Public Key

Latest Episodes:

Everything You Need To Know About Decentralized Oracles Sep 02, 2024

Show notes

Many in the world of DeFi have heard about and rely on oracles like Chainlink and Pyth Network for their trusted data feeds, but there is a new protocol that has enshrined oracles directly into it’s EVM Layer 1 Blockchain.
In this episode Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) speaks with Co-founder and CEO of Flare Network, Hugo Philion.
Hugo shares his transition from hedge fund trading to blockchain and emphasizes the increasing need for decentralized data in an industry that heavily relies on information from data providers.
He breaks down Flare's architecture, offering cost-effective and secure data oracles, while being sure to differentiate their solution from existing systems that are vulnerable due to lack of decentralization and potential for collusion.
Hugo even explains how KYC and AML can be integrated by the developers building on Flare and how important regulation is to move the industry forward.

Minute-by-minute episode breakdown

2 | Hugo’s journey from hedge funds, skipping AI and ML to get into crypto

5 | Why Flare decided to build a L1 platform with enshrined oracles

8 | Examining why data in the crypto landscape is fundamentally broken

12 | What are enshrined oracles and why are they important?

17 | Introducing LayerZero and the solution to cross-chain interoperability issues

20 | Flare use cases with decentralized exchanges and DeFi projects

24 | Exploring huge oracle failures and lack of data providers in the industry

29 | The emergence of regulation, KYC and AML in a decentralized crypto ecosystem

32 | Flare announced new Flare Data Connector solution

Related resources

Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.

Speakers on today’s episode

Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)
Hugo Philion (Co-Founder & CEO, Flare Network)

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Our podcasts are for informational purposes only, and are not intended to provide legal, tax, financial, or investment advice. Listeners should consult their own advisors before making these types of decisions. Chainalysis has no responsibility or liability for any decision made or any other acts or omissions in connection with your use of this material.

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How Travel Rule Regulation is Shaping Crypto Transactions Aug 26, 2024

Show notes

The Travel Rule has recently seen regulatory implementations in various jurisdictions, but are VASPs complying?

In this episode, Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) gets that answer and many more from Alice Nawfal, who co-founded and is acting COO of one of the leading Travel Rule solutions, Notabene.
Alice shares her origins working in the decentralized identity space and how she ventured into the intricacies of Travel Rule compliance and the evolving regulatory landscape.
Alice talks about the challenges in creating solutions for seamless cross-border transactions, while highlighting how regulatory clarity, like the EU's MiCA, is poised to revolutionize institutional trust and compliance in the crypto world.

The conversation also focuses on self-hosted wallets and counterparty risk assessments in the crypto space, while offering insights into how the interoperability challenges for travel rule solutions can be solved.

Minute-by-minute episode breakdown

2 | Alice’s journey from getting a MBA, going through YC and ending up in decentralized identity

4 | How to solve the identification problem using a trustless decentralized approach

8 | How does Notabene approach decentralized ID and what is the Travel Rule

12 | Has Travel Rule adoption improved over the last 2 years?

16 | The major impact on the Travel Rule on crypto transactions

22 | Facilitating real-time counterparty risk checks for secure transactions

28 | Proof of ownership for self-hosted wallets to solve for EU Transfer Rule requirements

33 | Solving interoperability challenges in the Travel Rule industry

Related resources

Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.

Website: Notabene: The ONLY Pre-Transaction Travel Rule Solution
Report: The State of Crypto Travel Rule Compliance Report 2024 (Available Now)
Training: Notabene Academy: Curated learning resources designed to help accelerate your success as a Travel Rule Compliance expert
Announcement: European Blockchain Convention (EBC2024): Join Notabene Team in Barcelona
Blog: How Can VASPs Ensure Travel Rule Compliance During Transactions With Self-Hosted Wallets?
Blog: 2024 Crypto Crime Mid-year Update Part 1: Cybercrime Climbs as Exchange Thieves and Ransomware Attackers Grow Bolder
Blog: MiCA’s Stablecoin Regime and Its Remaining Challenges: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3
YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page
Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain
Tik Tok: Building trust in #blockchains among people, businesses, and governments
Telegram: Chainalysis on Telegram

Speakers on today’s episode

Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)
Alice Nawfal (Co-Founder & COO, Notabene)

The Secret Weapon Fighting Transnational Crypto Crime Aug 19, 2024

Show notes

“The sophistication in the criminal world at hiding their fingerprints across the digital footprint is incredibly sophisticated now as well." - John Randles
In this episode, Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) speaks to John Randles (CEO, Siren), who shares how their team’s investigative platform unifies multiple data sources including blockchain and social media, to streamline and enhance complex investigations.
The duo highlight the many challenges law enforcement faces with outdated tech stacks and bottlenecks in training new recruits and implementing new automation and technology.
John also shares the significant technological shift in criminal investigations and the escalating complexity of global crime, necessitating state-of-the-art tools to keep pace with law enforcement.

Minute-by-minute episode breakdown

2 |Introduction to Siren and their mission to improve the law enforcement analyst experience

6 | The challenges with modern day police investigations with emergence of social and crypto

13 | The story of building a tech company in Galway, Ireland and attracting VC funding

18 | The challenges law enforcement faces in processing a vast amount of data

22 | How Siren is using AI to assist in explaining knowledge graphs to law enforcement

26 | Understanding policing intelligence from strategic to tactical

29 | The evolution of criminal activity over the last 10 years

33 | The future of Siren and evolution of AI and data

Related resources

Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.

Speakers on today’s episode

Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)
John Randles (CEO, Siren)

Building the First Solana Virtual Machine L2 on Ethereum Aug 12, 2024

Show notes

Imagine if you could combine the speed of a cheetah with the size of an elephant. Well in this episode, that's exactly what Eclipse Labs and their CEO, Vijay Chetty are trying to do.
In this episode Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) speaks to Vijay about where his team got the idea to build Ethereum’s first Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) Layer 2.
Vijay discusses his long standing journey through crypto building and growing projects like Uniswap, dYdX and Ripple, prior to becoming the CEO of Eclipse Labs.
He breaks down Eclipse's strategy of transitioning from app-specific rollup solutions to general-purpose high-performance L2 and the growing demand for 99% of apps on the blockchain demanding higher performance and throughput.
He provides active use cases for the highly demanded faster transaction per second (TPS) and how developers on both Ethereum and Solana could transition to Eclipse as they get set for their upcoming mainnet launch.

Minute-by-minute episode breakdown

2 | Vijay’s journey from Wall Street to Crypto CEO of Eclipse Labs

6 | What it's like working with key industry players like Ripple, dYdXand Uniswap

12 | Introduction to Eclipse Labs and higher throughput and TPS on Solana Virtual Machine L2

17 | What are the use cases that need lighting Transaction Per Second (TPS) speeds

23 | How do developers transition from Solana to Eclipse's Layer 2 on Ethereum

27 | If Eclipse is successful, where does that leave Solana?

30 | Balancing decentralization and regulation in the blockchain ecosystem

33 | Strategies and tips for fundraising as “crypto winter” starts to thaw out

Related resources

Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.

Website: Eclipse: Solana on Ethereum (Ethereum's First SVM L2)
Blog: Eclipse Mainnet is Open for Builders
Announcement: Eclipse Labs Announces $50M Series A Funding co-led by Placeholder and Hack VC
Blog: WHY ECLIPSE: Solana’s Speed WITH Ethereum’s Liquidity
Podcast: Ep: 30 - Blockchain Modularity: Understanding the Future of Web3
Report: The Decade of Digital Dollars: Unlocking economic efficiency with stablecoins
Blog: How On-Chain Data Can Help Web3 Gaming Companies Attract and Retain More Players
YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page
Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain

Speakers on today’s episode

Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)
Vijay Chetty (CEO, Eclipse Labs)

Operation Cronos: Infiltrating the LockBit Ransomware Syndicate Aug 06, 2024

Show notes

Ever wonder what goes into taking down the world’s biggest ransomware group. Well in this episode Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) speaks to Phil Larratt (Director of Investigations, Chainalysis) and William Lyne (Head of Cyber Intelligence, National Crime Agency (NCA)), who share how UK law enforcement along with their International partners were able to infiltrate and eventually shutdown the most prolific ransomware ecosystem, LockBit.
The trio discuss LockBit, the major ransomware-as-a-service threat and provide a detailed account of Operation Cronos, a sophisticated takedown that compromised LockBit’s system and eventually led to the takedown of their operations
Phil and William explain the intricacies of crypto tracing, International law enforcement collaboration, and the innovative tactics used to protect victims and hinder cybercrimes, like ransomware.
This is one of the few episodes that provides a riveting inside look at one of the most significant crypto ransomware operations to date and the ripple effects on the larger cybercrime ecosystem.

Minute-by-minute episode breakdown

2 | William Lyne’s background going from Astro-Physics into Cyber Crime at NCA

4 | Introduction to Phil Larratt and unpacking a 100 Million Pound “Vishing” fraud case

8 | The scale of the LockBit Ransomware syndicate and affiliates

14 | Operation Cronos and how law enforcement infiltrated an entire ransomware ecosystem

18 | Blockchain intelligence’s role in fighting cyber crimes like ransomware

23 | Government’s covert operations against ransomware hackers

27 | The impact on the ransomware ecosystem post-LockBit takedown

30 | New UK Law enhances crypto asset seizure capabilities to fight cyber crime

Related resources

Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.

Speakers on today’s episode

Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)
William Lyne (Head of Cyber Intelligence, National Crime Agency (NCA))
Phil Larratt (Director of Investigations, Chainalysis)

Explore IPFS, Filecoin and Crypto Policy Developments Jul 29, 2024

Show notes

With the evolution and the capabilities of AI and the questioning of authenticity during the time of Presidential elections, it is getting increasingly more important that data and files are unable to be corrupted and not controlled by a centralized party.

In this episode, Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) speaks with renowned cryptocurrency and civil liberties attorney, Marta Belcher (President & Chair, Filecoin Foundation).
It's a timely discussion that traverses the innovations and societal impacts of decentralized technologies and how Filecoin and IPFS’s decentralized storage solutions are at the forefront of what could be an International shift to securing information.
Marta provides exclusive insights into the incredible collaboration with Lockheed Martin deploying IPFS in space and she shares her insights on the recent advances in crypto policy, discussing the importance of the FIT21 bill and the complexities of privacy and content moderation in the digital age.

Minute-by-minute episode breakdown

2 | Marta Belcher's journey into Bitcoin, cryptocurrency and civil liberties

4 | Introduction to IPFS and the benefits of decentralized file storage

12 | Understanding the scale of Filecoin and the amount of data and type of data being stored

16 | Filecoin and IPFS technology demonstrated in space with Lockheed Martin

21 | Dealing with decentralized content moderation on web3 platforms

27 | Crypto policy shifts and legal battles unfolding in USA with the FIT21 Bill and the introduction of the Digital Asset Anti-Money Laundering Act

31 | Insights into the debate on privacy vs. anonymity when it relates to cryptocurrency

Related resources

Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.

Website: Filecoin Foundation: On a mission to preserve humanity’s most important information
Website: Filecoin: Decentralized storage network designed to store humanity’s most important information
Article: Marta Belcher: Reframing Privacy for the Digital Age
Article: Transcript Audio: Elizabeth Warren's New Financial Surveillance Bill Is a Disaster for Privacy and Civil Liberties
Report: Chainalysis Money Laundering and Cryptocurrency Report (Available Now)
Report: [REPORT PREVIEW] Malign Interference and Crypto: How Crypto Transaction Tracing Can Expose and Disrupt Malign Influence Efforts
YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page
Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain
Tik Tok: Building trust in #blockchains among people, businesses, and governments
Telegram: Chainalysis on Telegram

Speakers on today’s episode

Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)
Marta Belcher (President & Chair, Filecoin Foundation)

The Future of Layer 2 Blockchains Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

"The best, the winner of this [web3] space, or the biggest player of this space, will be the one who will provide the best experience for developers and users." - Dima
The Ethereum blockchain and the entire crypto ecosystem has long been plagued with scalability issues and the user experience being too clunky for the average user.

In this episode, Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) speaks with Dima Romanov (Co-founder and CEO of Layer N), which is their highly anticipated Ethereum's StateNet.

Dima shares insights on tackling blockchain scalability, empowering lower transaction fees, and leveraging a spectrum of custom Virtual Machines for diverse applications.

He explains why thinking more like a web2 company vs. a web3 company has attracted investors and given their team a competitive edge for developers seeking performance and innovation as they prepare for their DeFi focus upcoming mainnet launch.

Minute-by-minute episode breakdown

2 | The existing challenges with the Solana and Ethereum blockchains

5 | How the Layer N team was able to secure investment from Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund

7 | Layer N's innovative blockchain scaling solutions for enhanced performance and usability

13 | The current state of the Ethereum multi-stage roadmap and how that impacts Layer N

17 | Why is Layer N described as “An Ethereum Statenet” and what does that mean?

20 | What are XVMs and GVMs and how do they differ from the traditional EVM used on Ethereum

27 | Migrating smart contracts from Ethereum EVMs to Layer N’s XVMs

30 | The process of developers building on Layer N in Beta and being ready for mainnet launch

34 | How do you attract developers and build a community of users in web3?

Related resources

Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.

Website: Layer N: Enable unrestricted on Ethereum
Blog: Layer N Launches Liquidity Program With $20M Commitment From Amber Group
Blog: Testnet Launch—Phase I
Blog: Zero-knowledge Fraud Proofs
Report: The Chainalysis Money Laundering and Cryptocurrency Report
Blog: Introducing Chainalysis Operation Spincaster: An Ecosystem-Wide Initiative To Disrupt and Prevent Billions in Losses to Crypto Scams
YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page
Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain
Tik Tok: Building trust in #blockchains among people, businesses, and governments
Telegram: Chainalysis on Telegram

Speakers on today’s episode

Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)
Dima Romanov (Co-founder and CEO of Layer N)

The Innovation of Tax and Accounting in the Digital Asset Era Jul 16, 2024

Show notes

"There's tens of billions of dollars of uncollected taxes on the crypto side, so hence why you have the Treasury Department and IRS pretty motivated there." - Lindsey Argalas (CEO, TaxBit)
Tax season might be over, but the accounting and tax industry at the intersection of web3 is just starting to heat up. In this episode, Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) speaks with Lindsey Argalas (CEO, TaxBit) discusses the innovative tools and solutions TaxBit offers for both consumers and enterprises in the crypto space, while highlighting the importance of compliance and regulatory clarity.

She discusses the proposed tax and accounting regulations from the IRS and MiCA and the tax implications of real world asset tokenization and the promising developments in accounting standards that benefit companies holding digital assets.

Lindsey also highlights the collaborative work that TaxBit is doing with the IRS to support the complex data that is being obtained for accounting / tax purposes and the company’s partnerships with companies like PayPal and Block.

Minute-by-minute episode breakdown

2 | Lindsey’s early start in crypto at Santander Bank and the delineation between crypto and blockchain

7 | Real-time tax KYC Explainer and new accounting tools and customer insights

12 | The IRS proposed broker rules and the impact of regulations on digital assets in the EU and US

15 | Understanding the EU regulatory framework and introduction of DAC8 alongside MiCA

18 | International tax and accounting standards and Global Expansion |

23 | The emergence of Real World Asset Tokenization (RWA) and the tax and accounting implications

27 | Collaboration with Government Agencies like the IRS and other Global Tax Enforcement Agencies

29 | Looking ahead at the web3 industry for 2024 and beyond

Related resources

Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.

Speakers on today’s episode

Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)
Lindsey Argalas (CEO, TaxBit)

Special Podcast Episode: Accel Spotlight On Chainalysis (Jackie Burns Koven) Jul 08, 2024

Show notes

With any new technology, malicious actors exploit vulnerabilities and create uncertainty. But there are tools investigators, regulators, and cybersecurity professionals can use to fight back.
In this special episode, Chainalysis’ Jackie Burns Koven, Head of Cyber Threat Intelligence is interviewed and Amit Kumar, Partner at Accel shares how to mitigate risks and build trust in emerging spaces, drawing from her work across the cryptocurrency and blockchain landscape.

Since Chainalysis launched in 2014, the platform has been used to solve some of the world’s most high-profile criminal cases and safely expand consumer access to cryptocurrency. Jackie joined Chainalysis in 2019 after serving as an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Department of Defense. In this conversation, she reflects on the crucial role Chainalysis plays in enhancing blockchain safety and ensuring its viability.
She also offers valuable advice on how early-stage startups and leaders can stay informed in the rapidly evolving tech ecosystem, and how they can think about implementing their own systems. The episode also explores the challenges new technologies like AI face from malicious actors, the importance of effective collaboration between technology and government agencies, and the steps needed to stabilize the crypto industry long-term.

Minute-by-minute episode breakdown

2 |Introduction to Chainalysis

7 | Why Chainalysis is working with government agencies to fight bad actors

16 | How the blockchain threat landscape is evolving with AI

15 |The role of education in rising crypto threats, like pig butchering

28 | Advice for staying up to date on the rapidly evolving technology ecosystem

32 | Building a Cyber Threat Intelligence team; Jackie’s roles

Related resources

Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.

Website: Accel: First partner to exceptional teams everywhere
Article: Chainalysis' Journey with Accel
Article: Our Investment in Chainalysis: Meet the startup that brought down the biggest dark web marketplace
Interview: Secrets to Scaling with Chainalysis’ Michael Gronager: “Growth and scaling are the hardest things to get right"
Podcast: Accel Spotlight ON (Weekly Podcast Series)
Event: TraceDC (July 16-17) The leading public sector event of the cryptocurrency ecosystem
YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page
Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain
Tik Tok: Building trust in #blockchains among people, businesses, and governments.
Telegram: Chainalysis on Telegram

Speakers on today’s episode

Amit Kumar * Host * (Partner, Accel)
Jacqueline Burns Koven (Head of Cyber Threat Intelligence, Chainalysis)

Illuminating the Shadows of Web3 Hacks Jul 01, 2024

Show notes

“We also should not pretend that law enforcement is going to solve the problem. It only helps, but it doesn't completely solve the problem. There will always be attackers outside the reach of the law” - Brian Pak
Web3 was starting to look like the wild west, with smart contract compromises and sophisticated attacks by hackers, but with law enforcement paying serious attention and builders like our guest, Brian Pak, Co-founder and CEO of ChainLight, the industry is starting to shine the light on these illicit actors and combat web3 and Defi hacks.
Ian Andrews (CMO, Chainalysis) sits down with Brian to discuss the early days of ChainLight, from discovering early Ethereum bugs to creating innovative security solutions like Digital Asset Risk Tracker (DART) and the Relic Protocol.
The duo explore major web3 and DeFi exploits, white hat hacking ethics, and South Korean crypto politics. Brian shares how the newly created crypto threat-sharing center (SEAL) is striving to enhance the safety and transparency of the Web3 ecosystem and the emergence of law enforcement engagement.

Minute-by-minute episode breakdown

2 | Brian’s journey into crypto and discovering Ethereum bugs in the early days

5 | Smart contract code audits and continuing to learn about new web3 attack vectors

8 | Identifying new and old attack vectors like price oracle manipulation and bridge vulnerabilities

10 | What is the Digital Asset Risk Tracker (DART) and how it identifies illicit trends in memecoin projects

14 | ChainLight introduces Relic Protocol which let smart contracts access historical data without intermediaries

20 | The crypto regulatory framework in South Korea and the impact it has on Singapore

24 | How white hat hackers have been given a bad name in crypto

28 | Building interoperability and discussions around Chainlink’s Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP)

31 | Introducing LUMOS and how Chainlight is illuminating the Shadows of Web3 Hacks

33 | Chainlink joins white hat hacker group SEAL to create crypto threat-sharing center

Related resources

Check out more resources provided by Chainalysis that perfectly complement this episode of the Public Key.

Website: ChainLight: Thrive Without Fear
Website: LUMOS (powered by Chainlight): Illuminating the Shadows of Web3 Hacks
Article: Cointelegraph: White hat hacker group SEAL launches crypto threat-sharing center
Blog: Are Real-World Assets (RWA) Projects Really Safe?
Article: Ticking Bombs on Interoperability Protocols
Podcast: Ep. 79: Web3 Adoption in Traditional Finance (with Kemal El Moujahid, Chainlink)
Event: TraceDC (July 16-17) The leading public sector event of the cryptocurrency ecosystem
Blog: Public Sector Survey Preview: The 2024 State of Cryptocurrency Investigations Report
YouTube: Chainalysis YouTube page
Twitter: Chainalysis Twitter: Building trust in blockchain
Tik Tok: Building trust in #blockchains among people, businesses, and governments.
Telegram: Chainalysis on Telegram

Speakers on today’s episode

Ian Andrews * Host * (Chief Marketing Officer, Chainalysis)
Brian Pak (Co-founder and CEO, ChainLight)

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