The Crypto Beat

The Block's Head of Growth, Tim Copeland, was joined by Thrive Founder Daniel Jacobs.

In this episode, Jacobs shares how Thrive uses a mix of expert and AI agent reviewers to validate contributions, making grant funding faster, fairer, and ensure they are supporting the creation of value. Jacobs also critiques the value-extraction mindset in crypto and advocates for a shift toward long-term value creation and ecosystem sustainability.

OUTLINE

00:00 – Introduction

01:03 – The Origin of Thrive

04:23 – Reviewer Incentives 

05:35 – AI Agent Adoption

08:52 – Confirming AI Accuracy

12:36 – Comparisons to Kaito

13:58 – Growth Metrics

16:26 – Challenges in Crypto Grant Funding

20:50 – Extracting vs. Creating Value

25:07 – Are VCs good for the space?

28:37 – Moving into “Fundamental Season”

30:07 – Interesting projects

31:17 – Daniel’s Predictions for 2025

31:42 – Closing Thoughts

The Block Newsletters

The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠⁠

Guest links:

Daniel Jacobs - ⁠https://x.com/thrivegiraffe

Thrive Protocol - https://x.com/thriveprotocol

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The Block's Head of Growth, Tim Copeland, was joined by Metamask Co-Founder Dan Finlay.

In this episode, Copeland and Finlay discuss the evolution of the crypto industry, the intersection of blockchain and AI, and MetaMask's goal to build a wallet for a much broader audience outside of crypto natives.

OUTLINE

00:00 - Introduction

00:42 - Crypto’s evolution

02:57 - MetaMask's strategy

04:39 - Mainstream Use Cases 

07:20 - MetaMask’s Grants Program

10:57 - Challenges in Building MetaMask

15:17 - Improving Multi-Chain UX

17:16 - The Pectra Upgrade

23:06 - MetaMask’s revenue streams

25:33 - From Memes to Fundamentals

27:58 - Experimenting with AI 

32:19 - The Solana Meme Coin

37:04 - Native Support for Solana 

40:09 - The Changing U.S. Regulatory Landscape

41:20 - The Elusive MetaMask Token

42:17 - Hopes for the Future

43:01 - Conclusion

The Block Newsletters

The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit ⁠⁠⁠theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠⁠

Guest links:

Dan Finlay - https://x.com/danfinlay

MetaMask - ⁠⁠https://x.com/MetaMask

Are you hiring in crypto?

Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.

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The Block's Editor-in-Chief, Tim Copeland, was joined by Backed Finance Co-Founder Adam Levi.

In this episode, Copeland and Levi discuss the rise and future of tokenized equities, and how it could prove to be bigger than stablecoins.

OUTLINE

00:00 - Introduction

00:46 - Observations From Token2049

02:14 - Adam’s Experience in the Space

03:51 - Understanding the Business Model

08:28 - Another Crypto Collapse?

11:56 - Why Tokenized Equities Are Gaining Steam

15:58 - Regulatory Concerns and Global Access

18:46 - Adoption Barriers

20:10 - Unlocking DeFi With Real-World Assets

23:06 - Yield-Bearing Stablecoins 

25:21 - Coming Next in Tokenized Equities

26:01 - Conclusion

The Block Newsletters

The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit ⁠⁠theblock.co/newsletters⁠⁠

Guest links:

Adam Levi - https://x.com/leviadam1

Backed Finance - ⁠https://x.com/BackedFi

Are you hiring in crypto?

Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.

Faster hiring, stronger teams.

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The Block's Editor-in-Chief, Tim Copeland, was joined by PayPal's SVP of Blockchain, Crypto and Digital Currencies, Jose Fernandez da Ponte.

In this episode, Copeland and da Ponte discuss PayPal’s vision and progress in crypto, including its stablecoin PYUSD, payment use cases, and how PayPal is looking to position itself as a major player in blockchain-based finance.

OUTLINE

00:00 - Introduction

03:03 - PayPal’s journey into crypto

06:31 - Top requested features: tokens and yield

11:21 - Navigating regulation

15:09 - The Popularity of crypto on PayPal

18:49 - Circle’s new cross-border payments network

19:56 - Measuring success with PYUSD

23:09 - Supporting other stablecoins

24:05 - Can PYUSD rival Tether or USDC?

27:35 - BlackRock and TradFi entering crypto

29:51 - Using stablecoins in real business payments

30:42 - How crypto will change financial services

34:16 - PayPal’s long-term crypto ambitions

37:12 - Closing thoughts

The Block Newsletters

The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit ⁠theblock.co/newsletters⁠

Guest links:

Jose Fernandez da Ponte - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jose-fernandez-da-ponte-a46ba81/

PayPal - https://x.com/PayPal

Are you hiring in crypto?

Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.

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The Block's Editor-in-Chief, Tim Copeland, was joined by OP Labs Co-Founder and Systems Engineer Mark Tyneway.

In this episode, Copeland and Tyneway discuss the progress and current state of Optimism. Tyneway unpacked OP Labs' focus on user experience and interoperability, and how crypto's future could become more app-focused.

OUTLINE

00:00 - Introduction

00:48 - Optimism’s Growth and Ecosystem Highlights

05:04 - Crypto’s App-Focused Future

06:57 - Native Interoperability and Cross-Chain Messaging

16:10 - Adoption Through Apps

20:18 - Staying Focused on the Vision

25:23 - Crypto’s Growing Relevancy

27:51 - Value Accrual to ETH vs Layer 2s

33:12 - The Super Token

36:00 - ZK Proofs

39:24 - Biggest Challenges for Layer 2 Growth

40:43 - Optimism’s 2025 Vision

41:36 - Outro and Final Thanks

The Block Newsletters

The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Guest links:

Mark Tyneway - https://x.com/tyneslol

OP Labs - https://x.com/OPLabsPBC

Optimism - https://x.com/Optimism

Are you hiring in crypto?

Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.

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The Block's Editor-in-Chief, Tim Copeland, was joined by Aave-Chan Initiative Founder Marc Zeller.

In this episode, Copeland and Zeller discussed Aave's decentralization, the Horizon Initiative, and the ACI's "most important proposal" of a six-month, $1 million dollar per week buyback program.

OUTLINE

00:00 - Introduction

05:15 - The most Important Proposal

07:32 - DeFi Isn't Dead — It's Maturing

10:43 - Buybacks

17:16 - Liquidity Incentives and Yield Optimization

25:23 - The Horizon Plan

32:49 - GHO and Stablecoin adoption

38:42 - Embracing Competition to Grow GHO

40:14 - Bitcoin-Backed Loans 

43:09 - Bullish Outlook on Ethereum

48:12 - Building on Mainnet vs. L2

51:31 - Fixing Ethereum

54:10 - Outro and Final Thoughts

The Block Newsletters

The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Guest links:

Marc Zeller - https://x.com/lemiscate

Aave-Chan Initiative - https://x.com/Aavechan

Are you hiring in crypto?

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The Block's Editor-in-Chief, Tim Copeland, was joined by Morpho Co-Founder & CEO Paul Frambot.

In this episode, Copeland and Frambot discussed Morpho, a permissionless lending and borrowing infrastructure that allows builders and platforms to create their own products. The discussion also covers Morpho's integration with Coinbase, the evolution of crypto lending, the and the potential future of layer-2 solutions and app-specific chains.

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

00:24 Sponsor break

01:14 What Is Morpho?

05:03 Shifting From End To End Products

07:35 Morpho Token

11:12 Protocol Fees and Monetization

13:13 Surge in TVL

17:27 Evolution of DeFi Lending

21:44 Coinbase Integration

26:37 The Future of Crypto Lending

33:18 The Success of Stablecoins

36:30 App Chains and Layer 2s

40:20 What’s Next For Morpho & Conclusion

The Block Newsletters

The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Guest links:

Paul Frambot - https://x.com/PaulFrambot

Morpho - https://x.com/MorphoLabs

Are you hiring in crypto?

Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.

Faster hiring, stronger teams.

Sign up for a trial today: theblock.co/campus

This episode is brought to you by our sponsor:

Awaken

Use Awaken to save time and money on your taxes. Go to https://awaken.tax/ to learn more.

The Block's Editor-in-Chief, Tim Copeland, was joined by Superfluid Co-Founder & CEO Fran Renzi.

In this episode, Copeland and Renzi discussed Superfluid, a protocol that allows for continuous, second-by-second streaming of cryptocurrency payments. Renzi explains how the protocol works by using a different accounting method than traditional token transfers, allowing for more efficient and scalable recurring payments, with potential applications in areas like employee compensation, subscription services, and gaming.

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

00:25 Sponsor break

01:14 Diving Into Superfluid

04:27 How Superfluid Works

08:49 The Accountant’s Nightmare

11:05 Scaling

17:10 Going Cross-Chain

21:32 Garnering Participation

24:02 Hacker House Results

29:24 Meme Coins vs Utility Season

32:49 Reasons For Money Streaming

39:57 Smart Contracts and Smarter Payroll

43:18 Banks, Blockchains, and Bottlenecks

49:17 Streaming For Games

50:55 Conclusion

The Block Newsletters

The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Guest links:

Fran Renzi - https://x.com/francescorenzia

Superfluid - https://x.com/superfluid_HQ

Are you hiring in crypto?

Use Campus to quickly find your best candidates with our challenging Crypto Assessment Test.

Faster hiring, stronger teams.

Sign up for a trial today: theblock.co/campus

This episode is brought to you by our sponsor:

Awaken

Use Awaken to save time and money on your taxes. Go to https://awaken.tax/ to learn more.

The Block's Editor-in-Chief, Tim Copeland, was joined by Offchain Labs Co-Founder & CEO Steven Goldfeder.

In this episode, Copeland and Goldfeder discussed Arbitrum’s latest developments, including the BoLD protocol, which enhances security and decentralization for optimistic rollups. They discuss the broader Ethereum Layer 2 ecosystem and challenges in governance. The conversation also touches on Ethereum’s long-term strategy, competition with Solana, and what a U.S. strategic crypto reserve should consist of.

OUTLINE

00:00 Introduction

00:48 Arbitrum’s BoLD move

05:43 How decentralized is Arbitrum today?

11:07 DAO ETH deployment debate

15:25 Layer 2s and Ethereum’s value proposition

18:55 Activity shifting to Solana and Hyperliquid

23:33 Are Layer 2s ready for Appchains?

26:26 The Layer 2 business development battle

29:12 Will Arbitrum share sequencer revenue?

33:23 Lobbying and bribing in Arbitrum governance

37:31 Crypto politics & the U.S. reserve

The Block Newsletters

The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Guest links:

Steven Goldfeder - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgoldfed/

Steven Goldfeder on X - https://x.com/sgoldfed

Offchain Labs - https://www.offchainlabs.com/

Offchain Labs on X - https://x.com/OffchainLabs

The Block's Editor-in-Chief, Tim Copeland, was joined by Ethos CEO Trevor Thompson.

In this episode, Copeland and Thompson discuss reputation scores in crypto and how Ethos aims to bring accountability through on-chain trust mechanisms. The discussion also covers the potential impact of reputation markets, comparisons to Friend Tech, and how transparency influences trust in the crypto space.

OUTLINE

00:00 - Introduction

01:17 - Ethos explained

03:44 - Ethos’s vouching system

06:15 - Reputation growth

07:50 - Points and potential token launch

11:28 - Lessons from Friend.tech

13:58 - Transparency and accountability

18:37 - Building a strong community

23:53 - Preventing scams with reputation scores

29:33 - Weighing reputation scores

33:32 - Ethos markets

40:29 - Potential long cons

42:24 - KOL tokenization and reputation

45:27 - The future of Ethos

48:45 - Closing thoughts

The Block Newsletters

The Block's newsletters bring you the latest news and analysis of the fast-moving crypto and DeFi markets. To subscribe, visit theblock.co/newsletters

Guest links:

Trevor Thompson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevor-thompson-atx/

Trevor Thompson on X - https://x.com/0x5f_eth

Ethos - https://www.ethos.network/

Ethos on X - https://x.com/ethos_network