Episode Description

Jacob Willemsma joins us to share the remarkable journey of ETH Global from a single hackathon in Waterloo, Canada in 2017 to a worldwide network spanning six continents. As someone who's been part of the organization since its earliest days, Jacob reveals how a simple "no price talk" rule set the tone for eight years of builder-focused community building that has shaped Ethereum's developer ecosystem.

In this conversation, we explore ETH Global's evolution from organizing the largest hackathon in Canada to curating developer communities across 25+ cities worldwide. Jacob shares invaluable insights on building authentic crypto communities, the manual curation process behind quality events, and how local communities can attract global attention.

What We Cover

The Global Community RevolutionHow ETH Global works: hackathons, applications, manual curation by handFrom 100 attendees in Waterloo to 25,000 applications in India
Why manual review beats algorithmic selection for community quality

From Idea to ExecutionThe right place, right time story that started ETH Global in 2017Building events in cities they'd never visited before across 6 continentsRevenue evolution: grants, partnerships, and becoming self-sustaining

Technical and Strategic DecisionsWhy Ethereum over other chains for community-driven experiencesThe relationship with Ethereum Foundation and credible neutralityHow hackathons serve as early indicators of ecosystem health

Marketing and Community BuildingCreating authentic experiences that developers want to shareThe importance of local community cultivation before global eventsHow to identify and nurture emerging developer hubs worldwide

The Business of Developer CommunitiesPartnership strategies with ecosystem companies and sponsorsThe manual curation process that maintains event qualityScaling community building while preserving authenticity

Key Insights for Builders

1. Manual curation beats algorithmic selection - Quality community requires human touch
2. Build for your community first - Authentic product-market fit comes from serving real needs
3. Local communities are the foundation - Global success starts with strong local roots
4. Be a net promoter of the technology - Everyone can contribute to ecosystem growth
5. Right place, right time, right people - Success often comes from recognizing opportunities
6. Focus on builders, not speculators - Sustainable communities form around shared creation

About Jacob

Jacob Willemsma works on partnerships and growth at ETH Global, where he's been instrumental in expanding the organization's reach across six continents. A University of Waterloo computer science graduate, Jacob was present at the first ETH Waterloo event in 2017 and has been part of almost every ETH Global event since. His work focuses on building relationships with ecosystem partners and identifying emerging developer communities worldwide.

About 10 Years of Ethereum

This podcast celebrates Ethereum's 10th anniversary by highlighting the builders, creators, and visionaries who shaped the ecosystem. From DeFi pioneers to NFT artists, from Layer 2 innovators to community builders - we're documenting the human stories behind the technological revolution.

Hosts:

• Chinmay Patel - https://twitter.com/chinmaydoteth | https://warpcast.com/chinmaydoteth | Basket.farm
• Marvyn Paul - https://twitter.com/mpweb3wordsmith | https://warpcast.com/marvp | https://linktr.ee/marvynpaul

Contact: [email protected]

Show Links:

• Website: https://pods.media/10-years-of-ethereum
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/10yearsofeth
• Marvyn's Other Podcast: Is This the New Internet - https://pods.media/is-this-the-new-internet

Nader Dabit is one of the most respected Developer Relations leaders in Web3, currently serving as Director of DevRel at EigenLayer. In this episode, we dive deep into his incredible journey from starting programming at 30 to becoming a key figure in Ethereum's developer ecosystem.

In this conversation, we explore Nader's transition from AWS to Ethereum, the founding story behind Developer DAO, and what EigenLayer is building with restaking technology. Nader shares invaluable insights on developer relations in Web3, the importance of building in public, and how to create developer communities that actually drive adoption.

What We Cover

The Developer Relations Role• What DevRel actually means and why it's crucial for Web3 adoption• How to measure success in an inherently subjective role• Building developer communities that drive real growth

EigenLayer and Restaking• What restaking is and why it matters for Ethereum's future• How EigenLayer enables any programming language with L1 security• The most promising applications being built with restaking technology

Developer Community Evolution• How Ethereum's developer community has changed over 10 years• The founding story and impact of Developer DAO• What's still missing to get mainstream developers excited about Ethereum

Educational Impact & Content Creation• How dropping out of high school shaped Nader's approach to developer education• The content he's most proud of and where newcomers should start• How developer education needs have evolved in Web3

Looking Forward: Next Decade• Bold predictions for Ethereum's next 10 years• Developer tooling trends that could have outsized impact• Advice for developers starting their Ethereum journey in 2025

Key Insights for Builders• Start with passion, add crypto thoughtfully - unstoppable systems beat faster networks• Building in public accelerates career growth and opportunities• The best Web3 companies build both protocols AND applications• Developer experience at the protocol level is now more important than individual tools• LLMs have revolutionized developer onboarding more than any single advancement

About NaderNader is the Director of Developer Relations at EigenLayer and co-founder of Developer DAO. Before Web3, he worked at Amazon Web Services building developer tools and abstractions for cloud applications. Despite starting programming at 30, Nader has become one of the most influential voices in Web3 developer education and community building.

About 10 Years of EthereumThis podcast celebrates Ethereum's 10th anniversary by highlighting the builders, creators, and visionaries who shaped the ecosystem. From DeFi pioneers to NFT artists, from Layer 2 innovators to community builders - we're documenting the human stories behind the technological revolution.

Hosts:Chinmay Patel - https://twitter.com/chinmaydoteth | https://warpcast.com/chinmaydoteth | Basket.farm

Marvyn Paul - https://twitter.com/mpweb3wordsmith | https://warpcast.com/marvp | https://linktr.ee/marvynpaul

Contact: [email protected]

Show Links:Website: https://pods.media/10-years-of-ethereumTwitter: https://twitter.com/10yearsofeth

Marvyn's Other Podcast: Is This the New Internet - https://pods.media/is-this-the-new-internet

Episode Highlights

In this episode, we dive deep with 0xGramajo, a Guatemala-born developer turned content creator who's been bridging the gap between complex Web3 technology and accessible education since 2021.

The Origin Story - How the 2008 financial crisis and personal experiences with financial exclusion led Gramajo from Bitcoin maximalism to believing in Ethereum's vision of putting the internet on the blockchain.

Guatemala Perspective - A candid conversation about building in crypto from a non-Western perspective, family immigration struggles, and why traditional finance systems failed his community.

Content Creation Philosophy - The "Sherpa mentality" approach to Web3 education, building in public, and creating content that brings others along the journey rather than gatekeeping knowledge.

Farcaster vs. Traditional Social - Why decentralized social media matters for creators, the problems with platform monetization requirements, and building authentic communities.

DAO Renaissance - Gramajo's thesis that 2025 will be the year we "figure out DAOs," plus his summer plans involving ENS and Gnosis DAO.

Real-World Impact - Stories about helping artists mint on Ordinals, building bridges between technical builders and broader audiences, and the importance of celebrating Web3 innovation.

Key Quote

"I'm not trying to be the smartest person in the room. I'm just trying to be the person that can bring others along with me on this journey of exploring Web3."

About Gramajo

Content creator with 100+ newsletter issues and 25+ podcast episodes focused on interviewing developers, on-chain builders, and artists. Active in the Farcaster ecosystem and advocate for accessible Web3 education.

• Twitter: https://x.com/0xGramajo• Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/gramajo.eth• Newsletter: "Behind the Screen with Gramajo"• Links: https://gramajo.carrd.co• Collaborations: https://www.passionfroot.me/gramajo

• Courtyard: https://courtyard.io• ENS DAO: https://ens.domains
• Gnosis DAO: https://gnosis.io• DevConnect Argentina: https://devconnect.org

Hosts

Marvyn Paul (Is This the New Internet)• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hellofrommarv• Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/marvp• Links: https://linktr.ee/marvynpaul• Podcast: https://pods.media/is-this-the-new-internet

Chinmay Patel (Basket.farm)• Twitter: https://twitter.com/chinmaydoteth• Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/chinmaydoteth• Project: https://basket.farm

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/10yearsofeth• Podcast: https://pods.media/10-years-of-ethereum

This episode perfectly captures why diverse perspectives matter in crypto and how personal experiences drive innovation in decentralized technologies.

Join hosts Chinmay Patel and Marvyn Paul as they explore the cutting edge of Ethereum development with three innovative builders. Samuel Huber (dTech Founder) demonstrates his Morpho DeFi mini app, Vishal Mathur shows off viral Farcaster games like FarGuessr and FarFaucet, and ViperNFT shares insights from the Banker AI agent community.

Discover how mini apps are creating an open app store within social feeds, why AI agents are revolutionizing financial interactions through natural language, and how friction reduction compounds into massive adoption opportunities.

Products Featured:

• Morpho Mini App (DeFi lending)
• FarGuessr (Social gaming)
• FarFaucet (Developer tools)
• Banker AI Agent (Natural language trading)

Connect with Our Guests:

Samuel Huber – Founder of dTech, Farcaster Development ExpertTwitter: https://x.com/samuellhuberLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuel-louis-huber-96bb2618a/dTech: https://dtech.vision/

Vishal Mathur – Mini App Developer & CreatorTwitter: https://x.com/vmathur_

ViperNFT – Banker AI Community ContributorTwitter: https://x.com/VIPERnftDOTeth

Meet Your Hosts:

Chinmay Patel – Builder and Developer AdvocateTwitter: https://twitter.com/chinmaydotethFarcaster: https://warpcast.com/chinmaydoteth

Marvyn Paul – Web3 Content Creator & Podcast HostTwitter: https://twitter.com/mpweb3wordsmithPodcast: https://pods.media/is-this-the-new-internet

Part of our 10 Years of Ethereum celebration seriesListen: https://pods.media/10-years-of-ethereum

#Ethereum #DeFi #MiniApps #AIAgents #Farcaster #Web3

Celebrating 10 Years of Ethereum with one of Web3's top marketers!

Jeff Kauffman, founder of JUMP and Parachute Agency, has spent 20 years in social media marketing (starting with MySpace in 2005) and the last 4 years building Web3 communities for Fortune 500 brands. In this episode, he reveals his counterintuitive approach to building powerful communities.

Key insights:

• Why Ethereum IS a social network
• The newsletter strategy that beats 20K subscribers with just 750
• How to find early adopters using the "waiter strategy"
• Web3 = Web2 + ownership (and why that changes everything)
• Strategy over tactics: building sustainable Web3 businesses

Jeff breaks down how he built a community that attracted brand managers from 200+ Fortune 500 companies, why he has 1:1 calls with every newsletter subscriber, and his predictions for interactive content and AI.

Perfect for: Web3 builders, marketers, community managers, and anyone interested in the future of digital ownership and social platforms.

Connect with Jeff:Newsletter: jumpintothefuture.comTwitter: https://x.com/jeffkauffmanjr

Hosts:Chinmay Patel - ⁠https://twitter.com/chinmaydoteth⁠ | basket.farm

Marvyn Paul - https://twitter.com/mpweb3wordsmith |

Part of our 10 Years of Ethereum celebration series

#Ethereum #Web3Marketing #CommunityBuilding #Newsletter #Blockchain

Guest: Dylan Abruscato, Creator of Crypto the Game

Episode Description

Dylan Abruscato joins us to share the incredible story behind Crypto the Game, the interactive survival reality show that took crypto Twitter by storm. As a non-technical founder, Dylan reveals how he turned a childhood obsession with Survivor into one of the most engaging and viral crypto experiences ever created.

In this conversation, we dive deep into the three-season evolution of CTG, from the bootstrapped Season 1 on Ethereum mainnet to the sophisticated Season 3 on Muni Chain where Ted won 71.6 ETH. Dylan shares invaluable insights on building viral crypto products, the importance of choosing the right blockchain infrastructure, and how to create experiences people genuinely want to share.

In This Episode, Dylan gives us insight into:

- The 101 of Crypto The Game, and how it changed Everything

- His love of reality TV, and how it helped him come up with the idea

- Executing the idea and the key technical and strategic decisions

- Marketing and community-building

- The business of onchain experiences

Key Builder Insights

Start with passion, add crypto thoughtfully - Don't force blockchain into every idea

Build for yourself first - Authentic product-market fit comes from solving your own problems

Viral mechanics need genuine value - Growth hacks only work if the core experience is compelling

Non-technical founders bring crucial skills - Vision, marketing, and product sense matter as much as code

Choose your audience carefully - Crypto Twitter's tribal nature was perfect for competitive gameplay

Revenue diversification is essential - Multiple streams create sustainability for experimental formats

About Dylan

Dylan is the creator of Crypto the Game and was recently acquired by Uniswap. Before CTG, he worked in tech and marketing at companies like HQ Trivia and Party Round, where he pioneered creative crypto marketing campaigns. Despite being non-technical, Dylan's vision and execution turned a childhood dream into one of crypto's most successful community experiences.

This podcast celebrates Ethereum's 10th anniversary by highlighting the builders, creators, and visionaries who shaped the ecosystem. From DeFi pioneers to NFT artists, from Layer 2 innovators to community builders - we're documenting the human stories behind the technological revolution.

Hosts:

• Chinmay Patel - https://twitter.com/chinmaydoteth | https://warpcast.com/chinmaydoteth | Basket.farm
• Marvyn Paul - https://twitter.com/mpweb3wordsmith | https://warpcast.com/marvp | https://linktr.ee/marvynpaul https://pods.media/is-this-the-new-internet⁠
  

Show Links:

• Website: https://pods.media/10-years-of-ethereum
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/10yearsofeth

In this episode of 10 Years of Ethereum, we dive deep into the future of podcasting with Lucas Campbell (CEO) and Dan Simmons (CTO) of Pods Media. Discover how they're solving the podcast industry's biggest challenges through blockchain technology and why they believe we're on the verge of a creator economy revolution.

Lucas shares his journey from being the first employee at Bankless to building Pods Media after experimenting with podcast NFTs during the FTX collapse. Dan discusses his transition from Web2 startups to Web3 building and why he bet on Lucas's vision for on-chain content.

Together, they reveal how they're tackling the podcasting industry's 20-year innovation gap, why they chose Base blockchain over Ethereum mainnet, and how their "upload once, publish everywhere" model is creating new distribution channels that didn't exist before.

The Podcasting Opportunity

• Why a 27% annually growing industry has seen minimal innovation
• How current ad-based monetization fails creators and listeners
• The shift from short-form to long-form authentic content

Technical Strategy & Decision Making

• The evolution from Ethereum mainnet to Base blockchain
• How RSS feeds enable seamless Web2 composability
• Building social graphs that unlock new creator-fan relationships

Consumer Crypto Reality

• Honest assessment of current UX challenges
• The "girlfriend test" for Web3 applications
• Strategies for abstracting complexity while retaining Web3 benefits

Distribution Revolution

• How on-chain publishing creates infinite discovery surfaces
• Farcaster Frames vs traditional social media promotion
• The composability advantage of blockchain-native content

"Every single podcast episode on Pods is a forever edition... There's no scarcity, there's no speculation. It's just I'm collecting this because I want to support this podcast." - Lucas Campbell

"With Ethereum, it's effectively the shared global database that nobody can restrict access to... Any of this social graph that you're creating exists on chain and anybody can build on top of it." - Dan Simmons

"Media is in the game of distribution. Whoever has the best distribution wins." - Lucas Campbell

• Lucas's early Ethereum experience (spoiler: it bricked his laptop)
• The Bankless podcast NFT experiment that started it all
• Why they switched from Optimism to Base
• The Mr. Beast giveaway concept using on-chain minting
• Vision for Spotify integration and mainstream adoption
• Advice for first-time podcast collectors

Lucas Campbell - CEO, Pods Media
Twitter: https://x.com/0x_Lucas
Farcaster: https://farcaster.xyz/0xl

Dan Simmons - CTO, Pods Media
Twitter: https://x.com/simmons_dan
Farcaster: https://farcaster.xyz/simmons

Pods Media: www.pods.media - Apply to get your podcast on-chain via the "Become a Creator" link on their website

This episode is part of our comprehensive celebration of Ethereum's first decade. We're bringing together the builders, creators, and visionaries who shaped the decentralized future we're living in today. From DeFi Summer to The Merge, from memecoins to Layer 2s, we're documenting the stories that matter.

Series Links:

• Twitter: @10yearsofeth
• Podcast: https://pods.media/10-years-of-ethereum
• Email: [email protected]

Chinmay Patel
Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/chinmaydoteth
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chinmaydoteth
Basket.farm

Marvyn Paul
Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/marvp
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mpweb3wordsmith
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/marvynpaul
Host of "Is This the New Internet": https://pods.media/is-this-the-new-internet

Subscribe to never miss an episode of 10 Years of Ethereum and join us as we explore the stories that built the decentralized future.

This content is for educational purposes. Always conduct your own research before engaging with blockchain platforms or technologies.

What You'll LearnKey QuotesEpisode HighlightsConnect with Our GuestsAbout 10 Years of EthereumHost Information

Meet Anish Mohammed, a cryptographer with 25+ years of experience who was building in crypto before it was called crypto. From organizing the first Bitcoin workshops in London to co-founding privacy protocols and now tackling AI existential risk, Anish has been at the forefront of every major shift in our industry.

In this deep conversation, we explore why successful Layer 1 blockchains operate like religions, get a simple explanation of zero knowledge proofs that anyone can understand, and dive into how Layer 2s inherit security from Ethereum. Anish shares why current blockchain privacy models are unsustainable and discusses the critical intersection of AI risk and cryptographic guardrails.

Key Topics:

• 25 years in cryptography before crypto existed
• First Bitcoin workshops and early community building
• The "religious" nature of successful blockchains
• Zero knowledge proofs explained through simple analogies
• Layer 2 scaling and security inheritance
• Building crypto tools for scientists
• AI existential risk and hybrid threats
• DeSci opportunities and realistic challenges

Memorable Quotes:"All layer ones are like religions - you need believers willing to learn your language""Can you imagine everyone knowing every transaction in your lifetime? Nobody needs that.""We have a running risk of AGI, and between now and then, we need cryptographic guardrails"

About Our Guest:Anish Mohammed is a cryptographer, security expert, and privacy protocol pioneer. Early Bitcoin community member, former Ripple advisor, Panther Protocol co-founder, and current builder of verifiable platforms. His work spans cryptography, AI safety, and making advanced privacy tools accessible to domain experts.

Guest Socials:Anish Mohammed - Twitter: https://x.com/anishmohammed

About This Series:This is Episode 3 of our 10 Years of Ethereum celebration - a volunteer-run project highlighting the builders who created our ecosystem. We're bringing you 10 weeks of conversations with amazing people who've been part of Ethereum's journey from idea to world-changing platform.

Connect With Us:Twitter: https://x.com/10yearsofethAll Links: https://linktr.ee/10yearsofeth

Hosts:Chinmay Patel - Twitter: https://twitter.com/chinmaydoteth | Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/chinmaydotethMarvyn Paul - Twitter: https://twitter.com/mpweb3wordsmith | Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/marvp

Tags: #Ethereum #ZeroKnowledge #Cryptography #Bitcoin #Privacy #Layer2 #AI #DeSci #Blockchain #Crypto #Web3 #EthereumHistory #BuilderStories #CryptoOG #TechHistory

Two of Web3's most successful creators share exactly how they built 100K+ audiences and sustainable businesses.

Humpty Calderon (CryptoSapiens newsletter) and Adrienne Schulman (GM Farcaster podcast) reveal their real strategies: from turning $500 grants into $5,000 revenue streams to building communities that actually pay you back.

You'll learn why Farcaster's economics create healthier social media than Twitter, practical tools that work for creators right now, and why "talking to everyone means talking to no one."

Key moments:

- The grant hack that 10x'd content reach [19:00]

- Why authenticity beats follower counts [45:00]

- 5 revenue streams every creator needs [28:00]

- Smart contracts explained simply [51:00]

Adrienne Schulman

Social Media:

• Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/adrienne
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/adrienneshulman
• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/age_shulman

Newsletter & Writing:

• "Some of the Things" Newsletter: https://someofthethings.substack.com
• IT Revolution Articles: https://itrevolution.com/author/adrienne-shulman
• Paragraph Blog: https://paragraph.xyz/@adrienne

Humpty Calderon

Social Media:

• Farcaster: https://warpcast.com/humpty
• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/humpty0x
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/humptycalderon

Newsletter & Content:

• CryptoSapiens Newsletter: https://cryptosapiens.xyz

Tools mentioned: Farcaster, Pods Media, HyperSub, Amps, Base, Paragraph

Episode 2 of our 50-part Ethereum 10th anniversary series.

10 Years of Ethereum - Episode 1: Foundation Stories

Hosts: Chinmay Patel & Marvyn Paul
Guests: Josh Stark (Community Lead, Ethereum Foundation) & Jason Chaskin (Researcher, Ethereum Foundation)
Date: May 22, 2025 (Bitcoin Pizza Day!)

Welcome to the inaugural episode of our 10-week celebration of Ethereum's 10th anniversary! In this special kickoff episode, we sit down with two key figures from the Ethereum Foundation - Josh Stark, who heads community initiatives, and Jason Chaskin, a researcher leading the new Ecosystem Intelligence Team.

This isn't just another crypto podcast - it's a celebration of the builders, dreamers, and community members who've shaped Ethereum from an ambitious whitepaper into the global platform it is today. Josh and Jason share their personal journeys into Ethereum, from Jason's ICO-era skepticism to his banking career pivot, and Josh's transition from law to becoming a cornerstone of the Ethereum ecosystem.

We explore the unique challenges of building at the Ethereum Foundation, the delicate balance between decentralization and coordination, and get insider perspectives on exciting developments like the Trillion Dollar Security Initiative, interoperability solutions, and the symbiotic relationship between Layer 1 and Layer 2s.

Whether you're a longtime Ethereum builder or just discovering the ecosystem, this conversation offers rare insights into how one of crypto's most important organizations thinks about the future while staying true to its community-first ethos.

• [02:00] Jason's journey from skeptical college finance major to EF researcher
• [04:00] Josh's transition from law to Ethereum via the 2015 rabbit hole
• [11:00] Josh's pre-EF work: Bitcoin ATM operations, ETH Global founding, and L4 (early state channels)
• [14:00] Jason's ETH Global NYC 2022 experience - finding his tribe in the bear market

• [17:00] Josh's dual focus: building EF communications & leading Trillion Dollar Security Initiative
• [20:00] Jason's evolution to leading the new Ecosystem Intelligence Team
• [22:00] The unique challenge of winning without controlling - EF's delicate balance
• [24:00] New KPIs: Why stablecoin market share matters for Ethereum's future
• [27:00] Interoperability as a key coordination function

• [31:00] The Danny Ryan story - from web developer to Merge architect via open calls
• [33:00] Forums and channels: ETH Research, Ethereum Magicians, Farcaster
• [36:00] Developer opportunities: Build Guild, hackathons, and getting paid in ETH
• [38:00] Scout Game - gamifying open source contributions
• [41:00] Jason's call for renewed experimentation and big thinking

• [41:30] Jason's top 3 Farcaster apps: micro-tipping, GeoGuesser, and Paragraph
• [43:00] Josh's three-bucket framework: Platform strength, application ecosystem, and distribution
• [46:00] Scaling values through technology, not just philosophy
• [48:00] The email analogy - how base layer properties keep platforms honest

• [50:00] EF's symbiotic relationship with Layer 2 teams
• [52:00] The speed of progress - from $1+ L2 fees to micro-transactions in one year
• [53:00] Interoperability progress: Succinct's 12-second Ethereum block proofs
• [55:00] Final advice: Reach out, try new products, support experimentation