In episode 72 of Colors of Web3 and Entrepreneurship, we chat with Leo Vigna, CEO and Co-founder of Veraswap. Leo shares his incredible journey into Web3, starting from his early days in crypto in 2017, winning third place at ETH Denver 2020, and scaling Chainlink node operations with Vulcan Link. He dives into the technical details of what it means to be a Chainlink node operator, providing critical data feeds for DeFi protocols like Aave, and how this infrastructure helps secure billions in collateralized lending.

The conversation then pivots to Veraswap, Leo's current venture, a cross-chain DEX that allows users to seamlessly buy any cryptocurrency from any chain, leveraging Uniswap and Hyperlane. He demonstrates Veraswap's one-button swap functionality, discusses the intricacies of bridging protocols like Hyperlane, and offers insights into the future of user experience in DeFi, including intent-based bridging and the potential for "basket" purchases of assets. Leo also delves into the significant improvements brought by Uniswap V4, such as Hooks and native Ethereum pools, and the groundbreaking advancements in account abstraction with features like session keys and multi-chain user operations.

⌛ Timestamps:

00:00:00 Episode trailer

00:01:06 Show & guest introduction

00:04:49 ETH Denver, Chainlink hackathon & early crypto days

00:07:29 What it takes to be a Chainlink node operator

00:12:47 Building and pivoting: Owl Protocol to Veraswap

00:14:53 Living nomadically & work setup

00:15:53 Leo’s hobbies

00:21:20 Demo of Veraswap

00:27:24 Intent-based systems vs. Veraswap architecture

00:29:44 Veraswap’s UX philosophy & token baskets

00:33:45 Uniswap v4 vs. v3: Hooks, upgrades & design

00:35:45 Future of AMMs & Uniswap

00:39:19 Account abstraction & multi-chain smart wallets

00:45:27 Competitors & differentiation in cross-chain DeFi

00:49:46 Veraswap’s business model & sticky UX strategy

00:56:34 Team structure, hackathons & building lean

01:01:58 The future of Web3 DEX and integration with TradFi

01:07:30 Advice for aspiring Web3 entrepreneurs

01:11:21 Where to follow Leo & Veraswap

01:12:16 Episode outro and next episode preview

Follow Veraswap & Leo:

Veraswap's Website: https://www.Veraswap.io/

Veraswap's Twitter/X: https://x.com/verabridge_io

Leo's Twitter/X: https://x.com/ProofOfLeo

My social media:

Twitter/X: ⁠https://www.twitter.com/LamWeb3

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/lamweb3/⁠

Website: ⁠https://lamtrinh.xyz⁠

My old article about the 2-3 prevailing narratives of 2024-2025: https://substack.com/home/post/p-143541984

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