies and AI firms alike. One of the key challenges they addressed was the difficulty in distinguishing between real and AI-generated content, emphasizing the need for reliable verification tools.
They also delved into the technical aspects of Nodle's wireless network creation, which utilizes Bluetooth connectivity from smartphones to locate assets, such as stolen vehicles. This innovative approach not only reduces costs but also enhances the efficiency of connecting devices to the internet.
Garrett shared his vision for a more open future, where smartphones can be utilized to their full potential, breaking free from the restrictions imposed by traditional telecom companies. We discussed the implications of this shift, particularly in terms of trust and decentralization, and how blockchain technology can play a crucial role in establishing a more scalable and reliable model.
00:00 - Introduction
00:11 - The Challenge of Verifying Media Authenticity
00:26 - Overview of Nodle's Offerings
01:03 - The Evolution of Nodle's Technology
02:21 - The Role of Citizen Journalism in Modern Media
03:54 - Using Blockchain for Media Verification
04:50 - Image Authentication and Metadata Security
05:26 - Wireless Network Creation with Smartphones
06:38 - Real-World Applications: Asset Recovery
07:33 - The Future of Connectivity and Microcomputers
08:05 - The Debate: Custom Hardware vs. Smartphones
09:18 - The Shift Towards a More Open Future
10:01 - Decentralization and Trust in the Digital Age
10:11 - 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.
In this episode, Mahesh sits down with Rushi Manche, the founder of Movement Labs, to explore the dynamic world of decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN) and the Move programming language.
The conversation begins with a look at the innovative work of the Solana team, particularly the unexpected success of the Solana Saga phone, which has piqued interest in Web3 products. Rushi offers his insights on how DePIN is disrupting industries typically controlled by a few large authorities, such as energy grids and telecommunications, by decentralizing control and enabling broader participation.
As the DePIN Summit approaches, Rushi shares his excitement about the growing number of projects in the space. He notes that, while DePIN currently represents only 7% of the altcoin market cap, its potential to transform trillion-dollar industries is substantial. The discussion also covers the critical issue of security in blockchain, with Rushi reflecting on the billions lost to hacks each year and how Movement Labs is working to enhance blockchain security and accessibility.
Rushi underscores the importance of innovation and experimentation in the crypto world, especially for younger founders entering the space. He shares his own journey, emphasizing the value of mentorship and community support in navigating the challenges of building during a bear market.
The future of the Move programming language and its wide range of applications, from decentralized GPUs to novel projects like sentiment-based memory bracelets, is also explored. Rushi's vision for Movement Labs is clear: to build a decentralized ecosystem that empowers users and fosters real-world blockchain applications.
00:00 - Introduction
00:51 - Introducing Rushi from Movement Labs
01:26 - Understanding DePIN
03:30 - Mentorship in Crypto
04:54 - Building in a Bear Market
06:20 - Focus on Move Programming Language
08:25 - Security in Blockchain
09:08 - Making Security Attractive
10:48 - User Identity and Data Security
12:46 - DePIN's Role in Security
15:17 - Catalysts for DePIN's Growth
16:57 - Decentralization and User Experience
19:22 - Use Cases for Movement
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In today’s episode we welcome back co-host John Wu and introduce Ash Ahmed, a recent Harvard College graduate and co-founder of Axal. Ash shares his fascinating journey from being a competitive debater to the world of startups and cryptocurrency.
We discuss the unique bond between Ash and his twin brother, who is also making waves in the venture space with a non-invasive Neuralink startup. Ash discusses the entrepreneurial spirit fostered at Harvard, the challenges of building a company while still in college, and the importance of reflection in his decision-making process.
Ash explains how Axal aims to create a network for verifiable autonomous agents, making tasks easier and more accessible for users. He highlights the intersection of AI and blockchain, the utility of Axal's token, and the vision for the future of crypto and task fulfillment.
00:00 - Introduction
01:06 - Introduction of Guests
01:57 - Sibling Rivalry and Competition: Ash's Twin Brother
04:19 - Different Paths: Ash and His Brother's Journeys
06:17 - Entrepreneurship in College
09:18 - Finding Funding and Building Axal
10:42 - Advice for Mentors in Startup Accelerators
12:26 - The Importance of Ambition and Hustle
16:46 - Reflections on Personal Growth and Maturity
17:12 - Introducing Axal: The Platform Overview
21:00 - Exploring Other Vertical Opportunities for Axal
23:23 - The Role of UI/UX in Product Development
24:34 - Comparing Computer Science Education Across Universities
26:10 - The Entrepreneurial Spirit at Harvard
27:25 - Token Utility and Ecosystem Dynamics
30:57 - Future Vision: Axal's Role in the Crypto Landscape
33:11 - Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs in College
36:06 - The Pressure of Early Career Decisions
37:32 - The Value of Banking Experience for Entrepreneurs
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In this episode, Connor talks to John Dogru of 3DOS about the evolving landscape of 3D printing and its implications for manufacturing and entrepreneurship. John, a seasoned veteran in the 3D printing industry, discusses how the expiration of key patents in the mid-2010s has led to increased competition, driving down costs and improving quality. This democratization of technology has made 3D printing more accessible, allowing individuals to start their own businesses with multiple printers at home.
They explore the current state of the industry, highlighting advancements in desktop printers that now rival expensive industrial machines. John shares insights on the diverse applications of 3D printing, from medical devices to everyday household items, and how it is becoming a staple in various sectors, including automotive and IoT.
The conversation shifts to the broader economic implications of manufacturing, emphasizing the need to return to a model where value is derived from producing goods and services rather than financial engineering. John advocates for a balance that supports productive individuals in society.
They also discuss the journey of building a startup in the decentralized manufacturing space, including the importance of aligning with the right investors and choosing the right blockchain technology. John shares his vision for 3DOS, which aims to streamline the connection between design and manufacturing while expanding into a global distribution platform.
Overall, this episode provides a fascinating look at the future of 3D printing, the potential for decentralized manufacturing, and the importance of creating a sustainable economic model that prioritizes real production.
00:00 - A discussion on the history and advancements in 3D printing technology
01:02 - An overview of the current capabilities of 3D printing
03:23 -Exploration of how increased competition and lower costs are shaping the 3D printing landscape.
05:18 - A conversation about the importance of returning to a production-based economy versus financial engineering.
06:28 - Insights on fundraising and selecting the right blockchain for startups in DePIN
08:41 - Reflections on the benefits of a flexible work lifestyle and how it enhances productivity.
10:36 - Discussion on the future goals of 3DOS
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In today’s episode Connor was joined by Logan Jastremski, an investor and co-founder of Frictionless Capital. They delved into the evolving landscape of venture capital in crypto, particularly focusing on the DePIN sector, which has gained significant traction over the past six months.
Logan shared his insights on the importance of conviction in the face of skepticism, especially during challenging market conditions. He reflected on his unwavering support for Solana during its bear market, emphasizing the significance of understanding the underlying technology and its potential for scalability. His experience at Tesla shaped his perspective on the physics of blockchain architecture, reinforcing his belief that certain design elements are essential for long-term success.
They also discussed the role of his podcast in building a network and reputation within the crypto community. Logan expressed how the podcast serves as a platform for founders to share their stories, which not only benefits them but also enhances his understanding of the industry. He highlighted the importance of asking better questions to facilitate meaningful conversations.
As they wrapped up, Logan articulated his hopes for the DePIN sector, emphasizing the need for robust infrastructure to support scalable applications. He believes that decentralized physical infrastructure networks have the potential to revolutionize the way we utilize blockchain technology.
00:00 - The Nature of Venture Capital
01:01 - Starting the Podcast
02:46 - Building a Network Through Podcasting
04:08 - Conviction in Solana
06:51 - Understanding Blockchain Architecture
08:35 - Focus on the Deep End Sector
10:16 - Product Focus in Crypto
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In today's episode, Connor interviews Shayon Sengupta, an early investor in DePIN. They discuss the rapid growth and potential of DePIN as a business model innovation enabled by crypto. Shayon highlighted the importance of both supply and demand sides in the DePIN space, emphasizing the need for pragmatic approaches to onboarding demand. They also touched upon the unique blend of applications and infrastructure in DePIN networks, with a focus on tokenomics and value transfer.
Shayon shared insights on his role as an activist investor, providing valuable guidance to portfolio companies to increase their probability of success. He emphasized the significance of being involved in decision-making at the product and distribution side, leveraging his expertise in product development.
Overall, the conversation delved into the evolving landscape of DePIN, the importance of token design, and the role of investors in supporting founders in the crypto space. It was an insightful discussion that shed light on the potential and challenges of DePIN networks.
00:00 - Intro
00:57 - Introduction to DePIN’s Business Model Innovation
05:30 - The Debate Between Applications and Infrastructure in DePIN
07:25 - Investor Activism and Support for Founders
Although our guest this week is an Investment 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.
In this episode, Connor welcomed back Sami Kassab, a DePIN OG and former PoC podcast co-host. Connor and Sami discussed the growing relevance and popularity of DePIN in the current market, with a focus on real-world value creation. Sami shared insights on the latest developments in the Bittensor ecosystem, highlighting its role as a decentralized AI project producing tangible results.
We delved into Sami's transition from operating in the crypto space to his current role at OSS Capital, where he is laser-focused on Bittensor. He emphasized the importance of specialization and developing expertise in a specific area to make a meaningful contribution. Sami's journey from research to investing provided valuable insights for those looking to break into the crypto VC space.
Overall, the episode showcased the evolving landscape of DePIN and Bittensor, highlighting the potential for these projects to drive innovation and create real-world impact in the crypto and AI space.
00:00:00 - Introduction to DePIN's Growing Relevance
00:03:40 - Bittensor: A Decentralized AI Project
00:06:42 - Bittensor's Role in the DePIN Ecosystem
00:07:45 - Transition from Operator to Investor in Crypto VC
00:10:33 - 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.
In today’s episode, Connor discusses the importance of real-world verification in the DePIN network with Raullen Chai from IoTeX. They explore the challenges of ensuring devices in the network perform as expected and provide minimum levels of service. Raullen highlights IoTeX's approach to addressing this issue through device integrity, data privacy, and verification processes.
The conversation also delves into IoTeX's recent 2.0 launch, focusing on modularizing the tech infrastructure to make it more accessible to builders and developers. Raullen emphasizes the need for more DePIN projects in the market to test what works and what doesn't.
Furthermore, Connor & Raullen touch on IoTeX's longevity in the crypto industry, attributing their success to a dedicated team, long-term vision, and adaptability to industry trends.
00:00 - Real World Verification Challenges
01:24 - Pain Points in DePIN Projects
02:36 - Democratizing DePIN
03:18 - IoTeX's Approach to Real-World Verification
04:28 - Longevity and Success of IoTeX
In today’s episode Connor interviews Ben Schiller, a crypto journalist from CoinDesk, about the recent launch of a DePIN vertical on their platform. Ben discusses the importance of covering DePIN as a separate topic due to its unique focus on physical infrastructure and tangible services. They also touch on the evolution of the DePIN industry, the need for real revenue and profitability, and the potential for unicorn companies to emerge in the space. Ben emphasizes the importance of original and provocative perspectives in the coverage of DePIN and invites listeners to contribute their insights. Overall, the episode highlights the growing interest and experimentation in the DePIN sector and the potential for significant revenue growth in the future. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:40 - Why CoinDesk started covering DePIN 05:30 - Planning Crypto Events 09:28 - Evolution of the Term "DePIN" 10:12 - Revenue Outlook in the DePINIndustry
In today’s episode, we had Jonathan from SkyTrade as our guest, discussing the current state and future of air rights in the drone industry. Jonathan highlighted the use cases of air rights in real estate, views protection, and overhangs. He also emphasized the importance of drones and cargo drones in the future of low-altitude transit.
Jonathan shared insights on how SkyTrade is revolutionizing the air rights market by enabling homeowners to monetize their airspace through a marketplace and a drone radar app. He also discussed the plans for landing and refueling stations for drones, emphasizing the potential for infrastructure development in the drone industry.
Additionally, Jonathan hinted at the possibility of a native token for SkyTrade in the future, with tokenomics already in progress. Overall, the episode provided valuable insights into the evolving landscape of air rights and the role of SkyTrade in shaping the future of the drone industry.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to SkyTrade and Air Rights Market
05:30 - Motivation Behind Writing Publicly and Building a Following
10:30 - Current State and Future of Air Rights Use Cases
19:48 - Future State of Air Rights and Use Cases
29:48 - Discussion on eVTOL Market and Concentration of Companies
35:32 - Enforcement and Regulation of Air Rights
36:34 - SkyTrade's Plans for Landing and Taking Off Stations
39:54 - SkyTrade Token Plans and Usage
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In this episode, Connor, Sal, and Mahesh discussed the recent DePIN Summit and reflected on the highs and lows of the event. They talked about the importance of bringing the DePIN community together in person to foster collaboration and innovation and shared their experiences with recording the podcast in-person and the overall success of the Summit.
We also touched on the feedback from other founders and investors on the SBC conference and how DePIN stands out with its focus on both infrastructure and applications. The hosts highlighted the energy and optimism present at the summit, especially in sectors like telecom and energy.
Overall, the episode emphasized the importance of making noise about DePIN and the exciting developments within the community. The hosts expressed their enthusiasm for the future of DePIN and the growth potential of the sector.
00:00:00 - Intro
00:05:30 - Mahesh's Talk and Venue Atmosphere
00:10:34 - Highlights and Post-Summit Reflections
00:13:04 - Plans for Future DePIN Summits
00:16:22 - Ping Pong Tournament Recap
00:17:13 - Discussion on SBC Conference Criticism
00:20:17 - Focus on Telecom and Energy Sectors
00:21:46 - Watch the DePIN Summit Talks!!
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In this episode, Connor and Mahesh are joined by Karam Lakshman, the founder of the Dabba Network, a wireless network project in India. Karam shared the journey of Dabba, starting from a software consulting company to the deployment of Wi-Fi hotspots across India. The unique model of decoupling hotspot ownership and deployment was highlighted, allowing for foreign investment and scalability. The founder discussed the competitive advantage of Dabba in terms of pricing and coverage compared to traditional telcos in India. The episode also touched upon the upcoming token launch for Dabba, following the buy and burn mechanic for data transfer usage. Overall, the episode provided insights into the innovative approach of Dabba in providing affordable and widespread connectivity in India.
00:00:00 - DePIN’s Expansion
00:05:30 - Global Networks and Deepin's Unique Approach
00:10:46 - Significance of Dreams and Personal Reflections
00:15:20 - India's Growing Wireless Networks
00:17:35 - Dabba’s Origin Story and Progress
00:23:44 - Considering the Helium SubDAO model
00:25:51 - Transition to Mainnet and Token Launch
00:29:08 - Location and Geography in DePIN Networks
00:31:22 - Helium’s Network of Networks Concept
00:34:02 - Supply and Deployment Model of Hotspots
00:37:44 - Demand Side and Data Usage
00:41:42 - Power of Community Assets in the DePIN Model
00:42:29 - Tokenomics Overview and TGE Plans
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In this episode, Connor & Sal are joined by Jason from Daylight. They delve into the world of energy and blockchain technology with a focus on the Daylight Network. The conversation touched on various topics, including the concept of energy as a commodity, the challenges and opportunities in the energy industry, and the evolution of the Daylight Network from its inception to its current state.
The discussion also explored the idea of peer-to-peer energy trading, the role of liquidity in decentralized networks, and the importance of separating governance and economic rights in protocols. Jason shared insights on the Medallions model, inspired by taxi medallions, as a way to simplify operational overhead and provide a fixed amount of energy capacity to users.
Additionally, the conversation touched on the topic of fixed versus variable total token supplies and token inflation. Overall, the episode provided a deep dive into the intersection of energy, blockchain technology, and token economics, offering valuable insights and perspectives on the evolving landscape of decentralized networks.
00:00:00 - Introduction to Energy and Electricity Demand
00:01:01 - Discussion about DePIN Summit and Twitter Engagement
00:03:29 - Networking on Twitter
00:08:06 - Discussion on US Government Crypto Policy and Regulatory Changes
00:08:39 - Overview of Energy Industry and Future Infrastructure Needs
00:12:33 - Comparison of Wireless Industry and Decentralized Energy Movement
00:14:55 - Contribution of Flexible Energy Capacity and Energy-Backed Currency
00:15:34 - Discussion on Peer-to-Peer Energy and Market Structures
00:16:32 - Overview of Daylight Marketplace and Electrification Projects
00:22:38 - Evolution of React to Daylight, Bear Market Strategies, and Recent Funding
00:25:16 - Overview of Medallions Model and Separation of Governance and Economic Rights
00:30:23 - Helium Network and Sourceful HIP Discussion
00:35:16 - Insights on Sub-DAO Models and Token Economics
00:37:44 - Introduction to Medallions Model and Taxi Medallion Analogy
00:40:32 - Discussion on Medallions Model and Simplifying Operational Overhead
00:41:25 - Inflation Perspective and Token Economics for Daylight Network
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In this episode, Mahesh and guest host John Wu are joined by Kaledora Fontana Kiernan-Linn, Co-Founder of Ostium Labs. Ostium is committed to delivering solutions around stablecoin settlement, low-latency oracle-based pricing, minimal liquidity provider exposure, and a disintermediated and unbiased trading environment.
We discuss the world of Ostium, finance, and various platforms like Interactive Brokers, LMAX, CME, and Coinbase futures. Kaledora examines the flexibility and benefits of the current trading model, highlighting institutional liquidity, potential partnerships, and the intriguing concept of "perpification."
We also explore the noncustodial perp market for commodities, the significance of funding rates, and the creation of a platform for onboarding real-world assets through synthetic products. Kaledora shares insights into the technical challenges and the project's potential to disrupt traditional markets. Additionally, we uncover the novel solution for market hours data at the node level, emphasizing the importance of quick and decisive decision-making in the startup landscape.
Gain valuable perspectives on trading strategies, decision-making, and the exciting innovations reshaping the world of finance and investment.
00:00 Prioritize quick decision-making over perfection, use intuition.
04:25 Rational decision-making process for quitting ballet.
07:33 Encouraging team trust, accepting imperfect decisions.
10:50 Constructive disagreements focus on idea generation approaches.
15:48 Trading any asset as a perpetual summary.
17:24 Innovative funding rates create balance in crypto.
23:27 Express thoughts freely, don't overthink sharing.
25:32 Advice for overcoming writer's block and perfectionism.
27:57 Accounting for market features crucial for creating oracles.
31:28 Improved solution for market hours data reporting.
36:08 Decentralized system using pool-based market making.
39:10 Excited about future opportunities in crypto markets.
41:18 Creating perpetuals, a unique onboarding approach overview.
44:34 Cryptocurrency, perpetual futures, and evolution of assets.
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Sal is joined by Tom Trowbridge, Co-Founder of Fluence Labs. Fluence’s DePIN platform frees developers from centralized clouds by offering natively decentralized, low cost, and verifiable compute. In today’s episode, we dive deep into the world of decentralized networks with real-world utility. We discuss the trade-offs of decentralization, share personal experiences transitioning into the crypto space, and explore the changing landscape of talent and innovation in the crypto industry. The conversation delves into Fluence's unique approach to attracting utility-focused compute providers to power a decentralized, fault- tolerant, low-cost cloudless computing platform. This episode is filled with valuable insights covering the benefits and challenges of decentralized governance in token economies.
00:00 - Balancing institutional background with entrepreneurial experience.
05:48 - Sal's crypto-interest sparked by the first dedicated Crypto VC funds in 2018.
11:30 - Fluence’s new-generation Aqua programming language for distributed systems.
19:00 - Approximating demand for FLT through CPU staking.
25:31 - Drawbacks against community-run governance and centralization.
38:05 - Governance-minimized DePIN protocols.
42:40 - Sal discusses decentralized energy projects he’s excited about.
49:57 - AI model training, e.g. Grass for text and Frodobots for robotics.
56:30 - Complex crypto network economics impact crypto cycles.
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In this episode, Sal is joined by ZX and Sylvan from Parasail - the leading restaking protocol for DePIN. Parasail is the first restaking protocol to provide onchain economic guarantees for DePIN services, helping drive DePIN adoption and onchain revenues. Discover how they’re connecting established crypto assets with emerging DePIN services to backstop on-chain refunds and boost staking rewards. ZX and Sylvan discuss Parasail's origins in the Filecoin ecosystem and their vision for the future of decentralized infrastructure. Whether you're a crypto enthusiast, a DePIN founder, or just curious about web3, this episode provides an inside look into the bleeding edge of crypto-economic innovation.
0:00 - Using onchain crypto incentives to backstop offchain services.
5:19 - Decentralized storage and staking in the Filecoin ecosystem.
11:27 - DePIN restaking: leveraging BTC, ETH, and SOL for security.
20:04 - Insurance for decentralized protocols, customer acquisition strategies, and service quality.
28:40 - Lessons from decentralized finance (DeFi) and the potential risks of centralization in staking networks.
36:19 - Token delegation and future development ideas. Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In this special episode, Connor is joined by Abhay Kumar and Joey Hiller from Helium, as well as Fredrik Ahlgren and Tobias Ohlsson from Srcful to discuss Srcful’s proposal to build a decentralized energy grid on top of Helium Network infrastructure. Helium is one of the oldest, largest DePIN projects, mostly focused on building out wireless networks but now leveraging its vast footprint and community to support DePINs in other verticals like energy and mobility. Meanwhile, Srcful is developing a community-driven virtual power plant (VPP) that utilizes distributed energy resources (DERs) like solar panels and batteries to gather real-time energy production and consumption data and sell energy back to the grid. They discuss the development of virtual power plants, the economics of energy control in a global network, and how homeowners can participate in energy markets. Listen in as they explore the challenges and opportunities of building a physical infrastructure network with tokenomics, leveraging the Helium community, and expanding their network's reach. 00:00 - The expansion of the Helium network.
04:22 - Simplifying network participation for individuals and expanding beyond wireless.
08:27 - Srcful being inspired by Helium and creating a physical infrastructure network.
09:46 - The transition to renewable energy is reshaping the energy grid.
14:07 - Entering new markets is complex and expensive.
17:38 - Focusing on Helium IoT gateways for communication.
20:17 - Utilizing existing hardware for real-world verification.
26:00 - Consumer devices now connect via WiFi and Helium.
28:23 - Srcful-driven data transfer increases the value of HNT and IoT.
30:11 - Behind the intent to expand the Helium network, seeking community approval.
34:08 - Global energy market pricing and value proposition.
39:52 - Considering revising the subDAO utility score and therefore $HNT flows to include non-wireless on-chain revenue generated by non-wireless subDAOs
42:07 - Passion for new energy data is exciting.
44:16 - Excited about energy data and demand response.
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Connor and Sal are joined by guests Houman Shadab and Wyatt Benno from NovaNet. NovaNet is building an incentive and coordination network for zero knowledge proofs that run locally and leverage the latest advances in ZK technology. The group discusses the zk yin to blockchain’s yang, how ZK proofs compare to other trustless verification methods like TEEs and secure hardware elements, and most importantly, how ZK technology will play an important role in shaping the future of the DePIN industry.
00:00 - Discussion on Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs) and blockchain consensus, comparing on-chain vs. off-chain implementations.
04:16 - Exploration of the long history of ZKPs, their role in privacy, and verifiable computation.
07:48 - Appeal of ZKPs due to their verifiability, especially from a legal perspective.
10:56 - How blockchain technology ensures the verifiability of on-chain transactions.
16:23 - Introduction to an efficient folding scheme developed by a Microsoft researcher, known as Supernova.
19:18 - The concept of aggregating proofs for more efficient blockchain posting.
22:52 - Discussion on varying trust assumptions and the potential of soft enclaves.
25:44 - Incentivizing new proving schemes on NovaNet.
28:29 - Examination of multiple ZKP proving networks, each with its own limitations.
32:08 - Initial confusion about NFTs, which eventually turned into excitement.
34:27 - The potential applications of ZKPs in law and regulation.
37:42 - Anticipation of ongoing innovation in cryptocurrency and improvements in accessibility.
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Connor and Sal are joined by guests Boris Renski & Amir Haleem from Helium. The Helium project is a DePIN building wireless networks. From tackling the intricacies of the token structure to discussing strategies for increasing data flow over Helium mobile hotspots, this episode promises to be an insightful exploration of the latest developments in the crypto and telco industry. We’ll dissect the dynamics of decentralized network planning, the significance of user experience in network development, and the evolving landscape of data offload technologies.
00:00 Iggy Azalea's involvement in cryptocurrency
05:48 Marketing strategies for better penetration in the crypto sector
08:33 New security feature to prevent SIM swaps
11:22 Scammers targeting T-Mobile employees and related security concerns
15:19 Understanding and filtering data for the Mobile network
18:14 Network enhancements improving coverage and rewarding operators
21:53 Engineers' misplaced focus on user experience
25:05 The Helium team's innovative cellular network deployment
32:17 Critiques of the sub-DAO model and multi-token system
34:28 Original token ideas overlooked, voting system needs attention
37:38 Acknowledging model complexity and the need for community-driven changes
42:40 Boris’ wildest Helium community story
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Connor and Sal sit down with Harrison Hines of Fleek Network. Fleek is the lightning fast onchain cloud, powered by the Fleek Network, permissionless onchain cloud infrastructure, edge-optimized for performance.
Harrison talks about what parts of Web2 infrastructure Fleek is solving, how they think about their GTM operations vs. technical operations in a Web3 world, how they deliver a highly performant network despite the need for higher verification than Web2 alternatives, and Fleek’s upcoming mainnet and token launches.
00:00 Welcome Harrison
00:58 What is Fleek?
05:31 What problems with how Web2 infrastructure works is Fleek solving?
12:30 How Fleek balances general purpose vs. customized use cases
17:17 Distinction between Fleek and the Fleek Network
26:53 How Fleek designs and distributes its commercial ops from its technical ops
34:43 How does Fleek balance the need for automated verification against high performance?
42:04 What use cases is Harrison excited about being built on Fleek?
49:44 Wen mainnet? Wen token? What functions will the token perform?
54:00 Lightning Round
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
This week, Sal is joined by Anon Morpho, Neuratic and DNB from the Ator team. Ator is building the largest global anonymous-routing ecosystem, leveraging a decentralized privacy protocol, on-chain incentives and signature hardware to rapidly scale its network.
The team discusses why privacy is so important to them, how Ator is advancing decades-old privacy concepts, the first-party benefits their hardware provides to customers straight out-of-the-box, why privacy is still critical in web3, and the importance of token taxes in ATOR’s early fundraising.
00:00 Hello Ator!
01:27 Why Privacy?
04:16 What is Ator?
05:52 How Ator is architected for privacy
07:08 The history of Onion Routing and how Ator is iterating on the concept
14:17 How ATOR’s hardware provides rewards and first-party value
17:35 ATOR as a value-add for other web3 developers
21:19 Why privacy is still critical in web3
26:08 How ATOR bootstrapped their early token liquidity with token taxes
41:33 Where to find ATOR
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Sami and Connor are joined by Andrej Radonjic, Founder of Grass Network. Grass is a network of over 2M+ people incentivized to assist AI developers in accessing data on the internet. Grass creates a more equitable and inclusive future for the development of AI.
00:00 Connor lives in a Resort
00:34 Grass merch coming soon
01:20 Catching up with Andrej
03:15 Open source datasets for AI
06:40 Why Andrej doxx’d himself on Twitter
09:30 Deep dive on Grass and the web scraping/AI market
17:11 What has contributed to the fast growth of Grass?
20:25 Implementing points in DePIN
22:19 What goes into becoming a data layer?
34:02 Layer 2 sovereign data rollups
40:20 Discussing monetization
43:50 Grass’ future partners and competitors in the AI space
52:27 Lightning round!
1:01:44 Where to find Andrej and the Grass Network Team
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Mahesh and Sal are joined by Alireza Ghods, CEO & Co-Founder of Natix. Natix is a global mapping network of smart cameras. Natix’s 100k drivers have mapped 30M km across 170 countries.
Alireza takes on the great DePIN mapping hardware debate, making the case for smartphones over dedicated hardware, lays out the long-term vision for Natix as a camera network beyond just road mapping, and illustrates how Natix could eventually enable a wide variety of use cases, including facilitating the use of drones in forest fire rescue.
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Mahesh, Connor, and Sami are joined by Neil Chatterjee, CEO of Andrena and Ani Pai, Partner at Dragonfly Capital. Andrena is working to deliver affordable broadband to buildings by partnering with real estate owners and property managers through a revenue-share arrangement. They currently have 10,000 customers across 10 US states. Neil and Ani talk about the launch of DAWN - the first decentralized autonomous wireless network, how Andrena aligns incentives for both their employees and their customers to drive growth, and how they’re going to use their token to coordinate supply and demand across the entire wireless value chain, and their long-term views of the use cases of decentralized wireless.
0:00 What are new token launches doing to Ani’s hair?
1:12 Why is Martin Shkreli talking about Bittensor now?
4:15 Andrena’s growth in the last 12 months
5:27 How Andrena aligns the employee incentive with financial KPIs to drive growth
6:44 Does Andrena consider itself a WISP or an MSP? Or something else?
7:36 Who are Andrena’s customers and how do they fit into the broader internet provider landscape?
9:46 How Andrena is creating a better experience for both owners and residents of multi-family living buildings
12:16 How Andrena used customer referral incentives to bootstrap its earliest stage growth
13:40 How the FCC releasing 1.2 gHz of spectrum in 2020 encouraged Andrena to launch a DePIN
16:04 What is DAWN, and how does it look different from the traditional web2 internet business model?
19:29 How will Andrena fit into DAWN’s ecosystem?
22:41 What has Ani and Dragonfly seen over the past year as an investor of Andrena?
25:30 What does Ani view as what Andrena is fundamentally trying to do?
30:36 What synergies does Neil see between Andrena and other DePIN projects?
35:20 Wen Token? And what is it going to be used for
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
This week, we’re still recovering from ETH Denver. Mahesh gets Sami, Connor, and Sal to fill us in on what we missed out West, including new DePIN themes coming the rest of the year, where DePIN fits into the current wave of ATH’s and memecoins, which projects are still underhyped, and the benefits of being IRL.
0:00 Welcome Back
1:19 I guess we have to talk about memecoins, huh?
5:54 Comparing ETH Denver this year vs. last year
9:15 Why DePIN token prices don’t seem to be taking off
16:45 Are DePIN wearables the next wave?
19:46 Projects that are still underrated
24:29 GPU supply shortages
26:15 Over/Under 250 DePIN coins launching in the next 12 months?
28:08 What did the rest of us miss at ETH Denver?
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Connor, Sami, and Mahesh are joined by Raullen Chai, Co-Founder of IoTeX. IoTeX is the platform for DePIN builders, combining a fast, secure blockchain with IoT and smart devices.
Raullen talks about how he fell in love with crypto when he tried to break Bitcoin (and couldn’t do it), why he dedicated his work in crypto to supporting DePIN, the competitive landscape of DePIN-focused L1’s and where IoTeX fits in, and how IoTeX’s hardware origins help them serve founders better.
0:00 Cold Open
0:36 The State of DePIN Fundraising
2:10 How working at Google and Uber exposed Raullen to crypto
5:56 Why Raullen was moved to leave Big Tech to crypto
7:28 Raullen’s Multi-Cycle Learnings
10:04 Why DePIN?
12:18 IoTeX’s Role in the DePIN Ecosystem
15:38 The Competitive Landscape of DePIN L1’s
18:23 What are DePIN Founders looking for in L1’s?
21:32 IoTeX’s W3bstream’s Value Prop
24:22 How IoTeX’s hardware expertise adds value to projects
28:10 Dedicated Hardware vs. Consumer Mobile Device Trends in DePIN
31:00 IoTeX’s Hardware Origins and Early Adoption
34:06 The Benefit to a DePIN Builder of the Marshall DAO
36:38 Lightning Round
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Sal is joined by Matt Katz of Caldera, and Neel Somani of Eclipse. Caldera is a no-code web3 infrastructure platform, trying to simplify the process of creating app-specific blockchains so builders can create layer-2 blockchains in a matter of hours. Eclipse is Ethereum’s fastest L2, powered by the Solana Virtual Machine - a new kind of architecture built to power the next generation of decentralized applications.
0:00 Welcome Matt and Neel!
1:14 High Level Approaches of Caldera and Eclipse
6:07 Why build on Caldera or Eclipse and not directly on an L1?
13:51 The State of the Solana & SVM Infrastructure Ecosystem
15:30 The Current and Future State of Chain Feature Differentiation
27:52 The Economics of Caldera and Eclipse Over Time
38:08 How Best To Serve the DePIN Compatibility Use Case
42:40 SVM or New “Next-Gen” VM’s?
45:43 How Caldera and Eclipse Sell DePIN Founders
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Mahesh and Connor are joined by Jonathan Victor. Jonathan formerly worked on Filecoin at Protocol Labs, and left to found Ansa Research, a research firm focused on distributed infrastructure covering digital networks that aim to rebuild how internet infrastructure operates.
Jonathan talks about how his Palantir background influenced his time at Protocol Labs, why content addressing is a critical component to the future of the web, what the long-term Filecoin roadmap looks like, the protocol’s recent investments into retrieval, where Filecoin and other storage protocols fit into the broader ecosystem of enterprise storage, and clears up Filecoin’s revenue model.
0:00 Cold Brew Open
0:40 How Jon’s background at Palantir led him to Filecoin
4:28 Jon’s Decentralized Infrastructure Theses
9:42 How the Various Storage Solutions May Work Together in the Future
13:33 Filecoin’s Long-term Roadmap
20:03 Filecoin and Retrieval
24:55 Storage as a Commodity or a Differentiated Offering
29:30 Why Location Matters in Storage
34:04 IPFS and Filecoin’s Value Prop
39:33 How Filecoin Cultivated it’s robust developer ecosystem
43:42 Filecoin’s Revenue Model and Transparency
50:47 Where to find Jon’s Work
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Sami, Connor and Mahesh are joined by Ryan Selkis, Founder and CEO of Messari. Messari provides market intelligence that drives high-conviction participation in the crypto economy.
Ryan discusses his thoughts on the current state of crypto regulation, its implications on the 2024 US Presidential election, where he hopes Vivek Ramaswamy lands next, the 3 areas of DePIN that excite him most, and if it has a hat (spoiler: it does).
0:00 Is this the cold open?
0:47 Does it have a hat?
2:26 What did the term “Web3” do to Selkis?
5:47 State of crypto & the US Presidential Race
16:03 Vivek Ramaswamy’s next step
21:01 Trump’s stance on crypto
27:00 How well do US regulators understand DePIN?
37:00 The sectors of DePIN Selkis is most interested in
44:29 How to be a cockroach
50:06 Lightning round
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Sami and Mahesh are joined by Nick Emmons, CEO & Co-Founder of Upshot. Upshot is a decentralized AI network optimized for DeFi applications. The network incentivizes participants to contribute their expertise, which can include machine learning models, data, and other forms of knowledge, cultivating a cooperative ecosystem where contributors collectively strive towards achieving shared AI objectives.
Nick shares his insights on the regulatory landscape for AI, discussing the competitive edge that decentralized AI could have over traditional centralized AI systems. He also speaks about the evolution of Upshot into a platform that leverages the collective intelligence of its participants to create and improve DeFi applications. The conversation also touches on the critical role of zero-knowledge proofs for integrating AI with blockchains. Lastly, Nick highlights various use cases for Upshot, showcasing its potential to transform the DeFi space.
00:00 - Hair Routines
1:04 - Crypto and AI Regulation
2:47 - The Rapid Rate of AI Innovation
5:35 - Entering an Era of Hyperfinancilization
8:20 - Competing with OpenAI’s GPT Store
9:50 - Upshot’s Origin
15:26 - How Price Predicting Models on Upshot Work
19:30 - How Models on Upshot Work Together
20:40 - Upshot Machine Intelligence Network Architecture
25:05 - Upshot + zkML
29:05 - opML vs zkML
31:30 - Upshot Use Cases
34:40 - How the Community can Help
37:55 - Rapid Fire Questions
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Connor and Sami are joined by Jules Urbach, CEO of OTOY and Founder of Render, and Trevor Harries-Jones, COO of OTOY and Director at Render Network Foundation. The Render Network is the first decentralized GPU rendering platform, empowering artists to scale GPU rendering work on-demand to high performance GPU nodes around the world. Through a blockchain marketplace for idle GPU compute, the network provides artists the ability to scale next-generation rendering work at fractions of the cost and at orders of magnitude increases in speed when compared to the centralized GPU cloud. OTOY Inc. is the definitive cloud graphics company, pioneering technology that is redefining content creation and delivery for media and entertainment organizations around the world.
Jules and Trevor discuss the moment when artists first discover how useful the Render Network can be, how the Render Network is currently powering highly demanding projects on the world’s premier stages (like The Sphere in Las Vegas), whether our mobile devices will someday be nodes on the Render Network, and the future of immersive entertainment.
00:00 - Chrome Tab Overload
1:04 - Hello Jules and Trevor!
1:17 - The Future of Entertainment & the Metaverse
7:40 - When Jules first started thinking about a token-based GPU network
14:24 - Use cases the Render Network serves today
18:40 - Why Render vs. other GPU networks?
23:47 - The Render Network and AI
29:44 - Why Render moved to Solana
32:45 - The future of node types on the Render Network
38:46 - Render’s thinking behind partnership with general-purpose compute networks
41:43 - GPU requirements of AI projects
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Connor, Sami, and Mahesh are joined by Ariel Seidman, CEO / Co-Founder of Hivemapper. Hivemapper is building the world’s freshest map with AI and a network of drivers using dashcams. Ariel talks about why Hivemapper uses purpose-built hardware, the problems with centralized mapping today, how they designed the HONEY token design to dynamically match Hivemapper’s progress towards its long-term goals, and the weirdest things the team has seen on driver images.
0:00 - Cold Open - A TradWi Conspiracy Afoot?
0:42 - Hello Ariel!
3:00 Privacy is one of Hivemapper biggest concerns
5:38 How Ariel explains DePIN
7:30 How Ariel’s background at Yahoo and Gigwalk informed the early Hivemapper days
11:47 The emerging use cases that only a fresh, high-quality map can serve
18:31 How has centralized mapping reacted to Hivemapper’s emergence?
20:24 What the Hivemapper protocol is designed to incentivize
25:05 How the HONEY token emissions are engineered to keep the network sustainable
30:16 Hivemapper’s first customers
34:05 Why Hivemapper uses dedicated hardware
41:52 How the Hivemapper Map AI acts as the brains of the network
47:31 Hivemapper’s product suite
50:50 Ariel’s advice for DePIN founders
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Connor and Mahesh sit down with Adam Jackson, Co-Founder and CEO of Braintrust. Braintrust is the first user-owned talent network, matching enterprise employers to vetted knowledge workers. Today, Braintrust boasts over 3,000 employers hiring from a pool of 500,000 freelancers who have collectively earned over $150M on the Braintrust network.
Adam discusses Braintrust’s origins from a DePIN-focused hedge fund, what DePIN means to him, the reality of the US crypto regulatory environment, and what levers Braintrust can pull to drive growth.
0:00 - 0:20 Hello Adam!
0:20 - 5:10 Why Remote Works Makes Sense
5:10 - 10:44 Adam’s Background and How Braintrust Came to Be
10:45 - 12:38 What does DePIN mean to Adam?
13:14 - 18:24 Braintrust’s Enterprise-Grade User Experience
18:24 - 21:53 The Upside and Downside of Decentralization
21:53 - 23:07 The Vetting Process for Knowledge Workers
23:07 - 28:15 Braintrust Revenue and Governance Model
28:15 - 32:48 Braintrust’s Growth Levers
32:48 - 34:57 How Braintrust Can Pull Levers to Balance Marketplace Demand and Supply
34:57 - 37:40 Braintrust’s Clients Don’t Care about the Token
37:40 - 39:02 Crypto’s Regulatory Environment
39:02 - 44:40 Has Technology Really Improved Productivity?
44:40 - 48:30 Is Talent Happier Using Braintrust?
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Sami and Mahesh are joined by Sam Williams, Co-Founder and CEO of Arweave. Arweave is a permanent and decentralized storage network, designed for the preservation of humanity’s most important data.
Sam discussed what inspired him to work on permanent storage, why he doesn’t view Filecoin as a major competitor, how Arweave is designed to store the highest-value data, and some of the exciting projects currently using Arweave.
0:00 - 0:59 DePIN Date Night
1:00 - 7:44 How recent global events inspired Arweave
7:45 - 12:09 Why Sam doesn't view Filecoin as a behemoth
12:10 - 15:04Arweave's competition
15:05 - 19:13 Bitcoin as a storage layer
19:14 - 25:09 Arweave's PMF
25:10 - 29:27 Applications currently using Arweave
29:28 - 34:52 How Sam thinks the industry can drive user behavior
34:53 - 38:30 What Sam's most excited about in the next few years
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Sami, Connor, and Mahesh are joined by Jake Steeves, Founder of Opentensor / Bittensor. Bittensor is a decentralized protocol for the aggregation and coordination of machine intelligence, which can be applied to many use cases such as AI training and decentralized storage and compute.
Jake explains why open ownership models mark the death of the YC business model, his views on AI regulation, the most interesting use cases he’s seen for Bittensor machine intelligence so far, and why he thinks we’re entering a golden era of technological innovation and human progress.
00:00 The cold open that almost wasn’t
1:33 $TAO community as the NBA Youngboy fans of crypto
7:15 The techno-optimists/effective accelerationists vs. the decels/regulators and how Bittensor strikes a balance
8:51 Bitcoin is apolitical
9:12 The meaning behind Jake’s screen name “Const_reborn”
10:25 Why the YC business model is dead
15:25 Should AI be regulated?
18:43 How the Bittensor community regulates itself
21:01 Bittensor’s vision and purpose, inspiration from Bitcoin
23:14 Bittensor subnets / use cases
25:32 Will regulation of centralized AI development be a boon for decentralized AI?
27:20 Can open-source AI compete with closed-source?
34:30 How Bittensor uses incentives and monetization to compete with closed-source AI
35:13 Bittensor Revolution upgrade and its subnet architecture
40:40 Example Bittensor subnets
44:30 Bittensor is a DePIN
49:07 What’s your most non-consensus take?
50:52 Outro
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Connor and Mahesh are joined by John Dogru, Founder of 3DOS, the world’s largest decentralized peer-to-peer manufacturing network. John walks us through the current state of the 3D printing industry, how 3DOS’ brings a new meaning to just-in-time manufacturing, dramatically improves rates of materials waste, and empowers a new generation of creators.
00:00 Intro
1:10 Are we aliens?
3:10 3DOS founding story
4:30 Where’s the 3D printing industry at today?
8:20 Not drop-shipping, but drop-manufacturing?
13:05 End-to-end use case
17:35 How starting with higher ed strengthened 3DOS from the ground up
20:00 How 3DOS fulfils the last mile
23:00 How 3DOS helps load balance capacity across devices
26:20 Impact of democratizing manufacturing
29:40 The long-term vision for 3DOS
32:30 How 3DOS is using crypto principles to drive network activity and empower creators
27:05 How 3DOS is optimizing its incentive structure for quality
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
In this episode of the Proof of Coverage podcast, Sal interviews Maria Lima, the founder of Weaver Labs and the Adeno network. Maria shares the origin story of Weaver Labs and discusses their work in powering lab deployments across Europe. They delve into the innovative technology behind Weaver Labs, including their full-stack modular software platform for scaling wireless networks. Listeners will gain insights into the exciting advancements being made in the field of telecommunications.
Follow Maria:
[00:02:05] Demo or die approach.
[00:04:41] Decentralizing telecommunications infrastructure.
[00:08:30] Innovation in the telecom ecosystem.
[00:09:41] UK's investment in telecoms.
[00:14:50] Building a 5G private network.
[00:16:20] Using street furniture for network deployment.
[00:19:58] Neutron host model explained.
[00:23:34] Fixed wireless access trial.
[00:26:14] Residential connectivity cost analysis.
[00:30:16] Telecom sector funding scarcity.
Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Join Mahesh and Connor for a thought-provoking conversation with Greg Osuri, the founder of Akash Network.
They discuss the importance of Akash and its implications as the first-ever super cloud for computing. Akash operates in a decentralized manner, utilizing crypto incentives to source compute power and providing it to those who need it through an innovative leasing framework. The conversation also touches on recent events, such as Mexico's Congress unboxing aliens, prompting reactions and thoughts on the existence of non-human life in the universe.
[01:02] Aliens and extraterrestrial life
[04:33] The cloud's influence on innovation
[07:23] Decentralized marketplace for cloud
[10:07] Aggregating latent compute resources
[12:59] Fragmenting the AI chip market
[16:17] Akash vs. competitors
[20:12] AI developers and user friction
[22:07] Network effects in crypto
[26:08] Crypto and AI convergence
[28:19] Incentivizing equitable AI
[31:43] Akash Network and 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.
Join Mahesh and Connor as they dive into the world of co-owned AI services, with David Minarsch, Founder and CEO of the Olas Network.
Olas has created a general framework for developers to spin up autonomous AI services across chains, which perform key services on chain. These could be as simple as automating DAO governance around voting, or as complex as creating self-balancing index funds. The Olas SDK makes it incredibly easy to spin up a new service, and the Olas protocol lives across chain to coordinate the network.
We discuss decentralized autonomous agents, the scalability of such a framework, and certain use cases that we expect to explode in coming months. Shownotes:
0:00 Intro
00:35 David’s Background And Phd In Game Theory
02:30 Work At Fetch.Ai And On Multi-Agent Systems
6:00 What Is A Multi-Agent System And Introducing Olas
12:55 What Is Olas And How Does It Work?
14:40 What Is An Agent? What Is A Service?
16:55 Governance Product And How It Works
19:10 Fund Management And Defi Products
22:30 Community Use Cases
24:30 Token Structure and Bonding Disclaimer: The hosts and the firms they represent may hold stakes in the companies mentioned in this podcast. None of this is financial advice.
Join Mahesh as he discusses the world of lucid dreaming with Eric Wollberg, Founder of Prophetic AI, and Evan Fisher, Founder of Portal Ventures.
Prophetic AI has created the first hardware device capable of stabilizing lucid dream states among casual participants. An operating system to explore consciousness, Prophetic aims to create a platform to allow us to explore the inner workings of our brains, which may present over time as immersive, VR-like experiences.
We discuss the process of lucid dreaming, the value of contextualized sleep data, and the implications of using such a novel mechanism to explore consciousness.
Show Notes
01:19 What is lucid dreaming and why is it important?
03:45 Eric and Evan discuss their experiences with lucid dreaming
06:15 Eric’s background and origin on Prophetic
10:45 Key unlocks of the last 10 years
12:40 Business model and the value of dream data
18:50 Evan’s thoughts on sleep data
22:12 Regulatory and public backlash
27:25 Evan’s view on the brain and technology
Note: Mahesh and Evan are both angel investors in PropheticAI
Join Sal and Connor as they interview Cornelius Greyling, CEO of VulaCoin. VulaCoin (www.vulacoin.com) and its sister company Isizwe (www.isizwe.com) are connecting the next billion unconnected by providing low-cost, high-quality internet access to underserved communities, beginning in South Africa.
We discuss: how Isizwe’s operating model was determined by their sole focus on the end user experience, the unique challenges of building a network in underserved communities, how VulaCoin is enabling an ecosystem of small hyper-local businesses, and the current state of crypto regulation in South Africa.
Show Notes
0:00 Intro
03:39 Cornelius’ Background and Isizwe’s Origin
09:20 Isizwe’s Mission and Design around the End User
15:56 How VulaCoin lowers transaction costs and facilitates an ecosystem of small businesses
28:40 How Isizwe differs from other mobile money businesses
34:10 Improving the Crypto User Experience
38:17 Why Solana?
39:37 South Africa’s Crypto Regulatory Environment
42:48 The Future of Isizwe and VulaCoin
Join Connor and Mahesh as they interview Denis Sklyarov, CEO of WiFi Map. Wifi Map is an eight year old travel and connectivity app that makes Internet connectivity as cheap and easy as possible for its 4 million monthly active users.
We discuss: how Wifi Map solves connectivity issues around the world, how a singular focus on their users helped them grow to 120+ million downloads without any paid marketing, and the exciting new products they have planned in conjunction with the launch of their public token, $WIFI.
Show Notes:
0:00 Intro
03:15 Denis’ Background and Wifi Map’s Origin
07:40 The problem WiFi Map solves
10:06 How WiFi Map serves their users
12:08 WiFi Map’s organic growth
15:18 Wifi Map’s User Personas
20:18 Why Businesses Love WiFi Map
24:16 WiFi Map’s Upcoming Token Launch
28:53 How WiFi Map Uses AI
31:52 Denis’ View on the Future of Crypto
Disclosures: This podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The hosts or the companies they work for (Second Element Partners or Escape Velocity Ventures) may own tokens that are mentioned on the podcast.
Join Connor and Sal as they interview Rob Solomon of DIMO. DIMO helps drivers access useful data about their car and enables developers and other third-party services to build on a large and growing network of mobility data.
We discuss: how DIMO helps both drivers and developers, the vision of a mobility industry driven by open data networks, the guiding principles behind DIMO’s token structure and the exciting features coming soon to DIMO.
Show notes:
0:00 Intro
3:25 Rob’s background in decentralized systems and the automotive industry.
6:09 The DIMO team’s background
8:25 Get Rob to the table
8:51 The current state of automotive data, and the problem that DIMO solves
13:26 The data that DIMO collects, and who it helps
17:20 DIMO’s token structure and origins
22:15 The current state of being a crypto founder
24:35 Incentive token structures (single vs. double)
30:30 Audience Questions - data privacy and blockchain choice
34:09 Token Governance
40:58 The DIMO Product Roadmap
Learn more:
Disclosures: This podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The hosts or the companies they work for (Second Element Partners or Escape Velocity Ventures) may own tokens that are mentioned on the podcast.
Join Sal from EV3 for the third episode of the Proof of Coverage podcast as he interviews Neil Chatterjee, CEO of Andrena. Andrena is a quickly growing traditional wireless ISP (internet service provider) that's innovating in the DeWi space as well.
We discuss: Andrena's quickly growing, core WISP business, the technological breakthroughs that are allowing for innovation at the edge of connectivity, and the role Andrena sees DeWi playing in the buildout of next-gen networks
Show notes:
0:00 - intro, Andrena overview and model
2:37 - Neil's background in healthcare analytics, then connectivity at Facebook
6:02 - what's so hard about the fixed wireless industry?
13:01 - why is mm wave spectrum and point to multi-point connectivity so important?
15:30 - is there enough unlicensed spectrum for DeWi to succeed?
19:00 - the golden age of wireless
19:30 - DeWi cartel installations in Salt Lake City?
20:14 - Andrena's background and involvement in DeWi
24:12 - owning your backhaul and transport is the best position to be in
25:56 - bear take on DeWi?
29:23 - can the DeWi model work for mobile?
34:41 - any ideas on how to validate indoor cellular coverage?
39:42 - outro, socials
Disclosures: This podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The hosts or the companies they work for (Second Element Partners or Escape Velocity Ventures) may own tokens that are mentioned on the podcast.
Join Connor and Jonah from Second Element Partners (SEP) along with Mahesh from Escape Velocity Ventures (EV3) for the second episode of the Proof of Coverage Podcast, where we interview Rich DeVaul, the CEO of newly launched DeWi CBRS project XNET!
We discuss: Rich's unique background in tech and telecom, what makes XNET different, and why XNET believes its points of differentiation will help it stand out in the rapidly-growing DeWi CBRS space.
Show notes:
0:00 - intros (Connor, Mahesh, Rich)
5:00 - Rich's background at Apple, Google, etc. (Mahesh, Rich)
11:30 - overview of XNET, what makes it special, lessons learned from Project Loon (Mahesh, Rich)
16:11 - telcos as dinosaurs, DeWi as fighter jets, XNET as a dinosaur with a jetpack (Rich)
18:20 - "pioneers get shot, settlers get rich", the second mover advantage (Mahesh, Rich)
20:57 - Helium & Pollen building a data-only network, XNET building a full-service network (Connor, Rich)
28:32 - XNET tokenomic innovation, data tickets expire to maximize for utility not speculation (Rich)
33:20 - why did XNET choose to launch as the most centralized DeWi protocol? (Connor, Rich)
40:25 - DeWi's pivot towards more centralization early-stage (Connor, Rich)
42:50 - why are XNET rewards lower than Helium/Pollen for early-stage deployments? (Connor, Rich)
46:50 - token lockups will keep XNET's circulating supply very low (Rich)
49:29 - timelines for paid data transfer (Q1 2023) (Connor, Rich)
54:50 - what are the biggest challenges of being a crypto entrepreneur? (Mahesh, Rich)
58:36 - social links
Disclosures: This podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The hosts or the companies they work for (Second Element Partners or Escape Velocity Ventures) may own tokens that are mentioned on the podcast.
Join Connor and Jonah from Second Element Partners (SEP) along with Sal and Mahesh from Escape Velocity Ventures (EV3) for the first episode of the Proof of Coverage Podcast.
We discuss: Helium as the "0 to 1" moment for token-incentivized physical networks, the evolution of the proof of coverage (PoC) model, "why now" for DeWi, eSIM innovation, and more!
Show notes:
0:00 - personal intros, Hexagon Wireless as a protocol-agnostic DeWi accelerator (Jonah)
7:15 - intro to EV3, why investors see DeWi as a massive opportunity (Sal and Mahesh)
13:28 - EV3 VALUE-ADD as Hexagon seed-round investors, their elite deal-sourcing strategy (Connor and Mahesh)
15:40 - why we created the Proof of Coverage podcast, target audience (Connor)
18:08 - Helium LoRa as the 0 to 1 moment for token-incentivized physical networks (Jonah)
20:34 - smart DeWi skeptic takes, evolution of the proof of coverage (PoC) model (Sal)
23:51 - potential future improvements to PoC tokenomics: time-based vs. growth-based token emission models, extending PoC runway for a DeWi protocol (Connor)
26:30 - location-based PoC models, incentives for creating contiguous coverage (Mahesh)
30:00 - "why now" for DeWi? as illustrated by Sal Gala via his "Moats of a Telco" meme (Sal)
38:07 - DeWi isn't crypto innovation, it's telecom innovation (Mahesh)
39:37 - eSIMs lowering consumer switching costs, T-Mobile vampire-attacking other MNOs via eSIM trials, iPhone 14 to have 6 eSIM slots and ZERO physical SIM slots (Jonah)
42:36 - eSIMs are bullish for DeWi...continued (Sal)
45:00 - who's gonna default on their phone? (Connor)
45:31 - first-mover vs. second-mover advantage (Helium vs. Pollen) (Connor and Sal)
48:51 - Twitter usernames, it's not goodbye it's see you later
Disclosures: This podcast is strictly informational and educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any tokens or securities or to make any financial decisions. Do not trade or invest in any project, tokens, or securities based upon this podcast episode. The hosts or the companies they work for (Second Element Partners or Escape Velocity Ventures) may own tokens that are mentioned on the podcast.