Isaac Patka is a developer and founder in the Ethereum ecosystem specializing in security and compliance infrastructure. He is the co-founder of Shield3, which conducts incident response training through Wargames exercises for major DeFi and infrastructure protocols, performs operational security audits including multisig configuration and infrastructure reviews, and builds policy and compliance infrastructure specifically for stablecoin projects.

Isaac is also a founding member and initiative lead at the Security Alliance (SEAL), an industry group of top researchers, auditors, developers, and lawyers working together to improve the security landscape of web3.

Isaac brings a rare mix of technical insight and human awareness to Web3, exploring how culture, design, and attention failures shape the vulnerabilities of DAOs.

The conversation dives into topics like proof of inattention, optimistic governance, and the hidden power of dispute resolution. Isaac shares stories from his work in white-hat hacking, DAO roasts, and wargaming—real-world simulations that help protocols identify weak points before hackers do. He also explains why paranoia is healthy in crypto, why multi-sigs often fail from social engineering rather than code, and how simple practices can drastically reduce risk.

The episode closes with reflections on AI, security culture, and why the future of governance may look a lot like the past—council-driven, human-centered, and built on trust.

Security Alliance (SEAL): https://www.securityalliance.org/

SEAL Frameworks: https://www.securityalliance.org/frameworks

Wargames: https://www.securityalliance.org/wargames

NounsDAO: https://nouns.wtf/

Timestamps:

00:00 – Cold start

00:56 – Introduction: Jamilya and Eugene welcome Isaac Patka

03:06 – Why everyone eventually gets phished: real-world hacks and human error

05:23 – The growing attack surface in decentralized ecosystems

07:42 – The birth of DAO Roasts: fact-checking decentralization claims

10:04 – NounsDAO and the challenge of decentralization with veto power

12:23 – White-hat hacking: testing governance systems responsibly

14:48 – Defining white-hat vs. gray-hat ethics in crypto

17:07 – How security gray zones blur the line between defense and offense

19:24 – The LampDAO experiment: voting to turn a real-world light on and off

21:47 – DAO governance meets physical reality and off-chain limits

24:07 – “Proof of inattention” as a governance failure mode

26:31 – Delegates, fatigue, and the limits of direct democracy

28:54 – Why most voters copy trusted delegates without understanding proposals

31:15 – Guardrails and veto power: trade-offs in optimistic governance

33:36 – The real locus of power: dispute resolution and enforcement

35:55 – The origins of Security Alliance and the birth of WarGames

38:16 – Simulating incidents: chaos drills for DeFi protocols

40:42 – Threat modeling: finding vulnerabilities beyond smart contracts

43:01 – SEAL-911: the crypto emergency hotline

45:17 – Human trust in automated systems: staking and delegation

47:39 – Why protocols still underestimate operational risks

50:06 – Security culture: humans all the way down

52:30 – Paranoia as a governance virtue

54:51 – Practical safeguards: how to verify urgent messages and avoid scams

56:54 – AI in governance: new attack surfaces and security implications

59:19 – Overwarning fatigue and the limits of “Accept risk and sign” popups

01:01:35 – Access control and permission boundaries in multisigs

01:03:52 – How to stay safe: real-world scams and social engineering examples

01:08:34 – Long cons, fake grants, and deepfakes in the crypto world

01:12:59 – Vigilance without paranoia: staying human in security

01:15:22 – Physical safety, seed phrases, and low-profile best practices

01:17:43 – Crypto conferences, travel safety, and not standing out

01:19:59 – Security frameworks and starting points for learning

01:22:24 – What DAOs should fix first: access control

01:22:59 – Why decentralization is the most misused word in Web3

01:23:36 – The future of governance: humans, councils, and lessons from the past

01:24:15 – Closing thanks and outro