Human Protocol

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Human Protocol episodes

October 21 Inbox Zero & The Meaning of Life: Dennison Bertram | FREE - PI
Dennison Bertram joins The Human Protocol Podcast in a conversation that moves from his pre-crypto life in robotics, political science, Prague, fashion, and creative technology into the early days of Bitcoin and Ethereum.
The episode matters because it traces how one founder’s worldview was shaped by post-communist Europe, 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis, and years of building in crypto.
In this episode, Dennison shares why he left robotics, how Prague changed his life, and what it felt like to start one of the first Bitcoin exchanges in the Czech Republic. The conversation also turns into a sharp and funny critique of bureaucracy, digital busywork, and the modern internet...
Key topics:
- Dennison’s path from Carnegie Mellon robotics to political science, and why the late 1990s tech environment felt inhospitable for a Black student
- The impact of September 11 on American politics, privacy norms, and the rising influence of ideology over expertise
- Why Prague and the Czech Republic became a turning point, both personally and professionally
- How post-communist transition created both opportunity and trauma, especially around freedom, rules, and social instability
- His move into photography, fashion, and creative technology, including early blogging and helping brands adapt to the internet
- Reading the Bitcoin white paper, starting an early Bitcoin exchange in the Czech Republic, and learning the hard way about regulation and startup building
- Why Bitcoin and early crypto resonated after the financial crisis and the collapse of trust in traditional systems
- Early NFT thinking on Bitcoin, the energy of the Ethereum era, and why crypto felt more experimental then than now
- His current philosophy that computers should do computer work, while humans should focus on human things
- How family, kids, and mortality shifted his view of time, risk, money, and what actually matters

Timestamps:
(00:00) Welcome and why this podcast focuses on the people behind the tech
(01:30) Carnegie Mellon robotics, race, and leaving computer science
(03:12) Political science during 9/11 and the privacy reset in America
(06:29) The early seeds of crypto and experiments like Second Life
(06:59) Moving from political science into art and creative work
(08:06) Prague, post-communist transition, and studying abroad differently
(09:30) Freedom, instability, and the hidden trauma of rapid social change
(14:18) Fashion photography, Milan, and pre-smartphone social media
(15:22) Helping brands understand the internet and early digital transformation
(16:28) Blogging, web culture, and reconnecting with technology through art
(17:41) Reading the Bitcoin white paper and launching an early exchange
(18:07) Raising money for Bitcoin before anyone knew what it was
(20:03) The 2008 crisis, career collapse, and the rise of “craft” culture
(22:18) Why Bitcoin mattered in Europe, where bank seizures and instability were real
(23:02) Early NFT experiments and the first wave of Ethereum energy
(24:37) Why crypto feels less magical now
(25:09) Privacy erosion, surveillance, and the normalizing of digital exposure
(26:46) Why instant payments are now expected everywhere
(28:14) Why humans should stop doing computer tasks
(31:25) Bureaucracy, passports, stamps, and pointless verification theater
(36:13) AI doing computer work and the end of human busywork
(41:16) Hard-won lessons: if it’s complicated or hard to use, it’s probably wrong
(44:13) Using crypto on mobile, cards, savings, and meme coins
(45:04) What money is really for now
(49:41) How having children changes time, risk, and priorities
(52:04) Death, legacy, and why raising kids is only a small part of life
(53:15) AGI, AI agents, and what the future of work might look like
(54:14) Why Dennison refuses to fly economy anymore
(56:32) Final thoughts: don’t fly economy, don’t open your email

Useful links:

https://x.com/DennisonBertram
www.freepi.ai

53 min
October 07 The Anonymous Alchemist: Scoopy Trooples | Alchemix
Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome and the purpose of the podcast
02:24 - From teaching into crypto
04:52 - The 2016 Bitcoin run and a chance to reassess
05:48 - Discovering Ethereum DApps and deciding to build
06:45 - Teaching himself to code and learning Solidity 08:00 - COVID, DeFi, and building during lockdown
08:51 - Early experiences with MakerDAO, Uniswap, Compound, and Curve
11:42 - Buying ETH near the bottom and feeling vindicated
12:49 - Credit to his wife for encouraging him to take risks
14:03 - How the name Scoopy Trooples came about
16:00 - Early Twitter: explaining DeFi, replying, and shitposting
17:42 - Why anonymity remained important as Alchemix grew
18:31 - Crypto security risks and protecting family
20:49 - Fundraising and the value of trust and network connections
22:35 - The team’s first in-person meeting
24:00 - Alchemix’ launch timeline and its first five founders
25:04 - Building a dapp front end as a new developer
26:30 - Unexpected growth and more than 500 million in TVL
27:33 - Security concerns and getting help with code review
29:33 - The pressure, excitement, and exhaustion of rapid growth
31:42 - Internal conflict, co-founder departures, and losing a friendship
35:06 - Clear roles, hierarchy, and the problem with a power vacuum
38:07 - Scoopy’s approach to leadership and shared ownership
39:53 - How teaching helped him communicate and speak publicly
42:42 - Twitter pressure, self-censorship, and the post-FTX downturn
47:48 - V3, stronger team dynamics, and renewed optimism
49:49 - The Curve hack and waking up to a crisis
50:35 - Recovering funds, LP losses, and negotiating with the attacker
54:42 - The emotional aftermath of the hack
56:43 - Burnout cycles, chronic pain, and finding support
59:26 - Physical therapy, training, and feeling better
63:19 - Alchemix’ Base deployment
64:13 - How redemptions work and why duration matters
66:36 - Fixed yield, looping, and the Base product’s potential
68:52 - Making wellness a priority for himself and the team
69:43 - Positive Sum Pepe’s and a different take on meme coins
71:03 - Testnet plans and the project’s playful concept
1 hr 7 min
September 24 Riding Out: John Crain - SuperRare
Timestamps:

01:27 - Architecture, civil engineering, and why that path didn’t fit

03:20 - Advertising, New York meetups, and discovering Bitcoin

04:46 - Meeting the early Ethereum crowd and knowing he belonged

07:29 - ERC-20, ERC-721, and the first idea behind Pixura

09:24 - Building early infrastructure for digital art before marketplaces existed

11:43 - Why SuperRare became the product to double down on

13:43 - Working with family and why those dynamics became a superpower

15:04 - Early failed side projects and the “blockchain jobs” experiment

16:10 - The pain of 120 VC rejections and recurring moments of doubt

18:02 - Debating whether to pivot into DeFi

20:45 - The first $1 million volume month and the first real signal

22:25 - Staying grounded when growth started compounding

24:22 - The curation debate and criticism of gatekeeping

27:23 - The emotional cost of managing a heated community

30:58 - What it felt like to see artists’ lives change on SuperRare

33:19 - Bug hunting, security stress, and the cost of rapid scale

35:27 - Burnout, endurance, and getting through the hard years

38:05 - Layoffs, public ownership, and what that moment changed

42:34 - Learning to say no and becoming more decisive

45:06 - Thinking backwards from failure before saying yes

48:30 - Why John still believes crypto can expand the creator economy

51:23 - The one thing he had never said publicly...
51 min
September 13 Growing Up - Eva Beylin
Key topics:

- Eva shares her background as a first generation Canadian raised in Toronto by Russian immigrant parents who were both engineers.
In college, she studied economics, global economics, and Spanish, with interests in languages, global affairs, and how markets connect across borders.

- She explains why management consulting felt like the right first job: problem solving, exposure to businesses, and the chance to work across finance, technology, and operations.

- Her shift into crypto started through her brother, Mark Baylin, and accelerated when Ethereum clicked as a better payment rail than the patchwork systems she was seeing in consulting.

- She reflects on the early crypto era as a time of intense experimentation, especially around DAOs, community driven models, and more idealistic visions of coordination.

- How the industry has matured into a more capitalist and realistic phase, with less romance and more focus on what actually works in practice.

- Navigating a highly technical ecosystem without being a developer by leaning on her business background, learning quickly, and staying close to the technology.

- Why crypto projects need business, marketing, and sales people early, not just engineers, and why technical proficiency is often overestimated.

- On why she left the Graph after five and a half years: burnout, changing personal energy, and the project’s own evolution into a more mature infrastructure layer.

- Burnout and boundary setting come up as a major theme, including practical changes like removing Discord and Slack from her phone.
Eva discusses how crypto’s always on culture is slowly running into more human constraints, including the practical pull of nine to five workflows.

- Her longtime art practice, how NFTs briefly gave hobby artists a venue to sell work, and why her view of NFTs has become much more skeptical.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro to Eva and the Human Protocol focus on the people behind crypto

01:49 - Growing up in Toronto as a first generation immigrant with global interests

03:48 - Why management consulting felt like the safest and most interesting first career

06:02 - How Eva first understood blockchain through her brother and payments work

07:32 - The Bitcoin growth shock that made crypto impossible to ignore

08:58 - Taking a sabbatical, then leaving consulting with no clear plan

09:35 - Moving to Bangkok and joining OmiseGo

10:48 - Volunteering at ETH Denver 2018 and finding her people

12:58 - Why the cozy early crypto culture changed as the space matured

14:20 - DAOs, experimentation, and the cost of early idealism

17:36 - Whether humans are actually wired to coordinate through blockchain systems

18:22 - Why trustless systems still depend on human incentives and realistic design

20:49 - Why Eva is glad the industry is moving past repeated experiments

22:43 - How crypto changed her political and economic worldview

25:14 - Growing up with the industry as the average participant aged and matured

27:07 - Being non technical in a technical space and building authority anyway

30:11 - Why business and communication skills are essential in crypto

34:46 - How the Graph matured from crypto native ambition into enterprise reality

37:02 - Why she joined the Graph in the first place

38:44 - The moment she realized it was time to leave the Graph

41:41 - Burnout, Discord overload, and removing work apps from her phone

43:17 - Why crypto is slowly becoming more nine to five in practice

46:10 - Autonomy, remote work, and the need for stronger boundaries

48:51 - Eva’s art practice and how NFTs opened a selling path for hobby artists

52:13 - Why her view of NFTs became much more bearish over time

54:57 - What she would do differently: less indexing on meme driven chains and dapps

58:08 - How leaving a role changed the way she uses Twitter

61:34 - Figuring out her next mission and role in crypto

62:18 - Why she finds much of the RWA narrative boring

64:55 - Why zero knowledge proofs feel like the most exciting technical frontier

66:29 - Crypto as an expander of the financial system

67:16 - What Eva expects from the next cycle and why she is optimistic
1 hr 3 min
August 19 Be Less Worse: Richard Moore (ricmoo) - ethers.js
Timestamps

00:00 - Welcome to the Human Protocol Podcast
00:30 - “Random developer from Canada” and Canadian humility
02:27 - Before crypto: Waterloo, Blackberry, Kindle, Amazon
03:43 - Why the Kickstarter failed and what it taught him
05:33 - The hackathon project that was not about crypto
06:27 - The Bitcoin meetup that led to Ethereum
07:42 - Why Bitcoin mattered for people without access to banking
10:12 - Learning crypto by building wallets and writing BitcoinD in Python
11:01 - The risky early Ethereum wallet and the 1 percent bug
12:17 - Why Ethers was built to be smaller than Web3.js
13:09 - Making Ethers work without syncing the whole blockchain
14:21 - When Ethers first shipped publicly
15:18 - How Gitcoin made open source funding feel real
17:09 - Why growth felt gradual instead of overnight
18:31 - Speaking at Devcon and becoming known in the ecosystem
20:21 - The burden of maintaining critical code with millions of downloads
22:42 - What he wishes he knew before public releases became high stakes
23:26 - Why API changes are painful and why older versions linger for years
26:07 - What anonymity and doxxing feel like from his side
28:08 - What he sacrificed, and why he feels net ahead overall
29:03 - Programming as a lifelong pastime
30:19 - Woodworking, DIY, and buying land in the middle of nowhere
31:48 - What happens if he stops tomorrow
34:06 - Why AI will reshape the developer market
36:19 - The frog he accidentally hit and still feels bad about
37:33 - What ecosystem capture says about crypto funding
39:33 - Hoping for a future ENS DAO reboot
41:17 - A randomized system for resisting rule gaming
44:00 - Why most people are not naturally greedy or predatory
48:21 - Culture, marketing, and why values get reinforced early
50:40 - Non negotiables: kindness and gratitude
53:45 - Final takeaways: be kind, be happy, touch grass, be less worse
56 min
August 10 High Standards Build Resilient Ecosystems: Kartik Talwar - ETHGlobal
Timestamps:
00:00
- Introduction to Kartik Talwar and the podcast’s focus on building communities
00:34
- The origin of the Human Protocol podcast and its personal storytelling approach
01:27
- Kartik’s background in astrophysics and transition into software development
02:09
- Lessons from studying complex systems and the joy of programming feedback loops
03:47
- The impact of early Silicon Valley experience at SV Angel on tech worldview
04:19
- The role of innovative data analysis in early investment decisions
05:46
- High standards from exposure to top-tier startup pitches and founder benchmarking
07:14
- The long-term influence of thousands of pitch meetings on decision making
09:04
- Origins of hackathons, starting with Hack the North pre-ETH Global
09:35
- Why hackathons are effective for learning, testing, and building fast under constraints
10:49
- Accessibility in tech and how hackathons democratize new frameworks and hardware
12:13
- Bridging university education with real-world startup demands through hackathons
13:43
- The approach to improving Ethereum developer tooling and onboarding processes
15:08
- How feedback from hackathons accelerates protocol and SDK improvements
16:55
- Overcoming challenges in organizing global hackathons and the value of engineers’ input
19:05
- Evolution of hackathon focus from Ethereum setup to product deployment and scaling
20:48
- The groundbreaking NFT and CryptoKitties project at ETH Waterloo
21:28
- Unexpected innovations and lessons from early hackathon projects
22:23
- The emergence of early Ethereum projects and industry milestones from hackathon ideas
24:02
- Validation of the crypto ecosystem through startup success and community growth
25:11
- The unique advantages of blockchain’s ability to create resilient, programmable infrastructure
26:37
- Resilience in crypto markets and the ongoing commitment to innovation despite bear conditions
27:20
- Qualities of participants during bullish vs. bearish markets and community dedication
28:02
- The importance of consistent criteria in selecting participants for ecosystem health
29:17
- The long cycles in blockchain development and the need for patience and vision
30:46
- The role of infrastructure and open development in enabling trillion-dollar innovations
36:13
- The impact of market swings on event logistics and community engagement
37:43
- Scaling from hundreds to tens of thousands of developers and the challenges involved
38:47
- Institutional shifts, long-term thinking, and the importance of grassroots development
40:43
- The balance of short-term obstacles versus long-term ecosystem vision
45:04
- The massive opportunity in infrastructure and software-enabled business models
46:19
- Faster iteration and idea validation powered by AI and blockchain tools
47:34
- Personal insights and future visions from Kartik on the ecosystem’s trajectory This conversation highlights how community, feedback, and relentless iteration are crucial to building innovative ecosystems in tech and crypto. Whether you’re a developer, founder, or enthusiast, understanding the value of collaboration and long-term thinking is key to shaping the future.
46 min
August 10 The Decentralization Revolution: Tech Needs Human Resilience - Jake Brukhman | CoinFund

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Jake Brukhman's background and journey
02:00 - Life in Russia and early technological influences
05:00 - Immigration, family, and early coding experiences
10:00 - Transition from academia to finance and hedge funds
15:00 - Discovery of Bitcoin and crypto in 2011
20:00 - Building CoinFund during the ICO mania of 2016-2017
25:00 - Validation of crypto investments and industry growth in 2017
30:00 - The evolution of blockchain use cases and institutional adoption
35:00 - The challenges and future of decentralized AI training
40:00 - The interplay between regulation, innovation, and openness
45:00 - Lessons from bear markets and the resilience of entrepreneurs
50:00 - The importance of human qualities and creativity in tech success
55:00 - Opinions on the future of crypto, AI, and decentralization
60:00 - Personal boundaries, mental health, and art as sustenance
65:00 - Final thoughts on industry maturation and opportunities ahead

Connect with Jake Brukhman:
https://x.com/jbrukh
https://www.coinfund.io/

Note: A rich dialogue filled with insights on innovation, resilience, and the intersection of technology and human values. Perfect for entrepreneurs, investors, and crypto and AI enthusiasts.
1 hr 2 min
July 15 Proof of Letting Go: The Story of POAP | Patricio Worthalter - POAP
Timestamps:

00:07 - Introduction and guest background
00:23 - Personal motivations and early crypto experiences
01:28 - Argentina’s economic collapse and impact on the founder’s journey
02:35 - Discovery of Bitcoin and Ethereum amidst survival mode
03:34 - The first encounter with ransomware leading to active learning
04:27 - Ethereum’s early misperceptions and enthusiasm for blockchain potential
05:24 - Burnout and personal sacrifices in tech and crypto life
06:56 - Buying Ether as a lifeline out of hardship
07:40 - Building credibility and status through active participation in Ethereum ecosystem
08:38 - The initial excitement and cautious optimism about Ethereum's promise
09:37 - Ethereum’s failures versus Bitcoin’s perceived success
10:54 - The rise and disappointment of ICOs and market hype
12:16 - The transition from investment to education in crypto
13:13 - Understanding Ethereum’s social hierarchy and developer culture
14:23 - The desire to be a builder and the importance of community validation
15:15 - Riding the 2017 bubble and subsequent market correction
16:00 - The burst of the Ethereum hype and market disillusion
17:28 - Developing POAP as a tool for legitimation and community bonding
18:56 - The ethical constraints and visions for POAP's impact
20:18 - Preservation of digital assets as a core passion
21:25 - The origin story of POAP and its core function in creating verifiable memories
22:51 - How POAP evolved as a social and emotional asset for communities
24:23 - The emotional volatility of founders and highs of POAP’s community success
26:49 - The pandemic’s impact on POAP and the subsequent recovery phase
28:52 - The NFT market’s growth, hype cycles, and social relevance decline
30:28 - The market’s shift from innovation to speculation and the fading of NFT relevance
34:24 - The decision to put POAP into maintenance mode and what it signifies for the project’s future
36:22 - Reflection on failures, the importance of closure, and the symbolic meaning of the farewell jacket
50:59 - The emotional toll of closure and protecting community trust
54:55 - Broader crisis within Ethereum, industry disillusionment, and future risks for blockchain technology
58:28 - Comparing blockchain to historical innovations like the Concorde, and pondering their long-term cultural impact
60:10 - Closing thoughts on the next chapter and moving beyond the past

Connect with Patricio: Twitter: https://x.com/worthalter

Note: The narrative illustrates not just the lifecycle of a project but offers critical observations on the broader industry, emphasizing the importance of purposeful building, ethical constraints, and knowing when to gracefully close a chapter.
1 hr 2 min
July 02From Progress to Core: Pedro Gomes - WalletConnect
Main topics:
The evolution of Wallet Connect and navigating hype cycles

Protecting the core: essentials for sustainable infrastructure

How market dynamics influence product focus and decision-making

Balancing innovation and public goods vs business models

The significance of account abstraction and blockchain-level fixes

Leadership lessons: stepping back, seeking feedback, and measuring success

The future of blockchain user experience with localized wallets and stablecoins
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction and the human side of crypto conversations
02:16 - Normalizing ups and downs in tech journeys
03:41 - Pedro’s early life before crypto and search for impact
04:43 - Disillusionment with science and turn to photography
06:08 - From photography to coding and e-commerce opportunities
07:48 - Transition into fintech and learning about regulation
10:33 - Discovering Bitcoin and crypto’s value over time
12:31 - The challenge of innovation within regulatory constraints
14:05 - Building Wallet Connect independently with community support
15:50 - Balancing market momentum with product focus
19:35 - The explosive growth of Wallet Connect during bull markets
24:06 - Moving from open source to a sustainable business model
26:47 - Diversification of Wallet Connect products and market noise
27:16 - Returning to focus: the importance of the core in turbulent times
30:40 - The influence of resource abundance and making better decisions
36:33 - Certification, localization, and wallets tailored to user needs
40:20 - Protecting the core as the blockchain space matures
44:24 - Interoperability at the blockchain layer — a crucial frontier
50:23 - The need for local stablecoins to unlock the next wave of wallets
54:42 - Inspiring impact and global lessons from different markets
57:46 - Ethereum’s decision-making process and the importance of product managers

Resources & Links:
Wallet Connect

Ethereum Foundation

Account Abstraction (EIP-4337)

Tachyon Accelerator

Solana

Tempo (Blockchain project)

MetaMask
Connect with Pedro:
LinkedIn

Twitter
1 hr 3 min
June 17 Building with Resilience and Purpose: Amanda Cassatt - Serotonin
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction and Amanda’s background in media and early tech experiences
02:15 - Transition from writing to understanding content on the internet
04:38 - Disruptive media business models and ad-driven economics
07:00 - Amanda’s entry into crypto via Ethereum meetups and community insights
09:45 - The excitement and technical complexity of blockchain at Ethereum meetups
11:10 - Amanda’s role in shaping Ethereum's marketing and her vision to elevate the ecosystem
13:35 - Leaving consensus and reflecting on lessons from media to crypto
16:10 - Building trust and changing internal communication strategies at Ethereum Foundation
17:50 - The emotional toll of marketing campaigns and real-world validation
19:45 - Confronting criticism and self-doubt during Ethereum’s price spike & campaign success
22:00 - Handling setbacks, personal resilience, and the importance of deadlines
23:40 - The mindset of trying, testing, and learning in uncertain environments
26:00 - Living with the unknown: embracing discomfort as growth
29:00 - The metaphors of muscle tearing and emotional growth; navigating discomfort
31:00 - Managing perceptions, misjudgments, and acting with internal authenticity
33:12 - The importance of flow, Wu Wei, and accepting reality as a foundation for leadership
36:00 - Maintaining patience and conviction aligned with external reality
42:00 - Building the Ethereum ecosystem through strategic marketing and community-building
44:20 - Starting Serotonin and avoiding VC reliance: a model of profitable growth
49:00 - The dangers of overhyped tech bubbles and lessons from NFT collapses
55:10 - Value creation versus hype: understanding true worth in digital assets
56:50 - The lasting impact of NFT technology and its nuanced applications
58:30 - The significance of adaptability and not overcommitting in volatile markets
59:45 - Inner confidence, humility, and moving with the natural flow of reality
62:00 - Authenticity in social media and the importance of true self-expression
66:00 - Keeping motivated amidst market pressure and innovation's pace
68:45 - Feedback, critique, and the value of community dialogue in building resilient ecosystems
70:00 - Ethereum’s potential as a bulwark against authoritarianism and systemic overreach
71:00 - Amanda’s broader philosophy: creating genuinely valuable work and focusing on the territory
73:20 - The gap between perceived value (map) and real value (territory) in finance and society
75:00 - Living in alignment with fundamental real-world values rather than abstractions
76:00 - The Borges story of the perfect map and the perils of losing touch with reality
77:00 - Final thoughts: embracing change, authenticity, and purpose-driven building
1 hr 19 min

About Human Protocol

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The personal side of building big things. Where builders talk about the messy parts of creating the future. Hosted by Simona Pop.

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