Blockleaders Podcast

Shahaf Bar-Geffen, CEO of COTI, believes that privacy should be the default in blockchain technology—intuitive, seamless, and non-intrusive for users. Bar-Geffen emphasized the importance of "selective disclosure," a framework that allows users to share only the information they choose while maintaining control over their data.

COTI's privacy-centric Ethereum layer 2 enables developers and users to decide what aspects of their transactions remain private. This approach abstracts the complexity of privacy-preserving technologies, making them as user-friendly as mainstream applications like WhatsApp. "People should assume privacy is there by default," Bar-Geffen explained, highlighting COTI’s commitment to simplifying advanced cryptographic solutions for everyday use.

Bar-Geffen is also excited about recent advancements like "garbled circuits," a multi-party computation technique that significantly enhances performance and scalability. This innovation runs 3,000 times faster than other solutions, ensuring that privacy-preserving technologies don’t hinder user experience.

AI, Bar-Geffen noted, plays a critical role in this landscape. With growing reliance on data for AI model training, privacy-preserving techniques like federated learning are essential. These methods allow organizations to collaborate on AI development without exposing sensitive data, bridging the gap between innovation and security.

For Bar-Geffen, the goal is clear: to create an "HTTPS moment" for blockchain, where encryption becomes the standard, enabling mass adoption and safeguarding user trust. By focusing on privacy as a foundational element, COTI is paving the way for a future where users no longer see privacy as a trade-off but as a given. "It’s about enabling innovation," he said, "while protecting individual and institutional secrets."

With its focus on usability, compliance, and cutting-edge technology, COTI is shaping a privacy-first approach to blockchain that resonates across industries.

In an era where privacy and usability often seem at odds, Henry de Valence, founder of Penumbra Labs, offers a compelling approach to balancing both. Speaking at the DeCC x Shielding Summit, de Valence highlighted the importance of aligning cryptographic systems with user expectations. "For a blockchain, the cryptography is the product," he explained, emphasizing that when users encounter unexpected security gaps, risks like hacks and financial losses emerge.

Penumbra Labs’ private blockchain addresses these challenges by enabling private trading, staking, and transfers on a proof-of-stake network. This ensures that users can maintain control over their financial data without compromising security. De Valence noted that privacy isn’t just an abstract concept but a practical necessity for scalable blockchain systems. "We’ve designed Penumbra to meet the real-world expectations of users, ensuring their strategies and financial histories remain secure," he said.

Drawing parallels to Signal, the secure messaging app, de Valence stressed that effective cryptography should be invisible to the user. Similarly, Penumbra aims to make privacy effortless, allowing users to interact seamlessly without needing a technical background.

As AI becomes more prevalent, de Valence underscored the importance of privacy-first infrastructure. AI’s ability to analyze and exploit data only heightens the need for private systems that align with user behavior and protect sensitive information. Penumbra’s work, he noted, extends beyond blockchain, offering lessons that could be applied across industries to safeguard interactions in an increasingly digital world.

With its focus on usability and security, Penumbra Labs is setting the standard for privacy-first systems, ensuring that blockchain technology evolves to meet the demands of both individual users and broader technological trends.

Jakob Kronbichler is the CEO and Co-founder of Clearpool ($CPOOL), the leading DeFi credit marketplace for institutions backed by leading investors, including Sequoia Capital and Wintermute. Since launching in 2022, Clearpool has originated over $590M in loans to some of the largest institutions in both TradFi and DeFi, including Wall Street giant Jane Street and listed firm Flow Traders.

It’s not often that a CEO gets voted in by his peers, but this is the starting ground for Nik Christodoulakis, CEO Enosys, a position he holds carefully. Three years ago he was CTO for Enosys (then called FLR Finance) leading the technical development of the company. The previous CEO left in unexpected circumstances and the remaining team voted him into the position.

“They persuaded me that I was ready for the position and, fast forward to now, I am pretty glad that I did.”

Tune in to list more - Your host is Jillian Godsil

Roy Hui, LightLink and Nathan Lenga, Elektrik

LightLink is a brand new Layer 2 Solution building on Ethereum and Elektrik is the very first decentralised application building on its blockchain. Elektrik is an innovative decentralised exchange focusing on providing an unrivalled trading experience with minimal fees, advanced tools and improved capital efficiency via a unique AI-driven machine learning model. The teams are

It doesn’t get much more interesting than when two companies decide to cooperate together over their ideas, combine team players and share ambitions. Especially when there is a relationship built on trust, ambition and respect. This is the LightLink / Elektrik journey and it’s signposted for success.

Your Host is Jillian Godsil

When faced with the question, how to protect crypto, OG Brock Pierce is circumspect. He points out that not everyone is in the same place.

“Early noobs looking to begin their journey might go to Coinbase and purchase their first $20 or $50 worth of crypto and it’s not an investment in crypto, but an investment in yourself. However, the moment you have a material investment – and that is a different

“It’s always better to walk before you can run, to walk in baby steps and don’t let FOMO (fear of missing out) cloud your judgement. This is a marathon, a long game, so take you time and be informed.”

Pierce repeats the mantra of not your coins, not your keys, not your keys, not your coins. He points out that people advanced in sophistication can look at investigating yield farming or decentralized finance. He emphasizes the importance of investing in your own education.

“If you are participating in those markets, then you by necessity take on the counterparty risk associated with those platforms and how you mitigate those risks is through diversification, but not having all your eggs in one basket. If any one asset fell it won’t wreck (rek) your entire portfolio.”

Dmitry (Dima) Buterin, avid supporter of Ukraine, serial entrepreneur and father to Vitalik

Dmitry Buterin has always been outspoken and prone to using humour to make his point. He has lived through great change in his native Soviet Union before relocating to Canada in the 90s. There he has openly criticized the brain washing of the old Soviet era and increasingly the dictatorship of Valdmir Putin. It has not earned him many friends back in Russia where even high school peers condemn his views as

This thread of uniqueness runs through our conversation. At the end, I suddenly realise this is the gift or the legacy Buterin has given his son, an ability to view things in new and innovative ways. There are no set nations, cultures or even people in Buterin’s worldview but a series of individuals all rubbing along in their own little bubble. Perhaps the birth of Ethereum hinges on everyone and everything being unique.

To find out more, tune into the postcast. Your host is Jillian Godsil

Matej Zrimšek – Co-founder and CTO of Akshun (The Unseen Agency)

Called one of the tech-hottest CTOs in Web3 by his co-founders, Matej Zrimšek, certainly has the

“I also love algorithms and cryptography, so while my early career was in Life Sciences and included

Next stop was Bitstamp Cryptocurrency Exchange, which is the longest standing crypto exchange in

At this stage, while Zrimšek knew he was working in the right sector, he also knew he wanted to be a founder

To find out more, tune into the podcast. Your host is Jillian Godsil

Bumper your crypto and defend against price drops

Co founder of Bumper Gareth Ward talks about how Bumper was developed. In conversation with Jillian Godsil

Ben Appleby, co founder and chief product officer with The Unseen Agency

As a freelancer all this life, Ben Appleby knows good people when he meets them. And so it was with his co-founder Richard Kieswich. As soon as they met, Appleby knew this man was smart and he wanted to work with him, so relying on the adage that it pays to employ (or co-found with) people that are smarter than you, he did.

This learning was circuitous enough and came over time. Appleby did not enjoy school and only found one teacher that ‘got’ him; and he got her back by overperforming in that subject, but largely he was a fish out of water as he struggled to conform under fluorescent lights.

“As soon as I could escape, I did.”

To find out more, tune into the podcast. Your host is Jillian Godsil